Slightly confused following demo

Hi all

I had a fairly substantial demo at my local dealer with a now well run in NDX2/Supernait2 with HicapDR. This is the same system that I use except I use the original NDX, hence the demo. The dealer also ran the system with the same speakers as me, Totem Sky towers.
The only difference between my setup and there’s was speaker cable, standard interconnect as opposed to HiLine and I use a powerline on my NDX and they used lites all round.
I used my normal listening music in the same way through tidal.

Now to the point they no longer have a NDX for me to cross reference while I was there but I struggled to notice a sonic difference is this likely to be due to the few differences in cable and the acoustics of the demo room and my own living room, or memory of my own system at home.
I do also run my system on its own dedicated 10mm supply.

Many thanks

Popeye

I suspect that the acoustics of their demo room is quite different than your living room. I’d not expect to be able to go in there and faithfully hear the difference between a component in there vs. a different component in your home. A vs. B in there room would be the only way to do it. Can you bring your NDX in with you??

1 Like

Yes, the room will always be a factor. Either take the NDX to them for an A/B or trail an NDX2 at home. BTW, I run a NDX2/SN2 with Totem Forest Signatures, so, interested in you thoughts on adding the Hicap DR.

Hi Mike

The HicapDR to me made a huge improvement and was sonically obvious instantly. You didn’t need to listen or concentrate to try and hear a difference it was apparent within seconds.
It added clarity and separation and made the music clearer, I would think by lowering the noise floor.
I know some don’t like what it brings but you can’t argue that it doesn’t.
I will when If/I am looking at upgrading just demo at home.

Cheers

Popeye

1 Like

The room is a huge factor. I remember hearing active driven SL2s (2x250dr) in a friend’s (very problematic) room but preferring my own passive 300 non dr driven SBLs. But when I heard the same SL2s in my own room off the same 300, they sounded much better than the SBLs (so I bought them)

Thanks for the thoughts Popeye. I’m in New Zealand and demoing new stuff is difficult with limited stock. I actually got the SN2 and NDX2 blind, and really love them. I haven’t compared to the NDX, but the NDX2 has a very low noise floor and remarkable detail retrieval compared to my Nova and I think it’s a very fine streamer. I sensed it’s the stronger partner with the SN2.

Let’s not forget that the release if the NDX2 did not cause all existing NDX to suddenly break or sound worse than they used to.

Maybe your expectation is too high? Perhaps a second hand nDAC or NDS is the way to go?

1 Like

I think possibly you are right, maybe I was expecting more.
I certainly don’t have the opinion that my NDX is broke since the release of the NDX2 and Evan more so now having demoed the new unit
I was just surprised by my demo.

I home demoed the NDX2 with my 555PSDR, and I felt it was a significant step up on my then NDX, better bass depth and control and greater separation of instruments. Of course that was with different amps and speakers in a different room, and with the PSU, so no relation to your demo, just thought I’d share what I heard. For me it would have been worth the upgrade, in my environment, but the NDX alone and then with the PSU gave me a lot of pleasure, it’s a very fine streamer.

1 Like

I would ask for a home demo, most that have heard the NDX2 felt it was a big improvement.

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.