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.
Hi Ryder, I like your system since Naim/Harbeth is a winner couple in terms of musical response, I listened this set-up a while ago and I never forgot the small Harbeths. Congratulations for your system.
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.
Hey Ryder, I am sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but wanted to know if you are still considering a Nagra PSA. Whether you are or not, I will say I am ever pleased with mine and have had no issues. It looks beautiful (the wife loves it) and sounds great too!
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.
Yes the PSA seems to compliment the Wadia/ Harbeth 30s very well with none of the 'dryness' I was originally concerned about. One clarification to my previous post is that I didn't have the wonderful Wadia when I owned the the NCSE integrated. So comparing it directly to the Nagra was a litle unfair. The LFD is a lovely amp as you know. The Naim/ Harbeth match up is a classic pairing, not surprised it sounds heavenly. Only problem now will be to avoid the temptation to keep moving up their line!
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. :-)
Hi Ryder , Don't know if you still have the Nagra PSA but I've recently purchased a new PSA and find it to be a great match with my Harbeth Monitor 30's. I'm using only the built-in digital volume on my new Wadia 381 and its the best I heard the Harbeths . Much better to me than the top of range LFD NCSE I bought and tried after selling my Klyne system 7 linestage and Mcintosh MC275 combo.
Plinko, lack of remote and build quality among other things. The sound quality of this integrated is unquestionable when matched with the Harbeth though.
Thanks for your impressions. Very Helpful and informative. From your observations I have a good idea what the Harbeths sound like.
Something tells me that someday I'll have two sets of speakers because I love the strengths of both the Dymaudios and the Harbeths. And I don't think I've heard or read about a speaker that can pull the strengths of both into one speaker. At least not anywhere near what I could afford. :-)
Thanks for taking the time. It was, again, informative and very helpful.
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.
Very nice, well thought out system and a beautiful room!
I hope you don't mind a question. I read your post on the recent HLP3ESR thread . With the experience you have with Harbeth and the other speakers you mentioned, would you mind comparing the HLP with the Dyn C1 and the B&W speakers. I'm familiar with both of those and not the Harbeths. If you could compare those I could get a feel for what the Harbeths sound like.
I owned the SHL5's for about 3 years and found that most good amps sounded great with the SHl'5s. SS, tube it didn't matter, but the speakers did improve alot when I got better wire. The SHL5's are great speakers.
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.
Hello Ryder have enjoyed following your personal amp quest ,both here and on the Harbeth forum. Was wondering though after reading your last post why you picked the Nagra PSA ?. I also have Harbeths and this amp is on my shortlist. But you comments regarding it have left me more confused. Did you hear it in a different setup which persuaded you to get it, or was it just the cool looks ( which I love! ) Thanks Philip.
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.
Ryder - I'm noticing a Nagra amp in two of your pictures that I don't recall seeing before. Have you found a permanent replacement for you SA-100 with the Nagra... and if so, how do they compare?
Hey Ryder: We've E-mailed before.........Look man, give me the low down on the Krells' ------the Kps-30i, and then the Dt-10 transport please. THanks......j.C.
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.
Nice system! It doesn't look so modest to me, you don't have to spend a ton to get great results as you have found out. You asked about the bass traps on my system from the foam factory. They are beige and they work great for a great price, the only complaint I have with them is that they have faded and not all in the same shade. I am going to be replacing them with the charcoal collored ones.
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.
Thanks for the info Ryder . . . It will be a balancing act to treat the room and still satisfy the WAF. We will start with the thick rugs as you suggested - there is high WAF on that!!
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.
Well, it is definitely nicely done. Our main home is in Mexico with similar architectural trappings. We are in the process of adding a series of rugs to take the echo effect out of the house. The music is more difficult to listen to at higher levels because of (I think) the floors. The walls have a heavy stucco-like finish which I think is doing a good job of combating echo. Did you have similar problems?
