Recently I have added a Matrix Audio MS-1c streamer with DAC to my setup. Really happy with how it sounds. Operation is also very straightforward which is very convenient.
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4 x 2m Russ Andrews Technical Ground wires. Decided I wanted to make use of the 4 x ground posts on my Shunyata Everest and see what all the fuss was about with grounding. Did some reading around and discovered these pieces had high praise, inclusive of Everest owners who like me didnāt want to pay through the nose for Shunyataās own ground wires.
Honestly super well-made considering how affordable they are. All my Esoteric gear have ground posts so my pre, DAC and power supply will be hooked up. Iād like to use the fourth one on my headphone amp but it doesnāt have a post and any screws on the chassis to connect the spade look too small. Might instead put the wire on my Esoteric phono instead if all else fails.
Do ground wires need to run-in? Theyāre not carrying an audio signal so youād think not. Still, might give it 100hrs or so before forming any opinion.
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What do theses ground wires connect to @Taake? I havenāt read about these before.
To the grounding posts on the back of my Shunyata Everest power distributor:
Reportedly it can confer a lower noise floor. I expect any change to be subtle if I notice anything at all but as the outlay on these ground wires was small the risk is low.
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This is a rabbit hole that Iāve yet to enter! There are grounding posts on both the Chord S6 mains distribution block (which feeds all the rest of the system - pre-amp, phono stage, network player and switch) and the Reiki Audio Superswitch ProX and its attendant power supply. Iād be interested to know what differences (if any) you find that this form of grounding makes.
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CP800 fantastic pre amp , I have fond memories of mine .
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Well, and to repeat what I just posted elsewhere, I have to admit that Iām slightly astonished!
Iāve been listening to some jazz for an hour or so, and the Powerline really does seem to have made some very tangible differences to SQ. Much enhanced soundstage and imaging, more bass control, and even the midrange seems a bit fuller with what seems to be more clarity of instrumentals.
I canāt speak for vocals or noise floor as Iāve not been able to assess them as yet. However, this may just be the best Ā£325 Iāve spent for quite a while.
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Iāve had an interesting Bank Holiday weekend. My usual set up is a slightly odd mix of Naim NC network player, phono stage and pre-amp with a 1980s classic, a Krell KSA-50 power amp, feeding a pair of ATC SCM 40s. Earlier this year, after many years of faultless service, the Krell blew a channel and is now awaiting repair and a rebuild. Itās such a fantastic sounding amp that I wanted to get it up and running again.
To tide me over, I acquired a baby Naim, the NAP 100 which coped surprisingly well with the 40s. Then, a short while ago a tidy pair of SCM 40As came up for sale on another audio enthusiast forum, less than 30 miles from where I live. A number of my friends and acquaintances have been egging me on for a while to try the actives, including one or two folk on this forum. Long story short, Iāve bought the 40As which are only 2 years old. They were in mint condition, barely used.
The difference in performance over the NAP 100 is quite startling, much more detailed and dynamic and itās taking some time to adjust. The listening experience definitely feels closer to live performance, though and I donāt regret the switch.
Iāve not given up on the Krell, though. The sound that American amp produced was astonishing. Iāve hung onto the older passive 40s, so that when the Krell is returned, Iāll be in the enviable position of being able to demo the passives and the actives side by side in my own listening room. Should be interesting!
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Hats off, to Roy Harper 
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Previously RP10/Aphelion now Naia/Aphelion 2.
Donāt advise demoing the Naia unless you want to part with money. I got an excellent deal on the demo Naia. Used the Aos with it - Aura demo lined up.
All my vinyl sounds wonderful and natural due to the detail the Naia digs out.
Phil
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It is running well with lights on only test - now it (Superline & supercap Dr) only need input from my TT. Biggest challenge: where to install it in the rackā¦ oh dear. I think the Superline will be migrated to the quadraspire svt next to the Fraim.
Ps: the Fraim where it is currently sitting on is a spare furniture one 
hence no ball joints..
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I owned a first generation Krell KSA 50 in the early 1990ās and it was a wonderful sounding amplifier.
Moreover its dual mono construction was a work of art!
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The 40As are one of the great current hifi bargains IMO. Iāve heard several much more expensive speaker/ power amp combos and usually preferred mine. A good few years ago I was in Acoustica listening to several ATCs and had a discussion with a couple of guys from ATC who happened to be in the shop and they reckoned the 40As were a real sweet spot in the range. Enjoy!
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I agree - they are built to a very high standard, and sound fantastic. Iām genuinely in two minds as to whether to keep the Krell and use it with the passive 40s, or to stick with the 40As and move the Krell and the passive 40s on.
The 40As definitively sound better than the 40s with the NAP100 which was acquired to run the passives when it became apparent that the Krell was going to take a while to be rebuilt/repaired. Trouble is, audio memory being what it is, I canāt reliably recall what the Krell sounded like with the passive 40s.
So, Iāve done the slightly mad thing of having two pairs of 40s and will demo them in my own listening room once the KSA-50 returns from the repairers. I think itās a relatively low risk strategy as many people love the ATCs ( and rightly so!) and I donāt think Iāll have too many problems finding an interested buyer.
Iām finding the 40As brighter in presentation than the passives, and this is taking a bit of getting used to. The detail, dynamics, speed and imaging are all much improved and I wonder if the tonal balance is being affected by the choice of XLR interconnect. The seller had been using 2m long XLRs as his kit was centrally located between the speakers. In my situation I needed 6m runs and as it was a Bank Holiday weekend I bought a cheap pair of balanced low capacitance XLRs from Intasound (a music store selling instruments, PA kit etc) just so that I could hear them at home. Other brands may well be better - Iāve no doubt that people here will have a view! Quite happy to hear ATC owners recommendations.
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Actually, after having tried for more than six months to find a NOS pair of Neat Audio Iota Alpha speakers here in the United States, I was finally able to find a NOS pair for sale a few days ago.
They arrived at my home yesterday evening and I was impressed with how nicely they were packaged.
The seller (BTW, a very nice and knowledgable guy) is a former audio dealer who had one pair left in black oak.
From what I gather, after Neat left the U.S. market, Neat dealers sold off all of their remaining stock of the Iota and Iota Alpha; so I was fortunate to find the last pair of NOS Alphas for sale in this country.
I did quite a bit of research on these little gems before actually purchasing a pair so Iām also familiar with the need to set them up properly. I started breaking them in last night and was quite impressed with how nice they sound, as well as the powerful bass that they reproduce for such a diminutive speaker.
The Alphas image like my bookshelf speakers (Linn Kan I, KEF Reference Series Model 101) but reproduce bass in a way that the aforementioned speakers canāt.
While they sound great with classical music they can also really boogie with jazz, blues and classic rock! lām looking forward to seeing how much they improve over time; and especially during the manufacturers 200 hour recommended break in period.
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Aro is no doubt one of the best products Naim had ever designed, but Aromatic gonna be the worst. It makes a simple lifter so heavy, complicated and rough.
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Added Gustard N18PRO switch to my set up. To my ears itās a nice uplift to the clarity, but I know it might be Iām listening more attentively than usual !!
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It is really so bad? I have one and now (as the prefix might get out) there is some space to install the aromatic. Really so bad?
Is the tiger paw or similar one better?
Just swapped a HiCap DR for Supercap DR on my SNAXO242.
Not fully warmed up yet, but Iāve noticed an immediate step up in performance. Will give it a few days but seems like a pretty big step forward. Much bigger than I noticed when moving from 552 powered Superline to Supercap DR tbh
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