I was multi box active, took some time out and then a quick Muso, Atom, Nova and stopped.
I have considered the NDX2/SN3 for the cost a minor SQ uplift, was even tempted by the ex demo statement that was on hear, also various Innuos server/ switch additions.
With the Nova i just like the minimalism and concede a SQ trade off, but and optimised setup helps.
Speakers wise i started with Focal Chorus and later settled on 1008be2.
A simple way to ‘passive eq’ your system to your taste would be to position your speakers differently.
You should be able to reduce apparent treble by reducing toe-in and introducing some off-axis characteristics to the sound.
I also have tinnitus and have a Nova partnered with ATC SCM 11, this is a new system to me and took some time in experimenting to find the right choice. I have a very lively room with hard floors, vaulted ceilings and open plan. I found the ATC speakers to be the best solution, they have a balanced and natural presentation. I would suggest the speakers would be the beat starting point and home demo a must. I found lowering listening levels to around 60 to 65 dBc beneficial.
With a spare nDAC, adding a ND5 XS2 to that with a SN3 (or a used SN2) would be a good option. I’d keep the Nova either way as you say though, it’s too good to move on.
I’ve tried a Nova before getting my NDX2 and SN3. To me, the latter is much better and more like proper hifi, which I like. The Nova was pretty poor at driving my SL2s, which are a far easier proposition that your Neats. So I’d say you are hit with a real case of the mullets and I suspect that’s at the root of your problems.
I lost the hearing in my left ear last year, and my right ear wasn’t great anyway, so I now use aids. Despite that, the NDX2/SN3 with Tablette 10s sounds great. As you have a nDac already a ND5XS2 may work for you, though I was advised that the NDX2 is considerably better than ND5XS2 and nDac.
That sounds like dealer talk to me. As a digital transport the two streamers are more or less identical, and I would be very surprised if an NDac didn’t outperform the DAC in the NDX2.
Another option is to use DSP. Roon allows simple “graphic equaliser” type adjustments but more importantly also allows convolution filters.
I detail my journey in the thread
But basically if you send measurements to Thierry he will tweak the sound to your preference. You may find just having the filters changes things but Thierry is very responsive and is really into understanding and solving customer’s issues.
.sjb
The dealer was selling a used nDac, advised me thus and lost the sale, so who knows. For me, the NDX2 justifies itself on its better UX, in particular its remote. Who wants to use a phone all the time?
Yes, I do like my NDX2 too, although I think the remote is rubbish and never use it.
I admit I haven’t compared it side by side with an NDAC, which I’ve found it to be an extremely accomplished DAC despite its age. To me the real strength of the Naim streamers is the digital transport, and if I wasn’t bothered about box count I would probably run ND5XS2/NDAC/555.
A very good option Mike, very well balanced
But I think it would be time to downsize the Neat XL6’s, they are a brute of a speaker and need power
Before going & spending a lot of money on new speakers, amplification etc. I strongly recommend visiting my thread below which attracted a lot more attention than I was expecting.
If you are noticing changes in your hearing then, given your age, it is quite likely that your hearing is changing & possibly deteriorating. I doubt buying expensive new hi-fi will do anything to improve the situation & if you do have hearing issues, it certainly won’t.
I am no expert at all but do understand the most typical hearing loss in people of our age is a noticeable reduction in the treble & mid frequencies, making everything, including music, sound muffled to a lesser or greater degree. From what you say, this is the opposite to what you are experiencing & suggests to me that something is not right.
The best advice I can give you is to save your money for the present & get a hearing test from an audiologist. These are usually free if you use a high street chain. This will establish whether you have a hearing problem or not &, if so, the best way of dealing with it.
This is not what you will want to hear (no pun intended), but if you have problems you can get it sorted properly & then enjoy your music pretty much as it was intended to be heard.
You may then decide you are perfectly happy with what you have got or, if you still wish to make any changes to your system, you will select new components which genuinely enhance the sound quality rather than mask sound traits which you now hear, but never used to, with your existing equipment.
Without a hearing test I really fear you could be wasting an awful lot of money.
However you proceed, good luck.
TLDR: Audition the Harbeth Compact 7es3 if you haven’t already.
Like you I also have mild tinnitus and hyperacusis. When it comes to Harbeths I found the 30.1 and P3ESR share similar sonic traits in that they are more monitor-like compared to the Compact 7es3 and HL5 which are more laid back. I love my Compact 7es3 as I can listen to them for an extended time without my tinnitus going up in volume. The PRAT elements are still there with the right electronics (Superuniti and then 272/XPS DR/250) Not sure if I could do that with 30.1…I did own the P3ESR for awhile but replaced them with Neat Iota Alpha in my secondary system. I like the sparkly Neat ribbon tweeters but I can only listen to them for awhile before getting ear fatigue.
Hey finally got back to this thread. Thanks for all the great ideas and thoughts. I did not think it would come down so heavily on the speakers though!
In the meantime I have added some Chord Silent Mounts to the speakers - expensive, but on a massive discount at the local dealer. Well, I have to say, these things are not snake oil. The system is so much smoother, with a definite reduction in edginess. There is another thread here on them which says similar things.
I also had a listen to a higher end AVM/Fyne system but not convinced. Next step for me is to get the audiogram etc. But I am thinking that a power amp on the end of the Nova might be worth investigating - eg Benchmark
Hi Andrew,
Best of luck with the audiogram outcome.
With regard to the Nova, as indicated in your latest post I would highly recommend auditioning it together with a discrete amplifier through the Nova’s outputs. This proved invaluable to me when deciding which path to take, allowing a direct comparison of the Nova’s output stage with a range of quality alternatives and ideally with your own speakers.
Try the Supernait 3, I found it very delicate and detailed so may be to your liking. Personally it did not have the drive or dynamics that I wanted to play the music I enjoy, but it was a (small) step on from the Nova alone.
Andrew,
I can’t recommend @Sloop_John_B use of DSP enough. I am in my 6th decade and have lived a life around noisy military aircraft. Roon DSP has enabled me to up the db of frequency bands that I may struggle with. And as a bonus allowed me to tune the music to mine and the rooms liking.
And in the DSP world, you aren’t taking anything away from the stream of information; you’re not losing information.
Age also brings its own sensitivities, particularly in the mids and highs. EQing (as the kids call it) enables us to tweak and A/B compare to our heart’s content.
I boggle at a comment about a $2K cable that has ‘heightened’ this’ or ‘improved the bass’ that. I can do that with DSP for nowt!
Joking aside, I do like a nice expensive cable!
Daz
Hi,
It was the Nova! Nova through the integrated amplifier first, then Nova streaming through the Supernait 3.
For reference, I also auditioned the NDX2 through the SN3 as a comparison; the source I ended up going with.
Ah ok so there were two pre-amps in use, one in the Nova and the other in the SN3? Could be why the difference. Unless you can bypass the pre in the Nova ?
Don’t overlook the fact that the SN3 was also auditioned using a NDX2 as its source, the Nova was tested with an alternative amplifier and the NDX2 was auditioned with an alternative amplifier so it was a level playing field.
What was clear is that the Nova is capable of supporting a step up in amplification quality through its analogue outputs. Credit to the design of its streaming and analogue stages. How big a step you take or the specific sound you are looking for should be determined by auditioning in combination with different amplification.
This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.