Naim Chrome Bumper

[rsch]

Regas are a lot user friendly

[MaxBertola]

rega are Smart vehicles with Mercedes tires.

[rsch]

No, more like well sorted Minis or Elise S1/s2

[juliushui]

A bit of update to my listening experience. It’s the 4th day today of my system turned on, and second day of listening as I was out of town.

The system definitely sounds a bit different and it’s perfectly normal in run-in stage. I have a Dac V1 runs into NJ326 cards and it sounds very nice, organic and meaty sound I love.

But the vinyl playback is bright, which should never happen to my frontend. (LP12/Cirkus/LV-V/Grace F-9E/Linn tonearm cable) With some research I found it’s a common problem due to the mismatch of 322 cards and the cart. I may need to go back to my 834P to avoid ear-bleeding sound, or if any great cart suggestions that match well with 322 boards are greatly appreciated. I prefer to less boxes

Cheers

[Murmur]

@juliushui

I may need to go back to my 834P to avoid ear-bleeding sound, or if any great cart suggestions that match well with 322 boards are greatly appreciated. I prefer to less boxes

Not had that issue with any vintage Linn/Naim systems - it’s tended to be the opposite. I’ve put together many different configurations (i.e., a several dozen), so perhaps it’s partly your room as well?

The Audio Technica VM95C and E carts on a metal Linn K9 body communicate music which is more than can be said for most others I’ve tried. They are also cheap. However, they are subject to inner groove distortion on my Valhalla/Ittok deck. The VM95ML tracks fine but to my ears just doesn’t captivate when it comes to more emotive / moody music. Uptempo stuff is pretty good and it sounds crisper than the cheaper profiles. The EN was in the middle and didn’t really offer the benefit of either. I also tried more expensive AT MMs without success.

I’ve ended up going back to a low wear K9 which is just so much more engaging than anything else (except the Adikt which suited my black liner/Lingo/Ekos deck but not the black liner/Vahalla/Ittok deck - too sluggish, which was a great shame). I’m not familiar with your Mose but would be surprised if any of these options sound bright and all work well with 322 cards.

[Murmur]

@juliushui

For certain you are not the only one. In reality I’m a designer, while in this field it’s perfectly normal for people aimed for their best works. I think speaking of this hobby it’s great part of the fun – everyone is looking for their own best sound!

Yes, that’s a good way of putting it - ‘looking for their own best sound’

Good to know another person hears things similarly

[juliushui]

Cheers Murmur, as you suggested, Linn’s classic carts would work better with the 322/4 cards.

Think I hit the 322’s 470pF loading issue that feeling_zen suggested here:

Phono stage comparisons

Worth bearing in mind that the loading on the Stageline, while seemingly much higher than just about any cartridge on the market, doesn’t really restrict you to a tiny number of esoteric cartridges with high capacitance. Even with a selectable phono stage, you tend to start with the capacitance setting that matches as a baseline for your cartridge and then play with other loadings to see which actually sounds better. In a lot of cases, the preferred loading selector on a phono stage doesn’t exa…

I’ll take the advice and try a K9!

[Murmur]

If you use a K9 body then a VM95 stylus assembly can also be fitted, but not the other way around.

[bruss]

I have run the Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH Shibata on the lp12 and 322 cards. CB Hicap/62/250.
Sounds good to me.

[Leggit]

I have an AT VM750SH on an LP12 and it sounds great with a StageLine, 322 boards and the phono stages of a Nait, Nait 2 and Nait 50.

[juliushui]

Hi thank you so much for all you guys’ kindly help! It’s heartwarming and definitely helpful. Greatly appreciated.

Think my newly serviced rack is still in the run-in stage, the sound changes occasionally so I don’t make further comments, otherwise my view would be misleading to wrong directions.

After a full day of tests and gear swapping, I just would like to share some of my experience learnt:

1. I did a AB test between my Falcon 3/5A GB and Linn Kan MK1 with pair of 7 metres A5. With the Falcon the system sounds warm and mellow, comfortable and non-fatiguing, almost valve-like sound, lovely.
   With Linn Kan MK1 the sound is more involving and emotional, I love that. But for some tracks it sounds more forward and bright, could be fatiguing in time.
   I’m also looking into a pair of Kan MK2 for comparison.

2. If going for the Kan MK1 route, there is harshness and bright in sound at the moment, I may not able to stand, it’s fatiguing. I swapped my NA321 boards to NJ321 and it removed all the harshness, while keep everything Naim.

3. I suspect my unserviced 32.5 (since 1987) and it’s daughter boards are due for a service, though it looks fine cosmetically. And it’s part of the reason why it sounds a tad leaner and harsh. Will send it out for servicing today.

4. For now I connect the CB250 to a Dac V1. Sound is warm and lush out of the Kan, very happy with it. so definitely not the issue of CB250. It’s the issue of the preamp.

5. The Kans seems it needs some time to settle in after each physical move. It maybe illusion after a day of sweating and swapping.

Cheers I will come back after getting my 32.5 serviced. Will ask my friend in London to help a bit.

Julius

[Murmur]

@juliushui

Think my newly serviced rack is still in the run-in stage, the sound changes occasionally so I don’t make further comments, otherwise my view would be misleading to wrong directions.

Good idea.

Out of interest, what’s the serial number of your Kans?

[I.M]

Darran is amazing!
I sent my Nap 200 amplifier 5 years ago by courier from Bulgaria to his workshop. After two months it came back serviced and I’m happy. Now it’s almost time for my HiCap and Nap 140. I’ll do the same.

Cheers!

[bruss]

Since Brexit I think Darran can no longer send outside the UK.

[I.M]

I’m sorry I hadn’t thought of that! It’ll be a shame if it can’t be done anymore🤔.

[juliushui]

28627, think it’s one of the worse batches?

Turned out the Kans are really tricky to setup, but lot of fun.

For my situation due to limitation of space, the Kans have to be place on the MK2 stands between a rack made of metal (a Muji one).

The stand’s feet got like 2.7cm distance from the solid wall, space between the wall and Kan is like 5-6cm, it sounds best in my room. With tiny tweaking of position the Kans could sound even better.

I said the horrible ‘shouting’ of Kan before, I found it was partly due the Kan interacted with the glass bottles, tea cups I placed on the rack. Once I removed them it’s a lot better.

The Kans sounded best when nothing in between them. For papers like LP sleeves are fine, they even helped smoothing out some peaky voice. Better no metallic things due to reflections.

Now it down to Kan MK1’s shouty upper mids, I think it’s enhanced by interacting with the metallic stands. I’ll try if ebony gaboon working under them, or I will try to live with them for a while and look for Kan MK2. On the other hands my CB250 also becomes warmer and sweeter, I expect with K20 cables it will sound even closer to a BD250.

Kan Mk1 is such a eccentric design but if get them right there is lot of fun.

[Ardbeg10y]

@I.M

I’m sorry I hadn’t thought of that! It’ll be a shame if it can’t be done anymore🤔.

LASA in Piacenza Italy still service Naim devices Naim authorised.

It’s similar to Darran but since 90% of the active members here is in the UK they all talk about Darran.

[Murmur]

@juliushui

28627, think it’s one of the worse batches?

Turned out the Kans are really tricky to setup, but lot of fun.

For my situation due to limitation of space, the Kans have to be place on the MK2 stands between a rack made of metal (a Muji one).

The stand’s feet got like 2.7cm distance from the solid wall, space between the wall and Kan is like 5-6cm, it sounds best in my room. With tiny tweaking of position the Kans could sound even better.

I said the horrible ‘shouting’ of Kan before, I found it was partly due the Kan interacted with the glass bottles, tea cups I placed on the rack. Once I removed them it’s a lot better.

The Kans sounded best when nothing in between them. For papers like LP sleeves are fine, they even helped smoothing out some peaky voice. Better no metallic things due to reflections.

Now it down to Kan MK1’s shouty upper mids, I think it’s enhanced by interacting with the metallic stands. I’ll try if ebony gaboon working under them, or I will try to live with them for a while and look for Kan MK2. On the other hands my CB250 also becomes warmer and sweeter, I expect with K20 cables it will sound even closer to a BD250.

Kan Mk1 is such a eccentric design but if get them right there is lot of fun.

Not aware of any issues with that Kan version, or specific serials or time period. However, IIRC, KEF struggled with production issues at some point in the 80s which led to development of the revised version, but I’ve never seen any reference to this problem and Linn speakers.

If it helps reassure you, I know someone at a Linn/Naim dealer who seeks out the same iteration as yours because he prefers the original B110 drive units and there was a short period (Feb '85 - Dec '85) where they also had the flush speaker connectors. He’s had a couple of these pairs.

Kans are peaky in the upper mids. Kan 2s are better but it’s still there to some extent. The LP12 of that period also has an upper mid ringing. Seems you are happy with them via the digital source though so doesn’t sound like they are too bad.

K20 is certainly a bit muddy compared to NACA5. I just find it more coherent so that’s why I’ve stuck with it.

[I.M]

Good news, I will look into it. Many thanks Ardbeg10y!

[juliushui]

Thanks Murmur. I was actually got sick over the last weekend, felt better this noon and found I plug the A5 wrongly into my Kan with flushed post (with only + - on the back label – I messed it up!), so all problems solved for now…

It’s only my 3rd full day running the 32.5/hicap/250 altogether into Kan, it just magical. This system sounds fully coherent with Kan. Everything sounds like real, the PRAT is apparently there – with Norah Jones the atmosphere is relaxed, calm and warm. I don’t even know amplifier could do that (only Naim!), I heard so many other hifi brands and never heard so. Wow I’m truly impressed.

With further burning-in, the HiCap+250’s meaty sound is getting more and better, I love that! I thought Kan would sound lean somehow. It could sound sweet and slow as well (maybe BD250 could do that as well but CB250 maybe a bit more all around?)

The vintage Naim/Linn magic is real. I’m truly a believer now.

I’m very satisfied with A5 cables, but as you said I’ll see if K20 will sound more coherent, maybe a tad softer and sweeter. I think it’s like the black snaic sounds cleaner and fuller, but the grey snaic is softer.