Highly recommended outlet which brought a HUGE difference in my system when compared to the standard switched wall outlet. When combined with Acrolink cords it is heaven.
Sorry for the late response. Currently I have a mixture of Acrolink/Wireworld /Furutech mains power cable and Wireworld interconnect. The key to good sound is mix and match and I'm surely getting there.
The Acrolink mains power cables have a warm and full sound signature and sound great. I feel that mains power cable is not Wireworld's strength. In the case of the Silver Elektra 7, it is good but not great. As for Wireworld's interconnects (Silver Eclipse 8 XLR), this one is good.
Thanks! I need to find time to update the system as the Harbeth speakers have been replaced by Grahams, and the addition of several Acrolink and Wireworld cables about 2 years ago.
Hi Rohitdev, good that you have an almost same system in the SHL5/Naim. Great music.
As for the cartridge for the P5, unfortunately I have not decided on a better cart for it. Still on the Ortofon, decent but not great. I'm still thinking if I should go back to the AT33PTG or get something else instead. The AT33PTG is a really good cart with excellent transparency and high-end extension. Highly recommended. As for the Clearaudio Maestro Wood, my friend decided not to sell it so I'll just have to keep an eye for something else.
Similarly I broke the stylus of the Audio Technica AT33PTG on one fateful day that is played for less than 200 hours or so. The stupidest thing I've ever done. That was when I understood how fragile these things can be.
The performance of your P5 is at a higher level than mine since my P5 is all stock. I believe the Ortofon cart can be improved with higher levels of detail, transparency and dynamics(I know since I'm currently on an Ortofon and it doesn't come up close to the AT33PTG). The P5 is quite a capable deck that can sound quite sublime with high quality cartridges.
Believe it or not the Harbeths have been moved more than 100 times in the room. The speakers are now placed wider apart and not close together. The presentation is definitely different between the two placement. With close placement the imaging is more pin-point and accurate, vocals more dense and palpable. Basically everything is more focused and defined. With wide placement the imaging is wider and sound more 3-dimensional and life-like. The room definitely plays a part as the diffusers on the side wall helped create that 3-D illusion when the speakers are placed close to it, as in wide placement.
Personally I prefer wide placement as I listen to a lot of dynamic music and favor a big 3-dimensional life-like sort of presentation.
Thanks Gadmanrdh and Daveyf. The Harbeth does sound great with the Naim to my ears and listening preference. I am sure your Guarneri Homage would sound equally awesome or even better.
Hi Andrew, Thanks for the tip. This tweak sounds interesting but appears to be little complicated. I am glad you heard an appreciable difference. You are corect that the bass performance of the Harbeth is somewhat compromised with the open frame stands. Nonetheless I can still live with it, as for now.
Hi Damienlov, I am not considering the Nagra PSA anymore as I have settled for the Naims. I don't see myself changing anything in my system anytime too soon since I am in musical bliss at the moment. The Nagra does look(and sound) great.
Both the Wadia 381 and Nagra PSA are top quality gears engineered to the highest standards, hence I am not surprised the combination has brought the best out of the Harbeth M30. I once did extensive research on the PSA since I was seriously considering this piece and found that there isn't any massive power transformers after going through the internals of the amp. The circuit design is different from the ones found in typical power amps, and although the circuit looks like the design of a Class D it isn't.
I don't know how long the 202/200 can last in my system before I start to look at something else and yes, the temptation of moving up the line is there. I need to refrain from doing that. After listening to the Naims only did I realize what I have been missing all this while with my previous amps -the signature PRaT of the Naims.
Hi Pcoombs, It is good to hear you have settled for the Nagra PSA in driving your Harbeth M30 and found the combination to be a good match. I am truly happy for you. I have suspected that the cheap preamp I used on the PSA previously was the culprit, and your experience had proven that. The PSA is not with me anymore as I had returned the unit to my friend after the unsuccessful attempt of getting it to work in my system(mainly because of my lack of enthusiasm in hunting for the matching preamp), and my friend had since sold the unit to somebody else. I only have myself to blame for passing up a good deal! If the PSA is a lot better than the top of the range LFD NCSE and Klyne/Mcintosh MC275 that tells a lot about the Wadia 381 and PSA combination.
The Nagra has a dry, light and refined sound, something like the Goldmund(I think), which partly explains the heavenly match you have got when partnered with the thick sounding M30. The last time I listened to the M30 with Quad amps the sound was too full and thick for my liking. Quality of amps does pay a big part and I am surprised Alan Shaw didn't put much enthusiasm on the topic of amplifiers as much as he hated advocating people to try better, exotic amps on his speakers.
By the way I have settled for the Naim 202/200 lately and need to update my system page sometime. Similarly I am getting heavenly sound from my system. I guess everyone has their own taste and preferences as to how we want our music(and equipment) to sound like as we sing praises of the component that we think had surpassed our expectations in delivering top quality sound. I am now having a little remorse after knowing how the Nagra PSA is doing in your system right now. :-)
Plinko, lack of remote and build quality among other things. The sound quality of this integrated is unquestionable when matched with the Harbeth though.
I listened to the Dynaudio C1 at a hifi show while I owned B&W N805 for 3 months and CDM1SE for 11 years. All speakers were driven by different electronics so take what it's worth. The C1's are clean-sounding speakers, more dynamic with better detail and high-frequency extremes compared to the P3ESR. Bass goes slightly deeper and has more definition but is still limited by the small woofer. The P3ESR has more organic qualities and overall more musical. The B&W CDM1SE although a good value speaker(managed to hang on to it for almost a decade) is not in the same level as the P3ESR. The N805 sounds almost alike the CDM1SE but with better refinement, smoother sound across the spectrum and better bass. Between the P3ESR and N805 the latter sounded more fuzzy, muddled and less involving. Instruments and voices don't sound real with the N805. With the P3ESR everything sounded clearer with more detail as if a veil was lifted off the speakers. It is Radial vs Kevlar between the Harbeth and B&W.
To my ears, both P3ESR and Dyn C1 are great sounding speakers and it is a matter of taste and preference that one is chosen over the other. The C1 is substantially costlier than the P3ESR with the retail more than 4X the price but the P3ESR clearly shows that price doesn't necessarily equate to better sound. Different and high-quality sound yes. The N805 is not in the same league compared to both speakers IMO.
Of course everybody hears things differently. Hope that helps.
Hi Philip, I picked the Nagra because the owner of this amp who happens to be a friend of mine was selling it. I tried the Nagra hoping it would work in my system. The end result shows that the Nagra needs a good high-end preamp in order to show its full potential. Please do not take my comments above seriously as they do not do the Nagra any justice. As I have mentioned earlier, the cheap passive preamp hooked up to the Nagra is very likely the culprit in the results that I obtain. Although I have not had the opportunity to try other better preamps on the Nagra, I am pretty optimistic that the quality of the Nagra will shine through with a better line stage.
Apart from the fact that my friend had given me the opportunity to try the Nagra in my system, I have to admit that the cool looks is indeed a factor. I do fall for gears that look good especially this exotic Swiss design that certainly looks one of a kind.
Hi Pdreher, Yes, I now have the Nagra PSA but unfortunately cannot pass any accurate comments on the unit since I don't have an equally matching high-end preamp with it. I am currently using a passive preamp on the Nagra and to be fair I think the preamp is of poor quality and limiting the performance of the Nagra. I find the combination to lack coherence, soul and musicality compared to the Plinius and Rega. Since I don't intend to spend a fortune on the preamp I will stick with the Rega Elicit driving my Harbeth SHL5. I have already sold the Plinius. I have gone through the threads here and noticed most Nagra PSA owners are using Audio Research Ref. 3 and BAT preamps while some reviewers are using the same preamp you are using in the Aesthetics Calypso.
One thing for sure is the Nagra is less thick and warm, more thinner in comparison with tauter and firmer bass compared to the Plinius. The detached and lifeless sound with less extended high-frequency may very well be due to the lesser preamp hooked up to the Nagra. I highly suspect the Nagra demands high-quality partnering ancillaries and will show its full potential with a better preamp. However, I am not sure how a properly-matched Nagra would match up with the Harbeth.
After swapping a few amps with the SHL5 I have given up searching for the "elusive" amp as I believe it may not exist. I keep searching and searching not knowing what exactly I am looking for. Hence I think I will just stop here and enjoy the system as it is right now. All amps have their strengths and flaws and no amp is perfect. There can be no end in looking for the ultimate amp as I have found out. You gain something here and lose something there. One of my friends who owns the SHL5 has tried many good amps on the speakers which include Bryston, LFD, Leben CS600, 2nd top Accuphase and many more and finally settled with a Naim Uniti. He also acknowledged that there is no ultimate amp ie. best matching amp for the Harbeth after swapping numerous amps on his SHL5. He has since settled down and listen to more music on his system which in our opinion is most important, rather than concentrating too much on equipment.
I didn't have the chance to try the Bryston BP-26 in my system although I did listen to it together with the Bryston 4B-SST in driving the PMC LB1 speakers at a local dealer. The BP-26 is a very fine and quiet unit compared to a slight hiss in the LS-26, a trait that is synonymous in most low to mid-end tube preamps. I have no doubt the BP-26/4B-SST is a better match to the PMC speakers in comparison to what I have right now. Nevertheless, I am pretty satisfied at the sound I'm getting.
I forgot to mention about WAF. Yes you are correct in the aesthetics part, and that was the reason many folks have neglected treatments as most of the systems are placed at the living or lounge area. Other alternatives include using thick curtains for absorption and open book racks for diffusion.
Flutter echoes have always been a problem even before I have my own dedicated room. I prefer carpet floor or rug although some have a combination of wood and carpet. Rugs will definitely help in reducing the echo effect but thin rugs won't do. The thicker the rug/carpet with thick paddings the more effective the effects will be. There are quite a number of archives here on the pros and cons of wood floor vs. concrete floor which proves to be quite informative.
As for the walls, I definitely cannot live without treatments on them. I have considerable amount of absorption panels on both side walls and the back wall is fully covered with a combination of 4 pieces of RPG omnifussors and absorption panels. I have the same problem in listening to music at even moderate volumes as the ears would hurt due to flutter echoes and reflections off the walls. I can say that all these treatments have significantly improved the room acoustics to an above-satisfactory level. The differences are huge in comparison to swapping cables or tubes.
The only thing I've not looked into yet is the ceiling. Rives Audio suggested in some threads that the effect of the ceiling in a room is even larger than the side walls contributing to about 50% the effect of the room due to the large surface area. Anyway, that is advance stage and maybe I'll stick a few panels up there some time later. As for now, I am very satisfied with the room acoustics of my room.
I suggest you experiment yourself if there is no intention to hire a professional. Every room is different and it is a learning experience along the way. There are tonnes of info in the archives on room treatment ideas.
Thanks for the comments Puerto. The house is reinforced concrete structure located in Malaysia. Tile floors are common here due to the hot and humid weather all year round.
Thanks for the comments Ken. Actually my system is in a dedicated room. The rest of the pictures are my living area.
Well, my system doesn't cost a fortune. There are others here with speakers alone that is equivalent in value to my whole system, maybe a couple. In my dedicated room, I actually have a combination of RPG omnifussors and absorption panels at the back wall behind the listening chair. They made a whole lot of difference. As you can see, I also have absorption panels at both side walls. I only haven't done anything to the ceiling yet, but so far I am quite satisfied with the overall results of my room acoustics.
You can be amazed at the difference if you put some time and effort into maximising the acoustics of the room and speaker placement, especially if the room is dedicated. If done right, the end result can be rewarding.
Well, Pat Metheny's music sounded sublime with my system as with other well-recorded jazz music. Other badly recorded pop/rock music such as Remy Zero etc. sounded terrible with harsh grainy vocals and poor boomy bass. Totally not listenable. I just figured out poorly recorded CD's sound better with my crappy DVD player played through the AV amp with the DSP settings enabled.
The Plinius amp drove the B&W's nicely producing a warm and yet detailed and dynamic sound. I have also tried Krell and YBA integrateds on the B&W's and they work out equally well albeit not as warm-sounding compared to the Plinius. I am amazed at most comments here on B&W's being bright and harsh as I find it the opposite. Most likely due to listening preferences and/or equipment/room setup.
Calgarian, I haven't update the picture of my system yet as I'm adding more treatments to the front wall. The PMC's will replace the Sonus Faber Grand Pianos. The Plinius was described as a dark and warm amp when compared to the Krell. This was concurred by several other folks that have heard both. Still using the stock cord with the PLinius.
Linnie, it's not cardboard but a smooth fabric which I used to cover up the acoustic foam panels on the wall. The foam panels were not aesthetically pleasing to the eye at all so they needed to be covered up. Currently working on the higher portion above the screen and have chosen black fabric for a change.
They will be delivering them today. They sounded great in the showroom driven by Bryston 3B-SST. I had a chance to have a listen to the IB1's, while retaining an almost similiar sonic signature to the LB1's they made a bigger presence with their full bass and wider soundstaging. They were too huge(and expensive) for my room though.
My next step is to do something with the room treatments to improve them aesthetically, if not sonically. This may take a while, and will post some pictures when ready.
Yes I actually like my amp but have found that it's not a good match with my current speakers, the SF Grand PIanos. The warm and dark signature of the Plinius coupled with the equally warm and rolled-off treble of the Grand Pianos proved to be a mismatch. I've managed to get a Krell KAV-300i in to drive the GP's and this proved to be a better combination.
As for your recommendation of upgrading the speakers or the sub, maybe you are right that it's better for me to consider a speaker upgrade. I am actually leaning more toward getting a pair of B&W N803's now as they would then be an ideal match with the Plinius. The plus side is that I am a long-time B&W fan having owned the CDM 1SE's for almost 9 years. Thanks for the thought.
