When it’s Sounding ‘off’ - Things to Try

Yesterday the music wasn’t all it should be. The absorbing lovely liquid flow had become tight and edgy, a shade brittle even.

Checked the cables this morning and the HiLine plug came away from the 552 socket far too easily. It almost fell out. A firm re-seating and slight pull-back and today all is good in the world.

G

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Sometimes I find I just need to switch off and come back tomorrow. I find my mood is the biggest factor of them all, and it never fails to amaze me how different the same piece of music can sound on different days. And if all else fails, pour a stiff drink or two that never fails!

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PS Audio CEO actually claims one should re-start system now and then since the transformer characteristics change due to DC and other crap on the AC grid. I’m a strong believer in that the system might sound different from a re-start and most often or always for the better.

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I find like with everything in life, if I am not enjoying it I leave it.
So with music, I just turn it off and go do something else, think it’s all in your head.

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Same here walk away mood perhaps mains electric who knows had it many times

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Sometimes it can be as simple as the time of day and how busy/noisy the power grid is - trying to listen at dinner time for example when everyone’s using appliances heaters etc can be much less satisfying than late at night when the grid load is much less and thus the power supply is more ‘pure’.

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All good points. Apart from mood which is more to the mind, the physical health condition or well-being can be a factor as well. The human body does not maintain its level all the time as it changes through the days. Sometimes you feel strong and good, some days feeling weak and tired due to insufficient sleep or other factors. The reduced state or strength of the body can affect the hearing and impair the listening experience. Even a sinus blockage, wax buildup or partial blockage in the ears after shower can affect the way a person hear things.

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I recently discovered that the power cord, in my case a non-Naim cable requires a minimum distance of half an inch (ideally more) from other power cords or power strip for optimal sound performance. Sound quality is affected when the power cord is placed very close to the power strip/conditioner or other cords. I’m not sure if this would be applicable to standard Naim cords or the Powerline though.

Before ;

After ;

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May I ask what the pull back is for? To unplug slightly?

To decouple the plug from the case and allow the pins to ‘float’ I think. Perhaps @Richard.Dane would give a more precise answer?

G

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That’s pretty much it.

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A few weeks ago I had an oscillating pulsing sound coming from my left speaker when no music was playing. If I turned off the amp and back on again it went away for a while but then came back and I was worried there was a problem with the amp. After driving me to distraction I found the power cable had somehow managed to cross the speaker cable just at the point where it entered the amp. Moved that and everything back to normal.

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