Although the Taiko has not yet arrived, I can nevertheless already say that the service is of an exceptional quality, which goes beyond the price paid.
I made a few special requests which were handled with unexpected diligence. I am not easily impressed, yet this time I was.
I assume that the hardware quality will match the quality of the service.
Yes - thank you! Have responded.
Did you stick with the Orange Bastei or revert to the standard cable?
Curious about this as I located a US dealer and am considering trying one - maybe even the āSnowy Whiteā
Thanks
Hope the images show. Vertere SG-1 PTA + Sabre. Also Redline Tonearm cable. All newly installed on my Xerxes X. Picked up today from Audiobarn. Thanks Jack and Andy. Sounds glorious!
Went cymbiosis today to get my radical upgraded to spec 2, came home with ekos se as well 
Can I ask how the Sabre is please? And what it replaced? Going to demo a DG-1 in a few weeks (donāt tell anyone 
), and pondering cartridge options!
What did you have before the Ekos SE? Nice upgrade by the way 
It replaced an Audionote iQ3 - a Goldring 1042 derivative. The Sabre - remembering that it is in a Ā£2k arm rather than an Origin Live RB 250 derivative - is warmer and smoother but at the same time is able to deliver more detail. It also has a much deeper and wider soundstage. How much is the arm and how much is the cartridge I have no idea - but it is a big upgrade and hugely enjoyable based on relatively limited listening so far.
Hi marksnaim, I had a black lttock 2, Thanks, It sounds a lot more controlled & focused. Had a few health issues late last year so have decided to bite the bullet and get my system sorted, amps next.
Thatās great, thank you!
Running a Roksan Chorus Blue/Goldring 1042 at the moment, so be interesting what the folks at Audiobarn recommend on the DG-1.
Have fun!
I had a black Ittok many years ago, with a Troika. Brilliant combo and looked so cool. Sorry to hear about the health issues. Weāre none of us getting younger, let alone fitter. Iām sure the Ekos/Rad2 will keep you entertained until the next upgrade. Rad2 is my next move.
KR
Mark
Is it a new cable?
Might take longer than that to fully come on song?
My KRad2 upgrade kit is on order. Itās been two months but my deck is sounding brilliant so Iām in no hurryā¦.
Iāve been thinking about my ātweaking optionsā and these network cables and the potential problems they can introduce: ground loops.
Correct if Iām wrong (perhaps @Simon-in-Suffolk could help me with that one) but canāt a shielded Ethernet cable connected to a grounded switch create a ground loop?
If the ND555 and the Switch share the same ground, which is the case most of the time, there will be a ground loop.
In that case, U/UTP cables are a better choice.
Iāve come down in favour of the supplied black cable. The plugs have a more secure fit to the inlet socket, tighter with no wriggle. Iām sure this is having more impact than the cable itself.
G
Here is a quote from the Taiko Exteme leading designer.
Interestingā¦
āwe can guarantee good performance with standard unshielded CAT5/CAT6 cableā
Be interesting to know what they testedā¦ā¦.and was there anything better than good?
I believe that many of the Ć¼ber expensive Ethernet cables available were or are being tested.
I believe that many of the Ć¼ber expensive Ethernet cables available were or are being tested.
Iāll compare three cables myself, including one which is in the Ć¼ber expensive category.
But Iāll do it in a very simple way. If the difference isnāt obvious, then there is no difference. If I need to search for a difference, then the difference might not have been there in the first place.
Then I have to decide if itās better. Not whether I like the sound better, but whether the sound is better from a purely audiophile point of view (Less grainy highs, clear voices, bass definition, etc).
Unfortunately, I wonāt be doing that for a few months. I have to finish assembling the whole system first.
You raise a valid point Thomas. Depending on the switch earthing arrangements and by using an Ethernet cable that has the shield connected at both ends (something like the Chord C Stream for example) then you can set up a ground loop between the switch and a Naim Network player. With something like the Chord EE8 and its standard plug top PSU, there is no mains earth to consider (but leakage current to consider) but with something like the Innuos PhoenixNET which does connect mains earth, then a ground loop can occur. Whether this is audible depends on a number of factors, but Iāve always found with Naim kit, if there is an issue with grounding, there is a subtle degradation in timing and low bass clarity which may not be immediately obvious compared to more noticeable issues like hum. Personally I prefer to avoid shielded Ethernet cabling as itās not required in a domestic environment and can add more problems than it solves depending on the rest of the setup. I suspect when people change power supplies on the EE8 and use shielded Ethernet cables between that and their Network player, the change in earthing arrangements may have more of an effect on subjective performance than the better supply.
