Basically Sound & Vision Music Event

To celebrate the fact that Basically Sound & Vision, Norfolk’s Naim dealer, has now been up and running for six months, we are holding our inaugural musical event later this month.

The event coincides with the recent launch of the new SuperNait integrated amplifier. This landmark product will be the star of our show, which will also co-star the CD555 CD player.

Taking place on Thursday 29th March 2007, the event will run from 12:00 until 21:30 with regular demonstrations throughout the afternoon and evening. Visitors are welcome to bring their own choice of music to use during the demonstrations.

Of course, other examples of Naim’s product ranges will be on show including a 5-Series system and the n-Vi / n-System home cinema package.

To allow every one a chance to look, listen & experience the demonstrations whilst at the event, please contact BS&V either by telephone (01362 820800) or by email (enquiries@basicallysound.co.uk) to reserve your place.

Visited BS&V this morning, to collect my DV P75

Tony and Graham have done a great job with the new large demo room - enjoyed listening to John Coltrane on CDX2/HiLine/252/250.2/Fraim and Kudos C2s (it's those speakers again!).

29th March should be great - I'm booked-in!! (for the late shift : 20.00-21.30) Hope it goes well.

James

Thanks to every one who attended our music event yesterday and a special thank you to Mark from Naim for his input and assistance.

We enjoyed ourselves and hope that you did as well. See you all again sometime soon.

Tony & Graham
Basically Sound & Vision

Many thanks to Tony and Graham of BSV and Mark from Naim for a very enjoyable musical event yesterday.

Having not had the opportunity before, I particularly enjoyed seeing and hearing Supernait for the first time! And the progressive demonstration of bare CDX2>XPS2>555PS>555.

Hope you all managed to find a curry at the end of it all! Much deserved after a long day!

All the best,
James

James,

Glad to hear you enjoyed your visit.

I would be interested to hear your view on the differences, both positive and negative (if applicable), when moving from the XPS2 to the 555PS with a CDX2 front end.

Are they subtle or night and day?

I would be most appreciative of your opinion as you seem to be quite adept at remaining impartial and I know you don't use a CDX2, so are likely to remain so!

Thanks in anticipation,

Ian

Ian - how kind of you to say I'm an impartial referee!

The first thing to say is that, for me, with the Kudos C20s and Supernait, I found the CDX2 - with whatever PS - a more 'comfortable' listen than the 555. This combo, to me, had a more balanced feel. Had the C2s been used, perhaps my observations would be a bit different, as that would be a more true 'source first' thing.

Naim's Mark Raggett handled the progressive demo, using the established strategy of full track, plus 30 seconds of intro before moving to the next level, with discussion in between (like the palate-cleansing bread at wine tastings).

The track was an exceptionally beautiful piece of African music - voice (in French) and guitar, brought in by a BSV customer.

I did enjoy the CDX2, a player I have heard a few times before. (At one time, before I managed amazingly to get hold of a CDS2, it was definitely on my shopping list - and pretty much the pinnacle of my CD playing aspirations.)

The addition of the XPS2 was pretty much night and day - Mark and I caught one another's glance out of the corner of our eye in the first few seconds with the XPS2 - had we been taking a sip of wine, I think we would have choked as our eyes popped out at the level of difference compared with the bare CDX2! (This thought particularly stuck in my mind, knowing that of course Mark does demos like this all the time, and there was nothing phoney about his ear-to-ear grin!)

The overall presentation was less flat (and no, description pedants, that doesn't mean I'm saying the CDX2 is a flat player!) the voice was much more natural, and a much greater sense of the strength of the particular strokes on the strings. Overall, more at ease with itself.

The 555PS also made a clear difference, but not so much of an in-yer-face one - clear, but somehow more subtle. I felt there was a much better sense of internal coherence in the music - if that's not too bloody pseudy and up myself! - the dynamic changes and transients were much faster, the particular kind of finger action on the strings, plucked or stroked, the quality of the voice.

On the basis of the short trial we had, I would say that ... I could happily live with either XPS2 or 555PS...!

To be fair, I'd want to hear more, with an arguably more realistic/likely balance of amplifier and speakers. And a wider range of music.

I'd also like to hear the CDX2/555PS/HiLine vs CDS3/XPS2/lavender. But that's for another time...

James

quote:

I'd also like to hear the CDX2/555PS/HiLine vs CDS3/XPS2/lavender. But that's for another time...

James

Great description on the cdx2 but that last line of yours threw me a bit! To my mind, when you get to cdx2 (possibly cd5x) level and above, a Hi-line is an essential component of the system. Why you would then want to compare one player with the standard interconnect isn't going to inform a decision in any meaningful way. A bit like 'allo 'allo and sticking cheese in your ears when playing the cds3 and then deciding which one sounds better!

[I've got a dreadful cold and the above text probably makes no sense whatsoever!]

Peter

Peter -
Sorry for causing so many smilies! Believe you me, I wouldn't go back from my HiLine! What I was trying to get at is that the CDX2/555PS/HiLine is pound-for-pound pretty much the same cost as CDS3/XPS2/lavender. Thus, more comparison of bang-for-given-buck - all for academic research, of course...

James

PS Sorry you're not well (I've turned down the music while I'm writing this). Bad cold - recommended medicine = Vindaloo...

James,

Many thanks for your enlightening remarks - I knew you wouldn't let me down!

I wholeheartedly agree with your comments regarding the night and day difference between the bare CDX2 and CDX2/XPS2 combo. I too, found the difference to be possibly the biggest I have encountered by 'merely' adding another black box.

I also agree that it is difficult to voice an entirely objective opinion on what is contrributing most to the party with the Supernait at the heart of the system: it is after all, a relatively unknown quantity, and it would therefore be hard to know how much of an effect it would have on the character of the overall sound.

However, it is probably reasonable to assume that my 252 would present a more 'open window' onto the qualities you have described and that ought to be no bad thing.

I am torn at the moment: my heart says, replace my olive 250 with a 300, but the head is butting in and suggesting I should try a 555PS or CDS3 and see which floats my boat.

Unfortunately, living in the Highlands (lovely though it is) means that my nearest dealer is over 3 hours drive away, and this makes auditioning more difficult than it used to be.

Cheers for your comments. I shall continue to ponder whilst finishing a nice Italian red and listening to the new Lucie Silvas album on my HiLined CDX2/XPS2 which is sounding rather good tonight - or maybe that's the wine?

Ah, life's small pleasures, eh!!

Keep groovin'

Ian

quote:

(I've turned down the music while I'm writing this).

Very kind of you James!! You know exactly where I'm at - off work all day today and no capacity whatsoever to enjoy music of any kind.