I am sure a dealer like Signals could knock up some KS-1 jumpers for very little as an experiment. Come on @james_n and @LindsayM, why not give it a go and let us know! Maybe check with Kudos first though.
For a long time I had the speakers connected as shown in #2 above. Last week I changed to the configuration shown in #4. Just now changed to configuration shown in #3.
I would like to say I have detected changes when I changed to #4 but nothing to report. I will see if changing to the configuration in #3 makes any significant change in the sound.
I currently run my 606s active at the moment.
But if I recall correctly, at a Kudos demo at my dealer, Kudos advised that the metal for the jumpers is the same metal as the speaker sockets.
Those solid u-shaped pins inserted in the active sockets of Titan speakers (when in passive mode) are essentially jumpers, similar to the crappy link pins you see on bi-amp speaker binding posts, which many replace with pukka jumper leads. I think these u-shaped pins Kudos use could also be doing a disservice to SQ, the same as the supplied solid pins on bi-ampable speakers.
Let’s face it Naim go to the lengths of providing SuperLumina jumper leads that cost £1000, so I suggest there in something to be gained by using such leads in place of solid link pins. I use a set of Vetere jumper leads that replace the supplied jumpers on my bi-amable MA speakers to very good effect.
Might be good to get Kudos’ opinion on all this.
Just a thought.
I think Kudos concentrate on having high quality components with minimal complications.
I’m sure the bars in place will have minimal interference to the sound whereas various cables and plugs of different types and flavours will simply cause a geek fest of inconsistency in the designed performance.
Thank goodness for a bit of common sense and not just an excuse to milk punters.
Argh I thought in passive mode they didn’t do anything and that the internal crossover managed everything. Could be wrong. TBH I’ll leave it until I’ve got 3x Nap 500s in active
Yep, active NAP500s on Titans should just about trump a few jumper leads.
You should only need 2 NAP500s in active mode for the Titan 505s.
Look how much I have saved you!
A future in Hi-Fi retail awaits
That’s why I suggested the same cable for the jumpers as the internal cable used to wire up the drivers internally (KS-1 or Chord, depending on the age of the Titans in question).
Geek? Moi? How very dare you, Sir!
Almost as geeky as me.
That’s why I’ve got KS-1 on my Kudos single wired speakers.
I’m just trying to imagine the condiment calamity of replacing those Kudos pins with multiple types and lengths and plugs on those Jumpers.
Could start a trend.
Impossible to tell from a photo, but they look awfully like steel to me. If they are, it would not be so unreasonable to expect a small uplift in performance by replacing them with some decent quality copper.
I’d also solicit the opinion of an experienced Kudos dealer rather than those of a bunch of opinionated windbags on a forum
This must have been tried before and a dealer should know the outcome - or even whether Kudos specifically advise against it for some reason we don’t know about!
Mark
…only thing is, I bet the XOs were designed and tested with the supplied arrangement in place.
In my own experience, which involved 8 jumpers/speaker, changing from the steel plate resulted in:
A change in the sound
…to…
A very odd frequency balance.
Happy with the supplied plate in situ.
What I can’t get over is, that by replacing the thin wire connectors on my Totem Forests with short lengths of NACA5 (the speaker cables are Superlumina), the uplift in weight, scale and dynamics is pretty darn good. It feels like I’ve upgraded the power amp, the whole system feels like it’s on another level all together, the whole hi-end sound I’ve been looking for. Very . And I’ll be swapping in a SL jumper at some stage and a power lead….
I’m trialing #3 again tonight, but I’m embarrassed to say I think most of the gains I heard were related to not having my jumpers clamped down tight. Lesson learned!
I used the diagonal method of jumpers on the Proac D40R to good effect. However, on the K6 and my current K6 Signature, the sound breaks up at high volume and I had to switch to the straight method. I think the more complex crossovers of the larger speakers must require the straight method to sound their best.
Ha! We’ve all been there.
Meanwhile, the better L:R balance that I was astonished to notice when I went from layout 2 to 3 is being maintained. Some discs are still a bit left-heavy, but less so than previously. Others, like the exquisitely recorded lute music I’m currently listening to, are balanced beautifully.
I still wish I could explain why…
Mark
Just a thought about diagonal arrangements…you only really know what arrangement you have selected if you know how the manufacturer has set up the wiring of the XO, inside the speaker cabinet. Just saying.