You seem to have missed out on Thomas’ nail biting and tooth rattling journey, and I think having also already taking delivery of his Soulution gear, that no stone has been left unturned in his thoughts and capability on his decision ATB Peter
Boulder is interesting. But I only know the brand by reputation. I’ve never listened to it.
But the fact that it’s a class A design and that it’s produced on the other side of the Atlantic is a barrier.
Soulution is next door to me.
Plus I love my Soulution 760/711 combo.
Soulution is something rather unique. One must listen to it to understand it (and not in a show).
I think the only other options I would consider (but won’t) are the Naim Statement or the Soulution 701 monoblocks
I have many astonishing performances that are either simply old recordings or have not been particularly well engineered.
Although all the really fine recordings sound even better with the ND 555, I have never really thought the bad ones sounded any worse.
It’s just the difference between them that grows. Above all, although I can certainly be disappointed in recording quality, and often, it has never stopped me enjoying a great performance/song/riff etc.
The idea that a poor recording becomes unlistenable with a more resolving system is simply incomprehensible to me.
Someone, on a YouTube audiophile channel ( Jay audio) , has a great system with Boulder, constellation, and Magico. He had previously Gryphon and many other brands.
After some years of listening to many dacs or streamers, he finds that the most important differences lies in the the 1k - 10 k range for dacs.
Between 10 k and 30 k, the differences are minimal. Just the presentation differ.
I tend to agree , after having heard Nd555, Dave, Linn KDSM, Rossini, Meitner MA3, and Lumin X1. You have to drop much much more to reach a much higher level.
For me, the 10k Meitner was on the same level as Nd555 ( 25k) and Lumin X1 ( 11k) or bare Rossini ( 20k). They just sound different, better on some areas, lesser on other, vs each other.
The Cure is a band I enjoy since I was a teenager.
The albums Faith and Seventeen Seconds, have beautiful lyrics served by a deliciously gloomy musical atmosphere.
But the mastering is awful…
So I listen to them with my iPhone and 50 CHF Sennheiser earbuds.
That’s how I enjoy it the most. No need for an expensive HiFi setup
These albums are not worse on a luxury hifi. It’s just that with this kind of HiFi you can hear what’s wrong, and it’s a shame because those albums are beautiful.
Ah yes the endless watts debate.
Anyway you made your choice, I just asked you because you made a rather bold statement that a NAP 500DR doesn’t have enough power for a speaker that is rated at 4 ohms and 88 DB sensitivity.
I have heard NAP 500 (and DR version also) over a few years with Sonus Faber Stradivari, and also the new IL Cremonese lately, the 500 DR has the unique ability of going louder without suffering from compression (something even the 300 DR cannot do) - since the return currents from the speaker cones do not flow to signal earth in this bridged balanced design of the NAP 500DR. I don’t know how loud you need to listen but with the 552/500DR volume at 10 or 11 o clock, that is all my ears could tolerate.
It seems you’re enjoying your rather expensive set up ( $$$ TAIKO extreme server included) - I don’t know if statement was ever in your plans but nevertheless I also noted your amplifier has a Switch Mode power supply with massive capacitors.
It’s a design that Chord electronics and Linn have implemented for decades now and certainly I will be auditioning a Chord Electronics amp in the near future.
I can only point you to the impedance curve of the Magico M2. And once again, sensitivity is not a very useful piece of information.
It is the impedance curve of the speaker that dictates its current requirements.
The volume of sound is not significant either.
For the same sound volume, an amplifier capable of supplying more current will control the speakers better.
And that’s what we want, good control over the drivers, even if the impedance drops sharply.
If I remember correctly, I think HiFi Critic came to the same conclusion. The NAP500DR lacks a bit of juice for the Magico M2.
The delivery of current is one thing in a test…actual driving of a real speaker is another…I once tested an Audiolab 8000p rated at 40a peak current…against a VTL 50w valve amp. The VTL blew it away in all respects whallop, percieved power, delicacy, transparency you name it…it was better. So yes a current delivery test is indicative of a stout supply…but it does not tell the whole story.
You beat me to it. I completely agree. The better the equipment the more it lets you understand and set aside the shortcomings of a poor recording and just enjoy the music.
Ime anyway.
G
You should try the vinyl Thomas - remarkably good sound in these two.
I must admit that I probably lack time to dig into vinyl.
But yes, I believe these albums must sound much better on vinyl.
Is it as good on cassette?
I feel nostalgic about my teenage years when I see pictures of cassette players on the System Picture thread
A point “slammed home” (literally) to me when I got the ATC SCM40 actives. Compared to the passives and 250dr control is exactly what has improved.
I can’t vouch for cassette, but the 2016 vinyl reissues sound really good. Well worth getting if you love the music but find the CDs not so great.
It is quite possible that the CD version (16/44.1) is not so great. This was often the case in the 80s. Albums released on vinyl and quickly converted to CD. That’s probably what I perceive, some harshness and over detailed presentation.
I never found the pleasure, this wooly feeling…
There are a few pop bands that I still listen to. The Cure is one of them, and these albums in particular, for three decades!
That would be a good reason to get into vinyl
Going into vinyl at your level Thomas, would in my view just be like opening up another can of worms Don’t Peter
This is very true!
And I don’t think I would have the patience… All the tinkering that goes on around a record player.
But a cassette player in my office… why not.
Or maybe send an email to Robert Smith and ask him to do something about the digital version of his albums.
Remaster the whole thing respecting the original spirit. That would be great!
Yup, some of the originals are very nice. Sadly many, like my own are a bit past their best having been borrowed by others for radio shows etc…
Exactly. Listen to the beauty It’s even more beautiful on an ND555 notwithstanding the crap mastering. I don’t focus on what’s wrong. Thankfully, it’s what my friends do with me, too
That’s been exactly my experience with the Linn streamer with Organik DAC upgrade which entered the house last weekend. It is certainly highly revealing of fine detail. The nuances of a member of an orchestra playing a solo come through along with the acoustic space and position they are playing in. The subtleties of the guitar accompaniment to Martin Hayes playing Irish traditional music are evident as I’ve not heard them before even though the recording focuses on Hayes.
I sort of expected this but also anticipated that reproduction of poorer recordings would suffer with the extra exposure. But to my surprise I am enjoying them more than ever. I have a CD of Kathleen Ferrier singing Mahler which has pretty execrable sound and yet, rather than emphasising this, the Linn manages to dig a bit more out of the recording, making Ferrier’s spine-tingling singing just that bit more moving. I don’t quite know how it achieves this, but I’m very glad it does.
Roger