Your latest purchase

[twinkletoes]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Classics. I have them paired with the same amp as you and I think it's a great combination.

Im not expecting them to be anywhere near as live/big sounding as the heresy III but ima certainly looking forward to the little neats. Just waiting for some lead shot to turn up.

Id actually be intrest in hearing your thoughts on the BS Icon you have in your system. Did you step up or step down or combine ? I was thinking combining the boxes and moving on the qutest and node X to get rid shrink the box count down.

 

[jjbomber]

Ok, do it Comrade, so I went on to eBay... $$^^*@~!!!! Sold - damn!


You blink, you lose!

''More things are lost by indecision than by bad decision!''

 

[Jasonovich]

''More things are lost by indecision than by bad decision!''

Absolutely!

 

[RTHerringbone]

Id actually be intrest in hearing your thoughts on the BS Icon you have in your system. Did you step up or step down or combine ? I was thinking combining the boxes and moving on the qutest and node X to get rid shrink the box count down.

The Icon was a jump from a WiiM Mini so it was a tangible but also "expected" leap in quality in the sense that it cost multiples of the cost of the WiiM. I can't fault it and it works seamlessly with my two preferred streaming sources (Tidal and Spotify), and the BluOS platform seems perfectly decent too with perfect stability and a very usable UI.

 

[DiggyGun]

It's just something I'm tinkering Gray, curiosity got the better of me 🙂

1. Both 5v outputs with two different common jack sizes 2.1 and 2.5 allowing better compatibility. I believe you can use both simultaneously but this would reduce the amp-age.

2. The adjuster not sure I'll ever use, weird Chinese thing?

View attachment 11692
View attachment 11693

The original TCXO switch came without a power supply, hence the linear supply. Optical fibre is immune to noise, I want to daisy chain this to another switch, then run short RJ45 cables between my Primare Streamer and Network NAS.

I was hoping this little experiment will be an incremental improvement in sound quality that's my outer persona talking, while my inner persona is actually saying, optical fibre is fr*ggin cool and can't wait to mess around with it! 🤣🤣

Quick question.

Are you going to use the power supply to power two switches that will be connected with the fibre cable.?

 

[Jasonovich]

Quick question.

Are you going to use the power supply to power two switches that will be connected with the fibre cable.?

Only the one, I took the SMSL CD player downstairs, if I kept it in my study, I could have powered that using one of the 5v outputs.

Good move, I think 😊

 

[nopiano]

I’ve just bought a new Krell system. I didn't even know they made speakers…

It included a nice 2026 Hyundai Tucson PHEV car at the asking price! Definitely sounds a bit bolder than most car systems, but will need a long run to be sure.

🔊🎼🚘

 

[Al ears]

I’ve just bought a new Krell system. I didn't even know they made speakers…

It included a nice 2026 Hyundai Tucson PHEV car at the asking price! Definitely sounds a bit bolder than most car systems, but will need a long run to be sure.

🔊🎼🚘

Knowing Krell there's probably no chance you have room in the boot for a spare tyre.... 🙂

 

[Revolutions]

I’ve just bought a new Krell system. I didn't even know they made speakers…

It included a nice 2026 Hyundai Tucson PHEV car at the asking price! Definitely sounds a bit bolder than most car systems, but will need a long run to be sure.

🔊🎼🚘

Congrats Nick, nice looking cars. Hope the new system makes it all a little sweeter 👌

 

[record_spot]

Okay, so when I said no more purchases for the foreseeable, I obviously didn't see a Kenwood DP1100-SG coming up.

Yeah, it is all that good. 👍

Slightly different presentation to the Oppo, but in some ways a bigger and slightly more analogue tone to it.

Still playing through a bunch of discs but it's a delight to have it. It's in nearly brand new condition too. Comes with the remote and even the instruction booklet too. Amazing after 38 years!

Kenwood DP-1100SG CD Player

This late-'80s flagship CD player boasted no shortage of metal for your money while offering 4x oversampling to boot. But with few to be found, is it worth tracking down? The law of diminishing returns was perhaps never more evident than when the CD player arrived in the early '80s. As more...

www.hifinews.com

 

[Jasonovich]

I finally made my new DAC purchase, the little voice in my head wouldn't allow me to make my acquisition of Gustard R26II, as much as I want to, I waved my plastic. Looked at the price tag, £1.6k, rubbed my eyes.
No man, I just can't do it. 😂

So I switched to Denafrips Ares 15th, I was delighted with my purchase, I paid £701 on AliExpress, good deal £140 off from normal retail price.

eBay were selling second hand Denafrips Ares II, original version were selling between £560 to £700 depending on the condition.

Superficially it presented itself as a good deal but not really, when you consider the budget Denafrips Enyo 15th which is based on the Ares II can be had, brand new for around £650

I do have a slight conundrum, my old Eversolo DAC Z8 had two usb inputs, which I fed digital transport on one and the PC took the second slot.

The Denafrips Ares 15th came with only one usb input and I2s. My digital transport also has I2s output and looking through the manual I found the right configuration, that shouldn't be a problem.
No virtual VDU dials aw suchs!

 

[nopiano]

Knowing Krell there's probably no chance you have room in the boot for a spare tyre.... 🙂

Exactly, Al! The boot is full of ‘stuff’ and I’m still trying to fathom where all the speakers are!

 

[twinkletoes]

The Icon was a jump from a WiiM Mini so it was a tangible but also "expected" leap in quality in the sense that it cost multiples of the cost of the WiiM. I can't fault it and it works seamlessly with my two preferred streaming sources (Tidal and Spotify), and the BluOS platform seems perfectly decent too with perfect stability and a very usable UI.

Been listening to the speakers and they’ve certainly surprised me in the bass department. For their size, they project really well. That said, I do miss the live, energetic feel of the Klipsch, although these bring other qualities that the Klipsch just can’t achieve.

They still sound a bit congested at times — I think the AMT tweeter just needs a bit more running in.

Musically, they’re not quite as convincing with compressed rock like Windhand, but they sound excellent with bands like The Internet. They’re also very good for TV viewing, with voices coming through clearly and easy to follow.

I also need to get over the psychological aspect of having to turn the volume knob further than I’m used to in order to reach my normal listening level — but that’s definitely a me problem.

The Neats paired with the Naim are sounding very, very good, and the goal of downsizing has definitely been achieved. The stands are excellent too — I ended up filling them completely with lead shot. We live in a house with engineered joists and floating floors, and the speakers now sound much more grounded. Most importantly, they no longer bounce around. As a bonus, the stands also work as mini vinyl storage.

If anyone’s interested, the Solidsteel SS6 stands will take about 9kg of No.10 (1.8mm) lead shot. I’ll be ordering another bag today. Clay and Game will sell it to you — just let them know you’re using it for ballast.

I’ve opened both ports, and in my room it doesn’t seem to cause any issues. Once the speakers have fully settled in, I’ll experiment a bit more with toe-in angle.

all in all happy with the purchase and I think they will be with for a long time to come.

 

[Jasonovich]

On the back of my Denafrips purchase, I was looking for a decent I2s cable.
And I thought snake oil tax only came with speaker cables!

I fully appreciate a standard HDMI would do the job, not sure if the video pins compromise the sound? Maybe a future debate.

I was surprised to find Shanling I2s cables on eBay and AliExpress. £10 cheaper on latter selling portal.
Not bad for £24, Shanling selling interconnects for a sensible price.

SHANLING OL8 I2S Digital Interconnect Audiokabel 100 cm hochreines sauerstofffreies Kupfer I2S-Draht für Zenith XDA20/Player/AMP/DAC - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

 

[Al ears]

On the back of my Denafrips purchase, I was looking for a decent I2s cable.
And I thought snake oil tax only came with speaker cables!

I fully appreciate a standard HDMI would do the job, not sure if the video pins compromise the sound? Maybe a future debate.

I was surprised to find Shanling I2s cables on eBay and AliExpress. £10 cheaper on latter selling portal.
Not bad for £24, Shanling selling interconnects for a sensible price.

SHANLING OL8 I2S Digital Interconnect Audiokabel 100 cm hochreines sauerstofffreies Kupfer I2S-Draht für Zenith XDA20/Player/AMP/DAC - AliExpress 44

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

Looks like a good buy....

 

[Jasonovich]

Looks like a good buy....

Yeah thanks AI, I can't wait for my Denafrips to arrive.

I mean, it's the John Smith of DACs, nothing fancy, no visuals, no Bluetooth, no headphone socket, not even a remote. I love their ethos, sound quality is what matters.



As soon as it arrives, I'll sell the Eversolo, should get a fair price for it. I'll think I start a thread, Chipsets v R2R. 🙂

 

[Al ears]

Yeah thanks AI, I can't wait for my Denafrips to arrive.

I mean, it's the John Smith of DACs, nothing fancy, no visuals, no Bluetooth, no headphone socket, not even a remote. I love their ethos, sound quality is what matters.

View attachment 11744

As soon as it arrives, I'll sell the Eversolo, should get a fair price for it. I'll think I start a thread, Chipsets v R2R. 🙂

You might as well start a thread about round versus flat speaker cables.
It's all personal choice and I for one don't believe one can be proven to be better when it comes to R2R versus chipset dacs. There's so much more that makes up a good DAC.
If R2R does it for you then I'm very happy.
Anyway, as a minimalist I am glad that dac is simply a dac......
Yes, I know my amp is a Swiss Army knife of a 2.1 amplifier but I use it currently in it's simplest form and was looking ahead to when I may no longer be able to afford a nice stand alone phono preamp and or headphone amplifier.....

 

[Jasonovich]

Yeah thanks AI, I can't wait for my Denafrips to arrive.

I mean, it's the John Smith of DACs, nothing fancy, no visuals, no Bluetooth, no headphone socket, not even a remote. I love their ethos, sound quality is what matters.

View attachment 11744

As soon as it arrives, I'll sell the Eversolo, should get a fair price for it. I'll think I start a thread, Chipsets v R2R. 🙂

Denafrips philosophy, when they upgrade their top end, their previous gen gets trickle down to the cheaper model.

So Venus 15th is really Terminator 12th, Pontus 15th is Venus 12th, Ares 15th is Pontus 12th(?), Enyo is Ares 12th. Nice

View: https://youtu.be/O3gBknWll2I?si=xVb2wfctttGF8VMT

 

[Jasonovich]

Richer Sounds sell Denafrips!!!

Ok OK I'll shut up about Denafrips
I'm going to purchase a remote for my Ares 15th, they're like Matrix. So tight, they want you to buy it separately.

Richer Sounds

Shop TV, Hi-Fi, home cinema and more at Richer Sounds. We offer expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed. Visit us in store or shop online now.

www.richersounds.com

Ps.
UK prices but you do get Richer Sounds extended guarantee:
6 Year Guarantee Extension - Free

 

[Jasonovich]

Richer Sounds sell Denafrips!!!

Ok OK I'll shut up about Denafrips
I'm going to purchase a remote for my Ares 15th, they're like Matrix. So tight, they want you to buy it separately.

Richer Sounds

Shop TV, Hi-Fi, home cinema and more at Richer Sounds. We offer expert advice and lowest prices guaranteed. Visit us in store or shop online now.

www.richersounds.com

View attachment 11745

Managed to purchase nice aluminum remote, silver version looks nicer but got it in black.

 

[twinkletoes]

Interested to hear your thoughts on the Classics. I have them paired with the same amp as you and I think it's a great combination.

Hey my friend, question about your neat patties. Do you get port noise when listening gets abit more spirited. Around about a quarter/ 9 oclock on the volume. I do have both ports unblocked. I do listen to some bass heavy tracks from mac miller, left field and Lucy rose. It’s really disappointing as really quite like them.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Hey my friend, question about your neat patties. Do you get port noise when listening gets abit more spirited. Around about a quarter/ 9 oclock on the volume. I do have both ports unblocked. I do listen to some bass heavy tracks from mac miller, left field and Lucy rose. It’s really disappointing as really quite like them.

I can't get near 9 o'clock on the amp without fear of police intervention 😆

I tend to listen at about the 8 o'clock position with no issues. I do still have the Neat's ported as they came - the main top port is bunged and the smaller one is open. I can't say I listen to especially bass heavy stuff that often, but when I do I haven't heard anything untoward. Do you lose the magic if you bung the top port? How far away from the wall are the speakers?

 

[twinkletoes]

I can't get near 9 o'clock on the amp without fear of police intervention 😆

I tend to listen at about the 8 o'clock position with no issues. I do still have the Neat's ported as they came - the main top port is bunged and the smaller one is open. I can't say I listen to especially bass heavy stuff that often, but when I do I haven't heard anything untoward. Do you lose the magic if you bung the top port? How far away from the wall are the speakers?

Ha im not afraid to turn the wick up. You should try it is quite the experience! they are quite impressive quite visceral. If these little thing are like this this I hate to think what there isobaric designs are like.

No everything seem to A ok at around the 8olcock mark. At 9 yes things are loud but not what id consider outside the speakers remit, cone is bearly moving though it is shifting air thats for sure.

With the bung removed and in place the magic isnt lost, quite the opposite if its removed it opens up midrange little more if you're in bigger room. I think i'm on the cusp of it needing to be removed, but with it removed the port noise is alot more prominent, maybe I need to move it away from the wall little more or toe them in.

I have them around 33cm from the wall around 2.5meters apart and about 1.5meters either side of them.

I have been in touch with the dealer they are suggesting I might have been unfortunate and have a pair with a defect as it's something they haven't encountered either and they quite spirted demos im sure. I was just interested to hear from a fellow user with whats pretty much an identical system.

 

[gasolin]

Hybrid amp (never tried such type og amp,class a/b + tubes)

 

[AJM1981]

Vintage upgrade

Bought this good looking and sounding CEC record player in great condition.