System Pics 2022

In my opinion, in room with good or just basic acoustics you will hear match more sounds even with common speakers than super hiper speakers in room without any acoustic treatments. I know that because i tried several different acoustic treatments and few different speakers. It tooks me 4-5 months and hundreds of measurements with UMIK and REW. And even now i’m still fighting with my room’s acoustic. Good looking room is nothing.
Acoustic, acoustic acoustic. Its a 60-70% of success.
My experience tells me that you have to spend on acoustics at least about a few thousand to enjoy music. Unfortunately :wink:

With due respect, it’s a matter of opinion. I have had a Nait in 1985, then a long line of Naim products and this setup is at least as enjoying, competent, dynamic and pleasant as any other I have owned - and it cost a fraction of the others.
I understand that Naim relies on a faithful following and the conviction that nothing better exists, but I am content with my 55 years of real music experience and my Teac setup.
M.

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Sorry Max, I didn’t mean to offend you. My brother in law enjoys his, as do you yours, and that’s all that matters really.

Of course, all is just opinion here.

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I own a Teac DSD player, the PD 501 HR that I just love. It plays native DSD, but you have to burn DSF/DFF files to a disc to play them.
Kind of primitive, but the end result is worth the trouble. I just listened to Beck Sea Change this morning. I also own this album on SACD, and the Teac version is every bit as good.


image

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Hi, had a quick view on your underlying audio profile; looks surely good! Just wondered what, sound wise, your experiences were, when upgrading your standard 5v DC cable (between your SA Bonn 8 switch and the SA Forester F1 lineair power supply) towards the SA Bastei 5v light orange version?

I can comment on the Orange ‘upgrade’. For me I preferred the standard supplied black. The plugs make a firmer fix to the sockets on the EE8 and Forrester PS which I think results in a less unnatural ‘sharp’ sound. Mine (a freebie) is sitting unused.

G

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Thx. @GraemeH , apparently more or less in line with the sound-description Silent Angel provides for this Orange-version (red copper-red-copper) : “Brigthens up the signal shade and thickens the audio filed”

Edit: @GraemeH : maybe I’d have better asked you whether this SA product description is more or less in line with your personal experience?
(as I probably would expect even less ‘sharpness’, given the copper-copper connectors)

No problem Richard, I wasn’t offended. All the girls love Alice as we know, and the Nait is Alice; there is a reason why I haven’t been posting here for some time, and I wouldn’t have now if Haim had not posted a pic of my system and the usual absolutes hadn’t popped out like mushrooms. To my ears - and mind - a Nait is a toy compared to my A-H500i, and I don’t take toys off children’s hands.
Best
Max

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Very interesting. I honestly hadn’t read that but it tallies exactly with what I experienced.

Where did you see that description?

G

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If I remember correctly, it was shown on their Facebook- pages. I’ve got some screenprint of them, but I guess forum-rules prohibit sharing these third-party product ads. Rgds.

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I had a chance to demo SA Bonn 8/ Foster1 PS and SA Bonn8 pro/ Foster 2 PS with orange cable. I had for home demo for 2 weeks. I had AudioQuest Diamond Ethernet RJ45 then changed cable to Ansuz D2 Ethernet cable.

Conclusion:
1: difference improvement can be easily audible each steps ranking from Bonn 8, Bonn 8/ Foster 1PS, Bonn 8/Foster 2, Bonn8 Pro no additional PS, Bonn8 pro/ Foster 2 PS

  1. Adding Foster 1 or 2 to Bonn 8, the background went darker more sparkle and smooth. However, initially, musicality was lost, despite more bass, darker, more open… I did not like it. It felt like my ND555 had Loundness on

  2. Then I swabbed Audioquest Diamond out to Ansuz A2, Ansuz D2 … wow! Very very musical… what I am saying, once adding Power Supply to Bonn 8 pro, it enhances quality of Ethernet cable…

I still have all set for demo at the moment… I am getting a few more Ethernet cable coming for home demo next week…

  1. Bonn 8 pro without PS is better than Bonn8 with Foster 1 PS/ orange cable.

I will update more in the next 1-2 weeks after I have time to burn them in more

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Richard,
my post came out more piquant than I intended, sorry. You’re right, all is just opinion and personal taste is what matters.
M

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I think they are already in youthful circles, just not quite as big (literally or metaphorically) as vinyl.

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Thanks Mike, very happy with my system! The bastei was a bargain when I bought it. Once you start reading about small upgrades, it starts to itch. To be honest I did not change back and forth with the standard cable to check out the exact difference. Having read a lot on it, I tend to believe most opinions and gave it a go. It is very subtle but it gives a bit more clarity to the sound. And the peace of mind I get the most out of the Forester :).

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Here is my aforementioned TEAC AG-H550, complete with Celestion AvF302 fronts, Piega S4c centre, Piega T60-micro AMT rears, BK Gemini II subwoofer (I’m debating getting another) and Loewe TV.

I had an issue with the amp struggling a bit with the 4ohm Piegas after an hour or so of use - fortunately this has been solved by replacing the long run of very thin guage speaker wire with QED strand 79 (2.5 mm2) which is much thicker guage.

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Current view from my sofa…

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Those KEFs look nice.

After a 200-mile round trip to Billy Vee’s this morning, I’m grinning like a mad thing at my new B&W 804 D3s (replacing a pair of 804Ss).

The cherry finish on the Ss had gone quite orange, but the (allegedly) same finish on the D3s is very light and matches the oak finishes around them beautifully.

The acid test was Mrs Ebor declaring them ‘much better - it sounds more like the musicians are actually here’. I agree - the difference is far more striking than I expected!

Big thanks to Ian and Paul at BV for all their help and chat today and in the last couple of weeks.

Now, if only the cricket highlights could start going my way too…

Mark

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Have an uptick for finding somewhere to park! It was hard work parking there in 1984-ish.