Playground for practical listening exercises

[Defender]

so let me solve the power strip „battle“
Power Strip 1 = Naim Music Line Power Strip 2m
Power Strip 2 = Clas Ohlson Power Strip 1.4m

the Naim Music line has an I Sheng cable attached with marking against text and 2m it was running in about 48h when I took the recordings - not quite the time I consider for a power strip to perfectly run in ... that might also explain some of the not perfect background focus/slight restlessness (missing words to describe)

the Clas Ohlson has the usual 1.4m Ningbo power cable with text and was running in my system for over a year - what I hear with that one is more details and maybe also more focus but when I put it back in it felt like the music got a little boring

when I switched the strips I had to turn off all electronics so I gave them all 1 hour warm up to make it a fair comparison.

Is this a flaw as the Akurate Radikal, Entity and the Sagatun had „only“ one hour to re-settle? Please give feedback as I want to make sure it was a fair comparison.

The interesting thing is the Naim Music Line comes from a company which is only 70km away - I might give them a visit and check if they have the same strip also with text and if they are able to produce it with a 1.4m cable - I am pretty sure they sell it to Naim for not more than 5 euro - Naim sells it for 49 euro.

[lejonklou]

Very interesting Defender!

It was more than a decade ago since I last listened to a Music Line power strip. Not even sure the parts are the same now as they were back then. It appears I should give it another chance.

I think an hour to warm up is sufficient, BUT you should preferably add half an hour of playing music. Some units, like the Radikal, really kicks into the next gear after about half an hour of active duty.

[Spannko]

Defender,

I’ve heard your system before, and as you say, with the Class Olsen power strip, it’s pretty boring. However, the “Naim Musicline” elevates it to pole position, IMHO! Personally, I wouldn’t change a thing - it sounds fab as it is!

Is it the “Netzleiste” power strip by Musicline you’re using? (They make 4 versions). Also, I wouldn’t mind knowing what your complete system is - it sounds PDG to me (Pretty Damn Good)!

[Defender]

@Fredrik when I mean warm up than I mean playing music so it should be fine with the one hour which was actually even a little longer.

@Spannko its the cheapest MusicLine Netzleiste which sells for around 49,-Euro

The rest of the system is LP12, Akurate Radikal, Krystal, Entity, Sagatun Stereo, Pass XA 30.5 und Burmester 949 MKII loudspeakers.

I think the LP12 already played better before I was working on it. So that needs to be fixed. I was never 100% happy with the loudspeakers until I changed to LP12, Entity and Sagatun and new positioning of them with Fredriks advice (can be found in the loudspeaker positioning thread)

I have dropped the company who produces the Music Line power strip a mail lets see if they sell it still and lets see if they are able to make the cable shorter/and with text for comparison.

[OscarH]

Hopelessly late here, after both the reveal and several forum big hitters.

Anyway, since you provide two sets of clips to account for varying taste in music I stuck to Bruce for simplicity.

I preferred 1. Maybe more “impressive” but here the clarity of the presentation goes hand in hand with the tune.

What’s really interesting is that the winner seems to be a product with an actual name and number, unlike “cheap white one from the pound shop”, ie there’s a fair chance for others to get this strip. It’s also a schuko product unlike the US strips currently being investigated by markiteight.

With all that said, the “don’t change a thing” from Spannko is something of a hifi kiss of death. Then what are you supposed to do? Just listen to music? :)

[V.A.MKD]

here are some recordings with two different power strips
Song 1 and Song 2 to cover for two different music tastes

Power Strip 1
1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/kwp9hnocla870 ... 5.mov?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/q1te6hp0m0l4r ... 2.mov?dl=0

Power Strip 2
1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/3udgwzsh9b8ye ... 6.mov?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/q7p6ps1z17ths ... 2.mov?dl=0

For me Power Strip 1.
Late to the party, but ...

[Tendaberry]

so let me solve the power strip „battle“
Power Strip 1 = Naim Music Line Power Strip 2m
Power Strip 2 = Clas Ohlson Power Strip 1.4m
the Naim Music line has an I Sheng cable attached with marking against text and 2m it was running in about 48h when I took the recordings - not quite the time I consider for a power strip to perfectly run in ... that might also explain some of the not perfect background focus/slight restlessness (missing words to describe)

Mine are both with text :-) But one of them isn't i-Sheng, but something else where it also says "made in the UK".
I have to compare them after I have moved...
Anyway I had a clear preference for 1 here, after the drums came in on the Springsteen song, everything sounded pretty confused on the Claes Ohlson.

[Spannko]

“With all that said, the “don’t change a thing” from Spannko is something of a hifi kiss of death. Then what are you supposed to do? Just listen to music? :)”

Ha ha! Yes, Us fettler’s NEED something to play with. Just listening to music would be so boring! From a practical point of view though, it’s far too easy to “upgrade”, only to discover later that we don’t really like what we’re hearing, usually the day after we’ve sold the previous component!

@Defender: I didn’t notice the Pass amp, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard one. In your system it sounds fab. I’ve looked on the Burmester website and the owner states that only when the listener isn’t distracted by anything the system does, is he happy that he’s done a good job. I like this. It mirrors my thoughts about system evaluation, and for me, it includes both musicality AND fidelity.

Also, which arm and main bearing are you using?

[Eli7]

My music line power strip is around 20 years old.
I-Sheng, marking against text, 1,4m

[Defender]

Dieter Burmester the founder is unfortunately not with us anymore - he actually built his company after being very successful with own designs of amps and pre amps when he was a student.
He was also a guitar player and wanted to have his systems to reproduce his music like in a live concert.

But thats a nice marketing story - they actually moved into the real expensive real impressive direction and the companies information on how to place the loudspeakers doesnt work. The loudspeakers are very demanding and Burmester had the opinion only his own amps are able to drive them - the Pass is a 30W class A amp which has them perfectly in control and it shows that power output is only one information. I can actually see when the amp is leaving the class A state (the needle on the instrument starts to move) and you have to play music really loud to do that. So I am confident two Tundras would be able to drive them too.

Bearing is Cirkus - a Karousel is ready but I want to enjoy the different upgrading steps
Arm is an Ekos II - an Ekos SE/1 is waiting and again I want to make sure I enjoy the different steps on the go.
Vorfreude ist die schönste Freude ... happyness to look forward to something is the most fun rather than changing everything in one go.

Sooner or later you will be a proud owner of an LP12 again ;) Its only a matter of when and not if.

[OscarH]

“With all that said, the “don’t change a thing” from Spannko is something of a hifi kiss of death. Then what are you supposed to do? Just listen to music? :)”

Ha ha! Yes, Us fettler’s NEED something to play with. Just listening to music would be so boring! From a practical point of view though, it’s far too easy to “upgrade”, only to discover later that we don’t really like what we’re hearing, usually the day after we’ve sold the previous component!

That’s a good point about upgrades.
I’m ‘fortunate’ enough that the pandemic hasn’t been too good for my economy so I’m trying out various tricks in the “cheap to free” price range. If nothing else practicing the evaluation process isn’t a wasted effort.

[Defender]

here is an update about the Music Line Power strip

I got in touch with the company which sold the strip to Naim (I thought of a group/bulk buy or even better a modification with a shorter 1,4m cable and with text) - the answer was the product is not available anymore.

However they told me they have not produced it but sourced it from another company - and indicated I should contact them to check if they might have some amount left in stock.

The other company answered and also have the product no longer available :(

Not sure what this means for the future of this power strip - maybe Naim has enough in stock maybe they have sourced it from different suppliers in the past anyway but that also means variation is possible.

[Tendaberry]

Not sure what this means for the future of this power strip - maybe Naim has enough in stock maybe they have sourced it from different suppliers in the past anyway but that also means variation is possible.

Yes, that's it I think, since I have two different cables leading to the distributor block.
The Music Line power block is still listed here e.g.: https://www.on-off-hifi.de/Produkte/Nai ... te/NLE5696

[ThomasOK]

Yes, I'm liking power strip 1 the best on both tracks. It sounds a bit like it is shouting at me on power strip 2.

[Defender]

I got hold of 2 new Naim Music Line powerstrips which I bought with the hope of getting one which has the
I-Sheng cable with text and ... I got lucky - both have them with text so in some days we have the chance to compare „against text“ with „with text“.

BTW those ones have the sticker from the other company I called so it seems to be consistent with what the first company told me.

The one I have (which is against text) has improved since the recording - it is making so much fun that even my partner sings along with Bruce Springsteen even though she really doesn’t like him. It feels like I had a component upgrade like a new cartridge.
thank you again Tendaberry!

[OscarH]

Was that from the German shop previously linked to?

I’m just about to try another little Defender trick, hopefully some clips next week.

[tokenbrit]

The one I have (which is against text) has improved since the recording - it is making so much fun that even my partner sings along with Bruce Springsteen even though she really doesn’t like him.

That is the true test - I call it 'wifedem' :)

[Defender]

Was that from the German shop previously linked to?

I’m just about to try another little Defender trick, hopefully some clips next week.

there are enough shops in Germany which have that strip for sale. It was a different one than the one linked.
Courious to hear your clips.

[ThomasOK]

The one I have (which is against text) has improved since the recording - it is making so much fun that even my partner sings along with Bruce Springsteen even though she really doesn’t like him.

That is the true test - I call it 'wifedem' :)

Only that's a bit limiting. How about sodem (or does that sound too much like sodom).

[tokenbrit]

That is the true test - I call it 'wifedem' :)

Only that's a bit limiting. How about sodem (or does that sound too much like sodom).

But that doesn't allow for a family member, flatmate, friend, ex or anyone else listening to the music too, and able to offer a 2nd opinion... How about toodem or twodem? :)

[OscarH]

That is the true test - I call it 'wifedem' :)

Only that's a bit limiting. How about sodem (or does that sound too much like sodom).

But that doesn't allow for a family member, flatmate, friend, ex or anyone else listening to the music too, and able to offer a 2nd opinion... How about toodem or twodem? :)

I rather trust in kidem because you can’t kid ‘em. When they start singing along to obscure dad records they’ve never heard before you know you’re onto something.

[springwood64]

I rather trust in kidem because you can’t kid ‘em. When they start singing along to obscure dad records they’ve never heard before you know you’re onto something.

Ha! Yes, I totally get that!

[V.A.MKD]

The one I have (which is against text) has improved since the recording - it is making so much fun that even my partner sings along with Bruce Springsteen even though she really doesn’t like him.

That is the true test - I call it 'wifedem' :)

+1

[ThomasOK]

Only that's a bit limiting. How about sodem (or does that sound too much like sodom).

But that doesn't allow for a family member, flatmate, friend, ex or anyone else listening to the music too, and able to offer a 2nd opinion... How about toodem or twodem? :)

I rather trust in kidem because you can’t kid ‘em. When they start singing along to obscure dad records they’ve never heard before you know you’re onto something.

Now this is getting all too complex. Should you limit it to two, or could there be threedem (no threesome comments, please) and fourdem. And then what about catdem, dogdem, parrotdem, hamsterdem, etc. Hairdem for hair standing up on your arms or neck? The list is endless.

[beck]

To dem or not to dem? That is the question! :-)