Geeqner's new Baby XPA-2 Gen3

[geeqner]

Working on upgrading my Stereo Sound System

STILL STICKIN' AROUND:
Turntable = AR "The Turntable" with Shure V15-VMR
Pre-Amp = (Temporarily) Pre-Amp Section of NAD-7425 Receiver

LAST YEAR:
Replaced Speakers (Polk Monitor 5JR)--> ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 on 3-Foot Stands
Added Amplified Sub = Goldenear ForceField-3 for some low-end "grunt"
Replaced CD Changer with latest Yamaha (nothing fancy, but decent)
Mogami bulk Unbalanced Cable Set for CD

THIS YEAR (LAST NIGHT!):
Replaced Amplifier Section of my NAD-7425 --> XPA-2 Gen 3
Mogami bulk Unbalanced Cable Set

Although the NAD Power Section is built for an unusually-high amount of Dynamic Headroom -
I think that I had gone a bit "system-blind"  (it's pretty OLD - Caps are probably starting to go...)

Spun-up Steely Dan "Gaucho" CD (MobileFidelity Ultradisk) and WOW!  Whole new experience of Dynamic Range
Amp is not even broken-in yet but noticed HUGE difference with Amp that is better match to the new Speakers!

NEXT STEP = XSP-1 (but it'll be a while - I'm not one of those guys who can plunk-down that kind of moolah without saving-up for a while)

[ÈlTwo]

Congrats on the upgrade!

[26gary26]

Congrats ! Love my new XPA2 Gen3 & XPS-1 Gen 2. you'll love the combination.

[leonski]

Mar 15, 2018 13:30:37 GMT -5 geeqner said:

Working on upgrading my Stereo Sound System

STILL STICKIN' AROUND:
Turntable = AR "The Turntable" with Shure V15-VMR
Pre-Amp = (Temporarily) Pre-Amp Section of NAD-7425 Receiver

LAST YEAR:
Replaced Speakers (Polk Monitor 5JR)--> ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 on 3-Foot Stands
Added Amplified Sub = Goldenear ForceField-3 for some low-end "grunt"
Replaced CD Changer with latest Yamaha (nothing fancy, but decent)
Mogami bulk Unbalanced Cable Set for CD

THIS YEAR (LAST NIGHT!):
Replaced Amplifier Section of my NAD-7425 --> XPA-2 Gen 3
Mogami bulk Unbalanced Cable Set

Although the NAD Power Section is built for an unusually-high amount of Dynamic Headroom -
I think that I had gone a bit "system-blind"  (it's pretty OLD - Caps are probably starting to go...)

Spun-up Steely Dan "Gaucho" CD (MobileFidelity Ultradisk) and WOW!  Whole new experience of Dynamic Range
Amp is not even broken-in yet but noticed HUGE difference with Amp that is better match to the new Speakers!

NEXT STEP = XSP-1 (but it'll be a while - I'm not one of those guys who can plunk-down that kind of moolah without saving-up for a while)

In a regularly used system, the Big PS caps should last 20 years unless cooked or otherwise abused.       For a system which has been unused for a long time period, the big PS caps may need to be 'formed' by bringing back to life 
using a variac, not just flipping on.

Louder almost always sounds better.   

I really doubt your caps are going bad.     Know anything about ELAC?   My brother had one of their TTs maybe 40+ years ago.   'Elac Benjamin Miracord' was quite a piece of goods.    
I last heard the ELAC speakers a few years ago at T.H.E. Newport home audio show.  

Other preamps in the 1000$ range include the Parasound P5 which is certainly worth a look.  

[mshump]

Congrats on the upgrade ! I noticed the same as you when I first upgraded, I had a nice Onkyo receiver and bought an XPA-3 amp and was hooked !! The XSP-1 pre is a great pre, I replaced mine with a Cary pre in my 2 channel system and the difference was enough that I kept the Cary in the system, it is a tube pre and I prefer the tube sound a little better. Enjoy the journey now !!


Mark

[geeqner]

I believe that I also read somewhere - regarding the NAD Power Envelope series receivers:

That if you bypass the Amplifier part of them - the built-in Power Supply is operating under more "ideal" conditions, which actually IMPROVES the sound of the Pre-Amp portion of them. Maybe I'm at least partially hearing this in addition to the added power of the XPS Amp.

Either way, my ELAC Speakers are LOVIN' the new power! 

[leonski]

Tests have been done and it SEEMS that even a preamp which might actually use 50va to 75va benefits from a PS of 2x or 3x or MORE than the 'needed' capacity.

I personally can't see you going wrong taking the power amp demand away from the circuit and having the preamp benefit.

Pass makes 2-piece and 3-piece preamps of which at least one piece is pure PS. And I think that NAIM also makes the HICap PS which is over and above the stock PS.

www.naimaudio.com/product/hicap