Thanks for the advice, Mark - I couldn't find my socket tester so have ordered one from Screwfix to pick up tomorrow. I'm presuming there isn't a problem with the sockets' earth but it'll be good to check for absolute peace of mind.
With the Super XV in place...
Good news - had a play with the socket tester and all is well, reckon it may have been down to a duff mains cable as I briefly plugged the dac into 'guilty' mains socket again and the hum is nowhere to be heard.
Well worth the tenner for the socket tester and peace of mind so thanks for the tip/link.
Gromit, you've now had two days with the Exposure and I am dying to know how you get on with it
48 hours in, and having had a lengthy play with positioning the Sintras, I've got to a point where things are singing ok. The amp's settled down well, we've got more bass now, and it's doing the groovy Exposure thing very nicely indeed.
Tomorrow, I'm going to have a mini amplifier bake-off between the Super XV and my Cyrus rig which could prove interesting. Put the Cyrus rig on for a brief dabble about an hour ago (first without, then with the PSX-R) and I can say quite confidently is that the Exposure will not be having it all its own way. Contrary to all the ridicule that Cyrus gear often gets on the forums, I cannot deny that it's a bloody good amp. It just seems to get more out of the Royds, making them sound bigger, more confident.
I'd really like the Super XV to come out on top (I'm a die-hard Exposure fan, having owned loads of it over the years) but have a suspicion it might not. Storming phonostage though.
I contacted meridian before to ask them could I use explore 2 with a sbt and they said no. I've now got a Dragon fly red.
NAP 250 out and my old favourite NAP 110 in for a try in the new listening room. Sounding amazingly good in this smaller room. More than enough power available but with a level of insight and verve the 250 just cannot match. Turn it down and move the chair in for near-field listening and the difference is even clearer. Highly addictive!
Mr Tibbs
Very nice. The only thing I would say is that an extreme corner is (usually) the worst place for excess low frequencies.
Where is the Exposure?
NAP 250 out and my old favourite NAP 110 in for a try in the new listening room. Sounding amazingly good in this smaller room. More than enough power available but with a level of insight and verve the 250 just cannot match. Turn it down and move the chair in for near-field listening and the difference is even clearer. Highly addictive!
Mr Tibbs
Thanks.
The Super XV? Having been a huge Exposure fan for nearly 25 years, I so wanted it to be a better sounding amp than the Cyrus rig, but I cannot lie when my ears are telling me the silver boxes genuinely sound better. Not a huge amount in it, but that's the result - on some material the Super XV might be preferable but as an overall package, the Cyrus is better.
Thanks.
Agreed re the turntable's position, sadly this was the least damaging place where sonic compromises were concerned - it was there, or right next to the speaker with a rear-firing port. Saying that, I have spent some time moving the turntable's position around and couldn't tell a blind bit of difference.
The Super XV? Having been a huge Exposure fan for nearly 25 years, I so wanted it to be a better sounding amp than the Cyrus rig, but I cannot lie when my ears are telling me the silver boxes genuinely sound better. Not a huge amount in it, but that's the result - on some material the Super XV might be preferable but as an overall package, the Cyrus is better.
Few more piccies...
Volume by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
Pair by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
System by Boxertrixter, on Flickr
Finally got the LP12 where it needs to be, on the Audiotech table. Our carpet's very thick, and there's 12mm of fibrous underlay which meant the table just would not spike through to the concrete floor underneath. Anyway, last night I put the table in place, levelled it carefully and placed 30kg of granite on top to be left overnight. Removed the granite this morning and - thankfully - it's worked. The table it well and truly embedded against the solid floor and doing its job properly now.
Interesting Gromit, I never thought I'd hear you say that.. but I guess comparing the two box Cyrus isn't a particularly fair comparison... maybe if you used a Exposure pre-power you'd see the outcome change