ND555 at Olive System

I read very positive about vodka and like it a lot.
For this reason I would like to avoid a further „comparison journey“

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I found cable testing rather tedious, so once i found what i liked, i stayed with it.

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Thanks
You have nd555 as well - fine.
Just read darkbears posts, where he recommended that vodka hangs completely free. Not possible sadly. With more bending - maybe. Currently resting on one foam pad mounted at the wall. Much better though than 5m Clearway before wich was fixed on several spots on the wall

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Ok - managed the cable hanging free.
But I am a little worried - as it tends a bit sideways with the plug as it hangs to the left. For this reason I like cables on foam pads.
It could not get out - fully clicked in …

Hi there
Need your advice
Cable dressing …
Better:

Hanging free but tending a bit to the left with the plug

Or

Fully strait but resting here

Sorry - no photo with cable on the pad - changed it a minute ago.
Cable rests on the foam without touching the wall

@Darkebear any advice from your side, thx

Put it back on the pad - better gut feeling :grin:
Also can use a good amount of extra bass

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Picture 2 seems fine.

Don’t forget that the Bear has a Statement pre and active system with 3x 500 dr. So much more resolving.
Those very little changes have quite no discernible effects in our case, apart the burndys , I think.

The Vodka needs a minimum of 200 hours burn in.

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My vodka is a pre loved one. But I bended it a bit. So again need some time to settle.
By the way… made a quick check against Clearway ….
I could not believe it … there is soo much difference !!
It’s an Ethernet cable … wow. Vodka is soo much better - difference very impressive

To be fair I have to check ee8/farad/vodka against PN/vodka.
But I am still undecided if I am fair these days :grin:

I have no chance to put the ee8 plus farad at the same shelf…

Happy flipping over ee8 with the big cables pulling down :grin:
Powerline also not long enough to put farad on the left side

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In nds the cable seems to be with clip on top. In nd555 the clip is on the bottom

Need to go for Morgana or hiline interconnect soon
Both already here. But as 52 is not on top … come on naim - give us the smaller 3rd leg for Fraim. Twisting the leg will do also … next project.
Last time I tested hiline (done it twice) I was preferring lavender for its musicality

Vodka is best price/performance update I have done in a long time.
It beats even supercap on prefix against fed by 52 … I am stunned

Try to form the Vodka so that it does not touch (in order of worse effects):

the floor (worst)
the wall
the equipment shelf
the equipment support
other cables
over-twisted on itself and hence too stiff

If you manage all the above then you have a clearly audible (in my system) improvement.

Usually bending the stiff cable over time sets it into a preferred ‘shape’ and then over time that settles into its final hanging position and you do the same with the other cables and it all works fine - it takes some planning and effort.

I do not like stand-off spacers - I can always hear what they impart and do not like it.
If you have to use them then listen to a few and choose the least-worse.

I hate ‘bubble-wrap’ spacers - awful bass-smear, probably due to where resonance is with the cable.
Probably my ‘best’ spacers are small bits of hard-plastic carefully-placed with just the weight of the cable or device on them.
A friend 3-D printed some plastic ‘cones’ for me I specified and these can be surprisingly very effective in places - one under my ER switch to lift it off its horrible rubber feet cleaned-up the bass and general clarity obtained.

Experiment. :bear:

DB.

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Thank you so much.
I am a great fan of foam. But as frenchrooster wrote, there is only minor effect on my system. I hate bubble wrap as well.
Made my own creations and a bit proud but untested … and not in need anymore as vodka in the house

Even if it doesn’t look good, it’s a good thing to try in my opinion. I am curious to know how it compares vs the PN. And if it’s lesser, you will be still more pleased to keep the PN.

You have no idea what my mind is playing tricks…
Just had a moment where the old setup sounded better. For a moment…
But also roller coaster burn in can be part of it….

If it’s true, you will save 3k. :hugs:

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Now i am freaked out again… suddenly found out the in one of my test songs it is lacking bass.
Bass is there in old setup.
Now i combined both switches
HDX server not directly in PN - clearway to ee8 (on LHY) - clearway to HDX. Bass is back… have to find out if anything else is missing

I believe your biggest upgrade will come with a big glass of red wine :sunglasses::partying_face:

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I currently have a PN on loan from my dealer and it’s not really doing it for me I’m afraid.

I totally get the bass improvement and rhythmic drive this imparts, and I get the clarity around certain frequencies but I find it all sounds a tad over-damped, with a noticeably narrowed image. It’s like the musical colour pallet has been reduced and I’m not hearing as much. I’ve tried a few variations with supply, plugs, ethernet cable and other arrangements but it’s definitely pushed the system out of balance. Going back briefly to just the EE8 switch and SMPS and all is restored. I think this just goes to show that there’s no guaranteed ‘silver bullet’ for this digital streaming malarkey!

With the PN I also noticed low-level listening wasn’t quite as good, nor was remote listening from another room - don’t ask me why but for some reason my system sound incredibly live and real when I’m in an adjoining room. Sometimes almost difficult to distinguish from real instruments be played!

The PN’s bass improvement through my DBL’s is almost too much for me. It’s increased to the point where it sounds a bit ‘sub’ like and less real. I do like my bass dry, so I can listen at high levels without too much energy getting fed back into the room. With the PN in the loop I had to watch the volumes.

Again, just to put this all into perspective it’s my room, my system and my 68 year old ears!

In another system I can understand why the PN might sound wonderful but on this occasion, and in my system, I think I’m going to pass for now.

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So different the world is…
Is your PN fully run in?

My PN is lacking bass (today?) - brand new one!
In your system ee8 plus SMPS → least bass than PN? Vice versa with SBL

I tried like described above - Server through ee8 with 2x clearway cable.
Bass is back - even if steamed via PN and vodka cable. BUT most of the other improvements are gone.
PRAT is reduced.
So Bach on PN only!
Currently testing cinnamon vs clearway (HDX to PN)… Clearway I bit more bass - maybe only in mind. Cinnamon a bit more groove.

I need the bass heaviest ethernet cable for this connection - another vodka?

HOPE that PN will be back on bass the next days…

It feels like you constantly need more bass and try to solve that with Ethernet cables which I believe is an impossible situation. Have you ever thought about other speakers that might do what you want in the room and system you have? Speaker cables and signal cables would also bring bigger changes to the sound than where you’re at right now I believe. It’s easy to get blind when you are in the middle of something but try to think bigger is my advice and overlook the full system and maybe get some advice by a good retailer. :blush::+1:

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Just a thought : don’t switch off the PN. If you don’t let it fully powered and run in 24/24 for a minimum of 8 days, you will never see what it can really sound. The burn in process makes it sound with low and down periods.
If I were you, I would connect the Farad to EE8 and PhoenixNet, all together, and let them run in 24/24 during 10 days. Just enjoy the music and stop thinking or comparing. Then , 10 days after, listen 5 minutes to EE8 alone, then 5 minutes to PN alone, 5, 6 different favourite tracks ( 1 minute each) and choose the best for your system and ears.

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