Hearing Marco's system again.

As you may know, I'm not exactly a fan of the Mana approach to music reproduction (although I do use a pair of Sound Bases under my speakers) but that wasn't going to stop me visiting Marco's place once again on Monday afternoon and be treated with the very latest in the evolution of his traditional die-hard top-line Olive Naim gear perched on a very tall stack of Mana.

IIRC, the number of Sound Stages under the two four-tier racks stacked on top of each other was 6, taking the lower rack to phase 7, and the upper one to phase 8.

He's also done a few things to his mains connections using multiple spurs, and other slightly unorthodox modifications...

Oh, and I had to stand on my tiptoes to see into the top loading tray of the CDS2

First off, the system sounded very dynamic, and quite hard, with the kind of bass that kicks you in the stomach coming from those last of the big Spendors slightly toed in and perched on Mana Phase Four, I do believe.

Talking hi-fi, the soundstage was there, but focus was rather soft and the image, whilst not completely flat did not have much depth or projection either. The speakers exhibited some boxy colorations to begin with but they did open up quite a bit after about half an hours' thrashing.

This system definitely belongs to the Naim Old School in terms of its sound - hi-fi niceties such a imaging, soundstaging, neutrality, transparency take a back seat in favour of involvement, impact and good ol' Pace Rhythm and Timing. It seems that with hi-fi one makes a choice of three possible presentations:-

1) A nice transparent and open presentation that may ultimately be boring for some because it lacks involvement

2) The full on groovy sound that does not come without some coloration so it seems.

3) A compromise of some sort between these two extremes.

Marco's system is firmly in the second of the above camps and that's just how he likes it, and although I and most others would probably go for the third option above, I respect the fact that he has got the system to achieve his set of sonic objectives very well indeed.

I would go as far as to say that just in terms of sheer Pace Rhythm and Timing, this system is the very best I've ever heard, and could easily be the grooviest rig in the whole of the UK and beyond.

Tunefulness is not its strongest point, but it's not bad in this regard to be fair.

The Fun Loving Criminals' new album did have me grinning from ear to ear as this system clearly illuminates any strongly rhythmic style of music that would probably trip up many systems.

It was a most enjoyable afternoon, and one lesson I learnt about hi-fi is that one man's meat is another's poison; there are no absolutes in hi-fi as the perfect system doesn't yet exist, but this one clearly does what it sez on the tin.

 

Amusingly, going by your description, Marco's system sounds a lot like Bub's.

Dunc

 

Ah, Steven does have a strange sense of timing does he not?

 

Just think how good it can be if He ditched the mana and the naim kit, truely wonderful eh Steve

 

The next logical step

...could easily be the grooviest rig in the whole of the UK and beyond.

Your mission, Steven, is to take a groovyometer and go around the whole of the UK and beyond pointing it at any hi-fi you can find.

Let us know how you get on.

 

James,

I have better things to do than spend so many hours, wasting fuel and valuable drinking time testing out this speculative hypothesis on my part.

There will be no appointment with the Devil either.

WM,

We may be able to make the Marco system sing more sweetly but I doubt we could make it more groovy.

 

Steve, glad you enjoyed our little listening sesh t'other day. I especially liked the look on your chops when you came into the room and clocked the rather tall stack of Mana

Btw, I've put a Reference Top on the top rack, so the CDP is now at Phase 9... guess I'll need to keep that stool handy after all!

I wonder if CDS2s suffer from vertigo?

Anyway, it was fun throwing some bangin' tunes at ya, but man, it's a real mystery how your groove-o-meter managed to function amidst all that room boom

Laters,
Marco.

 

:nuno: What room boom?

Gary,
So I should have waited a few weeks before posting a somewhat belated review of Marco's system then?

You are such a sage, aren't you?

 

A suggestion for WM...

Hey, Tone, if you're up for it, I'd like to come down to 'Chelters' sometime and check out the fabled WM rig - Steve speaks very highly of it. You could then come looksie chez-moi and check out the ol' Naim'd angle iron skyscraper

We could do a kind of 'experience swap' - kinda like 'wife swap', only with less intimacy. Whaddya say? :MILD:

'Least we'll know where each of us is coming from, and I get the chance to dispel (or at least help diminish) your preconceived notions of Naim & Mana [arf!]

Besides, just think how much fun it'll be comparing my system to Satan's and then telling all what you think!

Marco.

 

Steve, what was the groovyometer reading in Chelters? It's important, y'know.

 

Satan,

It was pretty high from the second visit onwards.

 

Good news Steven.

Marco's room is what, about 7 ft by 11 with a low ceiling, and you are telling me there's no room boom?

Nice if you like that sort of overblown bass boost. I'd guess that WM's system/room is pretty similar-sounding.

 

James, you need to take a lie down.

You're getting yourself all worked up obsessing with my 'room boom' and mortgage status... chill

Besides don't you have any work to do? It amazes me that the R.A.H allow their staff so much time on the Internet

Marco.

 

I'm not the least bit obsessed about your room boom, I don't have to listen to it after all..

 

James, small point of myth re-adjustment sir, Wm listening room is 17 feet by 14 feet & smidge under 7 foot tall, I can't match your palacial living room sir. but I call it home

 

Hi WM, sorry I wasn't trying to imply that your room was quite as small as Marco's, what I was driving at is that once you get below a certain room volume, you are bound to get an audible resonant frequency in the bass, which is a bugger to get rid of/tame.

I must confess that one of the main reasons why I chose my tenement in the Gorbals was the size and shape of the living room. I knew straight away it would be a very good room for a naughty hi-fi.

 

I will freely admit to a serious bass boost at 45hz, the room has this 'X' factor for sure however the Thwack I adore is above this in the 55-160hz region, so down to the system by a very large amount.Wm

 

It's not when it's not there in the first place

James, for goodness sake behave, you're a danger to people who might be under the impression you know what you're talking about.

Besides, I'd rather have an "audible resonant frequency in the bass", than it be missing an octave

Marco.

P.S It's a rather long lunch break you're having today...

 

i need a bigger room

might demo a room at sevenoaks:MILD:

 

Penance, while your there can you demo a bigger one for me please mate, cheers Wm