Some things I learned today

[Native_bon]

Have you listened to the Artist 6. Am actually looking to dwn size. Looks like a good prospect, or 5.1 active system.

Am looking at....

Adam Artist 5.1

QNAP TS-453MINI: streamer

Linn Seanky DSM or upgrade from my OPPO105EU to the 105D due to limitation of gapless play on the 105EU.

I am fairly familier with Adam speakers in general and have spent some time with the Artist5. Generally the small Adams, A3x, A5x, Artists all sound very similar.

The Artist6 is the odd one out though, the twin bass driver arrangement has no equivilent in the pro range. A brief listen suggests that it sounds somewhere between an A5x and an A7x, though nowhere near as big and bold as the A8x.

Some have suggested that it is a more 'relaxed' listen than the A series but I really haven't heard that, it simply sounds pretty transparent to my ears with very well controlled bass, important for me.

Yes you said it. Bass is very important to me as well. Cause I listen to a lot of tra=Jazz/Jazz funk & fusion. I would see if I can audition the Artist pro range.

 

[davedotco]

Dont forget you are paying for all the support with a streamer, the software upgrades so you can run the latest streaming service etc, does not come cheap. How often does you CD Player get a software upgrade so it has more functionality?

Missing the point I'm afraid...!

The Marantz and Yamaha products I mentioned have streaming capabilities, air play etc, they require the same software backup as dedicated streamers.

 

[Andrewjvt]

However the quite ridiculous pricing of stand alone streamers and dac/preamps turns many people off. Compare the funtionality of the Marantz MCR series or the Yamaha RN network receivers with extremely limited 'streamers' that usually do less and cost more.

You buy the missing features in other separate brushed aluminium boxes. And then you buy for those separate linear regulated PSUs in their own brushed aluminium boxes. And then you buy special USB, RCA, XLR and power cables for all that. Otherwise it's not hi-fi.

Only an ignorant inexperienced lad that hasn't gone to 500 symphonies and 500 hi-fi shows, would buy a PC with studio grade sound card and studio active monitors for the same price a Linn streamer would cost you.?

Agree but not everyone wants to boot up a computer and delve into menus before being able to listen to music.

What you are paying for (dearly in some instances) is the user friendliness ... but there are of course exceptions as usual.

But these days a modern laptop powers up within a few seconds and is ready to play.

I am using a windows 10 laptop with jriver and i can lift the lid and be ready to play in seconds. Much faster than fetching a cd out.

 

[Philim]

The streamer is an interesting point. I just recently bought a cxn to replace a sonos / w4s / DAC setup mainly to reduce boxes and it released some cash. For me though it was a mistake. The cxn is good looking and functional but sound signature doesn't work for me.
The auralic Aries mini looks very interssting. Almost a more up to date sonos.
For me I do 95% of my listening via streaming tidal etc. and the choices for value and functionality past sonos are quite limited and pricey. Nova fidelity x40 £1.3k, auralic Aries £1.3k etc.. Which is why I suspect streamer sales are difficult for others to break in to.

 

[Infiniteloop]

I popped into the hi-fi shop and learned a few things while I was there and again when I got back home.

1. The hi-fi shop is selling more CD players, CD transports and vinyl players than streaming devices recently. Most of their streaming display stock was up for sale as ex-demo. Anyone else noticed this trend too?

2. The starting cost of a quality / full valve amplifier (i.e. not hybrid) is about £4k and these models require very careful speaker matching as their output is so low. Also noticed that a large output valve amplifier is built like a brick outhouse when compared to a modern class D like Devialet or Cyrus 200. Drummerman wrote a similar thread on how miniaturisation is on the increase ... so to say.

3. I've had the volume and gain controls on my Pathos Aurium turned up really high for a couple of years, mainly to drive some 300 ohm headphones properly. So I took some advice that XLR connections tend to have a stronger signal. I've purchased some XLR leads and gone balanced from the DAC into the Aurium. The gain and volume are now dialed down, but the detail and resolution are so much better, even at lower volumes. Well pleased and I wish I'd done it sooner.

4. After years of intending to swap out some well bright QED speaker cable, I finally did it. The bloke in the shop had used the last 4m of some Carnival Silverscreen to create a terminated pair. Plugged in back home it's the first time my Chord Electronics + Cyrus + Monitor Audio combo has been so tonally balanced that I could just kick back and listen to the music for hours with absolutely no hint of ear fatigue, particularly from the highs. Well pleased again and again I wish I'd done it sooner.

5. I bought a (PSX-R2) and learned that Cyrus suggest I fitted the ferride core on the power lead for ''performance improvement'' reasons. So I did and I have no idea what it is supposed to be doing. Any technical advice?

6. As a long term Cyrus purchaser, I know that I have permanently contracted upgrade-itis. As years pass by I'm learning to cope with my condition. It's expensive ... but thankfully not life threatening.

There is no such thing as "bright cables". You are living in a dream world.

Chris

What the OP probably means is that he needed some warmer sounding cables to offset the slightly bright sounding Cyrus kit. *biggrin*

 

[Covenanter]

I popped into the hi-fi shop and learned a few things while I was there and again when I got back home.

1. The hi-fi shop is selling more CD players, CD transports and vinyl players than streaming devices recently. Most of their streaming display stock was up for sale as ex-demo. Anyone else noticed this trend too?

2. The starting cost of a quality / full valve amplifier (i.e. not hybrid) is about £4k and these models require very careful speaker matching as their output is so low. Also noticed that a large output valve amplifier is built like a brick outhouse when compared to a modern class D like Devialet or Cyrus 200. Drummerman wrote a similar thread on how miniaturisation is on the increase ... so to say.

3. I've had the volume and gain controls on my Pathos Aurium turned up really high for a couple of years, mainly to drive some 300 ohm headphones properly. So I took some advice that XLR connections tend to have a stronger signal. I've purchased some XLR leads and gone balanced from the DAC into the Aurium. The gain and volume are now dialed down, but the detail and resolution are so much better, even at lower volumes. Well pleased and I wish I'd done it sooner.

4. After years of intending to swap out some well bright QED speaker cable, I finally did it. The bloke in the shop had used the last 4m of some Carnival Silverscreen to create a terminated pair. Plugged in back home it's the first time my Chord Electronics + Cyrus + Monitor Audio combo has been so tonally balanced that I could just kick back and listen to the music for hours with absolutely no hint of ear fatigue, particularly from the highs. Well pleased again and again I wish I'd done it sooner.

5. I bought a (PSX-R2) and learned that Cyrus suggest I fitted the ferride core on the power lead for ''performance improvement'' reasons. So I did and I have no idea what it is supposed to be doing. Any technical advice?

6. As a long term Cyrus purchaser, I know that I have permanently contracted upgrade-itis. As years pass by I'm learning to cope with my condition. It's expensive ... but thankfully not life threatening.

There is no such thing as "bright cables". You are living in a dream world.

Chris

What the OP probably means is that he needed some warmer sounding cables to offset the slightly bright sounding Cyrus kit. *biggrin*

I must have been in a bad mood when I wrote that!

Chris

 

[drummerman]

I popped into the hi-fi shop and learned a few things while I was there and again when I got back home.

1. The hi-fi shop is selling more CD players, CD transports and vinyl players than streaming devices recently. Most of their streaming display stock was up for sale as ex-demo. Anyone else noticed this trend too?

2. The starting cost of a quality / full valve amplifier (i.e. not hybrid) is about £4k and these models require very careful speaker matching as their output is so low. Also noticed that a large output valve amplifier is built like a brick outhouse when compared to a modern class D like Devialet or Cyrus 200. Drummerman wrote a similar thread on how miniaturisation is on the increase ... so to say.

3. I've had the volume and gain controls on my Pathos Aurium turned up really high for a couple of years, mainly to drive some 300 ohm headphones properly. So I took some advice that XLR connections tend to have a stronger signal. I've purchased some XLR leads and gone balanced from the DAC into the Aurium. The gain and volume are now dialed down, but the detail and resolution are so much better, even at lower volumes. Well pleased and I wish I'd done it sooner.

4. After years of intending to swap out some well bright QED speaker cable, I finally did it. The bloke in the shop had used the last 4m of some Carnival Silverscreen to create a terminated pair. Plugged in back home it's the first time my Chord Electronics + Cyrus + Monitor Audio combo has been so tonally balanced that I could just kick back and listen to the music for hours with absolutely no hint of ear fatigue, particularly from the highs. Well pleased again and again I wish I'd done it sooner.

5. I bought a (PSX-R2) and learned that Cyrus suggest I fitted the ferride core on the power lead for ''performance improvement'' reasons. So I did and I have no idea what it is supposed to be doing. Any technical advice?

6. As a long term Cyrus purchaser, I know that I have permanently contracted upgrade-itis. As years pass by I'm learning to cope with my condition. It's expensive ... but thankfully not life threatening.

There is no such thing as "bright cables". You are living in a dream world.

Chris

What the OP probably means is that he needed some warmer sounding cables to offset the slightly bright sounding Cyrus kit. *biggrin*

Mmmh, imho one of hifi's many misconceptions (and sometimes probably by folks that have not even heard a well matched cyrus system).

The first few generations of cyrus equipment probably were and the light, breezy side of neutral.

Today, cyrus measures impeccablty well. Very low distortion and very good bass extension.

There is no reason why cyrus would sound 'bright'. I would actually say images are more 'solid' than many others and treble is not as pronounced as Arcam which, if anything, is imo 'brighter'. They (Arcam) may score on 'sound stage' ... almost unnatural on occasions but they don't posess the solidity, timbre or drive of cyrus and Naim.

I exclude the latest 'Class G' Arcam amplifiers as I haven't heard them.

Neutral yes, bright no

 

[Vladimir]

I remember the measurements by Miller Audio Research of a Cyrus integrated (I think 8XP) that showed it was FR flat, neutral and had less intermodular distortion compared to Musical Fidelity AMS35i (Class A).

Where is the mythical brightness coming from? And does DM use sunglasses while listening to music, since he also uses silver cables with Cyrus kit!

 

[drummerman]

I remember the measurements by Miller Audio Research of a Cyrus integrated (I think 8XP) that showed it was FR flat, neutral and had less intermodular distortion compared to Musical Fidelity AMS35i (Class A).

Where is the mythical brightness coming from? And does DM use sunglasses while listening to music, since he also uses silver cables with Cyrus kit!

Yes. Furthermore, in amplifier group tests, Cyrus is rarely (never?) described as lean or bright. Actually, 'on the warm side' and 'musical' is far more often quoted. Not sure where this 'brightness' thing stems from? Perhaps the name Cyrus because of the lettering induces thoughts of coldness where Arcam sounds kinda cuddly and warm

Dunno about 'warm' etc but I like the sound. It flows and tickles all the right places. That's from someone that used a valve amplifier and found Audiolab and CA to 'hifi'.

As to sunglasses, I should be wearing some today as I am very hungover. Went to a place called Chaplins (Cellar bar) in Bournemouth last night. Great jazz band.

 

[adamrobertshaw]

I'll tell you directly what the issue was.

The previous cable I used was QED silver micro.

When I was using B&W speakers I never gave the QED cable a thought.

When I bought some Monitor Audio GX50 I started to notice that the highs were sometimes shrill and generally brighter to my hearing senses.

I initially thought it was the ribbon tweeter / using the speakers in combination with the ESS DAC in the 8200CD I had for a while (now sold to a friend at mates rates).

It got less noticeable when I returned to the 8XPd QX. Got more noticeable again when I bought the Qute HD to do the DAC duties.

The Chord Carnival Silverscreen I bought on Friday is completely neutral ... or my (Snug) system has returned to neutral. The treble on the GX50 is now extremely sweet; just like I remember when I demoed the speakers back in 2011.

 

[CnoEvil]

I remember the measurements by Miller Audio Research of a Cyrus integrated (I think 8XP) that showed it was FR flat, neutral and had less intermodular distortion compared to Musical Fidelity AMS35i (Class A).

Interesting.

I saw a lab report from Newport Test Labs, which showed that the AMS 35i had an IMD figure that was so low, that it was the best measurement that the reviewer had ever seen from any amp; which lead to his commented that, "in fact, so far as results go, it's perfect."

 

[Vladimir]

I remember the measurements by Miller Audio Research of a Cyrus integrated (I think 8XP) that showed it was FR flat, neutral and had less intermodular distortion compared to Musical Fidelity AMS35i (Class A).

Interesting.

I saw a lab report from Newport Test Labs, which showed that the AMS 35i had an IMD figure that was so low, that it was the best measurement that the reviewer had ever seen from any amp; which lead to his commented that, "in fact, so far as results go, it's perfect."

Could be my bad memory. *wink*

 

[Jota180]

Number 1 is possibly down to the fact most serious hifi buyers are old farts and a high percentage of old farts tend to be technologically challenged. As the years go by that proportion will decrease as the generation who grew up in the computer era take their place. Also, you don't need a hifi streamer to stream music. You need a CD player to play CD's and you need a record player to play records.

You just need a hard drive (or NAS) a control point which could be something like Foobar, JRiver or even Windows media player, BubbleUPnP for Android or numerous other options to control and select your music. NAS drives come with software to stream music, photo's and movies built in and they have apps for your phone so again, no need for a hifi streamer. Just an amp, speakers or active speakers on their own.

Some, not just 'old farts', prefer not to have to ****** around with computers to play music, they would like something that is recognisably a piece of hi-fi even if it is a 'computer' inside.

However the quite ridiculous pricing of stand alone streamers and dac/preamps turns many people off. Compare the funtionality of the Marantz MCR series or the Yamaha RN network receivers with extremely limited 'streamers' that usually do less and cost more.

For my own use, the new Cambridge CXN would be close to ideal, but it's £700...!

And it still does not have two pairs of outputs (speakers + sub) nor does it have a headphone amp, unforgiveable really, at that price. Similarly, compedent remote control dac pre/amps are pricy too, nothing of note under £400, absurd really.

Most things in hifi are ridiculously priced, including cables. One the NAS/whatever is set up the hassle is over and it's stream, stream, stream.