Gav67

@Goatboy Apogees were certainly a ground breaking speaker and were very expensive new. But one good thing about some Hi-end speakers is they still sound great even years later and can still compete equally with a lot of new speakers on the market. The depreciation in value can be used to the secondhand buyers advantage especially with Hi-end gear, as the loss in actual dollar terms is greater. Exchange rates can also have a major influence on the price of imported gear. When the Alexandria series 1 was released in 2004 for $135k USD, the exchange rate was around 0.52. With other associated costs and the exchange rate, the RRP for the series 1 was heading towards $280k AUD in 2004. While in 2011/12 with the AUD worth slightly more than the USD, the RRP for the XLF was something like $235k. Cheaper than the series 1 from 8 years earlier. Now add depreciation where the first few years may take up to 50% off the initial value. However, the rate of depreciation then starts to slow so as a secondhand buyer you may be able to pick up a speaker 1 or 2 models up the performance ladder but at a price comparable to the lower models new RRP. Something to consider. It has worked well for me a few times over the years, especially if the manufacturer is still operating and they offer good support through spares for the older gear and a backup repair/refurbishment service. Wilson Audio is one company that I am aware of that provides this. And there would be others as well.

@Goatboy Yeah Joseph carries a lot of hiend brands plus some interesting traded gear from time to time. The Alexandria range (series 1, 2 or XLF) is worth hearing just to get a sense of what large speakers can do. They are very good at scaling from creating a single central solo instrument up to a wall of sound for a large orchestra.

@Goatboy Are you going back to have a listen?

Welcome. Nice gear you have and/or had.

@rmpfyf interesting topic. While you could make a second independent MEN system, I would be concerned under fault conditions of different potentials between the two earth systems. Ie I assume the suggested installation has the hifi system on one MEN and the rest of the house is on the other MEN and they are not connected. If you have your hand on the chasis of a HiFI component (earthed to one MEN system) and your feet In contact with the house (earthed to the second MEN system) and a fault occurs on one MEN , you may experience a large potential difference between the two MEN systems. BTW, I have a dedicated supply to my HiFi system and use the main MEN system. I also use a Torus AVR16 conditioner due to an intermediate disturbance that use to cause the transformers in my Krell power amps to hum on occasions. It commence about 4 years ago, day or night and for various durations. The amps were completely quiet before and would not hum at other people’s houses. I expected it was due to intermittent dc on the incomer but after trying many dc blockers nothing worked. Under advice from Len at Len Wallis I tried the Torus and the amps have been silent since. Plus I now have the bonus of voltage regulation. Also a disclaimer Note I am not an expert on this power supply topic and professional advice should always be sort to ensure a safe installation.

@rmpfyf true, it would be illegal to separate the earth stakes.

Note under Australian Standards 3000 there are requirements for earthing and neutral connections (Multiple Earthed Neutral (MEN) system) that must be complied with. Eg to avoid step and touch potential particularly under fault conditions. While more than one earth stake can be installed they must be connected to produce an earth grid to maintain the same potential, See the following link of an example installation. A licensed electrician will be fully aware of the requirements and insist that the installation is installed to code. http://www.novaris.com.au/images/stories/Sales Kit/SK10/The MEN Wiring System.pdf

Welcome to the community

Looking good. How long has the film been on?

Sold pending payment

Hi Crustycottage, The Eichmann Express Series 2 AC Enhancing Cable was a good addition to my system at the time. Glad you find it good on your Naim system. I'm using a Torus power conditioner these days.

Item: Eichmann Express Series 2 AC Enhancing Cable (length = 2m) + Eichmann Power Strip Location: Brisbane, QLD (local pickup or will post if buyer pays all costs to post) Price: $285 + postage, if required Item Condition: 7/10 (Good) Reason for selling: Have changed to other forms of power conditioning Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Includes original box for Cable and Power Strip. Pictures:

Item: Transparent Audio MusicLink RCA Interconnect 1m Location: Brisbane, QLD (local pickup or will post if buyer pays all costs to post) Price: $140 (price drop $170) + postage, if required Item Condition: 7/10 (Good) Reason for selling: These cables haven't been used for many years as my system is all balanced Payment Method: Pickup - Cash, Paypal, COD Only Extra Info: Local pickup preferred, but can ship Australia wide Transparent Audio cable include network technology to improve signal transmission and for noise rejection. Includes original packaging. Pictures:

Congrats. The room looks great. I’m sure the sound is great too.

This ws the first day clearing the room before starting to install the treatments.