Can’t avoid 'pooters somewhere in the chain in this brave new age of streaming!
Haaaa…nice answer
That “lean” (or clean) effect doesn’t bother me.
Cutting as much noise as possible coming from the network is the very goal of the ER, especially when connected through fiber.
But I suppose I got used to the grainy effect that noise produces. And I have to admit it was quite enjoyable in the context of poorly recorded symphonic music (it adds some relief).
For piano, voices and especially well recorded symphonic music the “cleaning” effect of the ER is really nice!
In fact it’s a shame Naim didn’t include a SFP port on the ND555…
Yes - percussive music in general is now very realistic and has more apparent dynamic rage - meaning that there is far less temporal blur of the spectral energy and hence it is actually perceived louder.
My neighbor has a real piano and she does not have to play hard for me to hear it easy!
But I was also saying there is an additional ER run-in artifact in with the ‘lean’ that will disappear over time, as I’ve heard it.
yes, that is what my Cisco 2960 sounds like without the ER after it feeding the HiFi. It sound full and very nice, but grainy and comparatively lackluster - even though the Cisco 2060 made my previous Cisco 2940 sound fat and dull…
…good it is all imagination and it really makes no difference!
DB.
Of course they do, why wouldn’t they? They are made of copper, aren’t they? Depending on their length and construction they interact differently with the streamer. That’s all about noise shaping after all.
I didn’t experiment much with cables. I have to admit that tweaking isn’t really my thing, with the exception of room acoustics, of course. I spent a lot of time reading about that particular subject.
I tried an industrial grad cat.6a cable and the AQ Vodka. Nothing really impressive in terms of difference.
I probably should sell the AQ Vodka, but don’t have had time for that. So I keep using it.
You put the words on it !
That’s exactly what I meant with my long description about the ER.
Yes, for me, the ER adds nothing. It removes that “temporal blur” and therefore allows one of the things the ND555 is so good at : "percussive music in general is now very realistic and has more apparent dynamic rage"
Very well said!
And that’s so very much apparent with pieces like :
Uptone’s JS-2 LPS arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Hooked it up to my ER & Mac Mini server and gave it 24 hours to warm up. With both components being supplied with upgraded power, I guess this is two steps forward.
First impressions: it does what it says on the box. In summary, it extends (by some margin) the ER’s apparent lowering of the noise floor – and thus the rather enjoyable audible benefits described in elsewhere in this thread.
Yes, with the ER + JS-2 up and running, one of the first things I noticed was that cymbals, high hats etc. sound ‘right’ for the first time in my system. Vocals are also more expressive and nuanced.
Hoping the JS-2 will continue to improve over coming weeks, but it’s already pretty damn good.
Eager awaiting the arrival of my SR4T linear supply.
For those who have made the substitution are you running your ER from the linear supplies at 12v rather than the 7.5v of the supplied standard supply?
I’m running mine at 12V which is what John Swenson, the designer, recommended. Apart from anything else that should keep the temperature down by keeping the current down, but I can’t say I noticed any temperature difference…
The ER draws the same power and you either have more volts and less current or the other way around, so the heat dissipation should be independent of the supply voltage.
I saw the Designer recommended 12v so that is where I will eventually go when I upgrade my PS.
I found allowing plenty of space around the ER helps a lot with minimizing case temperature.
DB.
Thanks Michael and DB I will go for 12v then as the designer recommended.
@Darkebear am I imagining things or did you state you use different or modified feet on your ER to good effect? The design means the supplied feet have lots of pressure on one side but the other side is very light/just touching the glass. Probably the fall of the cables not helping here. I try to keep the Ethernet cables free from the Fraim shelves etc. If they touch/lay on the shelves then this would sort it out! Anyway just a Sunday morning thought as the kids have woken me up!
These are joys. I remember when I experienced the same. My kids are 40 years old now. Same joys when grandkids come stay with us.
@bailyhill this morning it was my 2 year old!! I am the same age as your kids though! Days like this I wish I had had them sooner!!
Yes. I have found that HiFi equipment rubber feet, even on items away from where you think it would matter at all, still matters.
Placing three hard plastic spacers loose under the ER in three spots (against the case and not the existing feet) that seem to best balance the weight load on the glass shelf it sits when the cables are connected were very worthwhile; a bass ‘lump’ or slowness went away so I just decided to use these extra spacers.
It also allowed a bit more space underneath the ER and it seemed to help heat dissipation a little too.
Experiment - try it. Use some music with a fast low bass riff and see if you think it matters.
In my system with my speaker bass response it is obvious, but it may be system dependent.
…remember - I always try free possible upgrades first!
To me it seems reasonable to try something free ahead of purchasing blind a PS upgrade costing more than the ER - I’ve sure this latter is a very good idea too, but why not try the free things?
DB.
I just disconnected the ER.
Back to the Catalyst 3560.
It sounds good! Fuller and sharper.
Background is less clean and perhaps less precise without the ER, but everything is slightly fuller and sharper as a whole.
Not sure of what I prefer.
I might enjoy some noise after all
So yes, no doubt, in the context of my system the ER removes something. Clearly. Might be noise, might be something else.
I’m puzzled.
Ooohh…errr, trouble at t’mill !
Not really, at least not as far as I’m concerned
I usually don’t like tweaking around. But this was just a matter of unplugging one single cable.
Interesting experiment. I’ll leave it that way for a week or so.
What you describe also happened when I first got my ER switch. I preferred the fullness of my Cisco switch over the (at that time) over-lean sound from the ER. I find all new components run-in and sound ‘held-back’ or restrained - it has always happened - and the ER was no different. The ER was at that time obviously cleaner and faster with far better detail and imaging - but it was over-lean and did not allow music to relax and fill-out as I had with the Cisco.
The Cisco by comparison was easy-going - but grainy and blurred vocal inflection and was fuzzy in extreme HF and over-fullsome in bass; it was just I was used to that presentation and the ER was a perceptual surprise.
Several weeks later that all changed for the better - and a few month later it is not the case at all - run-in done!
This is with the bundled PS too.
Even with a better linear supply I think you will have run-in but from a higher and better starting place.
What you describe is exactly what I expect. It is interesting to hear the same thing from someone else.
DB.
That’s exactly it!
Especially when I listen to some Pink Floyd (I not only listen to classical )
Again, that’s exactly it!
For voices and piano, the ER does the trick. It is far better, clearly.
For the rest I perceive an over-leaness, if I may say.
I suppose we easily get used (and seduced) by some graininess, like a false pretence of precision.
When I stated, rather timidly, that with the ER my system sounded a bit like the Soulution systems I auditioned, I was referring to noise floor and precision (with the Magico S3 MkII)
Piano, voices and even symphonic pieces sounded amazing on the Soulution systems. I suppose that the 760 DAC and 711 amp have an extremely low noise floor.
When adding the ER to the ND555 I perceive the same precision, especially for piano. Attacks and decays are extremely accurate.
Unfortunately for Pink Floyd and symphonic music I get the cleaness but loose the fullness (not sure this makes sense).
I hope the ER will settle down (I can’t believe I’m saying that ) as it did for you.
My ER + UltraCap1.2 have been on for about 2-3 weeks now. Let’s give it 3 weeks more.
Having the ND555’s performance close to the Soulution 760 at half the price wouldn’t be so bad