You may want to check the Naim forum as there is a lot of discussion about whether to use a power conditioner at all with a Naim power supply. I have tried my XPS DR both plugged directly to the outlet and through a power conditioner with little audible difference in the NDX 2.
Recommendations for Power Conditioner Upgrade From Old Shunyata Hydra 8
I have a 19-yo Hydra 8 with a Taipan cable that I'm considering upgrading. My recently upgraded system is about $60K in value. I do mostly streaming. System is: Levinson 585.5 integrated, Aerial Acoustics 7T speakers, Naim NDX2 streamer with Naim XPS DR power supply, and an old Audio Research CD3 I use as a transport into the NDX2. The current setup with the old Hydra 8 sounds great. I've talked to different dealers who say I can improve the sound of my system with a modern-technology power conditioner. Dealers have recommended: Isotek EVO Aquarius or Sigmas, another recommended Audioquest Niagra 1200. The world of power conditioners is confusing to me so I'd deeply appreciate your thoughts. If the sonic gain is there, my budget could be $6K. Thank you!
- ...
- 18 posts total
Might want to browse through this thread from Audiocircle https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=173793.0 |
waltersalsa, What kind of power cord did you get to connect to your Shunyata Everest 8000? Were you replacing a conditioner? Before I posted, I researched Audiogon to see what I could find in peoples' recommendations. I did find that some of the AQ 5000 & 7000s have a hum sound. I saw one Audiogon post where someone also has a Hydra 8 and compared it to an AQ Niagra 5000 and could hear no difference. I am pleased with my system's sound. In this hobby, always wondering what can make it sound even better that I can afford. In order not to overspend, I have to condition myself to the point where "I am satisfied--this is good enound." For those interested, in a recent email, Shunyata's customer rep was kind enough to layout the upgrades in their equipment since my Hydra 8 was made. This is what he said. Many differences. Here is a list of the main ones. Improved conductors that are of larger gauge and newer type, specifically VTX conductors. Pure copper buss system over the older wired buss (less junctions). Enhanced and more effective surge modules. Greatly improved filter networks (between yours and now we've had over a dozen improvements in design and the current models use a spin off of the medical filter used in our medical devices). In Denali and above, we have outlet to outlet noise reduction and all outlets are high current using the new technology chambers we call QRBB modules. All units now have the CGS (chassis grounding system). Most all units also have improved outlets, either the SRZ1 outlets or the custom built pure copper CopperCONN outlets.Thanks everyone for your responses. It's hard to find someone who has a 30-day trial period for a power conditioner. Music Direct maybe. |
| Post removed |
- 18 posts total