Morning Ross & Happy Thanksgiving (if you’re a US resident) – the Cable Company has a NORDOST Black Friday event – good time to see what a Heimdall 2 Ethernet goes for during the sale.
Best to you Sir,
Bob
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Thank you Bob, as always. And Happy Thanksgiving! Ross
Sorry, Portugal and here Nordost is more expensive
Hi Lima,
Congratulations for the Odin. Well done !
So, what are your impressions ?
Hi Lima,
I attended a Nordost Presentation yesterday afternoon in Paris. We tried the new Qb8, the Qbase, Qsine and QWave. I spent a fantastic afternoon.
And I was blown away but the QPoint with the QSource.
It’s fantastic you buy a Qnet with a Qsource shortly. That’s the way to go. I will do the same, with 3 Qpoints in the package, in the next future.
If you’ll allow me, I’d like to encourage you to put a power cord Valhalla 2 in the Qsource.
This is the signal that will feed your streamer/dac, it is so essential to bring the best at that stage.
And it is fundamental to have the same power cord everywhere from the Qb8, to the electronics and Qsource.
Of course, for the Metronome transport you use rarely, a tyr 2 is far enough.
At last, at your level, you need an ethernet Valhalla 2 from the Qnet to the Streamer /dac. You can put ethernet Valhalla 2 everywhere later if you want.
Ethernet Heimdall 2 is ok but not at your level, because your system is scheduled to be so sophisticated in the next weeks, you need the best.
Finally, to answer your last questions, I won’t transform my Bartok in an Apex Bartok. The price is far too expensive for that machine. That Price is justified for a Vivaldi or a Rossini, but not for a Bartok. I prefer invest money in Nordost solutions, it will bring me more for less.
And my Bartok is already driven by the Rossini Masterclock. With the same Tyr 2 powercords for the Bartok and the clock, and 2 Tyr2 digital cables to connect the 2 machines.
It is fundamental to add a clock to your dCS. and it is fundamental to put the same powercords on the machines and the matching digital cables.
Give some news from your system, it is always a pleasure to read you.
Best regards,
Tylerdurden
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@TylerDurden Hi, nice your experience. I already change the main power cable from the wall to the Q8 but not the Valhalla, i went to the Odin 1 brande new.
My dealer already told me the advantages of the Qnet and Qsource and i will bring home to try and i believe will be to stay 
My dealer did and I think he post on YouTube a video comparing the Bartók Apex and non Apex and is a big diference.
Let’s see the way hi will go, or i now change all the cables for the Valhalla 2 or i do for now just the power cords, the Qnet and grounding and then i go for the XLR and speakers for Odin 2. But meanwhile I’ve been so happy with the improvement the Odin power cable and the TYR2 in the rest of all system that I dont know if it justify the investment and instead go to the Rossini Apex plus Clock, grounding and the Qnet and Q source.
Hi Lima,
I think we have interest to invest first at the source, where the signal is created :
- The powercords, they lower noise levels
- the dCS source
- the clock
- the way the datas are delivered to the source ( qsource + qnet + ethernet Valhalla 2 )
You have a dartzeel and Wilson Alexia speakers, and a Odin powercord to the Qb8.
Your system could be coherent with :
- Tyr 2 power cords everywhere from the QB8 to the qsource and the electronics.
- a dCS Rossini Apex
- a Vilvaldi clock : it is so far better than a Rossini clock with the Rossini streamer/dac.
Dac Rossini Apex 2.0 has nothing to do with the original model released in 2015. Today, the Vivaldi clock is far more appropriated. The difference is huge with a Rossini. - qsource + qnet + ethernet Valhalla 2.
- If the dac is powered by a tyr 2 power cable, the clock must be implemented with tyr 2 cables. It won’t work properly otherwise.
- at last, grounding.
If you want invest more, replace the word Tyr with Valhalla, and change your XLR and speakers cables for Valhalla2. Why put Odin 2 at these levels if there is no Odin 2 powercords to feed the qb8 and the electronics ?
For my part, I haven’t yet invested properly in XLRs and speaker cables.
Tell me about it !
What have the Tyr2s done for you? they make me dream.
I wish you the best.
Tylerdurden
@TylerDurden You get the point where i finish… I’m so happy with the result of the Tyr2 that I don’t know how much performance i will get moving one step up, usually wen i do an up-grade i always move at least 2 steps up on the line.
And technically the diference between the Tyr2 and the Valhalla 2 is not so big, that’s why I’m considering if i invest in the all Valhalla 2.
Why the Odin2? Because i have the experience in the past that the analog cables make bigger difference in sound than speakers cables and i dont even compare to the digital ones.
You think the internet Valhalla 2 justify the price difference related with the Heimdall?
Also, never test the impact of the clock, but i let you the question, it makes so much diference? If it does i can keep the cables like they are, now take care of the Qnet and Qsource and grounding. Few months latter trade my Bartók Apex for the Rossini Apex plus the Vivaldi clock.
Take care,
Lima
Changing from a Heimdall ethernet to a Valhalla ethernet, makes a huge difference, provided, of course, that the power cable sending the signal through these ethernet cables is a Valhalla or at least a Tyr.
The clock is an absolute necessity for a truly natural sound.
But the clock only really works if it’s powered by the same cable as the dac, and digital interconnections of the same level.
If your powercords are already Tyr 2, you are absolutely right, your next moves should be :
- Qsource + Qnet + Ethernet Valhalla 2 (+ a tyr2 powercord to feed the Qsource )
- Grounding
- Qpoints, Qsine, Qwave
- Rossini Apex with Vivaldi clock, with Tyr2 digital cables and powercord.
For your information, The qb8 mk3 gives a better sound that the precedent versions.
The Qbase is expensive, but given your system, it’s not excessive, and far better than qb8 mk3.
If in the future you choose a Qbase, you don’t need Qsine and Qwave, they are already inside.
Best regards,
Tylerdurden
@TylerDurden I already have the Qbase but the version 2. I know it improves, but that’s a cheep investment to do regardless all the rest
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Oh, that one, ok! That’s 18K euros here. Big diference?
Hi there, today is my birthday and so i went shopping some extras to my system.
Well, start taking care of the Internet, bought the Qnet plus the Qsource.
Also bought the Qkore6 and all the cables to connect the ground of my QB8 and my amp and dac.
The Qsource is connect to the QB8 that is already with the QKore6.
Bought all the cables and wen i get to the part of the cable from the router to the Qnet bought the blue heaven (he didn’t have either the Valhalla or the Heimdall that i already have one.
He’s not only an employee of the store I’m client for more than 24 years, he’s my friend and he ensure me that the internet cables makes diference, but not as much as having the Qsource to the Qnet.
He also bring me something from the old stock but brand new, a QX2, that’s a Quantum Ressonant and he told me that this was crazy wen came to the market and if i was to ground the system to bring it home for test. I connect from the wall to the QX2 with one of my Heimdall power cords, Nordost says is not so important the cables to the QX2 but yes the one that goes to the QB8.
Well, I’m delighted with the result, more detail, soundstage, and a big increase in the bass but more detailed.
The QX2 have a one and off button so we can check the results, i did what he told me, let it play for 10 minutes and then turn off to check the result and wow, i really fell it.
This is a really good up-grade.
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Happy Birthday Lima,
I hope to be as spoiled for my birthday !
You must be so happy with all that new stuff, I am really happy for you.
You transformed totally your system.
Life can be so nice !
Enjoy !
Tylerdurden
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Hi everyone, i need to do an up-date.
It’s been almost a week since i did the up-grade on the Grounding, Internet switch and Qsource. I also bring home the QX2 to give it a try.
Some weeks ago i did the up-grade of the power cables.
A week later i have the follow report to give.
The QX2 i took it off on the second day, it change the sound but not for best on my opinion and this just increase my idea that we should not apply filters.
But the Qnet, the Qsource and the QKore now have almost one week playing and the jump in quality in the last days its like night and day, honestly!! I didn’t know if the components need burn in time but it seems they need. The level of silence and detail you have take off same of the hardness you may have in the sound and didn’t know, the focus and and soundstage improve so much, the bass is bigger, more articulate, the mid frequencies more in countrol! I advice everyone that didn’t change the internet switch and did not have grounding on the system to do it before any other up-grade. You will ear your system like never before but by experience you will feel improvement on the first day but after a week is another thing. I’m completely blown away!!
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Nice post. The Qnet was awarded Winner of hi-fi+'s Network Switch category a year ago.
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It’s very clear the diference but the grounding i never thought it would give such an sound improvement
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Nordost Quantum QX2 purificateur de courant électrique audiophile
1700€ TTC
Quantum Research aujourd’hui département de Nordost travaille depuis des années sur la physique Quantique , leurs découvertes sont tenues secrétes mais ont révolutionées la perception musicale .
Vous allez enfin pouvoir entendre toute l’intension le sensibilté du jeu d’un contrebassiste dans les moindre détails non pas chirurgicaux mais artistiques !La scéne sonore s’élargie , l’aération , la qualité des silences , le réalisme devient époustouflant.
I found that on french web site…I don’t know whether or not they just translated the commercial saying of Nordost ?
However, when it starts like this (use google translate) I feel stupid going to the shop and ask for a try…It is an individual feeling, and I believe you it made a difference in your system…But to get me, they first need to adapt their commercial message…
@ChrisK That i notice some difference that’s no doubt but, I didn’t feel for the better, the medium and high frequencies were to expose, too strong. My dealer ask me to give it a change and let it play, I didn’t. But the other equipment i install, wow! I still have that at my home, maybe ill let it burn for a wile and see if something changes.
We shouldn’t forget that dCS has recommended UNSHEILDED ethernet cables to their products. My Bartok and Roon Nucleus are all hard wired to the ethernet through an 8Switch. I was using WW best ethernet and some AQ Vodka. It all worked well. After reading the dCS recommendation, I ordered a couple Cat5 unshielded Blue Jeans ethernet cables to try. Inexpensive, but well made. From the wall to the router, no difference. From the router to the 8Switch, no difference. From the 8Switch to the Roon Nucleus, no difference. From the 8Switch to the Bartok… the Blue Jeans cable was much quieter than WW or AQ. Much.
And I’m a WW fan, recently replaced my Nordost Valhalla speaker cables with WW Platinum Eclipse silver for better SQ from the c-j amps to the Wilsons. Try some unshielded ethernet cables to your dCS DACs.
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