System Pics 2021

Just an update from my earlier post. Busy morning today.

Fitted the Apple TV onto the back of the main TV, routed the TV to DAC cables through the walls (we have conduit which makes this quite easy).

Put in a new mains socket in for the supercap, and reworked the routing of my equipment in the rack. Now the power supplies and 240v cables are on the right hand side, fed from the right hand sockets. The burndies are free hanging between the S/C and CDPS to the 52 and CDS respectively. Huge separation between the equipment with the big transformers. Separated out all the power cables, speaker cable and interconnects so they are well away from each other. The DAC and Melco will unfortunately need to be powered from the left hand sockets, but that’s the only compromise so far.

Junked the power line internet from the room and will be installing a non Powerline mesh system as soon as it arrives.

I’ll fill up the space in the racks with CDs in due course.

52 seems happier, its hard to say if the work has improved things, or whether they are just warming up. But some of the harshness has gone. Both the CDPS, S/C and 52 will need a service soon so hopefully it will be off to Class A in the summer.

LHS from top to bottom. CDS - NAC 52 - Melco N100 / Dac V1
RHS from top to bottom. Supercap - CDPS - NAP 250

WH phantom s/cable
Black Burndy between S/C and NAC 52
Grey Burndy between CDPS and CDS
Grey DIN interconnects between CDS/DACv1 and 52
Black SNAIC between S/C and 52
Morgana between SC and 250
All power cables by Mark Grant
Speakers by Focal

38 Likes

Those Kantas are good looking speakers.

5 Likes

Mrs H agrees with the look of them. Curiously she also likes the vintage look of the olive kit as well.

Luckily the Katas sound quite good too…

Oh I should also point out that whoever built my house seems to have made an allowance for decent electronics, I was unaware until now that the Lounge (where the naim kit lives) is on its own ring main with what seems to be quite heavy gauge wire. It was a complete devil to rewire the sockets.

1 Like

Excuse my electrical ignorance - why did you have to rewire the sockets?

For clarity, I should have said Socket not sockets.

Im not sure if I am describing this properly, but the original builder fitted lots of switches and conduit to allow a TV / DVD or whatever to be wired directly into the wall via blank sockets and remote power switches. I removed one of the blanks and remote power switches and fitted a switched MK 1 gang socket as I needed three sockets for the SC/CDPS/250 on the RHS to maintain good cable segregation.

He also fitted a phone socket and several Ariel sockets which are routed to a booster in the loft in the same locality, I used to use them for routing a sky-TV signal to the TV. My next project is to work out how the telephone sockets are wired, as the cable looks a lot like re-purposed network cable.

1 Like

Half-size custom rack arrived today.

58 Likes

Very tidy power cables into the sockets!
The label on the left most plug is not quite level :wink:

David…info greatly appreciated. Hope to have my 804d3’s in the summer.

That looks great!

2 Likes

So kind Nigel :grinning:

Would my Kudos Titan 606s make it balanced, or do they need power! Like the 300DR?

I thought the impedance was promising for running them with a SN2/3. It might not have the same slam as the 300, but if you are reducing box count it should be okay. No substitute for trying in your own set up and room though.

1 Like

Oh shoeboxes! Now that’s what we want to see more of. Full on separates with a smaller than Uniti footprint.

2 Likes

Out with the Kans, after much deliberation, and in with the SBLs

I wasn’t sure the Kans wouldn’t be going straight back in when I’d had the chance to listen but I think the big brothers are staying

What a difference, am very happy with them

38 Likes

Great stuff. Does the hicap fit one shelf lower? Can you position the sbls against a wall? You have only heard half of them yet. When I auditioned my sbls they were agains glass too, much details but a limited bass. They sound much better in my place now.

It would yes, will give that a try later

Sadly I’m a little limited for space/location as two youngsters restrict what’s possible, but in the future I will definitely be moving them to somewhere more appropriate

2 Likes

Well done for spotting that. Its irritated me since I put it on. Perhaps now is an excuse to change it.

Same problem here! The young one has killed my turntable last week.

Don’t get rid of the Kans, they’ll make a nice change occasionally when you get a bit bored/accustomed to the SBLs.

Absolutely right, I have previously owned both Kans and SBLs but foolishly let them go when I upgraded, both are keepers now

Long term I’d really like to find a good NAC52 and an LP12, but the 72 will also stay too

1 Like