AudioCircle

Industry Circles => NuPrime Audio => Topic started by: rustydoglim on 28 May 2017, 12:21 am

Title: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 28 May 2017, 12:21 am
We need to bring in new and younger audiophiles, otherwise this industry won't survive (or we have to raise the price!). We need your help to share your experience with other newbies. If you can write a one page article about how you choose your components and why you ended up with your system, and we end up publishing it on our website, we will give you either 15% discount for any 1 new purchase or a free NuPrime uDSD (the choice is yours).

Restriction - you must have NuPrime products (obviously!)
We want to know what other products you have considered before ending up with NuPrime.
This is not a review of NuPrime products. We want a collection of articles to help new audiophiles make inform decision. I have seen some of you provide very good recommendations on this forum, so I think it is a good idea to document your knowledge.

Jason
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 28 May 2017, 12:23 am
If you don't want to post it here, you can email to jasonl@nuprimeaudio.com
If you don't mind, please leave your first name (or audiocircle user name) and where you are located.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: CharlesKu on 30 May 2017, 09:35 am
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=169934)
Quote from: rustydoglim on 28 May 2017, 12:21 am
We need to bring in new and younger audiophiles, otherwise this industry won't survive (or we have to raise the price!). We need your help to share your experience with other newbies. If you can write a one page article about how you choose your components and why you ended up with your system, and we end up publishing it on our website, we will give you either 15% discount for any 1 new purchase or a free NuPrime uDSD (the choice is yours).

Restriction - you must have NuPrime products (obviously!)
We want to know what other products you have considered before ending up with NuPrime.
This is not a review of NuPrime products. We want a collection of articles to help new audiophiles make inform decision. I have seen some of you provide very good recommendations on this forum, so I think it is a good idea to document your knowledge.

Jason

I would like to share you my experience. I had order OPPO sonica DAC as my audio player. What I should do is to convert my CD to digital files and save it as a *.wav files in USB. Then I can play it via OPPO sonica DAC. My speaker is KEF LS50. I choose a pair of STA-9 as my power amp to ended up my system. This is because when I wish to purchase ST10 I found that there are no DEMO of ST10 amp but STA-9 amp.  It sound good and I decided to purchase a pair of it. I search the internet where I could buy it with my credit card with zero interest for 24 months. I found that there are many, like YAHOO mall, ET mall, u-mall, MOMO mall in Taiwan. Why I choose Nuprime product? This is because I had read the review from web site of u-audio. http://review.u-audio.com.tw/reviewdetail.asp?reviewid=1220, http://review.u-audio.com.tw/reviewdetail.asp?reviewid=1258. And then I found that there is a forum here.  I like the NuPrime of its good sound and has a forum here to discuss and share our experience. I am a newbie and younger audiophile, too. Before I end at my system with NuPrime, I had consider the DIY brand of Breeze audio C20 as player and DAC (a digital player come with ES9018K2M of DAC with a bluetooth 4.2), SMSL SA-98E (160w*2, Class D power amp) as power amp. These set of system is good sound for me when I listen it at other place. So, I decided to set a system (a combo of player with good DAC and power amp) which may come with better sound. I also consider the set of OPPO UDP 205 with Integra DTA 70.1 or NuPrime MCH-K38. I give up due to it may cost me a lot of money. Finally, I choose STA-9 due to I always listen to vocal sounds. It is great for Chinese music, especially vocal sounds of Tsai Chin. The sounds are 'wow'... and just can't stop listening.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: witchdoctor on 30 May 2017, 04:47 pm
The best and most cost efficient way to build a system today is by doing two things. Letting the engineer/designer match your components and getting the best source/signal possible. I would begin by getting an active speaker that includes everything inside (the amp, the DAC, the transducer, the DSP and would accept a connection from a source such as a streamer, CDP or turntable.)
Next I would get a source that streams MQA files from Tidal.

Two components and you are done. Some of those systems even have bluetooth so you could use your phone as a source. (but no MQA yet).

If Nuprime doesn't sell these products yet it would be a great idea :thumb:
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: CharlesKu on 8 Jun 2017, 05:38 am
I had just received my OPPO sonica DAC which play as my player + pre AMP + DAC. It doesn't sound good with my systems ( a pair of NuPrime STA-9 power AMP and KEF LS 50 speakers). The sound become not livelier or in chinese word "生硬". I  regret to buy the OPPO sonica DAC. Should I sell my OPPO sonica DAC, STA-9 and simply buy IDA-8?
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: CharlesKu on 11 Jun 2017, 04:06 pm
After more than 100 hours run in, my system now become a more ' focus ' in sound. My previous choices of non class D power amp: (1)  pre-owned FM ACOUSTICS FM300A,  (2) pre-owned dartzeel NHB-108,  (3) pre-owned burmester 933.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SFDude on 11 Jun 2017, 04:55 pm
In this market of multiple choices, I wanted to build a system that was more than what an all-in-one-box would provide. I wasn't looking for something that was a plug-and-play, download an app, and tie-me-down to a subscription model for streaming services system. (A Sonos system would have been fine for that.) I also didn't want to spend $2K for each separate component, which would have been made up of an Amp, a Preamp and a DAC.

As I was researching for different components and manufacturers, NuPrime sort of stood out with the DAC-10 initially. This was a preamp and DSD DAC in one unit. I wouldn't have to worry about separates as long as both the preamp and the DAC portions of this unit were top-notch. Reading reviews online, anecdotal feedback on forums and with the experience of the company that NuPrime was formed from (which is Nuforce), I didn't have to worry so much about a new upstart that was looking to break into the market. There is a flexibility if I wanted to use just the preamp portion or the DAC portion of the DAC-10 which also appealed to me, should I be upgrading one or the other.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=163943)

I then decided to go all-in with picking up a pair of STA-9 amplifiers due to the speakers I had chosen, as the recommendation from the speaker manufacturer was that digital amplification worked well with them. This was an easier point of entry due to the pricing of a pair of the NuPrime amps (each was $650 USD). You could say for the price of a single amp, I was getting a solid bargain in having a true pair of monoblock amps with enough power on-hand to drive any speaker well.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=163942)

In the end, what I really wanted was something that didn't date me and give an image of someone who is still hanging onto how audiophile components from the "golden" years look. Three NuPrime components had the same footprint of almost one full-sized audiophile component, with all the modern technology advancements of digital amplification and signal processing. They would look equally at home in Stereophile magazine pictures as they do in Dwell magazine photoshoots. And the gear would still sound pretty darn good regardless of their aesthetics.

Great, it looks nice and all. How does it all sound? Effortless. Nothing is really forced in the music. It sounds coherent, powerful but with a restraint that comes with the volume turned down. I have fleeting moments at home when I can crank the music and, when playing good source material, it is really dynamic and engaging. This isn't the case with the bulk of my source material but for those rare special tracks which are recorded really well, my system lets it loose. For this amount of $$, the two STA-9 amps has enough 'cojones' to cajole your passiveness into toe-tapping movement. On really good source material.

On bad material, it is a combination of the speakers and gear that makes it feel flat overall, despite the loudness. I think most of digitally streamed sources, except for some rare tracks, are like that. I really need a transport/CD player and dig out my old library of stellar, goosebump inducing CDs to test this out further, though.

This still doesn't beat the ability of the NuPrime gear to recreate that toe-tapping magic, though. And that's what really matters at the end, isn't it?  :green:

Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 14 Jun 2017, 09:48 pm
Quote from: CharlesKu on  8 Jun 2017, 05:38 am
I had just received my OPPO sonica DAC which play as my player + pre AMP + DAC. It doesn't sound good with my systems ( a pair of NuPrime STA-9 power AMP and KEF LS 50 speakers). The sound become not livelier or in chinese word "生硬". I  regret to buy the OPPO sonica DAC. Should I sell my OPPO sonica DAC, STA-9 and simply buy IDA-8?

Does your OPPO Sonica sound better now?
We have written an article to explain what makes a DAC sounds good: http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/guides/learning/what-is-high-end-dac.html (http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/guides/learning/what-is-high-end-dac.html)
We find that there is no difference in sound quality with the latest iterations of ESS chips.  At some point the DAC chip becomes "good enough" that all the improvements have to come from other parts of the component.
You can consider the NuPrime CDP-9 (including a great DAC) which is coming out in September.

STA-9 is great for Chinese music, especially vocal. If you still don't like your OPPO, you can consider DAC-9, or wait for NuPrime Omnia SP1 (DAC, media server, player, all in out) - it is seriously good!
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: CharlesKu on 15 Jun 2017, 01:39 am
Quote from: rustydoglim on 14 Jun 2017, 09:48 pm
Does your OPPO Sonica sound better now?
We have written an article to explain what makes a DAC sounds good: http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/guides/learning/what-is-high-end-dac.html (http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/index.php/guides/learning/what-is-high-end-dac.html)
We find that there is no difference in sound quality with the latest iterations of ESS chips.  At some point the DAC chip becomes "good enough" that all the improvements have to come from other parts of the component.
You can consider the NuPrime CDP-9 (including a great DAC) which is coming out in September.

STA-9 is great for Chinese music, especially vocal. If you still don't like your OPPO, you can consider DAC-9, or wait for NuPrime Omnia SP1 (DAC, media server, player, all in out) - it is seriously good!

After more time to run in, my OPPO Sonica become more ' focus' and details in sound. However, I am now realize that the new generation and advance of DAC chip (ESS9038 pro) is not dominant factors in the DAC's performance due to they are good enough of their older version. Furthermore,  the sound input from (1) interconnect with my computer with USB and (2) USB disk are different, both are same music files and format. The (2) has more livelier and the (1) have more focus, I don't know why?

The integrated product of NuPrime with DAC have Sampling Rate Converter (SRC) IC, does it mean that it can make no different output sound from different input way with the same music files as the example above? And, if it can up convert the sample rate, means it upgrade the sound quality?

NuPrime Omnia SP1 has custom OPA chip. Does it mean that we could just simply change the OPA chip (eg, LME49720HA, MUSES 8920, AMP9920AT) to make the different sound of SP1.

Finally, I have to agree that STA-9 is great for Chinese music, especially vocal. The vocal sounds of Tsai Chin are 'wow'... and just can't stop listening.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 23 Jun 2017, 07:38 pm
How to choose your components (specially when you can’t audition them beforehand!)


Part 1 of 4 : Starting out

Starting a new home has many challenges, no doubt about it.  When my wife and I decided to move in together we knew early on that we wanted music… great music filling our home.
 
Therefore our process of selecting audio components actually started before looking at any electronics or speakers.  It started with questions:  Where are we going to listen to our music?  Is it in the living room? Is it in our small study? For us, it was in the bedroom where we watch epic movies, exciting concerts, listen to relaxing music while reading or painting, or just fall asleep to sweet piano tunes.
 
This presented the first challenge: the system needed to be small enough to fit in the bedroom, produce loud enough sound when you want it to, but be able to lay back when you are just background-listening.  This is no small feat, as some equipment that can blow the roof off out of a house is not necessarily great at doing low volume and subtle music.
 
Obviously, it had to be able to grow, or at least adapt to other needs as time goes by.  As for most people, it also needs to fall within a budget.
 
There is one piece of background information that is quite important: we live in Quito, Ecuador.  A great place for outdoor adventures, mountain hiking, and eternal spring.  What it is not so great at is having lots of Hi-Fi audio distributors, or even online distributors.  It is also a country with heavy taxes on imported electronics so distributors only carry what they can easily sell, and only import upon specific request.
 
So there are two things which you cannot do: audition multiple systems (which should be your first approach at selecting components), and take home equipment to test and then return whichever you felt was not for you.  This wa the second challenge.
 
There is a local distributor which carries Paradigm and Totem speakers, NuPrime (and prior to that NuForce) and Hegel amps and DACs. Other local distributor imports Marantz, and the market is filled with the lower end Yamaha and Harman Kardon AV Receivers (not the top of the line though), as well as expensive Bose systems.
 
Most new buyers here (perhaps everywhere?) follow the notion that speakers are the single most important purchase, and that you then pair them with whatever equipment you have available.  I was of this idea myself when we started the actual component search. After weighing in local options of speakers, I had set on a pair of 8Ω Totem Mite speakers which I would pair to an old Panasonic AV Control Receiver I already owned.  But, after listening to the bigger and deeper Totem Rainmaker Speakers (which due to stock clearance sale where more or less priced in the same range), we decided: why not!
 
Great, so: “That’s it!” we thought.  We are set to go! Yes, but these speakers are hungrier, they demand 4Ω from the amplifier.  This meant that the decision for better speakers had pushed us on the quest of purchasing also a new amp.  Very thin on budget we opted for the most basic option available at that time: a used NuForce DDA-100 which would provide the basic connectivity and a decent 75W@4Ω to drive the new speakers.
 
I am always hesitant when purchasing used items.  I am known to be a bit obsessed about taking good care of my equipment, and when buying used I have this sour taste thinking that the previous owner probably did not put as much care as I would have.  But, when it comes to expensive equipment, sometimes there is no better alternative (or at least not within a budget).

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164359)
 
The system worked great though, and we were very pleased with the overall sound and the simplicity of the setup.  The sound was brilliant with guitars and female voices, but male voices were less lavish.  Orchestral soundtracks and classical works (specially full orchestras) sounded a bit thin.  Still, nothing to keep us up at night, it was just a minor nuisance every now and then.

Obviously, the speakers needed to be properly placed, and our room was not ready for them.  Everything was mostly improvised: one night stand, one small shelf, cables showing all over the place.
 
We found out we needed to buy into ‘components’ we didn’t think were part of the system when we started out.  We needed a ‘stand’ for the speakers that could also hold the BluRay player and the integrated DAC/AMP.  So we decided to put a drawer inside the room.  The added storage space was much appreciated in our small apartment.
 
What was not that clear when we first chose it for its aesthetics, functionality and its overall placement of components was that (of course!) it would have an impact on the sound as well.   The speakers were placed directly on top and there was heavy coupling of the speaker to the drawer’s wood.  But this will only become a problem much later, once the system was dynamic enough to bring out these problems.  With the current setup this was not really an issue.
 
For the time being, this was a quantum-leap improvement over our previous experience in which every sound emanated just from the TV integrated speakers.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164361)
 
Starting System:

Components added:
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 23 Jun 2017, 07:38 pm
How to choose your components (specially when you can’t audition them beforehand!)


Part 2 of 4: Adding sources, and losing the NuForce DDA-100

Now that we were enjoying great TV sound through the new setup, we found ourselves listening to youtube music often in the bedroom rather than in the smaller Sony mini-component in our living room.
 
We felt it was time to add better music sources to our system.  What was our goal? To be able to remotely control the system from our cell phones.  Since we already have iPhones and our house had already an AirPort Express in our living room, the first logic approach was to add another AirPort Express in the bedroom.
 
This proved really useful as we now could stream audio from our phones into the bedroom system without having to first locate the youtube file on the TV.  It also allowed a first in our home: multi-room listening experience.  Through the addition of Tune Relay software to the home computer, we were able to broadcast the same sound to both the living room and the bedroom.  It’s a joy to just walk around the apartment and listen to the same music all over the place, all controlled from our cell phones.
 
At this point, we (or at least I) had been ‘bitten’ by the audiophile bug.  You just know you want to start trying new things, exploring bigger sound, better sources, simpler control, or, at the very least, be able to keep on enjoying sound even if someone decides to call you in the middle of your music listening session.
 
So, being a software developer, I went down the DIY (do it yourself) route and installed a Raspberry Pi3 Linux computer plugged via USB to the DDA-100 to achieve bit-perfect audio.  If you are into HiFi Digital audio and have no idea what this is, I urge you to read more about the subject.  It really is a fun project and your audio experience will be rewarded.
 
After testing a few linux distributions specifically designed for the RPi3 and bit-perfect audio: Volumio, Runeadio and Moode, I decided Moode was (at least for me) the best sounding of the three.  Also the one that had more active development and a great community behind it.  With some tweaks I was able to install a Spotify connect client into the RPi3 so that our phones and tablets could control the music, but no longer get interrupted when the phone rings or when other apps make sounds.
 
Everything was going smoothly and it was a system we truly enjoyed and, within our budget, it was really hard to find any complaint.
 
And then, during a thunderstorm, the NuForce DDA-100 got damaged and died on us!
 
Starting System:

Components added:
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 23 Jun 2017, 07:38 pm
How to choose your components (specially when you can’t audition them beforehand!)


Part 3 of 4:  Buying new DAC and AMP

The concept of “single point of failure” (SPOF), has never been so clear to me.  After all the efforts and all the automation that was now available in our system, one single component failure got us from great music to complete silence in the blink of an eye! We were back to TV speakers.
 
So now we were on the market again for a way to make our digital sources create sound through our speakers.  But this time something had changed: we already have had a taste of what it could sound like if done better.
 
The options were interesting: some very well regarded brands in the mainstream markets, others from smaller houses and less well known (or at least not universally known), but with raving reviews and fantastic user experiences documented in the online communities.
 
Perhaps it’s a good time to talk about online communities.  I strongly believe that an article like this called “how to choose your components” may very well be a one-liner that read: “Find the best online communities and ask for advice”.
 
I did just that: started asking away… some questions went directly into brand-specific forums and others into general audio discussions trying to narrow down our choices.  Local availability was an issue, but finding online people that have had hands-on experience with a particular item was much easier than finding local help.
 
What we faced was a two-front decision: which model / models to pick and, given our previous experience, if we were going to repeat the one-component-to-rule-them-all approach, or if we were going to separate their responsibilities.
 
The single DAC / AMP solution is very appealing: very small footprint, a lot easier to manage, less cable clutter.  But you get this benefits sacrificing ultimate sound quality and less amplification power.
 
The local available options were, as discussed before:

Unfortunately, the basic Yamaha and Harman Kardon receivers that were available locally only accepted speakers of 6Ω onwards.  For the first time I regretted purchasing the 4Ω speakers.  I knew they would require more niche equipment, but it was too soon after purchase to be having issues with the decision.  Perhaps buying something with more standard specs like 8Ω speakers would have been a better decision? Time will tell.  At any rate, this left the basic AV Receivers out of the race.
 
Having no way of auditioning the options side by side was a challenge.  Furthermore, the Marantz equipment was only displayed on shelves, we could not audition them, not even in the store.  The NuPrime and Hegel local distributor (Innovaciones Acusticas) on the other hand does have proper acoustic rooms where you can audition the NuPrime top of the line components.  Still, the integrated amps were not available locally, and neither were any of the Hegel models.
 
Having the option to physically listen to a system adds a value I cannot praise enough. Buying equipment knowing you already enjoy their sound is much easier than taking a blind leap of faith into the unknown. Apparently local distributors don’t think this way.  None except Innovaciones Acústicas.  There we could get a clear feeling of what we would enjoy later on in our home.  The experience was great!

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164453)
(Innovaciones Acústicas showroom, used with owner's permission)
 
This alone should have trumped all other options… that and knowing that the ‘NuPrime sound’ was something we already liked (having evolved from the NuForce line).  We already knew this was the safer bet on our side.  Still, there were strong contenders available.
 
I turned to the online community once more and, although with expected discrepancies amongst the posters, there was a general consensus that the Marantz equipment will produce less refined sound than those offered by NuPrime or Hegel.
 
Hegel enjoys a great fan base, and NuPrime has also a very devoted community that stands behind their products.  This was a tougher decision and opinions were divided.
 
Hegel’s entry level integrated DAC / AMP, the H80, had all the right ingredients: it was more AMP oriented as it featured balanced inputs from external sources, yet included the DAC. The Röst model included streaming options which we had already covered in our system, but still it was a solid candidate (albeit more expensive).
 
NuPrime range was wider and the entry level IDA-6 lacked the USB-B input for our Linux Music Server, so we quickly ruled that one out.  The IDA-8 on the other hand was a smaller, tighter enclosure when compared to the Hegel H80, much more appealing to the small space we have, but sacrificing a little in future-proof versatility.  What versatility? The fact that, if and when DACs evolve, or there is a new format, we could still use the Hegel H80s balanced analog inputs.  The NuPrime IDA-8 felt less up to the task because it digitizes its (only RCA) analog inputs.  On the other hand, It was half the price of the Hegel.
 
Of course, these problems were not problems at all… our previous DDA-100 had even less versatility lacking any analog inputs, and we were OK with that.  But I kept feeling that buying into the IDA-8 or H80 got us into the same problem of having a “single point of failure”.  So my wife and I discussed these concerns and she asked a very simple question which I often miss when battling with so many options: “is there a solution to having everything in the same component?”... “yes, of course, we could buy two separate pieces, a DAC and an AMP”.  She just smiled!
 
Perhaps I was debating myself so hardly because I already knew that that was (for me at least) the better route.
 
So entered the NuPrime STA-9 and DAC-9 into the mix.  Right from the start, I felt more comfortable with what they offered.  I turned to the online communities again because the reports of the ‘warmth’ that the STA-9 + DAC-9 combo are famous for worried me a bit.  I usually prefer the sound to be really crisp and detailed, and I was unsure if that warmth would take away from those characteristics.  The top-of-the-line NuPrime ST-10 and DAC-10 on the other hand were famous for being much more neutral, albeit considered too ‘clinical’ by some reviewers, who prefered the 9s.
 
This difference in preferences is a interesting concept that perhaps is less true for the bigger houses: a Yamaha entry-level receiver model X is probably inferior in every way to the higher-level model Y.  In smaller more research-oriented companies like Hegel or NuPrime, where there is a lot of innovation between one product and the next one, you may end up with model X offering some characteristics and model Y offering others, not necessarily one always better than the other.
 
While this is great for the product line, it poses a challenge when deciding.  Specially in places where you cannot benefit from trying both and just picking the one you prefer, or at least hearing them side by side.
 
In the end, there was no ‘wrong choice’.  Every option was a little different, and since the debate hung between two products of the same company, I was able to access the full knowledge of the online community without fear of brand advertising or favoritism.  In the end, due to local availability and online discussions, the ST-10 and DAC-10 combo won the battle.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164362)
 
It was the little details that made them more appealing: two optical inputs for the TV and AirPort Express (the DAC-9 only offered one), the option to have the ST-10 remotely started and stopped by the DAC-10 via a standard 3.5mm audio cable and the added bass extension.  Also, the better handling of large orchestras of the ST-10. Finally, the inescapable truth that we were able to physically listen to the 10s and witness personally what they could do.  It was a close call, but the 10s combo had the edge for us.
 
Also, being already available locally meant that instead of the usual one or two months waiting period, we could leave the store with both products the same day (and with a discount thanks to local stock clearance sale).
 
The addition of the ST-10 and DAC-10 to our system is nothing short of breathtaking!  The sound is full, spacious, dynamic.  All you could ask from a system. But lets backtrack a bit, as it took some time and further tweaking to reach to that level.

Starting System:

Components added:
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 23 Jun 2017, 07:38 pm
How to choose your components (specially when you can’t audition them beforehand!)


Part 4 of 4: Refining the sound and protecting the system

With all the excitement of having a new DAC and AMP in the house, we made sure we would never again bury another component due to electric failures or storms: we bought a good (albeit inexpensive) Line Regulator / Conditioner for our bedroom.
 
Upon first hearing the new ST-10 and DAC-10 in the system, it was clear that they were unlike anything we have heard before.  There was a lot of extra detail in the music.  For the first time I understood what people meant when they talked about “sound stage”: music came from everywhere, not just the space between the speakers.  Also, they were capable of a lot more power!  If we were not careful, we could end up damaging the speakers by outputting all the power the AMP is capable of.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164364)

But, as was expected, they also revealed deficiencies that were previously hidden and produced sound that was not yet mature:

Think of this as video played on an HD TV, a Full HD TV and a 4K TV.  In the standard HD TV, you get nice detail, but probably a DVD and a Blu Ray look very similar.  On a Full HD TV, the finer detail is obvious, but you also feel a greater gap between the DVD and the Blu Ray.  Now imagine seeing that nice movie in 4K format in a 4K TV.  It would be oozing with detail and vibrant colors.  But once you put back the DVD of the same movie through the 4K TV, you are probably going to want to cry.
 
This is an issue that comes with getting better components: you are probably going to need to update your sources to keep up with the quality of your system.  That can be hard, time consuming, and / or expensive.  So, after ensuring good enough source material (24bit / 96Khz Flac tracks in our case), we started listening to the system.
 
The sound was not as deep as we would have expected (not even as deep as we remembered the old DDA-100).  Bass was less focused and, although the soundstage was wider, the voices had some harshness to them at times, specially in spoken dialog from the TV shows.
 
I wrote my impressions over at the NuPrime community forum and this is what I felt:
 
Quote
There are times when I detect a 'nasal' quality to the sound... like subdued middles.   Brights are sharp and bass is [deep] (maybe a little too bummed at times, but that can be my speakers directly on top of the cabinet), but the middle section is, at times, muffled.

Quote
[In classical piano music] the piano seems to have been put inside a huge church: there is a LOT of (never heard before) reverberation on the sound.  Could this be the same 'nasal' sound I was describing early? Some muffled middle sections that let the brighter echoes become more prominent?

The online community was great at two things: appeasing my anguish and asking the right questions to come up with solutions.  By providing as objective feedback as possible and pictures of my setup, we were able to try a few things and refine the sound.
 
The first change was to replace the generic RCA cables with good XLR balanced cables (constructed by my father who is an electronical engineer) built with the best connectors available locally. This helped focus the bass a little and I believe it widened the sound a bit.  I must confess that this is really subjective, as are so many things when trying to fine tune audio systems.
 
One thing was clear though: the drawer was taking a lot of the music ‘away’ from the speakers and transmitting it through its own resonant characteristics, which is obviously less than ideal.  By being directly on top, the speakers were coupled to the drawer and vibrating as if the drawer was part of the speaker’s cabinet. If I pressed my ears to the drawer’s side, it was clear what audio frequencies were being contaminated by the cabinet.
 
Also, the positioning of the speakers was such that the first sound waves found the drawer’s hard surface far too soon and this was ‘dispersing’ the sound inside the room, making the middles sound less tight and favoring this ‘echo like’ sound I described as reverberation.
 
The online community suggested many expensive industry-specific solutions (none of which was available locally or within our budget), but also with concepts that allowed me to build a quick DIY isolator which consisted of two layers of cork and one layer of thick foam (cut from camping sleeping pads).  This provided a canvas in which to try and proof the merits of the suggestions.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164365)
 
With some testing, it was clear that this solution plus the continuous breaking-in of the new components was, without doubt, bettering the system overall sound. Pressing my ears against the drawer now showed much less contamination and those frequencies that got through were no longer muffled and boomed, they were clearer (1).
 
Once we were convinced that isolating the speakers was working, we ordered specifically designed acoustic speaker isolation pads: the Presonus ISPD-4 that were available locally (also found by one of the members of the online community).
 
With this minor adjustments and enough break-in time, the system has finally reached that mature, deep, full sound I described earlier and for which both the NuPrime components and the Totem speakers are praised for.  It is far better than what we had with the previous NuForce integrated.  With some luck, this system will be with us for a long time and we will now sit back and enjoy the music.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=164366)
 
One final piece of advice: break-in is not a gimmick, there is actually physical change on speaker cones and amplifier components as they move air and energy, so be patient and wait until everything has become stable before making decisions or judgments regarding your equipment.
 

Starting System:

Components added:
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: in1unison on 24 Jun 2017, 08:19 am
Great write-up Rafa
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Letitroll98 on 24 Jun 2017, 12:25 pm
I guess he plans on winning.  It is an excellent essay on his journey through purchasing NuPrime components, and if English is his second language my compliments on his linguistic skills as well.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 24 Jun 2017, 02:44 pm
Thanks friends! It is indeed my second language, so if native English speakers have pointers, I'm all ears! One thing is to write quick posts, quite another is to articulate a entire article.  Every re-read I found sentences that sounded like literal Spanish translations.

Thanks again,
Rafa.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SFDude on 24 Jun 2017, 06:49 pm
Excellent write up Rafa!

I actually didn't want anything more than to just participate in the thread and prompt other replies. Glad Rafa took the time to write up his. :)
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 25 Jun 2017, 06:00 am
SFDude, I actually enjoyed yours very much! And your set up really shows the care you have put into into it with a neat display and matching bases for all.  I really like your setup.  What speakers are in your system? It would be nice to know!

Thanks for the kind words, I really enjoyed writing up our experience and with a final feeling of having arrived to a very special sound which we enjoy so much.

Best regards,
Rafa.

Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SFDude on 27 Jun 2017, 03:20 pm
Quote from: RafaPolit on 25 Jun 2017, 06:00 am
I really like your setup.  What speakers are in your system? It would be nice to know!

They are Spatial M3 Turbo S, which are open baffle speakers with a high sensitivity rating. I don't need all that power on tap as tubes work as well on these speakers but those 15" dual drivers on each speaker does require a good "grip" to get them to sing, which the STA-9 monoblocks do just fine with. Tubes do bring out the 3D aspect of the music a small amount better but, for the price, the STA-9s are easily a match in tonality and dynamics.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Bloom1966 on 17 Jul 2017, 11:58 am
Hi there,

If you want the next generation into hifi or high-end you have to talk about music and the way (format) they listen to it. There's a whole generation who's only listening to MP3 format. The music is cheap to get, easy to switch and there's less involvement in reading the inlays and artwork.
I think that with the revival of vinyl there's a new market and target-group which can be more involved into hifi. So, play hi-res on mobile device, play vinyl at home…

1.   A good record player can bought for couple a hundred euros/dollars. There's a start. HPA-9 has a phono-stage (and headphone outputs);
2.   A mobile device which plays on cd quality at least. (Omnia SP1);
3.   Streaming at home (DAC-9);
4.   Lifestyle products (all products of NuPrime);
5.   Total solution and integration (NuPrime does that);
6.   One sales point for the customer.

Manufactures like NuPrime should jump in to that. And NuPrime does.
The new coming generation must learn to listen again. Let them hear the differences between MP3-formats and hi-res and vinyl.
Let them become familiar with the beautiful sleeves of records, the inlays and so on. Let them go to the markets where you can browse through boxes with new and old vinyl albums.

Nuprime can be that framework to support that way of living.
It’s not about technology or parameters.
It all about music, lifestyle and involvement.
NuPrime must jump in on that. (And they are).

Regards

Henk
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Wind Chaser on 25 Aug 2017, 06:26 am
Quote from: SFDude on 27 Jun 2017, 03:20 pm
They are Spatial M3 Turbo S, which are open baffle speakers with a high sensitivity rating. I don't need all that power on tap as tubes work as well on these speakers but those 15" dual drivers on each speaker does require a good "grip" to get them to sing, which the STA-9 monoblocks do just fine with. Tubes do bring out the 3D aspect of the music a small amount better but, for the price, the STA-9s are easily a match in tonality and dynamics.

Oh, that's good to know, especially with M3ts. I have a single STA-9 en route, but I'm not sure if I should graduate to two 9's or a single 10? 
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: kaka89 on 2 Sep 2017, 08:15 am
I'm very new to this hobby, and when I was first started I was actually trying to decide between sound bar and stereo speakers. I didn't know the sound quality difference was so huge.

Soon I realize I need a two channel setup that allows me to stream music from Spotify. However I found it very difficult to find a good Hi-Fi system that supports Spotify natively. So I purchased a Teac integrated amp with AirPlay capability with KEF Q300.

I have been researching stereo knowledge since then. I have read almost all the thread in this forum. And one most important finding is that I actually don't need Spotify and AirPlay support built in, these features can be provided by Raspberry Pi and Volumio. What I really need is a good USB DAC. This finding opened a whole lot more new options to me.

9 months later I upgraded my speaker to a floor stand Focal Aria 926, and I need a new amp to power these speakers. I choose NuPrime STA-9 and DAC-9.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=167913)

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=167914)

This setup works as expected so far. I also use Toslink for TV.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 11 Sep 2017, 03:34 pm
Hey, just a quick comment to note that I didn't forget about the reward. It has been super busy in the past 2 months preparing for the "new" nuprime: new website, custom audio, new products etc. 
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 1 Oct 2017, 11:30 pm
I have transferred one post to the new website:
http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/customers-blog/ (http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/customers-blog/)
These posts are also attached to the related product pages. Really appreciate those of you who spent time to provide these content.

After I copy the content to the website, I will start to contact you about the gift.  Won't take long now.

Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 5 Oct 2017, 08:03 pm
take a look at the nicely layout customer's post here
http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/customers-blog/ (http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/customers-blog/)
I will be messaging each of you for your shipping info for free gift or discount credit.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 8 Oct 2017, 05:43 pm
I took this topic out of sticky mode so others can see new posts clearly. We are looking for your experience with wireless audio with Nuprime products, also later CDP-9 and amps. 
You get to select from a list of gifts if your article is selected and posted on the website (you're welcome if you want to have your name and city mentioned in your post):
choice of gifts are: Encore mDSD, WR-100D, uDSD, or 10% to 15% (bigger discount for in-depth article) coupon for next purchase.
Please include a photo of your setup in your post.

You can write in your native language.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 12 Oct 2017, 10:21 pm
Jason,

Posts look nice in the new page! I think its a great approach to have regular users comment on their experiences.

Congrats to everyone who got showcased.  Best regards,
Rafa.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 17 Nov 2017, 02:08 am
My gift uDSD came today in the mail! Thanks Jason for taking good care of customers.

I'll post on the main thread my findings and questions, but wanted to say thanks for this.   Nice addition to my audio family!

Best regards,
Rafa.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SFDude on 23 Nov 2017, 08:35 pm
Thanks Jason and NuPrime! Received my gift (uDSD) and haven't had a chance to listen to it long (just a couple of minutes to see if it worked with my MBP). Will post findings of the uDSD as I pair it with my newly received Sennheiser HD6XX headphones (I loved the HD650s when I had them a while back before they broke).

Thank you again and grateful for NuPrime gear I have on this US Thanksgiving holiday!

-dave
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: CharlesKu on 6 Dec 2017, 04:19 pm
Three of the components of my system have been tried of STA 9 pair with (1) KEF LS 50 (2) B&W DM302 (3) Scanspeak 710003 + Vifa NE180W-04. The good sounds ranking are 3>2>1. I found that the sta9 is better pair with soft dome like coated textile diaphragm as ScanSpeak Revelator D2904/7100-03.
(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=172387)
 It is now become my reference speakers instead of KEF LS50.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Amal on 8 Jan 2018, 10:46 pm
Hello all,

I have always loved music and it is part of my life since I am a teenager even if I am not a person that knows by heart all the artists and their albums. I like the good sound and I listen all type of music from philharmonic to rock, acoustic, hip hop or electro. I have been to several auditorium in France where people play to you only classical music when you want to buy a hi-fi system. This does not suit me. I have grown with other types of music and I would like to have a system suitable for a large variety of musics.

I have started when I was young with my uncle’s hifi system, an Akai AA-5210 amplifier and French 3A Apogée speakers with huge 25cm speakers. It was nice until I broke a loudspeaker during a party and the amplifier volume control was starting to be damaged. I then switched to Focal Chorus 714S and a HC Yamaha amplifier. I have never really been satisfied with the sound stage but I kept it for a long time until now. I knew the amplifier was the weak part.

I have tried to search an integrated amplifier with a good compatibility with my speakers as I did not have the budget to change everything at once and it has been really difficult… I had mainly targeted 2 amplifiers which where the NAD C368 and the NAIM Unity Atom. The NAD was giving a too harsh sound with Pop Rock music and it was tiring even after a couple of minutes. The NAIM was a better match but the price is more than double of the NAD. Then I decided to read again and I discovered Nuforce, I read the story of the company and discovered the Nuprime brand from Jason. The IDA-8 became my target only on reviews because of its completeness and its sounds which is a bit warm with the class A preamp and to be frank, the price was really interesting.  I was searching an amp with all the digital inputs as I do not listen CD anymore and the IDA-8 had everything build in. For the NAD I would need to add also the Bluesound module and on the NAD, with the WR-100D, I would have the same in the future.

Now I really start in the high fidelity with the IDA-8, I can watch my TV and movies using the optical cable, my computer and NAS using the USB A, the USB B for the Bluetooth with the good BTR8 and soon the WR-100D. The output sound is great, the design of the amp and super nice and you can put it everywhere with its size! The speakers became the weak part of my system. They sound a bit flat and lack the 3D scene that I could hear with the Sonus Faber Chameleon B of a friend so I am thinking to upgrade them and I feel the IDA-8 can drive really nice speakers of 3 or 4 times its price. I start to be addicted with this hobby and I think I will continue my journey with Nuprime products!

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=174168)

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=174169)

Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Amal on 22 Jan 2018, 12:54 pm
a few better pictures.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=174948)

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=174949)

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=174950)
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: jojo on 11 Feb 2018, 05:50 pm
I like the sound of Dueval´s  Bella Luna Diamante. Sends the sound all over. Bought them. (Before I had Carlson A5 speakers)
Then I had to buy amplifier that could match that quality. My old dear one (Luxman) did not live up to my Bella.
Valve or not? Had no idea. I am no expert in that field. Had to rely on recommendations.  That's how I ended up with IDA-16.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Westerwälder on 21 Apr 2018, 06:41 pm
The story of how a long-cherished hobby has become a new passion.

The 90s were shaped by music for me and my friends. They played rock music in their band and at home we heard Pink Floyd, Manfred Man, Steve Miller, Alan Parson's Project, and ever new groups.

At home, the first LP collection was created, which slowly grew bigger and bigger. My friend's brother already had a good hi-fi system, and gave us tips on how to enhance the sound experience.
He was always so well informed from inexplicable sources that we went home each time at joint listening sessions with a degree of consciousness change.
Listening can be learned and intensified.
Like every music listener, I also started small.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=179164)

First of all, the "off-the-shelf equipment" improved by the recommendations of our friend. And behold, something did happen. Constantly there was a gain in sound experience.
Over time, I've invested a lot, and I'm glad. That I did not jump on the train, which suggests us: dearer is better.
The best friend for good music is your own ear, but even that often requires support from experienced side.
In recent years, my collection of LPs and CDs has increased considerably. But for a long time my hi-fi system remained unchanged.
My wish was a definitive solution.
I bought a pair of speakers from Switzerland from my HIFI consultant. And he made me aware of NuPrime. A few weeks later he gave me an IDA-8 for the audition and I was immediately impressed.
After a while, I decided on the NuPrime DAC-10H and ST-10.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=179165)

As a drive for the CD playback I served a box from Austria.

My favorite genre is jazz in small ensembles and world music, with acoustic instruments.

What was revealed to me now had never been heard before. A naturalness paired with spatiality and pinpoint localization of the musicians. A bass, precise and dry. The voices a bit more center-weighted which I did not notice negatively. It makes listening to music more relaxed.

But the increase was yet to follow. Since last year, we eagerly awaited the CDT-8 Pro. When he was finally available in Germany, I immediately ordered the CDT-8 Pro.
The CDT-8 Pro is the boost I just did not expect. You can not express it in percentages. That's the way music has to sound.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=179166)

The NuPrime devices have made a new collection from my old collection of CDs.

(http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=179168)

A satisfied NuPrime customer from Germany
Stephan
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Samac on 22 Apr 2018, 01:35 am
Great story, Westerwälder. Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,

Scott
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Amal on 24 Jun 2018, 09:18 pm
great to hear that story. Just small questions:
- is the gap between the ida-8 and STA10 - DAC10 really huge ? , I guess somehow yes.
- What do you compare the CDT-8 with ? streamed music or another CD player ?
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Westerwälder on 26 Jun 2018, 06:23 pm
Hello Amal,
First, I must say that the difference in Nuprime products in the respective price ranges is already impressive.
The Ida-8 has played my much more expensive amplifier in the ground. And the increase is just the DAC-10 and ST-10. A natural, honest, lifelike reproduction. Crisp bass, not inflated. Unrestricted listening to music is guaranteed. I compared the CDT-8 with my highly acclaimed Pro-Ject CD Box RS. This is now for a fraction of the purchase price for sale. Increases NuPrime guarantees in any case. For me, there is no alternative for now. Cables once again make some differences, or network filters. Even speakers can still hear differences. But the electronic stands for me after a long search. I feel more relaxed.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=181847)




Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Genez on 15 Sep 2019, 10:09 pm
I was forced into the audiophile world back in the 70's.   I was a musician who had to quit the business before the music industry at that time could trap and destroy my soul.  It was being destroyed by drugs, etc.   You just could not find any musicians who were talented and clean living at that point in time...    Long story short.  With tears I quit the quest to make music live...

In my pain I sought music just the same.  That is when I found myself engulfed in the budding audiophile world coming into its own.   BSR corporation ( made turntables back then) had a factory warehouse a few miles from where I lived. Took a job there and started what was to be an education that has no graduating class.   Always learning.

Where to start?   With something objective.  I learned a very big lesson in audio in my job that followed working for BSR.  I entered the world of a brick and mortar Audio shop that sold high end equipment.   Learned not to be afraid of audio equipment which can be intimidating while learning what one needs to know what he is doing.  Best place to start?   Speakers that you believe are excellent quality. For these will let you know how all the rest of your equipment will sound.  The hard part is locating which excellent speaker is for your needs.  One lesson I learned back in those days was that tube equipment was leaps ahead of solid state.  That is why I chose my Nuprime ST-10.  For its sounds in many ways like a McIntosh tube amp that I listened with back then.   Only better in the tightness of the bass.

So... I tried several excellent quality small speakers for my audiophile desk top listening.  The ones I have now are some of the most transparent speakers one can ask for with a desktop.  They let you hear even slight changes made in the system.  The ST-10 works hand in hand in the 'transparency' department.  Now the speakers and amplifier are considered hi-end audio sound.  The preamp that I found works beautifully with my ST-10?  Is a super entry level passive pre-amp that so happens to have an excellent volume control (potentiometer)  APLS Blue. It works great in balanced mode with the ST-10.   Its cost?  Peanuts!  The audio snob would never give it s a thought.  Bought it to be used as a preamp to try balanced mode and never looked back since....

Another important thing.  Audio snobs are programmed to hate tone controls/ equalization, etc. 

I broke all their rules by using a Barcus Berry BBE Sonic Maximizer.  Good quality small speakers usually need no treble boost.  Its their bottom that suffers in many rooms.  It so happens that the BBE uses an excellent linear dynamic EQ to help small speakers in that area.   Its not a boom box.  It opens up the sound in a very realistic sounding way. I was tar and feathered in several forums when attempting to discuss the BBE.   

Audio snobs are like religious fanatics.  They will kill you if you mention what they consider to be blasphemy in their presence.  Their loss-  I have the "gain."  Bass from small speakers in a near field situation can sound shockingly good with a BBE.

Once the speakers are established as acceptable?  Its up to you where next to try.  Cables   Pre-amp and amp?  Integrated? 

I also chose a DAC that I busted the bank to get. Its something that I knew would have to sound good objectively.  Not for everyone.  A Schiit Yggdrasil.  Could have bought an older used car with what I spent.  But, I knew by its design that it objectively had to be doing things right.

The Nuprime ST-10 (TDSS modded)... and I are joined at the hip.   Speakers may change at some point for a different flavor of excellent.  But, I seriously doubt any need for a change in amplifier.  The preamp?  Mine is far from being an audiophile status symbol.  Have a laugh and click link.  But it sounds great with my system!  https://www.amazon.com/Nobsound-Fully-Balanced-Single-Ended-Pre-Amplifier-Controller/dp/B01MXC9HHW

That means?  No matter how cheap it may seem to be? If it sounds excellent?   It stays!   

(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=165719)





Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SteveFord on 15 Sep 2019, 11:17 pm
That Barcus Berry Sonic Maximizer can work wonders with some gear.
If my preamps would play nice with them I'd still own some. 
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Genez on 15 Sep 2019, 11:42 pm
Quote from: SteveFord on 15 Sep 2019, 11:17 pm
That Barcus Berry Sonic Maximizer can work wonders with some gear.
If my preamps would play nice with them I'd still own some.

It has worked wonders in every system I have had since they came out in the 80's.  What kind of pre amp problems were you seeing?
I use mine only for the bottom end.  I leave the high end "Process" turned off.   The newer better smaller speakers rarely are weak in the high end.   Get a phase coherent speaker and some very interesting things begin to shine.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: SteveFord on 16 Sep 2019, 12:45 am
It was causing a low frequency, fluttering noise on my Magnepan 1.7s, preamp was Sonic Frontiers SFL-2.
I didn't bother trying it on the big system as that sounds fine just the way it is.

The BBE worked great with solid state Carver preamps and the Carver tube preamp I had for a bit.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Genez on 16 Sep 2019, 02:51 am
Quote from: SteveFord on 16 Sep 2019, 12:45 am
It was causing a low frequency, fluttering noise on my Magnepan 1.7s, preamp was Sonic Frontiers SFL-2.
I didn't bother trying it on the big system as that sounds fine just the way it is.

The BBE worked great with solid state Carver preamps and the Carver tube preamp I had for a bit.

BBE tells you not to use a Sonic Maximizer with panel/planar speakers.

You may not be aware.  BBE makes compact models for desk top use.  https://tinyurl.com/y24ewksy







Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: swifri on 12 Jan 2020, 08:53 pm
My story goes like this: I'm a computer audio listener right from the start (beginning of the 2000) - which means as a software developer im used to operate the sound from a laptop because its easy, direct and versatile. The sound should get me into the flow for the programming duty and all i needed was a hassle-free way to operate it on some capable near-field speakers. So i ended in buying one of the (imho) first serious solutions therefore by getting a small wadia powerdac 151. Plug in USB as source, bind the speakers and done. I burnt into the sound of this small device and learned to love it - precise, lively, direct, engaging, easy and never harsh - fully matching my taste - electronic music.

For my living room i didn't care much about as i was used to listen music on my workplace. So i simply invested some money for some highly praised active (nubert.de) speakers having all digi connectors build in and done... and... a bit disapointing - soundwise - when compared to my not so stylish little wadia. I didn't care - until they broke right after exceeding their warranty limit. Time to get digged in - ok, what do we have here - the wadia never stopped playing, never had any issues at all while beeing two/three times older and producing a much much better sound. Lesson learned: Dont trust the magazines.

Angry over my bad decision to fall for some popular BS i decided to go the safe way and install another small (used) wadia for my bigger living room. For testing i took the small unit upstairs and tried a range of shelf speakers. It soon became clear the system had to be more powerful as the device produces only 50W@4Ohms - so i had to look around for a pair of high sensitive speakers to match the wadia. I visited several dealers and listened to omega speakers, spatials and some others but the sound felt never right especially when compared to a more powerful combination of amp and speaker. During one of those sessions i fell in love with piega, a small but costly pair of swiss floorstanders having a full aluminium body and a far to high imepdance for the waddie. So this made me think maybe i should buy a bigger amp. The dealer congratulated :) me and brought in all the amps he had to offer: NADs, Rowens, he praised tubes, activated some mcIntosh-monsters where u could think the nearby atomic power plant has to inject another fuel rod instantly for keeping this thing alive. The whole effort was to much. They sounded "ok"ish but all i wanted was a grown up wadia, an easy "get the best of bit for speaker to sing"-thing - so I asked what drove the piega. Guess what. He told me, this is the last and his private for comparison reasons. The unit was not offered because the customers in general are to conservative and go with nad etc. Mhm. Superb sound with nice pace and depth. All digital. Onebox solution. Was an IDA-16. Nuprime - never heard before. Talked. Took it.

Now signs changed and instead of buying the piega i decided to take time and match some other floorstanders against the ida as there was another dealer offering to bring your own which is seldom. This finally left me with kefs r5. Its a pitty. I liked the piega so much and didn't want to go with some maybe overhyped kefs (the plastic binding port is a joke and im not sure whether i want to see their crossover...) But its the pace of dry and cultivated bass and the sound depth, space, dimension which made this combination win... Love it.

Well done.


Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: rustydoglim on 19 Jan 2020, 12:31 am
Thanks for your great comment.  Where are you located? I am sure you are somewhere in Europe because there are hardly any physical store dealers in the USA.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: swifri on 19 Jan 2020, 06:09 am
Switzerland - right within the alps. So the IDA i bought already knows what a glacier is as the dealer is located in front of a >4000m high mountain chain "Eiger Mönch Jungfrau". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eiger,_M%C3%B6nch_und_Jungfrau.jpg
And yes, we still have some small local audio dealers. But their number is declining. Geographical it is a good place for audio sitting right between Germany, France and Italy and also having some own famous manufacturers. But i bought a Wadia and your IDA - because worldwide trends are arriving here 20 years later :) which is good and bad at once.
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: Patrik Bredberg on 4 Feb 2020, 11:59 am
Rafa! Thank you so much for your inspiring article. So happy to find another Totem enthusiast coupling Totem with Nuprime. You're article was what drew me into this forum.
I also have the Totem Rainmakers. Currently they're being repaired though. But when back, and when I've moved to a new apartment or house, they will be
the speakers of my main system. Currently I'm looking for good electronics to go with them. I just started by buying a streamer that can also act as pre-amp, Bluesound Node 2i, and now I'm looking for a good amplifier. Preferably something small. And my prime consideration right now is the Nuprime ST-A9. So I will continue reading your posts with great interest, thank you!
/Patrik


Quote from: RafaPolit on 23 Jun 2017, 07:38 pm
How to choose your components (specially when you can’t audition them beforehand!)


Part 2 of 4: Adding sources, and losing the NuForce DDA-100

Now that we were enjoying great TV sound through the new setup, we found ourselves listening to youtube music often in the bedroom rather than in the smaller Sony mini-component in our living room.
 
We felt it was time to add better music sources to our system.  What was our goal? To be able to remotely control the system from our cell phones.  Since we already have iPhones and our house had already an AirPort Express in our living room, the first logic approach was to add another AirPort Express in the bedroom.
 
This proved really useful as we now could stream audio from our phones into the bedroom system without having to first locate the youtube file on the TV.  It also allowed a first in our home: multi-room listening experience.  Through the addition of Tune Relay software to the home computer, we were able to broadcast the same sound to both the living room and the bedroom.  It’s a joy to just walk around the apartment and listen to the same music all over the place, all controlled from our cell phones.
 
At this point, we (or at least I) had been ‘bitten’ by the audiophile bug.  You just know you want to start trying new things, exploring bigger sound, better sources, simpler control, or, at the very least, be able to keep on enjoying sound even if someone decides to call you in the middle of your music listening session.
 
So, being a software developer, I went down the DIY (do it yourself) route and installed a Raspberry Pi3 Linux computer plugged via USB to the DDA-100 to achieve bit-perfect audio.  If you are into HiFi Digital audio and have no idea what this is, I urge you to read more about the subject.  It really is a fun project and your audio experience will be rewarded.
 
After testing a few linux distributions specifically designed for the RPi3 and bit-perfect audio: Volumio, Runeadio and Moode, I decided Moode was (at least for me) the best sounding of the three.  Also the one that had more active development and a great community behind it.  With some tweaks I was able to install a Spotify connect client into the RPi3 so that our phones and tablets could control the music, but no longer get interrupted when the phone rings or when other apps make sounds.
 
Everything was going smoothly and it was a system we truly enjoyed and, within our budget, it was really hard to find any complaint.
 
And then, during a thunderstorm, the NuForce DDA-100 got damaged and died on us!
 
Starting System:
  • NuForce DDA-100
  • TV optically connected
  • Totem Rainmaker Speakers

Components added:
  • Apple AirPort Express with optical (toslink) connection to DDA-100
  • Raspberry Pi3 Moode OS Music server (with custom Spotify connect client) with USB-B connection to DDA-100
Title: Re: How you choose your components ? Write an article to get a discount or free gift
Post by: RafaPolit on 26 May 2021, 08:32 pm
Quote from: Patrik Bredberg on  4 Feb 2020, 11:59 am
Rafa! Thank you so much for your inspiring article. So happy to find another Totem enthusiast coupling Totem with Nuprime. You're article was what drew me into this forum.
I also have the Totem Rainmakers...
Patrik! Sorry for the late, late reply. More than a year!!! Thanks so much for your kind words.  It was really an interesting journey for us, but one always doubts if there will be any interest for others to read along.  I am really happy that you found it useful.

Hope you have your Rainmakers back with you!  I must confess that I have auditioned a lot of speakers, some several orders of magnitude more expensive, and I still think the Rainmakers are one hell of a sweet spot in terms of price vs. performance.

This words may come too late, but:  the one thing that is true is that the metallic dome tweeters in the Rainmakers can get a little harsh, specially on "bright" instruments, like the Harpsichord, for example.  With that, the warmth of the STA-9 could actually be a better fit than the ST-10... so, if you are looking into the STA-9, I really think that you cannot go wrong with it, and save some bucks on the process.

Did you already buy it? What was your experience?