Making way for 500DR

Don’t mean to derail Dans thread but @HiFiman does this powerline snap look correct? I don’t seem to have much of a gap between silver and rear black section and also there’s a gap at the left side as if it’s not fully home in to the socket - I’ve shoved it in really really hard whilst gripping it correctly and don’t feel I can safely push it any further.

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That looks fine to me - a firm push is all that’s required. One should not be using all of their strength to fully push it in, as like you say, it may damage the unit. Mine are the same as yours, i wouldn’t worry about it.

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I agree. I push mine in with all my might and I don’t feel any click or see any gap as discussed. Literally the back of the box was flexing and I didn’t feel any magical click. Maybe it works on some boxes!

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Looks good to me :+1:

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Listening to Bob Berg now. Amazing saxophone. Sounds gorgeous on system. Wow!

I wouldn’t worry about it too much. I have noticed the benefit of the powerlines regardless of whether they are pushed in right. I took advice on here but never felt the magical click. Tbh I pushed so hard I noticed a flex in the Naim unit without feeling the click. So I just stopped. It sounds better. Maybe I don’t have the knack of doing it just right!

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Yeah, I guessed as much @Dan_M. Only snag is I’d need 3 of them with the two hicaps I have. My Napsc is the captive lead version that comes with the 82, so that would have to stay as is. If I had to buy 3 of them, I reckon I’d spend money elsewhere first… Probably on a used keel

I may well just pick a single used one for now and give it a whirl… See if I hear any benefit on the 250DR. I’m a bit skeptical whether I’d hear a benefit on my level system.

I must admit, I would like to go supercap at some point. If anything to reduce the power supply down to a single box and give me scope for a 52 at some stage.

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Look Powerlines are the icing on the cake. Save your money and get other upgrades done.

Always buy powerlines used. £425 on ebay generally. I have 6. Bought 5 and 500DR came with one.

Get the Keel done instead. I have spent thousands on cables and Fraim. Built up gradually. The best money is on the boxes themselves. The Keel is a massive upgrade.

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You will hear a benefit for sure. But wait until you have other things in place. If your system was finished I would get powerlines, but you are growing and changing your system.

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Yeah, you’re right. I realise they are more of a cherry on top kind of upgrade. I guess my curiosity is peaked by the reviews I see of powerlines making quite a difference and also the last few ‘small’ tweaks I’ve done recently have been quite noticeable beyond their cost and has got me thinking about some of the smaller tweaks in the meantime.

Yeah, I’ve read quite a bit on keel now. Not many say they prefer their LP12 before they swapped to a keel, or that it wasn’t a worthy upgrade.

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You’re going down route of maxing out your LP12 which is a great way to go. Your amplification is really good now too. Keel will be a massive upgrade. After that it’s your tonearm, phonostage and cart.

Are you going near Klimax level? You’ll be 2/3rd there with Keel and Radikal.

Will be impressive set up with 82 and 250DR.

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Yeah, I do definitely want to push the LP12 further for sure. It’s my only source, so want to go as far as I can realistically afford (and justify!!) with it.

My aim isn’t Klimax as such, but would like to get as far as I can with it. Keel is probably next (though there is an argument for the radikal to be upgraded to radikal 2 first), probably do cart next after keel rather than arm, as by then it’ll be getting time to swap out. No wrong way I guess if you intend to do them in time anyway, but who doesn’t like to get bang for buck, right?!

System envy and upgraditis is a very real phenomena! :grinning:

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The music must have been really loud :sunglasses:

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The 500DR is sounding clearer and more detailed and more open now. It is improving and sounds more 3 dimensional. It’s sounding silky smooth and really fluid. It sounded a bit harsh in places for first few days. That is going now. Giving Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds a listen on vinyl right now.

The 500DR is working well with the 52, Supercap 2 combo.

I am happy to keep the preamp situation as it is at the moment. It is hanging together very well.

I will give the 500DR time and space and see if things change over the next month or two.

The LP12 sounds better than ever.

The NDS 555PS ND5XS2 streaming set up continues to sound fantastic.

The CDS2 has gone to it’s new owner! Was first box to sell. Am awaiting sale of 135s and XPS2.

All is well with the system. I am so pleased I made this slightly unplanned change. Was a genius move with deal I got on the beautiful beast. The 500DR.

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I think the 500DR has been after the speaker change in July the biggest and most dramatic upgrade I have done. You can change cables, spend £2500 on 6 powerlines (which I have done). But the 500DR coming in sounds glorious.

The LP12 is sounding so more alive. It’s like it has had a rocket shoved up it!

500DR highly recommended with 52. Loving it.

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Great idea. I’ve just finished cleaning my vinyl collection and that was on my list to re-birth, so here we go!

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I have had the album many years and it’s a great test of a system! Enjoy it. I am on side 2 right now.

How is the record cleaner working it out? Looks like brilliance on a budget.

I reckon Keel next for you if tonearm fits it which I believe it does. I would then go if you can used Ekos SE and new cart. Then do Radikal 2 upgrade.

My plan is Radikal 1 or 2 if anything. It is now sounding so good with 500DR, it’s really brought the best out in my LP12. I can here so much more detail and the soundstage on the LP12 is immense.

Shows you what a difference the power amp can make.

Even with AO rewire I reckon an Ekos 2 or Ekos SE would be alot better than your Ittok. No rush. I kept my upgraded AO Akito for 6 years before I changed it out.

Take your time with it and enjoy every stage. With my LP12 I left it for years and when cart was on way out I got Karousel done. Then did tonearm, phonostage (which I had to, to go MC) and cart in one hit.

That made it sound sweet.

Now it sounds like magic :wink:

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I’ve a 1978 pressing, it’s mint. Holy Smoke, I haven’t played this for a very long time, and not through the LP12/552/300 before - what a fabulous recording, so dynamic and engaging.

Really happy, as you say, brilliance on a budget. Not only has it transformed the playing quality, but it’s the whole ritual of cleaning. I decided in the end to clean the entire collection over a few weeks. By it’s very nature, you have to get out every record in your collection and inspect it. This has been a very rewarding journey of re-discovery of 300 records, most of which I bought new in the 1980/90’s at the height of the vinyl era. Between the “barn buy” LP12 and restoring the collection, it has been one of those wonderful low cost highlights in my hi-fi journey. Now to save to tickle the LP12 up a bit - I think I’m aspiring to getting it to a Seleck-ish level (keeping the Ittok LV II and AT-OC9ML/II).

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