However those sidebands are lost (and cannot be preserved) when the data are stored as a file on disk.
Can I enquire what is being referred to as a ‘low noise sideband’.
From an engineering background, we know what side bands are, they are a deterministic aspect of modulation… they are not noise.
I wonder if there is some confusion with with intermodulation noise sums and products caused by analogue non linearities in electronic components (amongst other things) … that is quite different. Curious…
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I don’t understand this idea that they ‘should’ give an unpolluted noise floor. My system’s background is as silent as the grave. At the end of a piece the music fades away to a totally silent noise floor. I understand that you have had good results from adding a mains filter to deal with mains issues, but it would be wrong to promote them as a universal panacea. They have their place but should only be used where necessary. Neither Naim, nor anybody else, can produce anything that will guarantee a silent noise floor regardless of local conditions. It’s always best to fix the cause if possible, rather than applying a sticking plaster.
Really like that post. Linn stresses its Space Optimisation is not intended to act as a tone control. The old Linn forum was full of discussions about using SO1 as if it were a graphic equaliser, which I think Linn found frustrating. While there is some tuning available in SO2, it is not to the extent it was in SO1.
I guess it is fashion. I read a note from Harbeth that bemoaned the absence of good tone controls on modern amplifiers. Chord’s top of the range (Statement level) pre-amp has separate tone controls for left and right channels. Schiit Audio makes the Loki. I’ve used Loki in my pre-SO days and it’s surprisingly good for the money. It reminds me of my first amplifier, the Cambridge P60.
Yes, tone control as in equaliser. We know tone controls have fallen off the planet, it’s time for a come back. Admit it. Are your speakers perfect? Are your headphones perfect? Are your recordings perfect? If you’re honest, the answer is “no.” Some speakers & headphones are a bit bright or dark. Some recordings aren’t paragons of tonal purity. Loki lets you adjust for these imperfections. Not everyone wants a bright, analytical system or pounding bass. We all have preferences. With Loki, you can tune the system to the way you want it to sound. Loki allows this control, while retaining transparency. Instead of a stack of noisy op-amps attached to open-frame with dust-collecting sliders, Loki uses a single, discrete, current-feedback gain stage, coupled to passive LC filters for 3 bands, plus a gyrator for bass. Loki uses sealed Alps potentiometers with rational adjustment ranges to allow for fine control. Coupled with a 100% passive bypass setting.
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Yes, I didn’t either. What I have found with noise pollution is that it masks the noise floor and it’s not actually discernible until the noise is removed. My system was silent as well, but a main noise detector measured maximum mains noise. When I added a filter, the difference was immediate: more definition and shape around sounds, particularly bottom and top with an overall bringing everything into more focus. The absence of this detail was not audible until the noise was removed. This was a revelation and on further research there is good stuff around on the need to remove pollution to lower the noise floor.
My point is that adding power supplies to separate noise interference between components should not be in isolation to the need to clean up power entering the system. Therefore, an observation that Naim are missing this aspect of system performance, both in not producing power supplies or filters that achieve this, or worse, discouraging their use when the benefit is obvious and one can end up with an underperforming high end system.
To add, I’m happy with where I’ve ended up. If I was starting again I would do the power filtering before adding power supplies and that would be my advice to others.
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Hmm I dunno. I mean I still hate them but actually loads of hi-end stuff offers them. All Luxman and Accuphase amps; PMC cor; etc.
I think a lot of room issues possibly can be mitigated good enough with a quality tone control. I certainly have nothing against them as long as they are good quality and there is an uncompromised bypass.
SO is fine but to some degree it is like tackling the problem of a few house flies with a bazooka. i.e. for most problems it is overkill.
Here is the impressive Cello audio suite and Palette , from the 90’s.
It’s incredible to see so many controls and buttons.
It was among the best high end stuff in the 90’s.
I’ve often wondered what are the criteria for “high end”?
The manufacturer’s claim? The price?
If I can afford it, then it isn’t 
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Yes, another imprecise term that probably means different things to different people or at different times! it could mean (sound) quality, or price - the two are not necessarily synonymous! High end must be more than 50% up the scale, and to me suggests maybe top quartile - but arguably it could be top decile. If it were price, then that is easily assessed, but I assume in most cases people mean quality, of which there is little objective measure, so perhaps it just means above average…
state of the art is often used in the us audio reviews.
Now that is very different from ‘high end’. ‘State of the art’ suggests that it is the very latest and best thinking. It might be assumed that also means very best sound quality [for whatever is the item under consideration], which which may or may not be the highest cost. And of course it is in the opinion of either the manufacturer who declares it to be state of the art, or the reviewer in terms of his or her view of the ‘art’ of hifi gear design.
so what word can you use for Naim Statement, top Magico speakers, top DCS gear… super high end ? mega high end? top high end?
‘High end’ does not seem unreasonable at all for those - but my point was that it is not precise, and to some people ‘high end’ might include 500 series, or 300… while some people might consider the entirety of the Naim brand as high end.
As for ‘state of the art’, arguably when they were released the Statement, and ND555 were state of the art for Naim. So were 500 and NDS when they were released. But some people might argue that while the ND555 may have been the very best of which Naim is capable, it was not state of the art because it is based on an obsolete DAC chip.
In practice it doesn’t really matter - it is relative to whatever someone is talking about, and given the absence of any definitive meaning the responsibility lies with the person doing the talking/writing to ensure the target audience is clear on what is meant.
in France we have: entrée de gamme, milieu de gamme, haut de gamme, and gamme de prestige.
I think in the real world that is more like it… including the Muso products…
I think ‘high end’ refers more to expected performance rather than any notion of price, although there is a degree of correlation but not always in my opinion, especially for some of the more expensive more esoteric products.
It’s all relative. I remember when I was a young lad working at a dealers who specialised in Naim, Linn, and Quad. I referred to our stock once as “high-end” and my manager just laughed and told me none of what we stock was high end brands. We were midrange at best.
And yet most punters who accidentally wandered in would see a Denon PMA-250 amp for GBP160b would whistle say “blimey” and walk out, oblivious to the 82s and SuperCaps further in.
Indeed it is…
What is high end… I have seen some pictures of speakers made of glass, and some looks like made of gold that is taller then Kobe Bryant in some show pictures with equally unique looking amplifiers etc, with brand names I never heard of. I have never seen those in any shops… I guess it.is lo likely to be less than 100 of those gizmos were ever made and sold.
I think those are the real High End…
Naim and such are still well known and relatively mass produced…
I said on another post, I define high end like this: If I can afford it, it isn’t.
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