so.. whats in a Naim ?

[mpw]

decided to look at my phono stage options and after much thought, valuable inputs have purchased a Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE2. I was lucky to get a good pre-loved piece.

Link here..https://www.lehmannaudio.com/home-audio/phono-stages/black-cube-se-ii.html

This comes with the PWX power supply.

Tech specs apart..i will post my listening impressions after about a month or so..

Just want to make sure what i am listening to is the real thing rather than ( as denom correctly pointed out ) a phycho-acoustic effect.

This means i will have to pinch myself a few times.. any volunteers ??

anyways.. this journey has taken me a long way and feeling a bit exhausted frankly.

Just want to settle down with the music now.

have built up a decent LP collection over the past few weeks.

God has been kind and so have a few forum members with their time and inputs.

I wonder if i should start a separate thread for this but i think that i have very broadly decided that the Naim Nait5i will be the fulcrum of all my audio devices and so i will let this thread meander further..

Additionally, I bought a 1 meter pair of Mogami interconnets between the Lehmann and the Naim Nait 5i.

fingers crossed..

regards,
mpw

 

[denom]

mpw, let me light another fire to ignite your next move

Heard these speakers quite by chance today, maybe it was meant to be

twenty.23 | PMC Loudspeakers

Same finish as above pic to boot :lol: It was gorgeous to look at & also the way it played :licklips: Slender little towers which can swiftly give you the 1-2 punch & knock your socks off :clapping:
WAF is also great

Methinks this is the speaker you need to listen to, I know you resist, but please have a listen to it with your l'il green monster

I predict the match to be perfect

 

[malvai]

mpw,
thats a good phono.... for many years that was the mid-level phono many newer companies held up as the one to beat. many still do.... and fail....

-M

decided to look at my phono stage options and after much thought, valuable inputs have purchased a Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE2. I was lucky to get a good pre-loved piece.

Link here..https://www.lehmannaudio.com/home-audio/phono-stages/black-cube-se-ii.html

This comes with the PWX power supply.

Tech specs apart..i will post my listening impressions after about a month or so..

Just want to make sure what i am listening to is the real thing rather than ( as denom correctly pointed out ) a phycho-acoustic effect.

This means i will have to pinch myself a few times.. any volunteers ??

anyways.. this journey has taken me a long way and feeling a bit exhausted frankly.

Just want to settle down with the music now.

have built up a decent LP collection over the past few weeks.

God has been kind and so have a few forum members with their time and inputs.

I wonder if i should start a separate thread for this but i think that i have very broadly decided that the Naim Nait5i will be the fulcrum of all my audio devices and so i will let this thread meander further..

Additionally, I bought a 1 meter pair of Mogami interconnets between the Lehmann and the Naim Nait 5i.

fingers crossed..

regards,
mpw

 

[mpw]

thanks manav.

I got this after much research and help.

Probably this was all i could afford.

Need to work on it a bit to adjust and get the best sound and i suppose the fun will be in a MC cart than an MM cart.

But i am giving myself lots of time to play with MM before i think of something else.

regards,
mpw

 

[mpw]

mpw, let me light another fire to ignite your next move

Heard these speakers quite by chance today, maybe it was meant to be

twenty.23 | PMC Loudspeakers

Same finish as above pic to boot :lol: It was gorgeous to look at & also the way it played :licklips: Slender little towers which can swiftly give you the 1-2 punch & knock your socks off :clapping:
WAF is also great

Methinks this is the speaker you need to listen to, I know you resist, but please have a listen to it with your l'il green monster

I predict the match to be perfect

===============================================

It looks nice denom but i suppose its beyond me as of this moment. ( 2000 pound retail in UK and maybe a bit over 2 lac here i suppose )

Appreciate your input.

Keep 'em coming !!



My lil green monster will have to go with a cheaper pairing as the greenbacks are harder to come by these days :lol: though the grass is greener on the other side always

mpw

 

[arj]

great going MPW...Congratulations
my suggestion is to stop even thinking of upgrades for some time. you have a good setup going now..experiment around with placements/ vibration control etc to get the better of your setup than changing components. TT's sound changes a lot with the kind of placement you give it so thats a good one to experiment
Once you do get a good cart which goes well with your tonearm and you are done for a Long time..until you know what you want that your current setup does not give you and you feel that is something you can get only by an upgrade
BTW dont just disregard an MM cart..they are highly underrated and you could go through the famous MM/MC thread on Audiogon forums analogue section

 

[mpw]

arj,

thanks !

major upgrades are banned for some time now.

I may sneak in a cart or 2 on the sly :lol:

but seriously - what you say makes sense and i am investing in records ( LP's ) and of course in having time to listen to them.

But i have sixth sense in knowing what i am missing.

I feel i have a large room and sometimes i feel i miss the lower notes. ( not the thump )

Having said this i have no complaints with the Epos M12i but i am sub-consciously looking for something like a good 2 way floorstander or 3 way bookshelf ( high quality like KEF R300 or a Linn maybe).

reproducing lower notes will also mean getting into acoustics and room treatment etc.. which i am reluctant to do now.

I am aware that i am lucky to have what i have - it may not be the best but the componts i have assembled are excellent in their own right and at their price points.

But in the current economic scenario it maybe better to have a nice homely meal than wander about in search of the elusive Oasis..



mpw

 

[arj]

arj,

thanks !

major upgrades are banned for some time now.

I may sneak in a cart or 2 on the sly :lol:

but seriously - what you say makes sense and i am investing in records ( LP's ) and of course in having time to listen to them.

But i have sixth sense in knowing what i am missing.

I feel i have a large room and sometimes i feel i miss the lower notes. ( not the thump )

Having said this i have no complaints with the Epos M12i but i am sub-consciously looking for something like a good 2 way floorstander or 3 way bookshelf ( high quality like KEF R300 or a Linn maybe).

reproducing lower notes will also mean getting into acoustics and room treatment etc.. which i am reluctant to do now.

I am aware that i am lucky to have what i have - it may not be the best but the componts i have assembled are excellent in their own right and at their price points.

But in the current economic scenario it maybe better to have a nice homely meal than wander about in search of the elusive Oasis..



mpw

good approach

regarding low notes, its very easy to mixup the 50 -150 Hz SPL with the reproduction of low notes of 30 Hz and below.
Low 30 etc is not something which would be as missed and getting that is really expensive either in subwoofers or true full rangers.

Mostly it is this lower mid bass range which one misses and the solution to enhancing what is available is found via placement/acoustics and vibration control ..eg Metal spikes, from my recent experiments gives an artificial sense of tightening as what it does is Thin out the wound..and wood footers work the opposite etc etc

you can also get a better lower midbass by movement nearer to corners and some amount of vibration control. also playing around with your own listening position. if you have not already tried it the the Cardas method and the WASP method are both good

For an LP the cartridge Tonearm and the cartridge- Phono synergy greatly influences sound quality .so get a cart which is known to work well with your tonearm. your phono is good enough to work well with Most carts

 

[soulforged]

MPW...don't get 'sub' concious right away ...like Arjun said, work with the placement and see if it makes a difference...

and congrats on the Black Cube...it's a great buy...I too use it and it made a huge difference over the Pro-ject Phono Box SE I was using earlier...

 

[malvai]

thanks manav.

I got this after much research and help.

Probably this was all i could afford.

Need to work on it a bit to adjust and get the best sound and i suppose the fun will be in a MC cart than an MM cart.

But i am giving myself lots of time to play with MM before i think of something else.

regards,
mpw

to better this, you'll have to spend over 1L (pre-owned price!!!)... you don't have to think of a better phono for a loooooooooong time.... so yeah! good call!

 

[mpw]

here goes..

yesterday i operated in the MM mode and had switched ON all filters.

wasnt too happy..

today i changed to High gain setting with the pre filter and post filter freq set to OFF.

now i am smiling a bit.

I think tomo i will experiment with pre and post filter setting. Actually it seems easy but i am lazy to turn the lehmann turtle and tickle the DIP switches on its belly..

Welcome any inputs from lehmann owners..

PS my cart is a AT95E

mpw

 

[arj]

Actually it seems easy but i am lazy to turn the lehmann turtle and tickle the DIP switches on its belly..

Welcome any inputs from lehmann owners..

PS my cart is a AT95E

mpw

keep it upside down thats what i do

 

[jls001]

yesterday i operated in the MM mode and had switched ON all filters.

wasnt too happy..

today i changed to High gain setting with the pre filter and post filter freq set to OFF.

OK, what are all these gobbledygooks? Especially pre and post filters?

 

[mpw]

and yes.. i am getting some free music too..

Am getting a humming sound from both speakers from abot 10 o clock volume position onwards. :lol:

Connected a ground wire from the back panel screw of the Naim to the ground point of the phono where the ground wire of the TT also meets.

Checked continuity of the TT spindle to the TT tonearm and onto the Ground wire. It looks OK.

The hum continues on ite merry way.... doesnt come in the way of the music but it is there ( and at the back of the mind too :lol: ))

any soultions ladies & gentlemen ?



mpw

 

[arj]

Try moving you phono far away from the amp / TT motor.

Also try switching off the tube light if you have it on.

This is mostly due to stray rfi being picked up...at least the above worked for me

 

[mpw]

arj,

post no 112 on this thread shows the location of phono wrt the TT.

The TT RCA interconn are not too long and therefore cant move the TT much.

The positioning is such that if i move around too much then the length of the interconnects from the amp etc.. will change..

nevertheless.. will try to the extent possible.

mpw

 

[arj]

arj,

post no 112 on this thread shows the location of phono wrt the TT.

The TT RCA interconn are not too long and therefore cant move the TT much.

The positioning is such that if i move around too much then the length of the interconnects from the amp etc.. will change..

nevertheless.. will try to the extent possible.

mpw

not easy to diagnose
It can picked up at
1. Cart (nearness to motor/Tubelight etc etc)
2. Cable - nearness to power sources or any other EMI.RFI sources like tubelights
3. Phono..again same as above..nearness to power amp also

Although slightly dangerous, you can try out not having the earth connected to the TT/Phono..ground loops also cause this problem

BTW does this increase when you increase the volume ? OR is it constant ?

 

[mpw]

Increases with volume.

Will like to solve it in a rational manner. Not worth removing earthing on the phono.

The TT power plug is 2 way doesn't have earth anyway.

Mpw

 

[arj]

Increases with volume.

Will like to solve it in a rational manner. Not worth removing earthing on the phono.

The TT power plug is 2 way doesn't have earth anyway.

Mpw

right approach..
since it increases with volume it is before the Int Amp stage.

Since you do not have a ground pin, try connecting all the grounds (TT/Phono) to the Amp Chassis as well

 

[Hiten]

At Phono Preamp side see if you can connect a short wire from ground screw of phono preamp to one of the RCA socket ground (Any one channel ground).
Regards