First impression of the NOS1a (and Orelo)

[christoffe]

Hi Joachim,

Good to hear how the 'a' relates to the 'old' NOS1 I never had! I am currently halfway the burn-in period (10th day) of my new NOS1a. It is a rollercoaster as Coen said before, some days are okay other days are worse.

But this evening the SQ is beautiful!

regards, Arjan

Hi Arjan,
so you are on the road to …………… .

Peter wrote that an updated NOS1 needs no burn in , and so I should hear the full potential of the modification already. (bass and highs are amazing)
At present I’m going through my “library” and I hear details not familiar with. I’m still in the familiarization period with the NOS1a, but I can say already, the SQ made a tremendous step forwards.

In one week I will go from 8x AP to 16x AP for a comparison.

I see in your profile that your setting is without upsampling.

Joachim

[Arjan]

Hi Joachim,
I have changed my profile! Thank you for mentioning!
The PC I use now is different from my full linear and modified XXHE pc.
A small nice looking fanless case.
When the burn-in is done I will do a test with the two pc's.
Regards, Arjan

[toddn]

So I was one of the very fortunate early upgraders to the new NOS1a. We have all read some of the great initial impressions of the NOS1a, however, many of them have been with dramatic changes to the poster's other equipment (I’d love to hear it’s performance in those systems) What I will unequivocally point out is that with the level of performance Peter has achieved with the NOS1a we all will be evaluating any other weaknesses in our systems.

Since I haven’t posted my equipment list in my signature, I thought I would put it here to give everyone an idea of what I am listening to. The PC is very similar to Peter’s spec unit but in a full size case and with linear power on all voltage rails for the PC (not that this matters anymore with the NOS1a , the NOS1a balanced outputs drive bridged Ncore 400’s, so two NC400 modules bridged on left channel and two on right channel connected to custom passive crossovers for the dipole midrange and tweeters of the Audio Artistry Beethoven Grands.(Normally these would be driven through the Beethoven’s electronic x-over, but that was affecting the resolution of the NOS1.) I have a separate set of balanced outputs off a XLR Y-cable feeding the electronic x-over which feeds two more NC400’s per channel driving the mid-bass and subwoofer drivers. (for reference, there are a total of 8 ScanSpeak 10” drivers in the main panels and 16 Peerless XLR long throw 12” drivers in separate folded baffles, these are all open baffles. The total surface area is almost three times that of the Orelo MKII’s 6-15” drivers, so very low excursion and distortion for a lot of output)
Also, now knowing Peter’s analysis of the Ncore amps, it is very possible that I will audition new mid/tweeter amps to be able to fully realize the potential of the NOS1a’s resolution

Ok, so back to the real reason for this post, the sound quality. Hard to put in words, from the moment I started playing it my mouth was just wide open in astonishment! Well truthfully, I had some phase issues from stupid wiring mistakes; (I forgot that the high output of Butterworth x-overs must have the phase inverted. Oh yeah and double check the wires of your XLR cable assembly before soldering them, duh.)  I hope Peter forgives me for initially implying that perhaps in final assembly one of the channels of the NOS1a was wired out of phase

So once I corrected my wiring, what I heard was the most natural but detailed sound that I have ever heard. The music just flowed as one complete unit, I wasn’t just drawn to one aspect, and everything was in perfect balance but with so much more information! I found myself literally overjoyed with emotion at what I was experiencing. And I have never heard such a precise soundstage, both from left to right and front to back. All the performers were firmly grounded in the actual positions in which they were recorded! Everything was in proper scale. I told Peter in an email that I could see one performer turning to the other during their interaction on stage; well I thought I could see it, but I literally could hear the change in where the performer’s voice was directed!

I could go on and on and I assure you this is not hyperbole. I obviously don’t post a lot , so I’m maybe not the best at pointing out specific things, but that is the wonderful thing about the NOS1a, everything is now presented as a whole so no more nitpicking this or that. It is all just so right!

For any of us that have been on this journey with the NOS1 and all the iterations of XXHighend, we have all listened to our music library like it was completely new. Re-exploring albums that we were familiar with and hearing them as if they were completely new re-masters. Well I assure you, if you get the NOS1a upgrade you will be doing that all over again, and don’t be surprised if you’re listening to genres of music that normally aren’t your cup of tea because they’ re viewed through a completely different lens!

Oh, and one other thing, it was Mani now years ago that posted his observations on another forum, saying how much he preferred the NOS1 to his Pacific Microsonics 2. He said to beg, borrow or steal to get your hands on a NOS1. So I did and never looked back. I would say that applies tenfold to the NOS1a! You know it sucks paying $600 in shipping to get something sent and returned from the States to the Netherlands, but I really would not hesitate to pay twice the upgrade cost after hearing the NOS1a!

Not to fuel any fires, but if I were way down the upgrade list, I would pay someone higher up a healthy premium to exchange spots just to get it sooner

[manisandher]

Hey Todd, thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's always nice when someone arrives at the same findings as yourself totally independently.

Oh, and one other thing, it was Mani now years ago that posted his observations on another forum, saying how much he preferred the NOS1 to his Pacific Microsonics 2. He said to beg, borrow or steal to get your hands on a NOS1. So I did and never looked back.

Well I hope it was either of the first two and not the last. But in any case, it's nice to know that someone finally listened to me. Now if only I could have the same effect on my wife

Not to fuel any fires, but if I were way down the upgrade list, I would pay someone higher up a healthy premium to exchange spots just to get it sooner

Haha...

Mani.

[PeterSt]

I could go on and on and I assure you this is not hyperbole. I obviously don’t post a lot , so I’m maybe not the best at pointing out specific things, but that is the wonderful thing about the NOS1a, everything is now presented as a whole so no more nitpicking this or that. It is all just so right!

Todd, I can assure you that you pointed out all very well and in such a pleasurable fashion to read. Very nice ! ...

The total surface area is almost three times that of the Orelo MKII’s 6-15” drivers,

... but since I calculate 1059,75^" vs 2436^" I would say "more than two times". But, crazy of course !

Also, now knowing Peter’s analysis of the Ncore amps,

Oh, I am sorry about that; I don't think I ever knew that you use those. Anyway, please take it as how I wrote that (elsewhere) and that listening is subjective.

For any of us that have been on this journey with the NOS1 and all the iterations of XXHighend, we have all listened to our music library like it was completely new. Re-exploring albums that we were familiar with and hearing them as if they were completely new re-masters.

Funny actually that it really happens like that. So changes over time must really be huge. And it keeps on happening (as it seems).

Well I assure you, if you get the NOS1a upgrade you will be doing that all over again, and don’t be surprised if you’re listening to genres of music that normally aren’t your cup of tea because they’ re viewed through a completely different lens!

Thank you Todd.
Peter

[2glory]

#19 shipping from US FL. This Monday. Wife wants Peter to stick a remote in with the upgrade , "OK dear Peter can do that for sure".

[Mamba315]

She'll have to make due with a (tiny) pair of shoes. 

[Scroobius]

Hi Todd - Great to read your post on NOS1a . I know you had a pair of Dexa's at each end of your USB link are you still using them?

I have them installed with my NOS1a they are well worth keeping from what I hear.

Cheers

Paul

[Scroobius]

Todd - also is there any chance you could post a picture of your system I would love to see that big radiating area!!

Cheers

Paul

[PeterSt]

This is addressed to everybody, hence not specifically to Paul :

We at Phasure are there to help out. This also means that when something is broken we feel "entitled" not to charge all the time we *need* to spend to repair stuff as the result of what stupid (YES !) Dexa tweaks are causing here and there. Now ask Todd about THAT, Ok ?

So I really can only say this :
When people appear not to be able (or by accident) to keep all working as should, and it costs us 3 days or even more to find the cluprit, it means that the invoice for it can go rather unlimited sky high. It can also mean that if 3 days were spent and still no solution, we must fall back to replace e.g. a DAC board which costs into the 700 euros. So now it's those three days (count 1500 for that) plus over 700 plus the additional work for the replacement. Say we're at 2500 now.
Add over 300 euros for shipping back and forth for a common country somewhere on the globe.

This goes quite unnoticed because *WE* take most of this cost. So again, ask Todd, or you neighbour for that matter.

All in other words : Nice that you keep on talking people into stuff I don't believe in myself (but suit yourself !) but if *you* (Paul) are not in control of whatever issues which theoretically apply and can happen for damage at others, you better agree amongst eachother who is going to bear those costs. And this in other words : I won't any more.
Does this sound logical ? I hope so !

I hope it is totally clear that I only "need" to say this because I hate it when someone applies something for the better - also springing from the genuine best ideas and advices - ... that I hate it to charge so much money for someone applying his hobby. So I just don't want to run into it, and it can be avoided.

All in good spirit,
Peter

[toddn]

Hi Paul,

Congratulations on your upcoming Orelinos! It will be nice to hear the impressions of someone who has never been a horn guy

Regarding the Dexa clocks, my NOS1@ is a completely unadulterated model. No BG caps, no Dexa clock. Many thanks to Peter for absorbing most of the cost of returning it to stock.(I had removed all modifications to the USB board before sending it back for the "a" upgrade) I can not understate my appreciation to Peter for all he did and has done for me.

I do still use a Dexa clock and power supply on my PC USB3 board. Where I think it's quality is superior to a stock board and two different audiophile USB PCIe boards that I own and tried.

However, I think it's use in the NOS1a is ill advised. Peter's power supplies in all sections of the NOS1a have ripple factors much lower than anything out there, and I believe that synergy of all of his components are crucial to the low jitter and low noise that the NOS1a exhibits.

I've come to understand that without the quality test equipment, the engineering prowess and indeed the "outside the box" thinking that Peter possesses, I cannot possibly trust my judgement(or lack there of) in making modifications to the NOS1a

And at this point, given that you will have the Orlino's, another reunion with Mani might be in order for a subjective comparison

Below is the right channel of my system. Kind of hard to see with the lighting, but the 8-12" Peerless XLS drivers are housed in a "W" shaped folded baffle open to the front and rear, behind the beautiful Brazilian Rosewood sides. The folding is just to make the system more compact and is equalized in the electronic crossover. They cover from 70Hz down 18Hz.

I'd love to hear what 2 Orelinos horns would do in place of the Scanspeak 8s and tweeters, since the cover from 260hz and up

Again, can't wait to here your impressions of your new Orelinos once you get them!

Cheers,
Todd

[toddn]

Sorry I didn't resize the photo properly, my first time trying to attach one...

[PeterSt]

I changed it somewhat for you Todd.

And thanks (also for all the kind words ...).
Peter

[Scroobius]

We at Phasure are there to help out.

Wow I did not realise that Peter (or rather Ciska) had fixed Todd's NOS1 FOC  - Peter told me about what happened to Todd's NOS1 when I was over in Holland and it was the weirdest problem imaginable with no real clue as to what was wrong.

What I do know (having done it myself) is the amount of work that Ciska did with investigations and then repair to Todd's NOS1 and I would not wish that on anyone. It is a serious amount of work.

As Peter mentioned elsewhere the dexa was still in my NOS1 when it was upgraded but only because I could not be bothered to remove it and put the old clock back in. When Peter measured my NOS1 it was fine and to spec. I have to say that I consider myself very lucky that was the case and I freely admit to being very apprehensive when Peter hooked up my NOS to his "all seeing" and very impressive measuring system.

With NOS1a performance as it is now I would not advocate any modifications by anyone. My query of Todd about the dexa was a pretty thoughtless one and was not intended in any way to encourage anyone to make any modifications.

Cheers

Paul

[Scroobius]

Hi Todd - thanks for posting a picture of your system. Very impressive that is a serious number of drivers and must sound very impressive. Shame I do not live nearer I would have liked to "pop" in for a listen.

It will be interesting to hear the Orelino's in my room as the implementation will have some significant differences compared with Peter and Mani's only because of the odd shape of my room. It will certainly test Peter's assertion that the sound (in the bass?) is pretty much independent of room shape and size.

The time is approaching!!

Cheers

Paul