Biggest shock was hearing a Technics 1200 MK 2 with a Shure mm cartridge comletely out perform musically a Linn Sondek LP12 complete with a top of the range Linn mc cartridge. It wasn’t even close.
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Yes I ran one for a couple of years and it was impressive via the USB through a little Dacmagic. I did try a top hat DAC when the Dacmagic started playing up but I never settled to that combo and ended up back on plan with a 272.
However, what did completely blow me away was trying a CAD Ground Control plugged into the RPi USB (then through a 72/250), that was utterly transformational. I was only able to have a brief listen but even so, wow moment. Does rather go to prove the RPi’s weakness is definitely noise.
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Very happy with my RPI - SMSL Su9 - 72/140 at the moment.
There are several moments that changes had surprised me. Just two that I remember vividly:
- Moving from Marantz to Naim. Totally difference sound and presentation of the music. The Naim is much more enjoyable though the Marantz with jazz acoustic music listening at night with a glass of wine could be magic.
- I have in storage an old tube amplifier that I connected the other day just for fun. That was moment of understanding Naim claim of PRAT. With the tube the music sound like watching a film in slow motion. The timing was terrible and the dynamic was so tame compare to Naim.
Though not all are advantages for Naim. Old recordings and not good quality recordings are a challenge to listen to through my Naim system with detailed speakers like mine. I like to listen boleros from the 40s and 50s, Naim is not very gentle with them. I have a tube DAC to smooths things out for those moments.
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They had to replace my cd player with another one. My dealer was surprised because he has
Never had to return a naim cd player. Not to worry my warranty is now longer. The only problem
Is i will be 90 when it expires.
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I was reminded of this by the “Is it just my imagination?” thread. Over a decade ago I added 10mm toughened glass shelves atop tiny ball nutters to every level of my Sound Factory Tripod. I was expecting a modest improvement, however I’d say it was the best bang-for-the-buck upgrade I’ve ever made.
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It’s not easy to get much of a HiFi bang for a tenner!
Three things come to mind:
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As an early teenager I listened to Jean Michel Jarre’s Equinoxe through my father’s Stax electrostatic headphones. It was so immersive.
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The first time I heard a Nait 2 in the early 2000s. I could not believe that such a little box could produce such wonderful music.
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This month I introduced a Chord Qutest into my system. I had had a few sub £200 DACs in the past
and they were ok but nothing special. The Qutest does something magical to the music. It digs out so much information yet keeping it true to the natural, organic sound. It is like you are hearing it properly for the very first time.
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Going back many years, hearing JR149 at the show at the Penta Hotel in Reading (probably about 1979/1980)
I can relate to that but in a different way.
I upgraded my ND5XS/XP5XS to NDS/555PS.
Soon after my NAC152XS/Flatcap to 252/SCDR.
All was good but when I finally replaced the NAP155XS with a 300DR the uplift was enormous.
Initially I thought the 300DR was the best upgrade I’ve ever done until I realised that as well as being in itself a great bit of kit, it was allowing me to better see the improvements brought by the improvements upstream.
In the early years, that I rather should upgrade the source or pre-amp than the amp to get a fuller bass…
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I also moved from maranz To naim. What a difference i have never had so much pleasure listening
To music at home. Especially modern jazz and classical music.
Rescuing my old home made Lowther Accousta horn loaded speakers (discarded after University by my two boys), updating them with new Lowther drive units (they had blown the old ones) and coupling them up to my Naim System. They blew me away and I had a quiet weep in the corner having just forked out £2K+ on a pair of SBLs.
They are now an integral part of my second system.
T
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Another vote for the Qutest. I installed one yesterday and what a revelation.
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So are the SBLs in your main system, and does that mean they sound better than the Lowthers?
It really is something rather special and at a ‘reasonable’ price in the scheme of things (I got mine 2ndhand - they hold their prices well at the moment though).
I’d suggest that your last sentence is either hyperbole or cliché, maybe even both. Did a veil lift? Did it make the previous setup sound broken? Was it a night and day difference? Did the Earth move? Jaw hit the floor? Were the musicians in the room?
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Dial-a-Cliché Nigel.
“But I’ve read well and I’ve heard them said a hundred times, maybe less, maybe more”
It’s a cliche because it’s true.
What words should I say then Nigel?
And you have never said them? 
What would Wilde say?
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Ah, but what is ‘properly’? I’m easily impressed by a bit of Smiths knowledge though.
As it was recorded on the original master tape. But Hey! we all hear differently.
With my little modest setup, the Qutest has done something that I would expect to cost me a lot more money. So I’m at the beach on a sunny day with a big ice cream.
I had to get away from Naim streamers (problems still persisting) and the Mini and Qutest do a fine job.
As much as I like The Smiths (Morrissey is now trying his best to ruin the legacy) Talk Talk, David Sylvian and Lloyd Cole are my guys.
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