Yes… I wonder if its Covid induced… I hear it has caused some manufacturing challenges with the specific set up Chord Electronics have down in Kent.
Yes I agree it’s a cracking amp… I love the way it does treble in voices vinyl style… ie no glare or brightness but extended… it’s beguiling.
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My Ultima is running three months behind schedule. I’ve been told there is s shortage of s component in the power supply as a result of Covid
Yep they also had problems so I heard late last year with the supply of their aluminium casework due to Covid supply issues… I suspect the smaller manufacturers get squeezed by the bigger ones when it comes to supply line management issues when there are shortages…
one of the biggest supply chain issues at the moment is the import and export of goods. In pre covid times there was a lot of freight that went on passenger aircraft. There’s a lot less of those right now, and to add to the problem freight aircraft are now transporting millions of doses of vaccines so the problem is particularly acute
That’s real bad luck… hopefully they can sort something out quickly for you.
The TQ Ultra XLRs are really good with Chord DACs & the Etude… just a great combination!
Edit… when you say noise for the amp, was it the fans or actual power supply hum?
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I wanted to share a bit of my journey over the last couple of years, so read in if you like, but sit back, it’s a bit of a long one.
I have been following this thread since it started and have found it very informative and though provoking along its path.
I have a TT2 and Mscaler fed by a Innuos Zenith. For the longest time it was playing through my 282/HCdr/250.2 and Neat XLS’s. The 282 and 250 has been with me for over 12 years now.
I have recently been exploring the TT2’s headphone capabilities and have fallen in love with it all over again. Listening with my newly acquired Meze Empyreans has been revelatory. I can’t believe what enjoyment I get , sitting back with a great pair of headphones.
I experimented a while back with removing the 282 from the equation and just letting the TT2 do it’s work into the 250. Perhaps, not as refined and punchy, but good in a different way. Worried I would be missing something I quickly replaced the 282 and perhaps didn’t give the TT2 the time it needed or perhaps the time I needed to enjoy what it offered.
So, I am continuing the experiment and will be trying the TT2 into my 250.2 . In a week’s time will compare to a Chord Etude (which is in its way).
This gives me a bit of a bitter sweet feeling as it feels in a way that my time as part of the Naim family may be coming to an end.
When the Etude enters the picture the only remaining trace of Naim will be the Naca5 (and those may move soon after)
This is a wonderful community and a wonderful thread, that the moderators have generously allowed us to continue.
So why am I writing all this you may ask, well in large part to say thank you. And while I may be leaving the community (who knows what the future holds), I will continue to read from afar, and have appreciated all the system pics, stories, technical advice and support. It has been a wonderful journey and I am excited to see where it takes me next.
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What? I was under the impression you have been using an Mscaler all along with the TT2 and now Dave. You have also mentioned using Wave Storm cables between the two.
Kind of like a fan bearing crackle… but it’s not the obvious fans that you hear power up and down when powering up the amp.
At the moment enjoying NDX2 direct to Dave into Etude…
Pretty much the same journey I went on, 282/250dr with two hicaps swapped out for an Ultima 6 fed by MScaler and TT 2. I don’t miss it at all but I like the forum, lots of interesting topics besides those specifically about black boxes and I’m looking to buy some vintage Naim, mainly from nostalgia, for my man cave
Alas in my experience NACA5 is not a good match with the Etude… it seems to hold things back in terms of frequency extremes and natural feel… I suspect you will notice this yourself.
Well SPDIF as you say is designed for the job and is a robust tolerant format … with the AES/EBU version even more robust…
May I ask what you are using? Or suggestions for options.
I’m using TQ Silver 2 which works very nicely. It has very tight bass with excellent mids and highs. Plenty of detail without being edgy. If it isn’t something a local dealer can help with, consider futureshop online as they do give 60 try/return on cables.
I fully agree with your earlier comments. This thread has been an excellent inspiration, a collection of feedback on gear and experimentation in trying to get the best out of what they have to maximise the enjoyment of listening to music.
Glad you have taken to the Empyreans… they are beautiful. They bring a smile to my face every day. The detail, thumping tight bass, air and the occasional spooky… was that someone in my room moments when the soundstage/ imaging becomes extremely real. It’s hard to explain to anyone that they do actually represent amazing value when you experience what they can do! Like you, they have turned me into a lover of headphones after being 100% speakers!
Hope you get just as much enjoyment from the Etude… but I know what you mean about Naim… deep down I still really like them and if space becomes a non issue, I’d happily add a streamer of theirs in the future. Especially if they create one in a half size box with no DAC. I’d buy that in a heart beat!
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I can hear the faintest of noises from the fan if I’m within a couple of feet. Is it something you can hear from a distance? Trying to decide whether I should be able to hear mine when I’m up close. I can’t hear it at all when the music is on of course.
Hi, using True Signal Audio speaker cable… seems to work well between Etude and ATCs.
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Yes it’s unlikely to be a fan… as it’s on all the time… and sounds like crackly type sound… and occurs with the mains cable unplugged and the high speed PSU discharging… I think it’s something in the PSU vibrating which shouldn’t be. I do hear the fans coming on and off when powering up… they sound like fans do… ie a soft whirring sound. and low level… that all seems good.
Yes I can hear across the listening room when all is quiet, but obviously louder when standing by the amp.
The demo unit doesn’t do this, which I am back to using.
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Sorry to change tact but one for @Simon-in-Suffolk
Looking within the new Naim streamers they use a form of faraday cage around the internal power supply.
Is there any merit do you know of, in using faradays around other components within the home like routers that could make a sonic benefit to many of us?
I see they can be made relatively easily or bought.
Thanks… just checked mine again and it’s a rotating sound I can hear… when my ear is a few inches away. Doesn’t sound like a crackle so yeah, must be a different thing altogether. Hopefully they sort it out quickly then!
Well many devices use Faraday cages, so for example Cisco Catalyst switches, Cisco routers, BT SmartHub2 etc often employ Faraday cages around PSUs and radio/wifi componentry.
You also see a type of shielding used in multi layer PCBs which is a common high density manufacturing technique.
Typically if a cage is required for EMC reasons it will be provided. Where such a cage isn’t in use then physical space between devices usually suffices.
Faraday cages are typically used in high power devices… like microwave ovens, or where low power emissions are in close proximity to other components such as modules within a case where extra protection is required … as is the case with the ND555 for the streamer module, and the standby PSU for the NDX2 and ND5XS2.
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