Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
I do like...
- Thread starter JoelSim
- Start date
chebby
Well-known member
JoelSim:The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short.
You recently bought another cable that was 2cm too short.
Why don't you just measure the required length before you order?
You recently bought another cable that was 2cm too short.
Why don't you just measure the required length before you order?
JoelSim:
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
I do not like Nordost cables... although I have never heard them... The reasons:
i) I cannot afford them (and this is, obviously THE reason, if I were a high earner I would take a punt on them).
ii) there are some brands which are brilliant... but their reputation for brilliance means that they trade on their name. Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge... I believe Nordost (fairly or unfairly) to be the cable equivalent... and they are therefore barred from my stack (although I am sure that Nordost themselves are not unduly bothered).
£3000 anyone?
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
I do not like Nordost cables... although I have never heard them... The reasons:
i) I cannot afford them (and this is, obviously THE reason, if I were a high earner I would take a punt on them).
ii) there are some brands which are brilliant... but their reputation for brilliance means that they trade on their name. Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge... I believe Nordost (fairly or unfairly) to be the cable equivalent... and they are therefore barred from my stack (although I am sure that Nordost themselves are not unduly bothered).
£3000 anyone?
Yep they're pricey/ overpriced (take your pick). However they are very good and if you buy second hand at good prices they are hard to beat. I got my Heimdall IC's & speaker cable this way and find them excellent vfm in my set up. YMMV obviously.
chebby
Well-known member
bloatedgut:Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge..
I have no personal experience of Ferrari etc so cannot comment on their merits vs their price. But Naim?
A "massive premium for the badge" ?
I have been playing my Naim gear for about 12 hours a day on average (sometimes 16 depending on my shifts) and it is therefore best value gear I have ever owned.
Not only that, but the free/supplied DIN cable (a 'massive' £75 if bought seperately) and the 'grotesquely' priced 7 metres of Naim speaker cable (£105 in total including all the soldering and banana plugs) are all it needs to sound fantastic.
Factor in the very respectable resale values that used Naim kit commands (even 20 year old stuff) and the fact that Naim support extends to everything they have ever made in the last 37 years and you can understand my suprise at you including them in a list of companies who merely trade on their 'badge'.
Take the latest Naim offering (the naimuniti). £2K gets you an amp, a CD player, DAC, DAB/FM tuner, and wireless streaming all based on modules from proven designs like the CD5i and Nait 5i and the tuner from the NVi and the DAC from the CD5X. That is terrific value. (Read the reviews and listen to one through something like the PMC GB1i's - as I did yesterday - then say it is all just 'badge'.)
They are currently shipping 20 naimuniti's a day (many of them to people who have never bought any Naim item before) and all handbuilt and tested in the UK. They are fully employing all 130 people at their Salisbury plant right now and even paying overtime to get everything out and meet demand. Given the current economic woes in this country I think that speaks for far more than just trading on a 'badge' !
I have no personal experience of Ferrari etc so cannot comment on their merits vs their price. But Naim?
A "massive premium for the badge" ?
I have been playing my Naim gear for about 12 hours a day on average (sometimes 16 depending on my shifts) and it is therefore best value gear I have ever owned.
Not only that, but the free/supplied DIN cable (a 'massive' £75 if bought seperately) and the 'grotesquely' priced 7 metres of Naim speaker cable (£105 in total including all the soldering and banana plugs) are all it needs to sound fantastic.
Factor in the very respectable resale values that used Naim kit commands (even 20 year old stuff) and the fact that Naim support extends to everything they have ever made in the last 37 years and you can understand my suprise at you including them in a list of companies who merely trade on their 'badge'.
Take the latest Naim offering (the naimuniti). £2K gets you an amp, a CD player, DAC, DAB/FM tuner, and wireless streaming all based on modules from proven designs like the CD5i and Nait 5i and the tuner from the NVi and the DAC from the CD5X. That is terrific value. (Read the reviews and listen to one through something like the PMC GB1i's - as I did yesterday - then say it is all just 'badge'.)
They are currently shipping 20 naimuniti's a day (many of them to people who have never bought any Naim item before) and all handbuilt and tested in the UK. They are fully employing all 130 people at their Salisbury plant right now and even paying overtime to get everything out and meet demand. Given the current economic woes in this country I think that speaks for far more than just trading on a 'badge' !
chebby:
bloatedgut:Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge..
I have no personal experience of Ferrari etc so cannot comment on their merits vs their price. But Naim?
A "massive premium for the badge" ?
I have been playing my Naim gear for about 12 hours a day on average (sometimes 16 depending on my shifts) and it is therefore best value gear I have ever owned.
Not only that, but the free/supplied DIN cable (a 'massive' £75 if bought seperately) and the 'grotesquely' priced 7 metres of Naim speaker cable (£105 in total including all the soldering and banana plugs) are all it needs to sound fantastic.
Factor in the very respectable resale values that used Naim kit commands (even 20 year old stuff) and the fact that Naim support extends to everything they have ever made in the last 37 years and you can understand my suprise at you including them in a list of companies who merely trade on their 'badge'.
Take the latest Naim offering (the naimuniti). £2K gets you an amp, a CD player, DAC, DAB/FM tuner, and wireless streaming all based on modules from proven designs like the CD5i and Nait 5i and the tuner from the NVi and the DAC from the CD5X. That is terrific value. (Read the reviews and listen to one through something like the PMC FB1i's - as I did yesterday - then say it is all just 'badge'.)
They are currently shipping 20 naimuniti's a day (many of them to people who have never bought any Naim item before) and all handbuilt and tested in the UK. They are fully employing all 130 people at their Salisbury plant right now and even paying overtime to get everything out and meet demand. Given the current economic woes in this country I think that speaks for far more than just trading on a 'badge' !
Well Mr. Chebby then it comes down to personal taste (although I admit that new Naim gear for £2000 seems a bit more value for money than other things)... however it is an extremity itself to interpret my original post as simple saying that brands like Naim trade on badge alone... most people are not fools so if you have an expensive luxury brand at its heart there is usually a reason, a good product. My point is that you pay over the odds for that brand, it has cache, it seeks to trade on that... lets walk through the main words that you appear to of missed in my original post.
"there are some brands which are brilliant... they take their brilliance and
flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive
premium for the badge..."
Hmmm there does seem to be a hefty nod towards admitting that these brands are good at what they do... but they are all, in their strategies, aimed towards the luxury end of the market and that means that sometimes they produce products and add a hefty premium. That is fine... I am not being all bitter about that (okay, a bit) but I am more socialist in my stereo leanings. It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen... I am more Arcam than Naim... I am more Lotus (under Colin Chapmen, of course) than Ferrari... so although I take your points please do not paint me as the Panto Fagin here. My points on Naim are valid despite your others factors (re-sell value, including cabling etc).
bloatedgut:Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge..
I have no personal experience of Ferrari etc so cannot comment on their merits vs their price. But Naim?
A "massive premium for the badge" ?
I have been playing my Naim gear for about 12 hours a day on average (sometimes 16 depending on my shifts) and it is therefore best value gear I have ever owned.
Not only that, but the free/supplied DIN cable (a 'massive' £75 if bought seperately) and the 'grotesquely' priced 7 metres of Naim speaker cable (£105 in total including all the soldering and banana plugs) are all it needs to sound fantastic.
Factor in the very respectable resale values that used Naim kit commands (even 20 year old stuff) and the fact that Naim support extends to everything they have ever made in the last 37 years and you can understand my suprise at you including them in a list of companies who merely trade on their 'badge'.
Take the latest Naim offering (the naimuniti). £2K gets you an amp, a CD player, DAC, DAB/FM tuner, and wireless streaming all based on modules from proven designs like the CD5i and Nait 5i and the tuner from the NVi and the DAC from the CD5X. That is terrific value. (Read the reviews and listen to one through something like the PMC FB1i's - as I did yesterday - then say it is all just 'badge'.)
They are currently shipping 20 naimuniti's a day (many of them to people who have never bought any Naim item before) and all handbuilt and tested in the UK. They are fully employing all 130 people at their Salisbury plant right now and even paying overtime to get everything out and meet demand. Given the current economic woes in this country I think that speaks for far more than just trading on a 'badge' !
Well Mr. Chebby then it comes down to personal taste (although I admit that new Naim gear for £2000 seems a bit more value for money than other things)... however it is an extremity itself to interpret my original post as simple saying that brands like Naim trade on badge alone... most people are not fools so if you have an expensive luxury brand at its heart there is usually a reason, a good product. My point is that you pay over the odds for that brand, it has cache, it seeks to trade on that... lets walk through the main words that you appear to of missed in my original post.
"there are some brands which are brilliant... they take their brilliance and
flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive
premium for the badge..."
Hmmm there does seem to be a hefty nod towards admitting that these brands are good at what they do... but they are all, in their strategies, aimed towards the luxury end of the market and that means that sometimes they produce products and add a hefty premium. That is fine... I am not being all bitter about that (okay, a bit) but I am more socialist in my stereo leanings. It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen... I am more Arcam than Naim... I am more Lotus (under Colin Chapmen, of course) than Ferrari... so although I take your points please do not paint me as the Panto Fagin here. My points on Naim are valid despite your others factors (re-sell value, including cabling etc).
matthewpiano
Well-known member
IMO Naim is MUCH better value for money than Arcam. An Arcam entry level integrated retails for £700. You can get a Naim Nait 5i for little more. The Nait 5i is in a different league in terms of its performance.
Arcam trade on their brand name far more than Naim IMO.
Arcam trade on their brand name far more than Naim IMO.
JoelSim:
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
Hey, Joel have you heard of " cables anonymous ", there is help available out there you know..........
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
Hey, Joel have you heard of " cables anonymous ", there is help available out there you know..........
matthewpiano:IMO Naim is MUCH better value for money than Arcam. An Arcam entry level integrated retails for £700. You can get a Naim Nait 5i for little more. The Nait 5i is in a different league in terms of its performance.
Arcam trade on their brand name far more than Naim IMO.
Okay. Different horses.....
Arcam trade on their brand name far more than Naim IMO.
Okay. Different horses.....
bloatedgut:JoelSim:
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
I do not like Nordost cables... although I have never heard them... The reasons:
i) I cannot afford them (and this is, obviously THE reason, if I were a high earner I would take a punt on them).
ii) there are some brands which are brilliant... but their reputation for brilliance means that they trade on their name. Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge... I believe Nordost (fairly or unfairly) to be the cable equivalent... and they are therefore barred from my stack (although I am sure that Nordost themselves are not unduly bothered).
£3000 anyone?
Well when auditioning for my equipment, several factors came into the equation, sound, price and customer service. I ended up buying Naim because I liked the sound, was reasonably priced for what it does VERY well, and the customer support is second to none (maybe Rega). At no poit did the "badge" come into it. Like others have said I am happy with the knowledge that my equipment will hold onto most of its value when I come to sell on.
Nordost cables. There is something very special about them. The one I've just bought is really damn tight on the length it has to stretch ie within about a centimetre of being too short. But it sounds wonderful. Much nicer than the Chord Chameleon it replaced. Just more musical, more real, more 3-D, more involving. Lovely.
I do not like Nordost cables... although I have never heard them... The reasons:
i) I cannot afford them (and this is, obviously THE reason, if I were a high earner I would take a punt on them).
ii) there are some brands which are brilliant... but their reputation for brilliance means that they trade on their name. Think Ferrari and Agent Provocateur and Versace, Naim... they take their brilliance and flare for design, presentation and marketing, then add a massive premium for the badge... I believe Nordost (fairly or unfairly) to be the cable equivalent... and they are therefore barred from my stack (although I am sure that Nordost themselves are not unduly bothered).
£3000 anyone?
Well when auditioning for my equipment, several factors came into the equation, sound, price and customer service. I ended up buying Naim because I liked the sound, was reasonably priced for what it does VERY well, and the customer support is second to none (maybe Rega). At no poit did the "badge" come into it. Like others have said I am happy with the knowledge that my equipment will hold onto most of its value when I come to sell on.
True Blue:
Well when auditioning for my equipment, several factors came into the equation, sound, price and customer service. I ended up buying Naim because I liked the sound, was reasonably priced for what it does VERY well, and the customer support is second to none (maybe Rega). At no poit did the "badge" come into it. Like others have said I am happy with the knowledge that my equipment will hold onto most of its value when I come to sell on.
Cool... again my point is not that anyone who buys Naim needs to have their head examined. I am not asking that all Naim owners come and justify the factors that went into them buying their equipment (although the fact that they do does seem to suggest that there had to be an internal justification process in order to get to the point where money was spent - i.e. you all sound like you have trotted these reasons- they seem quite prepared - out before now and will again).
My point is that FOR ME I believe that Naim add a bit on the end price because they are Naim, just as Linn do, just as other luxury brands do... and I cannot afford to pay that.
Joelsim sorry for my fairly innocuous comment knocking your thread right off topic.....
Well when auditioning for my equipment, several factors came into the equation, sound, price and customer service. I ended up buying Naim because I liked the sound, was reasonably priced for what it does VERY well, and the customer support is second to none (maybe Rega). At no poit did the "badge" come into it. Like others have said I am happy with the knowledge that my equipment will hold onto most of its value when I come to sell on.
Cool... again my point is not that anyone who buys Naim needs to have their head examined. I am not asking that all Naim owners come and justify the factors that went into them buying their equipment (although the fact that they do does seem to suggest that there had to be an internal justification process in order to get to the point where money was spent - i.e. you all sound like you have trotted these reasons- they seem quite prepared - out before now and will again).
My point is that FOR ME I believe that Naim add a bit on the end price because they are Naim, just as Linn do, just as other luxury brands do... and I cannot afford to pay that.
Joelsim sorry for my fairly innocuous comment knocking your thread right off topic.....
I loved the Nordost Baldur but didn't get on with the Blue Heaven nor Solar Wind. Both of these flat cables sounded too bright and stripped out some of the bass.
The Chameleon maintained more bass but in some systems a little thinning of the bass is a big help. For example, in my new house the Spendors boom a little in the room, but the addition of a BH-like cable slight bass thinning makes it more balanced.
Which Nordost have you got Joel?
EDIT Oh, a Nordost Heimdall. With a resale price of $600 for a 1m pair it bloody well should outclass the Chord Chameleon! It's a cheap Valhalla.
The Chameleon maintained more bass but in some systems a little thinning of the bass is a big help. For example, in my new house the Spendors boom a little in the room, but the addition of a BH-like cable slight bass thinning makes it more balanced.
Which Nordost have you got Joel?
EDIT Oh, a Nordost Heimdall. With a resale price of $600 for a 1m pair it bloody well should outclass the Chord Chameleon! It's a cheap Valhalla.
chebby:
bloatedgut:I am not being all bitter about that (okay, a bit) but I am more socialist in my stereo leanings. It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen... I am more Arcam than Naim... I am more Lotus (under Colin Chapmen, of course) than Ferrari... so although I take your points please do not paint me as the Panto Fagin here. My points on Naim are valid despite your others factors (re-sell value, including cabling etc).
"It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen"
So - all things being equal - I should buy a product made in China (a socialist political system) rather than one made by 130 of my fellow English people living and working 45 miles up the road?
And can you provide the evidence to support what makes an Arcam system more of a 'socialist' listening experience than Naim?
I would enjoy getting both Charlie Brennan (Ex Linn and now Arcam's MD) and Paul Stephenson (head guy at Naim) on here to discuss which considers their respective companies the most 'socialist' !!
(Having met Mr Brennan I would not just enjoy the prospect but relish it!)
That is rather twisting what I am saying... do not equate the philosophy of how you buy equipment with support of entire socio-political (extremist) states. In my view China is more representative of a 'Stalinist' idea of state than a 'socialist'. My support of institutions like the NHS or the BBC is more in line with what I consider socialist (notice the small 's' I am not a card carrying Socialist) ideals and does not mean that I lamment the passing of the USSR.
Arcam's view is that they want to make high-end affordable. That is not Naim's stated goal... all this spin you are putting on my words is something that I did not expect from you Chebby. It is baiting and immature.
I point everyone, once again to how ludicrously off topic this is becoming.
bloatedgut:I am not being all bitter about that (okay, a bit) but I am more socialist in my stereo leanings. It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen... I am more Arcam than Naim... I am more Lotus (under Colin Chapmen, of course) than Ferrari... so although I take your points please do not paint me as the Panto Fagin here. My points on Naim are valid despite your others factors (re-sell value, including cabling etc).
"It actually comes down to how you view how you should listen"
So - all things being equal - I should buy a product made in China (a socialist political system) rather than one made by 130 of my fellow English people living and working 45 miles up the road?
And can you provide the evidence to support what makes an Arcam system more of a 'socialist' listening experience than Naim?
I would enjoy getting both Charlie Brennan (Ex Linn and now Arcam's MD) and Paul Stephenson (head guy at Naim) on here to discuss which considers their respective companies the most 'socialist' !!
(Having met Mr Brennan I would not just enjoy the prospect but relish it!)
That is rather twisting what I am saying... do not equate the philosophy of how you buy equipment with support of entire socio-political (extremist) states. In my view China is more representative of a 'Stalinist' idea of state than a 'socialist'. My support of institutions like the NHS or the BBC is more in line with what I consider socialist (notice the small 's' I am not a card carrying Socialist) ideals and does not mean that I lamment the passing of the USSR.
Arcam's view is that they want to make high-end affordable. That is not Naim's stated goal... all this spin you are putting on my words is something that I did not expect from you Chebby. It is baiting and immature.
I point everyone, once again to how ludicrously off topic this is becoming.
matthewpiano
Well-known member
In Chebby's defence I'm quite sure he isn't being argumentative. You did accuse Naim of 'trading on their name' and adding a premium for it. As I've already said I think they do this far less than Arcam. Their £700 A18 amplifier is hopelessly over-priced for its abilities and can be easily bettered by a £330 Rega Brio, never mind the Nait 5i.
To put it into context I once emailed Arcam about an A65+ I was bitterly disappointed with. Having paid £500 for it, I was not too thrilled when their reply said that it was their budget amplifier and that I could not expect so much from it. Making high end affordable? I don't think so.
To put it into context I once emailed Arcam about an A65+ I was bitterly disappointed with. Having paid £500 for it, I was not too thrilled when their reply said that it was their budget amplifier and that I could not expect so much from it. Making high end affordable? I don't think so.
John Duncan
Well-known member
igglebert:I loved the Nordost Baldur but didn't get on with the Blue Heaven nor Solar Wind. Both of these flat cables sounded too bright and stripped out some of the bass. The Chameleon maintained more bass but in some systems a little thinning of the bass is a big help. For example, in my new house the Spendors boom a little in the room, but the addition of a BH-like cable slight bass thinning makes it more balanced. Which Nordost have you got Joel? EDIT Oh, a Nordost Heimdall. With a resale price of $600 for a 1m pair it bloody well should outclass the Chord Chameleon! It's a cheap Valhalla.
£180 on fleabay, perfect nick, 100% original rather than the cut downs you often see.
Bass aplenty but very nice with it. In comparison the Chameleon sounds very unsubtle.
£180 on fleabay, perfect nick, 100% original rather than the cut downs you often see.
Bass aplenty but very nice with it. In comparison the Chameleon sounds very unsubtle.
chebby
Well-known member
JohnDuncan:chebby:listen to one through something like the PMC FB1i's - as I did yesterday
Ooo. And?
Off-topic again (sorry Joel) but John asked...
It was being demonstrated by Jason Gould (Naim's senior sales guy) and it sounded great.
The GB1i's (sorry I was wrong with FB1i. The entry level floorstanders he used were GB1is) were set-up by the dealer because of the size of the room. (They used the larger AV demo lounge.)
Very impressive bass and mid-range/vocals were uncanny (this was using 16bit 44.1khz lossless WAV files from a NAS Jason had brought with him.)
I was suprised at the 'grip' the naimuniti managed over a pair of speakers that cost more than it does!
However, both Jason and my dealer agreed that my Nait 5i/CD5i would still have the edge in terms of quality if it were just a straight CD/amp contest between the two set-ups.
I had not actually turned up just because of the Naim hosted sessions but purely by chance to pick up something else completely. (They had told me about the 'naimuniti day' a month ago but I had forgotten about it.)
For the 30 minutes or so that I was there, I was the only customer so had a good chinwag and a mug of Audio-T's finest instant coffee. (Jason is a nice bloke.)
I think if I had only ever heard of the naimuniti (and did not have a Naim system already) then I would have dropped £2K and taken it me with no hesitation on the strength of the demo. Vindicates all the reviews so far.
I had heard it a month ago with PMC DB1i's - in the main shop area - but other demos were going on at the time so there was background noise and telephone calls going on.
Yesterday, hearing it properly, in a large room with £2100 speakers at decent volume was quite an eye/ear opener. I will still be aiming for a Nait XS and (possibly) smaller PMC's or similar speakers eventually. But anyone starting from scratch and wanting a DAC + Amp + Tuner + CDP + wireless streaming for £2K just has to try and get to hear one.
Ooo. And?
Off-topic again (sorry Joel) but John asked...
It was being demonstrated by Jason Gould (Naim's senior sales guy) and it sounded great.
The GB1i's (sorry I was wrong with FB1i. The entry level floorstanders he used were GB1is) were set-up by the dealer because of the size of the room. (They used the larger AV demo lounge.)
Very impressive bass and mid-range/vocals were uncanny (this was using 16bit 44.1khz lossless WAV files from a NAS Jason had brought with him.)
I was suprised at the 'grip' the naimuniti managed over a pair of speakers that cost more than it does!
However, both Jason and my dealer agreed that my Nait 5i/CD5i would still have the edge in terms of quality if it were just a straight CD/amp contest between the two set-ups.
I had not actually turned up just because of the Naim hosted sessions but purely by chance to pick up something else completely. (They had told me about the 'naimuniti day' a month ago but I had forgotten about it.)
For the 30 minutes or so that I was there, I was the only customer so had a good chinwag and a mug of Audio-T's finest instant coffee. (Jason is a nice bloke.)
I think if I had only ever heard of the naimuniti (and did not have a Naim system already) then I would have dropped £2K and taken it me with no hesitation on the strength of the demo. Vindicates all the reviews so far.
I had heard it a month ago with PMC DB1i's - in the main shop area - but other demos were going on at the time so there was background noise and telephone calls going on.
Yesterday, hearing it properly, in a large room with £2100 speakers at decent volume was quite an eye/ear opener. I will still be aiming for a Nait XS and (possibly) smaller PMC's or similar speakers eventually. But anyone starting from scratch and wanting a DAC + Amp + Tuner + CDP + wireless streaming for £2K just has to try and get to hear one.
JoelSim:
igglebert:I loved the Nordost Baldur but didn't get on with the Blue Heaven nor Solar Wind. Both of these flat cables sounded too bright and stripped out some of the bass. The Chameleon maintained more bass but in some systems a little thinning of the bass is a big help. For example, in my new house the Spendors boom a little in the room, but the addition of a BH-like cable slight bass thinning makes it more balanced. Which Nordost have you got Joel? EDIT Oh, a Nordost Heimdall. With a resale price of $600 for a 1m pair it bloody well should outclass the Chord Chameleon! It's a cheap Valhalla.
£180 on fleabay, perfect nick, 100% original rather than the cut downs you often see.
Bass aplenty but very nice with it. In comparison the Chameleon sounds very unsubtle.
Good price but still three times the price of a used Chameleon so it ought to be better.
igglebert:I loved the Nordost Baldur but didn't get on with the Blue Heaven nor Solar Wind. Both of these flat cables sounded too bright and stripped out some of the bass. The Chameleon maintained more bass but in some systems a little thinning of the bass is a big help. For example, in my new house the Spendors boom a little in the room, but the addition of a BH-like cable slight bass thinning makes it more balanced. Which Nordost have you got Joel? EDIT Oh, a Nordost Heimdall. With a resale price of $600 for a 1m pair it bloody well should outclass the Chord Chameleon! It's a cheap Valhalla.
£180 on fleabay, perfect nick, 100% original rather than the cut downs you often see.
Bass aplenty but very nice with it. In comparison the Chameleon sounds very unsubtle.
Good price but still three times the price of a used Chameleon so it ought to be better.
John Duncan
Well-known member
chebby:hearing it properly, in a large room with £2100 speakers at decent volume was quite an eye/ear opener
Yes, I heard it with totally inappropriate ATCs I think, and it certainly made me want one (though finances and space are conspiring against me).
Anyway. Nordost. Bought one, took it back.
Yes, I heard it with totally inappropriate ATCs I think, and it certainly made me want one (though finances and space are conspiring against me).
Anyway. Nordost. Bought one, took it back.
JohnDuncan:Anyway. Nordost. Bought one, took it back.
I did that too. Great for stripping the walls. I guess it was only the cheapo Blue Heaven though. A good antidote for systems with stodgy bass.
I did that too. Great for stripping the walls. I guess it was only the cheapo Blue Heaven though. A good antidote for systems with stodgy bass.
John Duncan
Well-known member
igglebert:JohnDuncan:Anyway. Nordost. Bought one, took it back. I did that too. Great for stripping the walls. I guess it was only the cheapo Blue Heaven though. A good antidote for systems with stodgy bass.
Great to see these posts...even if it did go back, at least it got given a crack of the whip.
I personally wouldn't trade my Nordost mains cables for anything else...and I'd probably be running a full set of interconnects if my DNM kit wasn't 'hampered' by DIN connections.
Great to see these posts...even if it did go back, at least it got given a crack of the whip.
I personally wouldn't trade my Nordost mains cables for anything else...and I'd probably be running a full set of interconnects if my DNM kit wasn't 'hampered' by DIN connections.
have you compared them on your system to the cheap Silver High Breed ones which are available on ebay for £16 .... and if so, is there a big difference?
I haven't but...I am aiming to keep my cable loom coherent in terms of construction - all my cable is based on solid core (as opposed to stranded) construction. And the SHBs appear to be based on a stranded design.
I've noticed a good number of people on this forum use them though so they must have something about them.
I've noticed a good number of people on this forum use them though so they must have something about them.
What sort of characteristics do you get with solid core ICs as opposed to stranded. Subjective question but there must be some basic theory. Presumably a solid core will have less 'skin' so isn't as good at higher frequencies (which travel around the outside skin of the conductor, in general). I may be barking up the wrong wall...
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