Wednesday 7 July 2010

LOSING CONTROL !

As I wait for the right components to come up on the used market I am finding that it's difficult to let go of some of the relative bargains that turn up. I've gone a bit crazy this past few weeks. First up I spotted a Nac52/Supercap preamp, a late 2001 model at a very generous price. At its birth back in the 1990's this was proclaimed by some as the best preamp in the world. Even by today's standards it's still reputedly pretty damm good and some say more enjoyable than the current Nac252. After the source I find the preamp defines so much of the sound and a good one can open it up and unleash musicality to the system like nothing else. So here is my new Nac52 and time will tell if it's worth keeping over the baby 32-5.

I have also been unable to resist another temptation ... going active. I have had passive SBL's twice before now in my life but I have always known from many a discussion gone before that they are a different beast when the crossovers are gone and they go to a totally different level, especially in terms of neutrality and speed and sheer sense of scale and power. So I have now picked up a second Hicap to power the active crossover and also a second NAP250 to complete the active amplification.




And here is the Crossover, a vintage Naxo2-4, a very simple box with a single power led which as stated above, must be powered by its own Hicap (or snaps or I think a flatcap will do it as well in the case of a naxo)



Some isoblue shelving seems appropriate for the Electronics and it seems to go well with the SBL's as well.





The ARO is taking some time so I have been unable to complete the LP12 and bored of waiting, I made a somewhat impulsive purchase of this recently serviced CDS2/CDPS. My first demo of a CDS back in 1995 - arguably the first truly great and analogue sounding CD player - was a very memorable one. To me it was the first time I heard a spinner that could truly live next to a decent turntable. Also as a Naim CDi owner back then, to me it was the holy grail. So I've always had a soft spot for the Naim 2 box CDS range of players and I believe that they are better musically than the CDX or CD2/CD5 range.




So how does it sound? Well intially I am just running it passive at the moment whilst I wait to get all the right interconnects and another 2 lengths of NACA5 cable. Overall its a big shock and a lot to get used to. The SBL's midrange is as fantastic as ever and they are fast, punchy and very rythmical. I am not getting much bass there though which seems to be getting sucked away in my large room. On thinner acoustic music though the sound is great if a little bright and brittle sometimes. The CDS2 seems great for the most part although I have little to compare it to. The sound is very engaging and very delicate in places. The CDS2 seems to assemble all the instruments and parts of the mix in a really musical and involving way.

The most interesting revelation for me is hearing a Nac52 for the first time. I have the vintage 32-5 still so I have been comparing and going from one to another is a massive step. The 52 brings so much ease, control and simplification to the table. The sound just goes from hifi to music. You get far far more detail and subtelties and musical intent is conveyed in way that is completely missed on the 32. To be honest they are worlds apart but then you'd expect that given that ages and prices. The 52 gives a much wider soundstage, completely blows open the sound with just bags more transparency, air and space. The 2 box amp is a much bigger and meaningful sound and tracks sound so much more simple and intelligble through it but it still has a fizz and a boogie to it. It's still a fun presentation so hasn't gone too 'grown up' and it seems to work really well with the SBLs.

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