My most recent two purchases were my most significant - both as investments and as upgrades: a pre-owned 552DR replacing my 282/SCDR and a new ND555 replacing my NDS, powered by my 555PSDR. Both are settling in and music is playing with such realism through my recently serviced and DR’d 300. Over the years I have heard the sound of my system evolve, revealing ever more from even my oldest recordings. But for the first time I barely recognize “my system” - I have almost “lost my bearings” in a manner of speaking. My experience gives new meaning to the phrase “rediscover my music collection.” Mind you, I am not complaining! Life is good.
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Congrats, Charlie, I bet it sounds amazing! The start of fall is barely a week away - ideal timing for a major upgrade.
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ATL Audio high-power DC blocker. The purchase inspired somewhere in this forum. Intended to remove the Kudos S20 speakers hum from 250DR. The hum is not removed, but it is reduced, whereas the SQ improved beyond expectation. Put me on the sofa for a longer while in a positive disbelief. I am very happy with the cleaner, more resonant presentation. Need to buy second Graham’s Hydra and reorganize/redress the cabling with the hope of removing the hum completely.
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do you use just L and R phono output to go into the back of your pre amp? for theL and R front speaker ?
HDMI from Pioneer into the Denon AV amp. Then I use the front L & R pre-amp output from the Denon into the AV input on my 202. The Denon handles the signal for the centre and rear speakers. Then I let the Denon Odyssey setup process balance out the sound. It all works rather wonderfully.
Same here. I should probably do the audessy thing to . I find I have to turn up the volume on the 552 to 12 oclock when I am listening to a movie
Oh no, if using the AV circuit the volume control on the 202 is inactive because it gives volume control to the Denon, and that acts as the pre-amp. Definitely use the Audessy setup with the mic etc. Takes about 10 minutes.
As far as I know speaker hum is not solved with a DC blocker since DC cannot transfer across a transformer into electronics. It is mainly for mechanical transformer hum.
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Just on the speaker hum. Have you done the usual box repositioning, separating the 250DR far away as possible from any psu or pre amp?
It is more likely to be an earth loop. You may want to confirm whether it still hums when all the inputs on the amp are unplugged or goes away when a specific one is removed.
If you have earthed sources, what have you earthed them to?
Thank you Slamdam. I hoped it would. I had the same hum with the previous NAP250-2, and when it did not go away with NAP250DR, I assumed it must be mains, rather the repeated issue with the NAP, esp. that I heard DR version does not hum, or hum less… Could be too simple logic and wrong assumption. Need to investigate further. Never too late to learn some electrics.
Thank you feeling_zen. I guess, I ruled that out completely. The 250DR is humming when connected ONLY to the mains (with standard Naim cord) and of course the speakers plugged in (Kudos S20, via 3.5m pair of KS-1). Normally, I use Graham’s Hydra for almost full system and a separate, but regular wall socked. I live in an apartment, that is only few yeas old and with a decent, up-to-standard electrical network… yet, surrounded by numerous power consuming devices. This is why, I was thinking the issue was more external and DC blocker could help.
Thank you for this idea bruss. My 250DR rests on the base of FraimLite with NDX and 282 above - both fully externally powered from the units resting on the second cabinet… Will look closer and start switching everything off on the second cabinet - router, switches, etc. These were not under suspicion and this is easy check.
I may have misunderstood. I thought the hum was heard through the speakers.
If it is only eminating from the physical 250, then earth loops can be ruled out. A humming transformer is indeed going to be other issues like offset or over voltage. The latter is also known to be common in some areas. You might want to measure the mains voltage and see if it significantly higher than what you expect.
This is most helpful! I measured 241V, after DC blocker and the same in a random other socket in the house. After I changed the batteries in the meter (was not used for a longer while), the second exactly the same take shows 240V to be the actual voltage in the mains. The expected/nominal is 230V so the actual is coming 4% higher. Could that be the root cause?
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Unlikely. Firstly the UK tolerance allows up to 253 Volts so you are a way off that, even taking into account that a multimeter might be 1-2% out if uncalibrated.
I suggest you read the following article for help:
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Nope, within tolerances. Here in Sweden we have 230V ±10%.
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Hungryhalibut just discovered a bad cable in his system, see his thread. He was swapping between a nait 02 and 05, with only one of the boxes affected by the bad cable. Might be your issue also?
Scott
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Well, @Bart’s good fortune getting a Naim Solstice is my opportunity to claim first dibs on the SuperCap DR, Burndy, and HiLine he used with his SuperLine.
I had settled on living with my system without upgrading the SuperLine to use a SuperCap, but I couldn’t resist. It just so happens I also have Bart’s old 252, which I bought a couple years ago from Tyler after Bart traded it in.
First impressions are quite good. With the whole system stone cold after staying powered down since last night I put on the MoFi 45 of Dire Straits “Once Upon A Time In The West.” Right off the bat I can hear more bite and punch to Knopfler’s guitar, and the bass is deeper, more dynamic and more refined. Lat on I will spend some time playing jazz and classical, which is what I mainly listen to overall.
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Looks like mine will get here next week only…This is not fun, the waiting, so I’m going to have to get something in the interim to tide me over 