Yamaha ns 5000

Wanted to share that yesterday I paired the Doge 8 with the CJ LP 70S. This was the best sound i’ve heard from the NS5k.

Unbelievably huge expansive soundstage. The music completely detaches from the speakers and they disappear. Midrange projects far forward with utmost texture and intoxicating tone. I actually liked the doge 8 in the chain more than moreplay because it seemed the doge 8 helped to open up the stage more and improve see through clarity.

I was especially impressed with bass which became even more weighty, punchy and again seemed to project around my listening position in a way ive never heard before (including out of my big SS pass x350.8). Oh and 1 final point this was with KT120 tubes in the LP70S since I think one of the 6550 tubes I had popped. I think the 6550 sounds even warmer and bigger but the KT120 controls the bass and provides more transparency. Truly exceptional combination!

Congrats. Hope that solves the fatigue issue for you.

I actually got some inspiration from your NS5000 videos for my NS5000 placement. First thing I did was remove a wooden shelf out from in-between the speakers. Then toed-in a bit like you have, and then vola. Incredible improvement in the sound. I am sharing the room with my son's toys, so it took some time to figure out how to best arrange the room.

What I have now is just fantastic. 

My setup is 

- Benchmark LA4 preamp

- Benchmark DAC3B

- CODA #16 amp

- NS5000 speakers

- Playback Designs Streamer-IF (for the DAC3B and another future DAC)

- future DAC will be a Playback Designs Edelwise or Dream

Get the Dream.  I have the Dream CDP/DAC and I can't imagine how it could get any better.

Regarding break in... I noticed music during the dat was much more difficult to enjoy than evening listening and eventually pulled out my trusty realistic analog DB meter to find ambient noise (in my basement) was nearly 20 db louder in the day 60 db, compared to mid 40's at night. I'm not dismissing speaker break in, just offering another possibility. 

My NS 5000's are on casters I sized to screw into the spike location on the stands. It provides useful 3 inch lift. I have them connected to Red Dragon M500 monoblocks. Preamp/DAC for now is an Emotive XDA-3. 

We visited the Yamaha Innovation Road museum in Hamamatsu, Japan. They have grand pianos costing multiples of NS 5000. But there is also a display of NS 5000 cut open and disassembled. Signage says the speaker was by a team of young engineers. It also displays the zylon (carbon fiber) driver material in different manufacturing stages. The woofer coil is literally one pound of copper. The back wave dampers look like tumble generators.

As you peruse the museum you notice the exhaustive research (world's largest musical instrument maker) in resonance with wood in violins, guitars, pianos, etc. Hence NS 5000's mitered joint plywood construction is deliberate. 

Few names at any price point can match the research, resources, buying power, and pro audio ubiquity behind this speaker with its drivers all of the same material. It is not for flea watt amps. $15K is real money. Do your own research.