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Post by macca on Feb 14, 2021 14:19:18 GMT
Good guess?
Going to try for the model?
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Post by antonio on Feb 14, 2021 15:06:10 GMT
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Post by macca on Feb 14, 2021 22:06:19 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 14, 2021 22:39:16 GMT
Ok, Thats certainly in the right direction |
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Post by macca on Feb 15, 2021 8:10:33 GMT
Aye, within spitting distance of the Neurochrome 286, not bad for £103
Will it be a giant-killer? Only time will tell.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 15, 2021 8:14:35 GMT
Aye, within spitting distance of the Neurochrome 286, not bad for £103 Will it be a giant-killer? Only time will tell. £103?.....come on....spill the beans! |
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Post by macca on Feb 15, 2021 8:49:02 GMT
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 15, 2021 9:07:40 GMT
I happen to have fond memories of NAD gear. Seems to be ok I'm power mode....look forward to hearing what you think of it. |
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 12:20:20 GMT
NAD has arrived, can you believe on an amp from 2003 that it only accepts bare wire speaker connection?
Used some adaptors and connected it up to my sacrificial speakers - always a wise precaution with tat amplifiers bought off of eBay, like the Denon integrated I got that had a knackered volume pot and gave instant full output regardless of pot position - you can't be too careful.
Powers up but can't get a peep out of it. Could be the crappy adaptors not making proper contact with the crappy terminals. Need to go upstairs and root around for some unterminated speaker cable. What a ball-ache. Nothing's easy is it?
Oh and it smells of dog too.
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 12:30:07 GMT
Okay just rtfm - appear it switches on straight into standby and has to be activated by the remote or selecting an input - which I didn't do as I'm only using the power amp section. Will muck about with it later as time for lunch.
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 12:36:55 GMT
Success! it is now working, sounds pretty good even through the crap speakers. Might have a result here.
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 17, 2021 13:12:51 GMT
Within spitting distance, its a log scale macca.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 13:47:54 GMT
Maybe he spits logs?
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 14:00:04 GMT
Within spitting distance, its a log scale macca. Yes but its closer than almost everything else he's tested at ASR that doesn't cost a ton of money A lot of them are down at 85 dB or worse. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 17, 2021 14:24:24 GMT
Within spitting distance, its a log scale macca. Yes but its closer than almost everything else he's tested at ASR that doesn't cost a ton of money A lot of them are down at 85 dB or worse. Ok, any joy yet? Had a listen?? |
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 17:44:01 GMT
just having a proper listen now.
I think I prefer it to my Linn LK100 (some will say 'so what?), not that there's anything specific I could point to in order to demonstrate that, it just seems a bit more relaxed and listenable.
Still can't get that top end to come out and play though, still just a tiny bit soft and smeared. At least that's how it sounds to me but I've had a couple of mates have a listen and they say it sounds fine. But I know it's not me. I'm just mega-fussy.
I've tried that many power amps now I'm thinking it's just not that. I know it isn't the speakers because it is the same with all my speakers including the Audiovectors which were pretty much brand new.
I guess I just have to try another DAC. Maybe those reviewers who said the Soncoz sounded slightly soft to them were right. It really is the slightest thing but it is bugging me as I know it can be better as I've been there before.
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Post by antonio on Feb 17, 2021 19:49:47 GMT
After I read about your purchase I left a bid on a 355BEE and went to bed, didn't win though, it went for £103, same as yours.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 19:55:21 GMT
just having a proper listen now. I think I prefer it to my Linn LK100 (some will say 'so what?), not that there's anything specific I could point to in order to demonstrate that, it just seems a bit more relaxed and listenable. Still can't get that top end to come out and play though, still just a tiny bit soft and smeared. At least that's how it sounds to me but I've had a couple of mates have a listen and they say it sounds fine. But I know it's not me. I'm just mega-fussy. I've tried that many power amps now I'm thinking it's just not that. I know it isn't the speakers because it is the same with all my speakers including the Audiovectors which were pretty much brand new. I guess I just have to try another DAC. Maybe those reviewers who said the Soncoz sounded slightly soft to them were right. It really is the slightest thing but it is bugging me as I know it can be better as I've been there before. You know you want to try an RME. |
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 20:03:20 GMT
For £103 it's stupid good. Really you wouldn't be at all unhappy if you'd paid ten times as much for a power amp. Better than those cheapo T amp things by a country mile.
It's quite sweet-sounding, I think that's what I prefer over the Linn. It has that sonorous quality you don't get in a lot of amps even if they are still clear and clean.
Need to get the top off and clean out the dog smell though, once it warmed up it was really noticeable. Went over the outside with some baby wipes but that was spotless already.
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 20:09:25 GMT
just having a proper listen now. I think I prefer it to my Linn LK100 (some will say 'so what?), not that there's anything specific I could point to in order to demonstrate that, it just seems a bit more relaxed and listenable. Still can't get that top end to come out and play though, still just a tiny bit soft and smeared. At least that's how it sounds to me but I've had a couple of mates have a listen and they say it sounds fine. But I know it's not me. I'm just mega-fussy. I've tried that many power amps now I'm thinking it's just not that. I know it isn't the speakers because it is the same with all my speakers including the Audiovectors which were pretty much brand new. I guess I just have to try another DAC. Maybe those reviewers who said the Soncoz sounded slightly soft to them were right. It really is the slightest thing but it is bugging me as I know it can be better as I've been there before. You know you want to try an RME. I do but supposed to be stopping hi-fi spending due to this probably being my last year at work. Plus I don't want to buy one and find it sounds identical to the one I've got. Was thinking of getting a Topping E30 as a lot cheaper and if that does sound different then I might go for a final solution. Need a system I'm 100% happy with if I am soon going to be able to spend all day every day listening to music. It's close, very close, it just needs that last push over the cliff. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2021 20:17:05 GMT
No dealers nearby to lend you one? Failing that, buy one second hand, and sell it if you don’t like it. That may be an alien concept to you  , but I doubt you would lose much on it. |
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 20:34:41 GMT
I'm looking for something to come up at the moment. You probably right about the RME, I might as well take a punt on that as anything else and I do like the little spectrum analyser.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 17, 2021 20:41:02 GMT
I'm looking for something to come up at the moment. You probably right about the RME, I might as well take a punt on that as anything else and I do like the little spectrum analyser. Alan has a Topping D90 going spare, why not see if a loan could be had and see what happens. Our misterc suggests he can elevate it's performance by a decent Margin. Knowing your system requirements, this may be the best route. |
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2021 20:49:56 GMT
Not a bad idea if Alan's up for that.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 17, 2021 21:51:13 GMT
Not a bad idea if Alan's up for that. You can only ask! |
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 18, 2021 16:34:47 GMT
I had a RME, kept it for a week or so. Not bad, but not special either. I thought it a bit bland and a bit safe.
PXed it for a Teac UD-501. Now that was sterile and quite unpleasant.
Now with a Quad CDP-2 of all things, and that is very entertaining.
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Post by firebottle on Feb 18, 2021 16:46:44 GMT
Not a bad idea if Alan's up for that. Sorry Martin, it is sold. |
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Post by macca on Feb 18, 2021 17:17:18 GMT
No probs Alan I thought it might be.
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Post by macca on Feb 18, 2021 17:48:29 GMT
I had a RME, kept it for a week or so. Not bad, but not special either. I thought it a bit bland and a bit safe. PXed it for a Teac UD-501. Now that was sterile and quite unpleasant. Now with a Quad CDP-2 of all things, and that is very entertaining. what have you had that you would class as in the 'unsafe' category then Jerry? That's the trouble with this DAC game, there's millions of the bloody things out there and I've direct experience of about five of them, and couple of them cost way more than I'd consider spending. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2021 19:07:44 GMT
I had a RME, kept it for a week or so. Not bad, but not special either. I thought it a bit bland and a bit safe. PXed it for a Teac UD-501. Now that was sterile and quite unpleasant. Now with a Quad CDP-2 of all things, and that is very entertaining. Just goes to show we are all different in what we are looking for. |
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, but I doubt you would lose much on it.
