My system details are in my profile (552/ND555/500/Sopra-3.),all DR.
I upgraded to the NAP 500 from the 300 about 6 months ago without in home demo.
There is clearly more detail and the bass response overall better, tighter.
However there is less “engagement”, have trouble putting it into words but I don’t listen as long as I used to with fewer “wow” moments.
I’m playing around with speaker positioning but without any real plan, just trial and error and not sure I know what I’m doing.
Is the system revealing shortcomings in the speakers with the NAP 500?
Any thoughts?
The room is 17X25 feet with speakers firing down the longer length with drivers about 4 feet from front wall. Wall to wall carpet on a suspended floor. Not currently spiked but on Herbie gliders to allow speaker repositioning.
All SL interconnects and speaker wire. Two stack Fraim 3X3 and can’t get everything off the floor.
Thanks
Perhaps a good glass of scotch. Leads to some wow moments for me.
I don’t know your speakers but have a similar set up bar a CD555 but I did 300DR to 500DR and it was/is a great upgrade into SL2s. I’ve heard 500 kit into DBLs & Dynaudio Confidence 50s and know there’s even more in that level of kit. Have you tried chatting with your dealer since the upgrade if you went via one? It might be worth getting him to check your 500 out.
I can only add that Powerlines everywhere and the MusicWorks G3 with sparkly bottom (plus finding the right order for the plugs) has brought the musicians into the room. It took awhile for the G3 I bought a year ago to reach the level of the demo one.
My 552/500 had been serviced Nov 2016.
Phil
I would say something is not quite right, dont think the amp will show up short comings of the speaker, it should drive the speakers better and get more out of them, but maybe the speakers are now the bottleneck in the system and the 500 hasn’t really added much over the 300 and its more disappointing that you haven’t had the upgrade you was hoping for?
Isn’t the music works G3, wired so that all the sockets are individually wired, so they dont just run from one socket to the next, i would certainly hope it is for the money they charge for it, and if so it wouldn’t make any difference how you plug things in, i re wired my russ Andrews 6 way in such a way, as much better this way
Hi Dunc, but it does! Others have found the same. It’s star earth but a circular ring for L&N
I read your posts and was intrigued.
Phil
Well if its wired like a ring then i would be disappointed with it, as for sure every bit off kit after the first socket will be getting some sort of nasty stuff from the first box and so on, getting worse as each socket goes by. So yes i can see why some find it better plugging in different orders of gear.
I wired mine up like your hand, and your fingers go to each socket, so its basically the 10mm main live in and then that feeds off separately a L, N and earth to each individual socket. So they are all the same, i even mounted it in the wall, so no need for fancy isolation bases etc, worked fantastically and having it vertically mounted in the wall, makes cable dressing easier and far neater
I’m pleased you are happy and so am I . Musicians in the room is a wonderful experience.
Like most, my 500 is in the wall socket. The G3 is on a Powerline. I only have the 552 and digital on the G3.
Phil
Cheers
Think we had better get back on topic, as wiring of multi plugs has gone off somewhat
Nah! A sopra3 shouldn`t be a bottleneck at all. There is a clear step up from 300 Dr to a 500 Dr. Something must be not right. Have you checked all cabling is right? To a big surprise I once had a case, where the polarity was wrong and it still sounded great on a 500 system. Great but without a wow…
I wouldn’t do that, if I were you
Dont worry, i had rubber gloves on.
As said, i agree with the, something is not quite right.
Time to revisit your install and see if you can find the problem
Thanks for the replies. I installed the NAP500 myself given the COVID situation. I do plan to have my dealer in for a look/listen when appropriate. Will also double check the wiring again.
Assuming everything is installed correctly I would be tempted to look at your Speaker and seat positions, perhaps even measure the room with REW.
M
It only takes a cable such as an IC being touched to distort the sound. I don’t use much pipe insulation these days as it is is best to just let them hang.
Phil
Tough to do Phil with 3x2 Fraim levels but will try again thanks
I moved mine out 400mm from wall so I could work behind and to give better access to open a window. I got fed up with constantly redoing everything.
Phil
I doubt an IC touching will have anything to do with the OP’s disappointment in his 500. I’ve done the pipe insulation thing but only as a piece of mind thing knowing that I’ve done all I can to maximise the performance, not because it sounded broke beforehand.