View Full Version : Wanted - Naim Nait 5i or Exposure 2010s or similar
Hi all,
I'm looking for a used Naim or Exposure amp to go with my Neat Motive 2s.
Ideally Nait 5i or Exposure 2010s (or similar) integrated models, although pre/power options also considered. Doesn't need phono input (whats that? :))
Must be remote controlled - even if the original remote is missing, as I have a Harmony universal remote.
Cash waiting - pls PM me if you have something to offer.
Just get yourself a Rega Brio R. It's probably better than both of these, and certainly the Nait 5i, as I've done this comparison already :)
Just get yourself a Rega Brio R. It's probably better than both of these, and certainly the Nait 5i, as I've done this comparison already :)
Thanks David,
Really? Is it that good? Looks nice.
When I went to PJ hifi is Guildford, they had the brio sitting right next to the Nait and exposure 1010 and 2010 amps. We were talking about amps to match the Neat speakers and he didn't even look at the brio, let alone offer it as a good match.
I know that I need to demo the options myself before choosing and if it were the brio, I'd buy that new.
How would you compare the brio with the naim or exposure?
Cheers
southall-1998
25-05-2012, 19:15
Just get yourself a Rega Brio R. It's probably better than both of these, and certainly the Nait 5i, as I've done this comparison already :)
Must put on my want list:)
moodybuilder
25-05-2012, 19:16
the exposure wins hands down
There was a time when Exposure stuff had much design input from Kevin (Talk Electronics) but don't know if it still holds true.
My recommendation for the brio R may be a but facetious and as the cheapest of the lot, and from a firm that doesn't offer large margins to dealers, it's obviously better for the dealer to recommend something twice as expensive, as he'll make more than double the amount of profit in these very difficult times..
All I can ask you to do is maybe start with the Brio R, play some choons through it into the speakers you have and only THEN work up to the Nait and Exposure models. I found the latest Nait has excellent bass, a fine midrange but I didn't like the grainy and constricted treble. With toppy speakers this may not be a problem. The amp you finally end up with will then hopefully be one you keep for years.
southall-1998
25-05-2012, 20:48
The Brio R seems to be getting mixed opinions. Some chaps are moaning that it's a bright sounding amp.
Obviously not all Hi Fi dealers are as deaf as I have supposed.
Exposure 2010S, stonking amp.
It's clean and with proper speakers, there's plenty of bass and it's not bright at all. The Mira 3 was more stark and less expressive IMO.
southall-1998
25-05-2012, 20:56
It's clean and with proper speakers, there's plenty of bass and it's not bright at all. The Mira 3 was more stark and less expressive IMO.
And what proper speakers are those Dave:)
Just get yourself a Rega Brio R. It's probably better than both of these, and certainly the Nait 5i, as I've done this comparison already :)
"Probably", but then I have a £300 s/h Exposure 2010S surrounded by much more expensive kit. It's a special amp! The Rega would need to be a lot better than the Nait 5i as the 2010S trounces that amp, which I've demoed.
There was a time when Exposure stuff had much design input from Kevin (Talk Electronics) but don't know if it still holds true.
Tony Brady designed the 2010S (but kept it based on the Exposure X), he also designed the 'cult' Onix OA21 amp.
Here's a review snippet from an OA21 listing:
"Onix OA21 stereo integrated amp in near mint condition and working absolutely perfectly. Designed by Tony Brady and UK built.
Works without fault and sounds fantastic. Often compared to Naim and John Farlowe era Exposure amps."
Hi Martin,
Been reading through...
I'd stick with the Naim / Exposure. It's the recommended setup. Also include the Nait XS on your list. Your dealer wouldn't say its recommended just like that.
Please DEMO first. You have the possibility! Do try the Rega if it's available when you demo things...
Don't rush! Remember.. as you said, your feet is tapping with your Marantz.. take your time and test first. And let me know your thoughts after :)
Thanks for all your help.
Looks like a mamouth demo session is in order - made easier because PJ hifi stock the Neats, naim, exposure and rega products.
I'm not going to rush as my marantz indeed sounds great with the Neats - listening to Air's Moon Safari at the moment and it all sounds incredible.
Then again if a nice amp comes up at a good price...
Please don't murder your dealer with a marathon dem and then buy something used instead, 'cos that behaviour is not at all appreciated and if you're found out you may get blacklisted!
Hifi dave and I used to have several of these characters, who trawled round the home counties dealers getting free dems and then popping in to Dynamics in Welwyn to buy the stuff second hand. We had a list and used to compare notes and at the time in the 90's, these characters didn't have the faintest idea that we knew what they were up to - and probably didn't care either since all these dems were free!...
Seriously, if PJ can give you the time, just use the brio R as a starting point. I'm sure ot will be acceptable, even if it doesn't light your fire as the others will. Naims and Neats do seem to go well together and hopefully play to each other's strengths and that's why they're recommended. The Naim may just hold value better than the Exposure though, but this depends on how long you're planning on keeping them.
Your ears, your music, your personal vibe and we're just outsiders batting a few ideas around. Have fun and hope you end up with something you really like and can get more from the music out of it :)
Please don't murder your dealer with a marathon dem and then buy something used instead, 'cos that behaviour is not at all appreciated and if you're found out you may get blacklisted!
Hifi dave and I used to have several of these characters, who trawled round the home counties dealers getting free dems and then popping in to Dynamics in Welwyn to buy the stuff second hand. We had a list and used to compare notes and at the time in the 90's, these characters didn't have the faintest idea that we knew what they were up to - and probably didn't care either since all these dems were free!...
Seriously, if PJ can give you the time, just use the brio R as a starting point. I'm sure ot will be acceptable, even if it doesn't light your fire as the others will. Naims and Neats do seem to go well together and hopefully play to each other's strengths and that's why they're recommended. The Naim may just hold value better than the Exposure though, but this depends on how long you're planning on keeping them.
Your ears, your music, your personal vibe and we're just outsiders batting a few ideas around. Have fun and hope you end up with something you really like and can get more from the music out of it :)
Thanks Dave and no, I couldn't do that to a dealer (I have a retail shop myself). By the end of the summer, Ill have the £8-900 needed to buy a new one.
If a nait 5i or exposure 2010s came up in the meantime at a good price, I may well take a punt. And if it wasn't good, I could easily eBay it. Seems that not many people sell theirs, as they don't come up too often on eBay.
Cheers,
If a nait 5i or exposure 2010s came up in the meantime at a good price, I may well take a punt. And if it wasn't good, I could easily eBay it. Seems that not many people sell theirs, as they don't come up too often on eBay.
Well, I just bought a 4 month old Exposure 2010S2 from Ebay for the princely sum of £390 (£850 new) + P+P. It's coming from Greece, so hope it arrives in one piece!
Cheers,
Sweet!
Also saw an ex-demo matching cd-player from exposure for sale on ebay uk for about the same as your new amp - half price.
As long as you don't wait as much that its taking to get my motives here hehehe... 11 days promised, 12 days and counting passed and so far the best part of the story been checking my tracking to find out the status is market as an exception because of customs bla bla..
Lol
Hope you get it soon and intact :)
Sweet!
Also saw an ex-demo matching cd-player from exposure for sale on ebay uk for about the same as your new amp - half price.
As long as you don't wait as much that its taking to get my motives here hehehe... 11 days promised, 12 days and counting passed and so far the best part of the story been checking my tracking to find out the status is market as an exception because of customs bla bla..
Lol
Hope you get it soon and intact :)
Hi Osvaldo,
Yes, lots of bargains to be had if you have the cash to spend...
I guess if your Motives are in customs, that means that they are safe and well :) Let us know when they arrive.
I took some pictures of my current setup this morning - took 3 photos and stitched them together in photoshop.
My Motives are out from the corner as much as my wife will tollerate without complaining :rolleyes:
Shows my hifi "corner" and the open plan house. The best part is having no side walls to cause reflections, but the corner does have a bass boom problem that I'm trying to cure.
http://www.chelsea-bathrooms.co.uk/montage.jpg
Cheers,
Hi Martin,
You Exposure have arrived?
My Motives are out of customs and now in South Africa in transit :) I'm hoping that by tuesday they'll be at they're new home..
I totally enjoyed your open plan :) very nice. Lovely quick photoshop job
My home is quite small and my GF is always at the TV so I just put my sound system in my room where I also have my mini-office :)
I'll post pics once I receive the Motives...
Osvaldo
Hi Osvaldo,
Any sign of your Neats?
My Exposure amp has arrived! Only problem is that I'm in France at the moment, so can't play with it :(
Cheers,
Hi Martin,
My Neats arrived yesterday. I'm still clearing up the mess for a good photo but I can definitely say that the sound is awesome. Excellent overall presentation.
You where absolutely spot on when you said that placement was crucial. I ended up moving mines about 50 cm from the back wall..
The pairing with the Nait XS is also excellent, just by themselves (subwoofer OFF), it was already a satisfying sound. Of course with sub ON the bass becomes more sweet, especially before my volume knob goes over 9 o'clock.
I wasn't expecting the Motives would be so small. Side by side along with my B&W683 they pretty much look like a baby toy :scratch:
The sound on the other hand, when you push them a little, they start to make you wonder if the 683 are really disconnected :D
When are you returning home to play with your exposure?
Cheers
Osvaldo
Arrived home yesterday and picked up the Exposure amp.
First impressions out of the box are that it looks and feels great, very nicely made indeed :)
Plugged it in and let it warm up overnight for a pre-work listening session - oh dear :(
There's loads of definition and the soundstage is great but there's not much bass. Sounds very lean. :(:(:scratch:
I didn't have much time this morning, but I did move the motives back into the corner a bit and the bass filled out at the expense of everything else above. Sounded closed in. :doh:
Gonna have a play tonight, but I'm not sure about this combo in my room.
Damn! It seems you're not so very happy with the Exposure. Let's see if you develop the taste for it or... well flog it on ebay and get another one :lol:
I can definitely tell you that mine even after the 50cm push from the rear wall has got plenty plenty of bass... listening to them with my subwoofer off was still great pleasure. I do like it with the sub because it helps me get the warm sound at low volumes but I recon I could live without it. It's that good!
I also got loads of more definition. Soundstage is very much the same
I can't blame it to your much bigger open room because the Marantz seems to have done a better bass job :doh: dunno...
Let me know your thoughts. Give it some more tries.
I find it very strange that the bass is a problem as this is one of the Exposure's strengths. Have you tried switching to a different input on the amp? What about plugging the Marantz back in, does the bass come back & it is as tight?
Good luck, but if it doesn't work out you'll easily get your money back via eBay.
Thanks Dave and no, I couldn't do that to a dealer (I have a retail shop myself). By the end of the summer, Ill have the £8-900 needed to buy a new one.
If a nait 5i or exposure 2010s came up in the meantime at a good price, I may well take a punt. And if it wasn't good, I could easily eBay it. Seems that not many people sell theirs, as they don't come up too often on eBay.
Cheers,
That post I made has got me into trouble again on another little used site, since once again, I'm accused of shilling Rega :steam:
I think i need some help with this one:rolleyes:
I spent some time earlier comparing the two amplifiers.
I have 4 sources:
Apple tv2 with dacmagic
Tv with built in dac
Marantz tuner
Marantz cd/DVD player with inbuilt dac
All of these sources sound better via the Marantz amp than the exposure :eek:
The marantz cd/DVD does sound great through the exposure, as it has a quite pronounced bass. This source can sound bass heavy thought the marantz amp.
I can hear that the exposure has everything more tightly controlled and the bass is definitely tighter. It sounds very fast.
It's the balance that's not quite right and it sounds also a bit flat and uninvolving compared to the marantz.
I don't really want to start moving the speakers back into the corner, as they sound very open where they are and the off axis sound is much better ( we are open plan, so the sound goes everywhere downstairs).
I hate to say it but maybe the £300 marantz is better than the £850 exposure in my system and room? Doesn't sound possible :scratch:
I've checked the speaker phase, Bi wire connections etc any other ideas?
Cheers,
Martin
Just tried the port bungs and the bass output was reduced further.
The cable won't stretch across the Bi wire bars unfortunately, so can't try your other suggestion.
Now listening to some music through the Manantz and it's great :rolleyes:
Marantz sounds more natural, 3 dimensional, less hifi etc.
Just one thought: I listen at relatively low volumes - certainly less than typical dealer demo levels. Could this be a factor? Also, the exposures volume control is barely off the 0 position.:scratch:
Heeeeeelp!
That post I made has got me into trouble again on another little used site, since once again, I'm accused of shilling Rega :steam:
As if they even need shilling, the products speak for themselves.
I know, and it's not as if my mate os the only Rega dealer either :( I think some people get a bit jealous and the huge chip on their shoulder starts to bite. I'll leave it there 'cos he can't answer back here but no doubt I'll get another ad hominem slaughtering "over there."
Anyway, LOW LEVEL LISTENING (he says in giant capitals :lol:) has a totally different demand on a domestic audio system. The Exposure may be set up to thrill at higher levels, but may just fall flat at very low levels for all I know. Don't even begin to think about price tickets being an arbiter of sonic worth, the Marantz is made cheaply in the far east where the Exposure is UK made as far as I remember? If the latter is made in the UK, then it will cost loads more to make.
Well, I'm going back to where I started...
Thanks David,
Anyway, I'm getting loads of pleasure from my system, even without the exposure amp, so I'm happy.
Could be my ears are shagged?
Cheers,
Hi Martin,
If your Exposure is as source dependent as my naim is, then maybe the source with the biggest transformer will probably give you more bass.. From all your sources, the Marantz CD-Player seem to be the one with the biggest transformer inside.
I think you should let the speakers away from the wall and try both amps again using only the cd player as the source.
Also the transformer inside the exposure amp itself is 200VA, I don't know about your Marantz. My Nait XS is 380VA. Nait 5i 300VA...
How bass heavy is the Marantz with the matching cd-player ?? do you prefer another source on the Marantz amp or the cd player is the best one?
Cheers
Maybe the Marantz has an active preamp, which enables it to open up more at very low volume levels. I usually have my Exposure just under a quarter of the way up... I do think that it needs to be cranked up a bit to open up, but by no means to "loud" volumes...
At the end of the day HiFi is all about synergy, individual listening conditions and of course volume of listening. If your Marantz works better for you, then I wouldn't mind first dibs on the Exposure. :)
Hi Martin,
If your Exposure is as source dependent as my naim is, then maybe the source with the biggest transformer will probably give you more bass.. From all your sources, the Marantz CD-Player seem to be the one with the biggest transformer inside.
I think you should let the speakers away from the wall and try both amps again using only the cd player as the source.
Also the transformer inside the exposure amp itself is 200VA, I don't know about your Marantz. My Nait XS is 380VA. Nait 5i 300VA...
How bass heavy is the Marantz with the matching cd-player ?? do you prefer another source on the Marantz amp or the cd player is the best one?
Cheers
Hi Osvaldo and Ian,
The dacmagic into the marantz has just about the perfect balance - some tracks are a little bass heavy and some a little bass light, depending upon the recording. The streamer and dacmagic are my preferred source, as everything is ripped to apple AAC format. I don't use the tone controls on the marantz amp.
The marantz player is bass heavy with the marantz amp, but his is a known issue with this player. Just needs some new capacitors in the output stage to fix. As I'm not using CDs any more, this is not an option as my primary source.
If I crank up the marantz amp with dacmagic, it still sounds balanced to me. If a recording is too bass heavy, I can put some foam bungs in the speaker ports to drop it down a bit. I suppose that I do like a warm sound :)
I've got the exposure plugged in and will try it again in few days to see if anything has changed. I really love everything about it except for how it sounds in my system :(
Cheers,
Could be my ears are shagged?
Cheers,
My ears are all over the place, to the point that many days I can't hear properly. I just leave the stereo alone then and hang around on the laptop too much :rolleyes:
I can still easily hear differences in things that are NOT my imagination, so all is not totally lost, although spending a fortune on w@nky plugs etc wouldn't be worth it as I'm not "tuned in" to those kind of differences any more...
Hi again Martin,
You should rip your tracks to Apple Lossless File Format (m4a), the file size for each track will be bigger but the quality will be much better. Especially with good DAC and high end equipment. You also get the benefit of being able to burn a disc later with the exact information that was on the original you ripped from and of course the excellent sound quality.
It's basically a wave file with the excess (unused) bitrate chopped off to reduce the size.
Regards
Hi again Martin,
You should rip your tracks to Apple Lossless File Format (m4a), the file size for each track will be bigger but the quality will be much better. Especially with good DAC and high end equipment. You also get the benefit of being able to burn a disc later with the exact information that was on the original you ripped from and of course the excellent sound quality.
It's basically a wave file with the excess (unused) bitrate chopped off to reduce the size.
Regards
...I think if you have an ultra-high-end PC with SSD then this'll be the case, but with my laptop I can tell the difference between lossless & WAV in an ABX test. Strange, I hate and almost refuse to believe it, but true.
...I think if you have an ultra-high-end PC with SSD then this'll be the case, but with my laptop I can tell the difference between lossless & WAV in an ABX test. Strange, I hate and almost refuse to believe it, but true.
Yomanze, I think that even without a high end player, just with his Cambridge Audio DACMagic outputting to his Marantz amp, he should be able to pick up the differences between lossless and compressed music. I don't have a high end Source component, but just by playing from my laptop to my SpitFire MK2 DAC and into my amp, I can hear diferences - The music sounds more continuous, the details appear with more presence and power. The sound is more open and airy... less confused... you get more dynamics, complex passages sound better and so on..
Try it yourself, but instead of AB comparison, try hearing a full album mp3 vs lossless.
Hi,
Yes, I can clearly hear the difference between AAC and Apple lossless in my system, but it doesn't change the tonal balance of the system with the exposure in circuit.
My disks are in fact ripped to lossless, however for convenience I use apple's match service, which streams the AAC version direct from their server. Maybe not the best hifi solution, but the system has to be accessible for the whole family (including my 5 yr old daughter) without worrying about servers, laptops etc. We had a squeezebox system before and it just didn't work for us.
I am however looking into a higher spec player to add to the system, just for me ;)
I'm 90% sure now that the exposure has to go:(
Cheers,
I wonder if it will be the Brio R after all ;)
Hi,
Yes, I can clearly hear the difference between AAC and Apple lossless in my system, but it doesn't change the tonal balance of the system with the exposure in circuit.
My disks are in fact ripped to lossless, however for convenience I use apple's match service, which streams the AAC version direct from their server. Maybe not the best hifi solution, but the system has to be accessible for the whole family (including my 5 yr old daughter) without worrying about servers, laptops etc. We had a squeezebox system before and it just didn't work for us.
I am however looking into a higher spec player to add to the system, just for me ;)
I'm 90% sure now that the exposure has to go:(
Cheers,
Hi Martin,
Please demo first this time. Consult the available dealers and try out the remaining Naim (5i and XS) and Rega suggestions.. also try the 3010s2 exposure if available. That way at least you know which one fits your taste best.
I am enjoying very much the XS/Motive2 combo. It brings out a very intimate sound. The detail and the presentation really sticks you to the music - the message becomes more easy to understand and the nuances seem to be all there. It's like having headphones on ;)
Hi Martin,
My Neats arrived yesterday. I'm still clearing up the mess for a good photo but I can definitely say that the sound is awesome. Excellent overall presentation.
You where absolutely spot on when you said that placement was crucial. I ended up moving mines about 50 cm from the back wall..
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sEZR0SCMhBKudQIAMJHVk-lebZ_mQ4KQVep5iyR-m2HD6uClgQ44t1NJMV1kSrPXOyyGHK6BmSU
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/sEZR0SCMhBKudQIAMJHVk-lebZ_mQ4KQVep5iyR-m2HD6uClgQ44t1NJMV1kSrPXOyyGHK6BmSU
Hi Osvaldo,
The photo doesn't work :scratch: :(
Cheers,
It was set to private on the google server. Try again.
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_58bM6O4WpPLUNiVm5lb2RJc1E
It was set to private on the google server. Try again.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9y7a90NGGJd8SPtCi6Uyxz73K7KX2CtxoiPX5bv6fNSr0y3Lxm J5urwsI-J1tJfwC4WFwKcy-5A
Still not working for me. :(
It was set to private on the google server. Try again.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/9y7a90NGGJd8SPtCi6Uyxz73K7KX2CtxoiPX5bv6fNSr0y3Lxm J5urwsI-J1tJfwC4WFwKcy-5A
Hi Osvaldo,
It worked yesterday, now it's gone again.
Maybe try putting it on Flickr or photobucket?
Cheers,
Grr:steam:. Stupid google docs only lets you check it if it's on they're site.. :lol:
I've put on flickr. Let's see if this'll last.:scratch:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7400391124_5710efefa8_b.jpg
Yes, we can see the photo now - looking good.
I didn't know you could get the Neats in white.
I hope that you are still enjoying your setup.
How about having a go at the AOS album club and introducing us to some of your local music?
Cheers,
Yes, we can see the photo now - looking good.
I didn't know you could get the Neats in white.
I hope that you are still enjoying your setup.
How about having a go at the AOS album club and introducing us to some of your local music?
Cheers,
Martin that is a very good idea. I will do later. I don't enjoy a lot the Mozambican music (although I am local :D) but I hear a lot of African music which I'd like to introduce to you.
Definitely still enjoying my setup. Now I need to rob a bank to buy the new Naim ND5XS streamer ;)
Pictures fine now Osvaldo - thanks. And it would be a pleasure to add you to the Album Club list - shall I put your name down? :)
Hi Alex,
I don't completely understand how the album club works. What is the procedure? I select an album I like, post a link to a place where people can hear the songs, wikipedia link, album art and leave some comments why I like it and so on??? If this is it, I am surely in for it! :eek: So, before tuesday I must select an album and let you know?
Kind Regards
Hi Alex,
I don't completely understand how the album club works. What is the procedure? I select an album I like, post a link to a place where people can hear the songs, wikipedia link, album art and leave some comments why I like it and so on??? If this is it, I am surely in for it! :eek: So, before tuesday I must select an album and let you know?
Kind Regards
You are almost there - the only issue is there are a few people already lined up so your turn would come on Tuesday 17th July - I've added you to the list: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12613
The Grand Wazoo
20-06-2012, 07:39
Hi Osvaldo,
Not quite - Alex will put you on the list & you have a week which is designated to you (Tuesday to Tuesday) - if your name goes on the list now, your week would begin on the 17th July
Here is the end of the list as it stands today:
Dalek Supreme DL - Week 44: 05.06.2012 - Slovo - Todo Cambia (2007)
colinB - Week 45: 12.06.2012 - The Duke and the King - The Duke and the King (2009)
aquapiranha - Week 46: 19.06.2012 - Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther (2006)
RichB - Week 47: 26.06.12
synsei - Week 48: 03.07.12
Martinh - Week 49: 10.07.12
The full list is here (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=12613) on post number 1 of the Album Club Discussion thread. This is the thread where we make announcements & discuss the club (but not the albums). There are also full instructions on that post which will tell you exactly how to construct the thread about the album you have chosen. Alex has also done an example of one for you there, which you should copy the style of.
Some of us find it useful to work on the text of our submissions offline so that we can have them ready in advance in order to quickly get the thread going when the time comes. I type mine out in MS Word & then I put them into a PM to myself in order to save it. I do this because it means I can prepare the formatting (font size, bold, italics, embedding pictures and Spotify/Grooveshark links etc) all in advance. When my day comes up, I just copy the content of the PM (except for the 'quote' tags & paste it into a new thread.
The album should be available to hear online, & preferably to everyone.
If you have any problems, just send me a PM (Alex is going to be busy soon as his wife is expecting a baby).
Good luck!
Now that ive had the Exposure for a couple of weeks, I'm delighted with it.
I'm now partnering it with my Bushmaster and it sounds amaaaayzing! The combo is dynamic but super smooth with incredible bass depth and weight.
It got a proper sound stage now, unlike the Marantz. I gave my dad a demo with Katie Melua's Nine Million Bycicles and he was completely blown away (as was I). The bass drum gives a real kick to the stomach.
I am thinking that although the amp was 4 months old, I dont think it had been run in, because the sound has improved so much since I got it.
So, shes staying and now it's just tuning now with better mains blocks, leads and maybe interconnects. I'm using van damme interconnects at the moment and they are pretty good, IMHO.
Cheers,
Now that ive had the Exposure for a couple of weeks, I'm delighted with it.
I'm now partnering it with my Bushmaster and it sounds amaaaayzing! The combo is dynamic but super smooth with incredible bass depth and weight.
It got a proper sound stage now, unlike the Marantz. I gave my dad a demo with Katie Melua's Nine Million Bycicles and he was completely blown away (as was I). The bass drum gives a real kick to the stomach.
I am thinking that although the amp was 4 months old, I dont think it had been run in, because the sound has improved so much since I got it.
So, shes staying and now it's just tuning now with better mains blocks, leads and maybe interconnects. I'm using van damme interconnects at the moment and they are pretty good, IMHO.
Cheers,
Hi Martin,
How do you rate the Bushmaster against your Cambridge DACMagic? A increase in sonic performance? a big performance leap?
Cheers
Hi Martin,
How do you rate the Bushmaster against your Cambridge DACMagic? A increase in sonic performance? a big performance leap?
Cheers
Hi Osvaldo,
Good to hear from you - I thought you had disappeared :)
Yes, I reckon the BM is better than the DacMagic.
Well, the main things for me in my system were the much improved bass and smoother treble.
Bass is deeper and more defined. The treble is completely devoid of any digital harshness, so it's an easier listen.
On the minus side, the build quality and looks of the dacmagic are much better.
The BM uses much less power and can be battery powered. The dacmagic gets alarmingly warm for what it does, as does the plug in PSU.
Needless to say, I'm not going back to the dacmagic!
Hope that helps,
Now that ive had the Exposure for a couple of weeks, I'm delighted with it.
I'm now partnering it with my Bushmaster and it sounds amaaaayzing! The combo is dynamic but super smooth with incredible bass depth and weight.
It got a proper sound stage now, unlike the Marantz. I gave my dad a demo with Katie Melua's Nine Million Bycicles and he was completely blown away (as was I). The bass drum gives a real kick to the stomach.
I am thinking that although the amp was 4 months old, I dont think it had been run in, because the sound has improved so much since I got it.
Cheers,
Whilst not trying to sound condescending, as I frequently experience the same thing & later on realise it, but it might be that the Marantz was tuned with a bass and midbass hump to make the sound superficially more "rich" and "weighty"? At the Marantz's price bracket this wouldn't surprise me.
Having said this the Exposure is definitely an amp that should be left on and sounds a bit coarser from cold, like a lot of British amps funnily enough.
Glad you are happy with the Exposure I think if you heard the Nait 5i you'd notice that the Naim is a bit like a TV with the contrast turned up a bit...! Nice amp but the Exposure is far more neutral whilst being fun with loads of PRaT.
Some of you chaps would love a Quad 77 integrated :)
...the Marantz was tuned with a bass and midbass hump to make the sound superficially more "rich" and "weighty"? At the Marantz's price bracket this wouldn't surprise me.
Hi Neil,
I think you are right about that. The Marantz sounds warmer and softer than the Exposure, which is leaner, faster and more hifi.
Incidentally, do you know which part of the frequency spectrum (ie. htz values) are described as bass, upper bass, lower mid, midrange etc.
I was playing around with a spectrum analyser yesterday and got the in-room response below.
I'd like to learn more about this, so any help would be appreciated.
http://www.chelsea-bathrooms.co.uk/trace.jpg
Cheers,
Some of you chaps would love a Quad 77 integrated :)
Why is that Dave? I've seen these on ebay quite often and always wondered if they were any good.
Cheers,
You might not like it in all fairness, but when launched in integrated form and cosmetics aside, it brought back the Quad valve era back with a vengeance. Atmosphere, sweet toned, air and space in abundance and so "musical" in presentation in a way their preamps seemed to lose (the older power amps can "do it" with sympathetic gear connected to them) and without the "sludge" I hear from some later Sugdens. There may just be a touch of gentle compression going on for all I know, but what lovely sounds emanate from one IMO. Not enough inputs and an unfriendly face (IMO) tend to make these bargains, but I still rate them. The 77 pre was another musical device and with a good phono stage (MM/MC) I thought and the power amps, stereo and mono-blocks, were good too and showed again just how far Class B has come with modern devices used..
Hi Neil,
I think you are right about that. The Marantz sounds warmer and softer than the Exposure, which is leaner, faster and more hifi.
Incidentally, do you know which part of the frequency spectrum (ie. htz values) are described as bass, upper bass, lower mid, midrange etc.
I was playing around with a spectrum analyser yesterday and got the in-room response below.
I'd like to learn more about this, so any help would be appreciated.
http://www.chelsea-bathrooms.co.uk/trace.jpg
Cheers,
Martin, you spectrum analyser seems not to be able to record the lowest and the highest notes... the motives go as down as 35Hz. I set my subwoofer to stop at 37,5Hz and it sounds good that way, so I believe the rated 35Hz that Neat published on the website.
From your graph, the red is the Marantz right?
Hi Osvaldo,
Yes, you are right. The measurement was made with the in built microphone on my iPad. This is ok for casual measurements but is not calibrated.
I've now worked out how to connect a decent external mic and should get proper measurements now. For me, this is a bit of fun to try to understand in room acoustics and to back up the findings from my own ears :)
The red trace is from the Neats with std crossover and the yellow is with a 2.2 ohm resistor in series with the tweeter circuit. Both traces are with the Exposure amp. The idea is to have the option to reduce the tweeter output a bit for low level late night listening. Works well :)
I've been playing around with the speaker positioning and have it just about right now. The problem I have is that there is a very high bass output node at 100Hz that needs to be damped somehow. If I move the speakers back to get the balance right, I have to be careful not to set the 100hz resonance off, as this dominates the sound. The measurement device will hopefully help me to identify the problem area and fix it.
I think this is a problem with my open plan area, which has the 3 rooms interconnected in an L shape. All good fun :)
Cheers,
Martin
P.s. are you doing the album club tomorrow?
ALL domestic listening environments are a severe compromise, and all this faffing around with different makes of £50 phono plugs should be put in perspective (with deppest respect to those that do these sort of comparisons). get the room as right as possible and many of the angst over details tends to dissipate I found. (I know, some of us do this as a natural part of the hobby, so did I once :))
In-room measurements made around 2m out will always have a falling treble and any attempt to "correct" this will lead to disaster. The general curve you present is gently falling and this is fine I believe. Anything under 300Hz should be taken with a huge pinch of salt, as reflections will cause issues and the response in the bass will change depending upon where you sit in the room.. One genuine argument for multiple subs (more than two!) is that the room modes are driven better..
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