What is your system?
I couldn’t see it in your profile.
Hi JimDog,
See the system below. I’m waiting on two NAP 500s to replace the existing 300s they been on order for a looooooooooooooooong time! (that’s been discussed on another thread!) Taken roughly 30 years to get it to this final point (I hope 
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Wow - that’s almost as good as my rig. 
Defo worth optimising with a high quality vibration isolation system.
Hi in relation to preventing ground based vibration entering hifi components, I wonder whyNaim fit suspension systems to their top end gear, I know why in an attempt to eliminate vibration, I think the suspension fitted to the 552 preamp is one of its major reason for being a great preamp.
I could be totally wrong, then why would Naim keep fitting something that doesn’t work according to some.
Steve
Hi Steven,
I can’t see any posts here that say Naim suspension doesn’t work. In my experience the isolation products that I’ve employed have augmented what Naim had built into their componets.
I have a 64K pre amp that definately sounds better sitting on a HRS amp support base - it’s clear as day and night. I’ve always wondered why Naim at their Hi Fi demonstrations haven’t have their gear sitting on third party isolation units when other exotic high value brands do. It’s not a sign of a weak product, it’s about showing your product to its best potential.
The biggest compliment I’ve had from someone about my system was ‘ it doesn’t sound like Naim’ …. they’ve missed the point like so many others, this is the Naim sound; live, exciting, dynamic, real, engaging, immersive.
For me I’m now tweaking the very best from my Naim units, it’s not that they are inadequate I’m enhancing and supporting what they are capable of.
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I use vibration isolation shelves designed by Xanthe:
Very nice they are too.
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With you on that FR. I’ve seen many clips on youtube of a music analyst who puts very famous songs and artists into pro tools then puts them perfectly in time. The result isn’t as good as the original. They lose their swing and swagger and become less engaging.
Too perfect isn’t necessarily better, have a listen to ‘Keef’ he’s not the best guitar player in the world but he knows how to play a riff and create some of the most memorable spontanious songs ever recorded. 
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Xanthe is a legend. I can’t undertand most of what he says but he knows his stuff. We’ve had differing opinions over a few threads. He’s a scientist I’m of the artistic type - say no more !! 
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Are you the chap with the amazing system in your basement in Camden?
Who likes Motörhead?
Or is that someone else??
I have such happy memories of listening to jazz at Dingwalls on Sundays at Camden Lock in the early 80s.
Spent a lot of time in Camden then.
Near Camden Jim, and yes I have a basement sound proof music room and a I’m a big Motorhead fan. Camden is great I can go down any night and find live music - which is why I’m such a Naim fan no other kit I’ve heard comes close to sounding like a live gig. So it might be me 
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If you’re in London you’d be welcome to visit … same as any other forum members but I don’t know how you could get in touch. Said this before … the offer is there 
@Richard.Dane
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Squinting to try to read the image, if I’m reading correctly and not missing anything, one thing that appears rather outclassed, to put it mildly, is the ND5XS. It’s not a bad player for the money, but…
I only use to listen Planet rock and burn gear in … I know terrible 
Im not a streamer I use it in the old world as a radio to hear new stuff that I then buy Vinyl or CD from so SQ isn’t issue. Well spotted
I have always followed Peter Walkers advise and used the volume control as a focusing devise to bring the singer out into the room. ( A 30 year Quad user, 34 pre & 306 current dumper)
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Agree, but, ahem, she
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I imagine Lenny’s bass rifts on a S1 with 3 x 500’s active would be somewhat balls-breaking awesome. I met the legend during two consecutive nights in a small venue in Auckland back in the 80’s. Right rockers they were.
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I agree with you.
As some pointed recently in another thread ( « source first « ), the key is to find the best matching speakers / room / amp which will work the best in our room. Then improve with some room acoustics, but lightly, and isolation devices.
Not buy the best speakers we can buy and then transform and adapt the room acoustically to allow these speakers to sound properly.
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Thanks - that’s a great offer.
I saw Motorhead at Birmingham Odean in the early 80s - and bought several of their LPs.
The aim with room treatment is getting the right balance, not killing it dead, and is quite unlike adjusting the beat timing accuracy or tone accuracy of a recorded piece of music!
Positioning of speakers and listener are key factors in setup, more so in some room than others. Narrower dispersion speakers will reduce side, ceiling and floor reflections compared to wide dispersion speakers though possibly reducing soundstage and size of ‘sweet spot’, and toeing well in will reduce side reflections, though if side walls are near then there will still be some early reflections to degrade the sound and neither of these choices will reduce early reflections from a near wall behind the listener. If after optimising positioning a room has reflective surfaces close to the sound path or the listener then regardless of quality of electronics, cables etc some combination of absorption and scattering to stop the near reflections interfering with the main signal is likely to make a significant improvement to clarity and detail, maybe even tighten sharpness of timing.
If there are bass issues such as booming or cancellation at the listening position even with best positioning, treatment can reduce the effects and improve the sound, though unless mild it is highly unlikely to be feasible to completely cure.
All that said, the best sound I have ever heard from recorded music anywhere, any time, was from a system more limited than mine is now, played outdoors in the open - effectively removing all room effects. That to me was perfection, albeit that it would be even better with a more capable system. Also, returning to the thread theme the setup meant there could be no acoustic feedback to the source or electronics as they were indoors the other end of the house, and at least 100 feet away from the speakers, but I believe the lack of room effects was the most significant factor. Details in the thread What’s the best-sounding system you’ve ever heard?
Love gold on the Forum when I read it. Thank you Monsieur FR.
True and yet such a fine line when your heart just wants what it wants and therein lies some compromise. Audiophiles are optimists… we like to explore and deceive ourselves occasionally especially when we’re after what we want even when the markers are up, not to. 
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