Nor on my office NOS1 . It's just my main NOS1 that seems to exhibit slightly different behaviour. But perhaps it's still within 'specs'.

Mani.

Thanks Peter. But I should have mentioned the following:

1. the changes on the main NOS1 happen every 1/2 second or so - jumps of up to 0.5mV are common
2. this is all with no music playing at all
3. both NOS1s run off exactly the same AC mains circuit

Still normal behaviour?

Mani.

Hi all, I've got two NOS1s - one in my main system, and one in my office system. Not only do the two NOS1s show very different DC offsets, but the DC offsets in my office NOS1 are pretty much rock solid, whereas the DC offsets in my main NOS1 vary continuously:

Main: 15.0-16.1 (upper meter) and 10.8-12.0 (lower meter)
Office: 1.7-1.8 (upper meter) and 2.7-2.8 (lower meter)

Is my main NOS1 behaving normally, I wonder? [It sounds bloody good, I have to say.]

Mani.

Hi Ramesh, in my office system I use the NOS1 without XX pretty much exclusively. My chain is:

Roon/Tidal -> HQPlayer (upsample to 705.6) -> NOS1

I love the ease with which I can access music and get it playing quickly. Being able to stream Tidal and internet radio are massive pluses too.

BUT... there is no way I'd use this chain in my main listening room - it sounds nice... but nowhere near as good as XX -> NOS1.

I have no experience with HT.

HTH.

Mani.

Hi Peter, I remember playing around with USB and LAN cable shields years ago, and hearing a distinct difference in sound. In any event, I'll order a new Lush when I get back from my work travels.

Don't look forward to trying all (or even a fraction of) the combinations though

Mani.

Peter, do the entries in the 'SQ relative to Mach II' column still stand in your opinion?

Mani.

Yes! A direct connection makes the Lush sound a bit like the Clarixa->Phisolator.


Not a step backwards in my two systems, IMO. I can't go back to the Phisolator now... not with the Mach II anyway.

Mani.

Nah, the improvement isn't exclusive to my Mach II with your clock upgrade - there's a similar improvement in my office system, with my standard home-built x99 audio PC (as close to a Mach II as I could get it).

Look forward to hearing your thoughts over the weekend.

Mani.

Hi Juan. Yes, the sound is 'brighter' without the Phisolator here too. But it doesn't sound at all like 'fake detail' to me - it really does seem to sound genuinely clearer. Putting the Phisolator back in the chain takes away the sparkle - it sounds smeared and more boring in comparison.

Mani.

Hey Peter, what I'm hearing is exactly the opposite to what you're hearing!

I really was expecting you to say something like, "No way. Too forward. Bass is too lean. Sounds like ultra-low SFS."

There must be something fundamentally different happening between both of us. Due to your using the the Mach III and my using the Mach II perhaps? It'd be interesting to hear others' experiences.

Mani.

Yes definitely Nick. It's what prompted me to try it.

Mani.

Yesterday evening I tried something that I can't remember trying before. I by-passed the Phisolator and connected the Lush directly to the NOS1. I definitely tried this when I first received the NOS1 back after its upgrade... but I then only had the Clarixa USB cable, and not the Lush.

The sound is much cleaner with the Phisolator by-passed. Ordinarily, I think it might be tad too lean, and probably why I decided to stick with the Phisolator before. But with the Lush, I think it sounds marvelous. The Phisolator seems to smear the sound. Transients seem deadened. By-passed, the sound is crystal clear and very 'sweet'. There seems to be a longer and more natural decay to instruments. Just generally more musical.

The bottom end has tightened up a lot, and again comes across as more musical.

Of course, our systems are different and perhaps what I'm getting won't work in yours. But I thought I'd share nevertheless.

Mani.

Finally my poor 'white sheep' (the name Peter and I gave to my NOS1) has a couple of friends - two white horns... which I guess makes them rams .

Mani.

They may well be - they were Jack's demo pair. The guy I bought them off bought them about a year ago.

I'm totally bowled over by the sound I'm getting, for the money I paid.

Mani.

Just bought a (used) pair of Tune Audio Marvel speakers for my office system. Got them for <1/3 of their retail price, which is just ridiculous! I've had loads of speakers in this system, and irrespective of the speakers, the SQ has never gotten anywhere near that of my main system. But with these Marvels, my office system is now knocking on the door.

Of course, having a NOS1 and BD mono amps in my office helps!

(Forgive me if the tone of this post comes across as a bit self-congratulatory... but I just had to share my joy.)

Mani.