Qutest, Hugo TT2, Mscaler

I’m sticking with TQ SU but how do you find the Entreq Primer Pro?

I’m wondering whether the sheer size of the double cabling of the Entreq Challenger for left and right interconnect probably suits a bigger system with more power. It’s like having 2 x TQ Black Diamond cables for each side… which themselves were heavy duty!

I use Oyaide XLR cables between my TT2 and Nagra integrated. They are the only ones I have tried, I owned them from my 7 channel home theatre days. I doubt I will do any kind of cable shootout any time soon, sometimes you have to just STOP…for a while, and enjoy what you have.

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Are you new here ? :grinning:

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No, I was on the Naim upgrade train for many years, jumped off with my wallet intact.:sunglasses:

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Very true… I didn’t have an XLR cable and didn’t want to buy a “make do” and then replace it later… seemed a little pointless so this shootout was to make sure I bought the right one as I won’t be changing it any time soon. Other priorities next year! The Etude was an early 50th BD present to myself :wink:

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I hear you, if I wanted to, I could dive into speaker cable, XLR cable,Ethernet cable and switch rabbit holes right now. I just do not have the desire, my system sounds good as is.

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I agree… I think I may be set for many years now. When I was listening last night I just couldn’t have been happier with what I was hearing. I know there is better but I don’t care, I love what I have!

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I preferred the RCA Primer Pro to TQ Ultra Black RCA, but that is in my system.

I have just traded the TQB RCA UB with a therapist for a Minimus box + Konstantin RCA grounding cable that I already had (I.e. not in the signal chain) — which I am still trying out in different components. It made the biggest difference of all connected to my ZenMini3 (+LPSU) which is now going to a new home shortly despite my liking it and praising it here.

I was ‘made an offer I couldn’t refuse’ yesterday for a pre-loved SonicTransporter i7 on a ‘buy or return’ basis - and that isn’t being ‘returned’, so the server& main system streamer/bridge configuration has undergone a 100% refresh in 5 days - both now on the SonicOrbiter OS, still using roon Core on the (new) main server, with HQPlayer to try out for upscaling in a week or so.

The various roonReady endpoints, including my outgoing DigiOne Sig, really work well with the STi7 which is designed from the outset as a higher powered server than the Zen/Zenith and the Nucleus+ (i7 but different processor).

It might be worth you trying a couple of grounding cables into the Nucleus+ from the Minumus box you have on loan from the yard in Wallsend…

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I need an XLR for the new amp. I’m using my TQ black RCA at present but having read up on it it seems clear am XLR is a better option so I’ll sellinw and pick one up. Either a TQ black or an ultra black though I suspect

@dayjay If you can sort out a demo, try them both. The Ultra Black 2 was very impressive!

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I’ve heard so. If I bought I’d change the speaker cables to match too in time

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@dayjay Just to say, I corrected a typo… it’s the Ultra Black 2 not the first versions. Apparently there’s a big difference between the two.

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Ordered it tonight, will be interesting to hear what it does

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The TToby power amp is surely due an upgrade soon.

Hopefully it will come soon and Chord will incorporate the Etude technology into it.

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My excellent dealer has arranged for me to keep hold of the amp until mine mine has been built so it made sense to set it up properly and move the Naim kit of the rack. I’ve swapped the RCA cable for a new TQ Ultra Black XLR and spent a bit of time cable dressing. Everything needs to run in, not least the XLR which will be a nightmare if previous TQ cable are anything to go by but by the time my amp arrives all should be good

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Nice one, great set up, the Phoenix is still a rare beast north of the border and my dealer needs a bomb under him. I have an Mscaler coming in 10 days to see how it pairs up with the Dave.

@dayjay Have you had a chance to listen to the new TQ Black Ultra XLR yet? The one I had on demo only had a few hours on it and it sounded good then. So hopefully it won’t take too long before it’s sounding really good for you!

To be fair it already sounds good so if it’s going to improve further it will be very good indeed. All my other TQ cables took an age to burn in and were awful until they did but perhaps this is different? Happy so far anyway

Yeah, I had a pair of TQ Black RCA cables as well… they did seem to take a while to be honest.

It’s great that you can keep the demo unit though (until the new one arrives)… it would’ve of felt like a long 4-6 weeks otherwise ::+1:t2:

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Looking good…having started using my Dave as a pre a while back, Chord amps have been on my radar for a while - and it seems my Naim dealer is now a Chord dealer too!! I’m hoping the little Etude will be enough for me, but we’ll see.

Speculatively, have you experimented with stacking order? With substantial SMPS in the Chord gear, they suggest keeping it well away from anything with a linear PSU, so I wonder if you should put the Zen further away?

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