Audiocom Naim CDX

[Peter Stockwell]

a nice bybee link:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazin...1202/bybee.htm

[markf]

Peter,
that's old info now :-
" The Purifier uses a combination of rare earth metal oxides in a ceramic form " 2002

"In 2003 there were breakthrough developments concerning the theoretically ideal materials and physical form needed to optimize noise reduction and electron flow through the signal path. Advances in materials science and fabrication technology have resulted in a unique new carbon fiber-based Quantum Purifier with electron noise reduction and electron Slipstream transmission properties that are distinctly audible and visible, and superior to Jack Bybee’s earlier developments."

You know, when he started off he was potting the resistors in his ceramic mixture with the whole thing in a metal cylinder, then he dropped the cylinder just coated the resistor in ceramic ,now it looks like the ceramic has gone and replaced by what ? I'm not sure.

Regular

Silver

Gold

[Peter Stockwell]

Mark,

Thanks for the update.

[Marco]

Peter,

I've been reading about your current abandonment of vinyl due to the lease of life your CDX has been given after Mark's excellent work with Bybees... I know exactly what you're going through, as I felt a similar way after I had my Sony modified. Having sampled what Mark can do with CDPs, you've got an idea now of the kind of performance I enjoy with digital. I suspect, however, that you're still seduced by the convenience factor of CD and/or computer audio over vinyl, especially when digital can get close.

However, once the 'honeymoon period' is over, as fantastic as your CDX sounds, your Techy should still be noticeably superior with high quality vinyl recordings. Even my heavily-modified Sony, which with respect I'd suggest is a level or two above your CDX, as superb as it is, doesn't get near my 1210, musically, when playing the very best recordings on vinyl.

That's no disrespect to Mark's ability or his modifications - it's simply, IMO, the gulf between CD and vinyl when both are done really well

Marco.

[Peter Stockwell]

I've some records I bought in January that I've still not unpacked and listened to! shame on me .

I've downgraded the streaming audio solution to background only. From some discussions on the unofficial french Naim forum, I decided to use the analogue output from the SB Classic instead of going via the Beresford, and to my great surprise there's not a huge difference. So One box and one set of cables less, and a mains socket freed up! (The Dac is now for sale). I was going to invest in another micro computer to serve as a Squeezecenter server, but that's definitely shelved.

Listening to the same music from Squeezebox and then from the CDX and vice versa shows that the CDX is a much, much clearer window into the music. I'm looking forward to hearing more. I was thinking that, somehow, the CDX just wouldn't let loose the music, a just slightly restrained, held back quality. That feeling is fading.

I have to find the time to do a complete reinstall of everything in my system, but there's new developments on the way. The DualTeddyCap II is to be upgraded to a DualTeddyCapIII and by the beginning of July an Avondale 260 (2 M130's in one box). I think I owe it to myself to have a better phonostage than the Clearaudio, I might just bite the bullet and get a superline, but I'm not hurrying for that. Otherwise it's a Kora.

So more to come.

[Peter Stockwell]

The CDX is really very good! I think Mark succeeded admirably in keeping the Naim magic and bringing it into clearer focus.

I'm believe that there's a "voicing" to Naim kit. I'm not word, because I'm not entirely sure of what it means, but what I mean is that naim kit has "naim sauce" with everything, like putting HP sauce on everything, everything tastes the same. Anyway, back to what I'm trying to say, naim imposes a characteristic that works with some music and not with other. The Bybees take way that naim sauce and let the music express itself on its own terms.

[Marco]

I like it, Peter!

The sonic performance of your CDX has obviously developed further since we last spoke. You've still got a bit more to go, though.

Thing is, can one obtain HP sauce in Paris?

Marco.

[Steve Toy]

you can get anything online.

[Marco]

Indeed, but that wasn't the question.

Marco.

[Peter Stockwell]

HP sauce, maybe. I've not seen it a long time ago. There used to be a Marks & Sparks. But I haven't looked recently. My local Monoprix has some brit things like Branston Pickle. I'm sometimes hear britophones in my local shops that appear to be locals.

The process with the CDX is slow because I haven't left it on repeat and there's other stuff going on with the system. I think I'm a brick or two away from what I'm going to call a reference point.

After that, I'd like to go in a wildly different direction, but I fear that it'll have to wait along time because I don't have the space to accommodate some Klipsch speakers , and for that I'd want a lowish power tube amp.

Anyway system moving on nicely, I just added a DualTeddyCapIII which would polarise opinions in the naim world, it does on the unofficial french naim forum; Coz, as I said before, or elsewhere, HiCaps add oodles of naim sauce