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https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl AUDIO FORUMS >> Digital >> Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?num=1711998692 Message started by Geno on 04/01/24 at 20:11:32 |
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Title: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by Geno on 04/01/24 at 20:11:32 For CXN owners here, I just wanted to make folks aware of an issue I had with mine. A few weeks back, I noticed a significant loss of SQ in my overall sound. The mids and highs had gotten very sharp, and also a loss of bass. I started with my CXN(with mods), and swapped the tubes out - no change. So, I figured I had a tube/tubes going bad in one of my two UFO's(Monoblocs) I spent an aggravating couple of days experimenting with tube rolling - still no change. A few days later, after much head scratching, I was back to the CXN. Perhaps there was a firmware update that I needed - Nope - I was up to date. Then, I got to thinking that maybe I just needed to do a factory reset, but I didn't want to have to (probably) start over with setting up my wifi again. So, I decided to just unplug the unit from my ZLC, wait a minute or so, and plug it back in. This did the trick. I guess that it did a reset, because the sound is back to normal. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by ChrisC on 04/01/24 at 21:23:48 Geno, Interesting. I had the same thing happen to me about 18 months ago, for no apparent reason either... I went through the same routine on tubes, reached out to Dan @ MWI, and my preamp builder with no apparent explanation or fix. Finally, I pulled the plug and reset up the network connection and, like you, it returned to normal SQ. Strange ChrisC [smiley=tunes51.gif] |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by Geno on 04/01/24 at 22:38:54 Hi Chris. I guess as much as we have to reboot our PC/Laptop/Tablets, as well as our phones, to fix issues, this type of reset shouldn't really be a surprise. I guess that many of us though, especially us old schoolers, think of audio equipment as, well, audio, and not computer related - but much of it is. I ditched the laptop/usb setup to take the computer out of the equation as much as possible, but... ::) Best, Geno |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by CAJames on 04/02/24 at 02:24:59 Quote:
That's funny Geno. I few months ago something in my DDC+DAC went haywire and I guess since I've been doing computer and network stuff for so long the first thing I did was shut everything down for a couple minutes and when I turned it back on everything was fine. So, the moral of the story is it isn't just your CXN and when in doubt, turn it off. Or, as my first boss liked to say, "computers are only human." |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by Geno on 04/02/24 at 15:36:34 Quote:
Love it! Ima have to use that one. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by JBzen on 04/02/24 at 16:16:30 I second that Geno! |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by CAJames on 04/02/24 at 17:20:26 Yeah, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that line. Another thing he used to say (and this was in the mid80's) when us whipper snappers would complain about computer stuff he would say when he was our age he would spend the night watching his job run with a box of vacuum tubes. In those days each bit of memory was a tube, and if a tube failed and you could replace it before that address was accessed your job would keep running, if not it died with an access violation. He did not specify what kind of tubes he was using, although I expect they would be considered pretty nice these days. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by mrchipster on 04/07/24 at 04:02:56 Thanks for the heads up Geno. I have the CXN V2 with ModWright mods as well but have not experienced this issue. However, I do have one issue with the unit and wonder if others have as well. The issue is that when powering the unit down the tubes do not turn off. The unit itself turns off but the tubes do not. I have to unplug it from the IEC in the back. The next listening session I just plug it back in, push the front power button and things work as normal. I've toggled the ECO mode on/off in settings (needs to be in ECO mode for tubes to power down) and that helps sometimes but then the tubes go back to not shutting down eventually. I'm just concerned that unplugging/plugging constantly will create a problem over time. Otherwise, I'm really enjoying the CXN v2 w/mods. It's a great digital front end! |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by HockessinKid on 04/07/24 at 11:46:49 Chipster, I believe Dan built in a delay start relay switch for powering up/down the tubes. I've noticed that with a light/quick power button touch the tubes sometimes don't power down properly. I've simply been holding the power button down for 3-4 seconds, it solves the problem for me with everything, including the tubes,powering down properly. You might want to give this a try. HK |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by Geno on 04/07/24 at 16:23:37 Hi Chipster. I remember scratching my head on that one too, when I first got the unit back from Dan. As a matter of fact, several times, I thought it was off, but discovered later, that the tubes were still on. What HK said, is the solution. I have mine plugged in to a ZLC power conditioner, and powering it off at the conditioner, does the same thing. Best, Geno |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by mrchipster on 04/07/24 at 23:30:09 HK and Geno, Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a shot. By the way, HK.... when I was researching a one box solution for a streamer and DAC and found the CXN and then realized there was a mod from MWI it was your review that sealed the deal for me. I was hoping to use the preamp volume control but with the mods I find it loses a little bit of magic in my setup, so I just leave preamp mode off and use manual control from the Decware components. Don't mind one bit though. Couldn't be happier. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by JBzen on 04/08/24 at 10:58:19 Quote:
I don't have the mods. Missed that because of procrastination before Dan stopped doing it. Cambridge stopped selling him parts to honor the warranty repair now on his shoulders after mods. Dan said it created too much hassle to continue with the mods. Anyway, the cool thing with the CXNv2 is those unbalanced outs can be used to feed a remote system with control from a hand held device. That is how I use mine feeding the system in the shop with a pair of 30 foot shielded ICs. Works great! I use the coax out to feed a Decware DAC in the Charoit. There is a difference in quality of sound between the coax and unbalanced outs even on the stock unit. I prefer to use the coax to feed the main system despite the volume can not be controlled with the digital outs on the CVNv2. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by mrchipster on 04/08/24 at 18:50:20 JBzen, Great way to implement those options for your needs. Very cool. Thanks for your insight. I was also disappointed when I heard that Cambridge Audio and Dan (MWI) couldn't come to an agreement on parts. I think he would have sold many more units as time went on. I wonder how many are out there before he had to pull the plug on the mods. I think you would have really liked one if you had decided it was for you. But, with your setup and ZDAC I don't think there's anything lacking there for sure. (In fact, going with separates may be better and something I may consider down the road too) I do like how the audio circuits were decoupled electrically from the streamer section with their own high/low voltage sources. The tube output stage really finishes it off and puts it in line with the Decware gear downstream. Funny how the CXN may be the 'weak' link in my current system. One heck of a weak link. lol |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by Gilf on 04/08/24 at 23:39:15 I agree, I would have been in line for Dan’s mods if he continued. I love the CXNv2 and it’s ability to connect via Qobuz directly from my phone via the Cambridge ap, albeit somewhat clunky. That’s the only think stopping me from an upgrading to a PS Audio or Chord streamer. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by JBzen on 04/09/24 at 12:01:07 Quote:
Me too! I tried to talk Dan into sending just the parts but he would not budge. The only loss I see is the comparison of the modded CXNv2 with the vinyl loop which beats the plain-jane unit. My Stokes DAC trumps it all if memory serves correctly. |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by duaneh on 04/28/24 at 17:46:44 Another heads up: I too read HockessinKid’s glowing review of the CXNV2 with Dan Wright’s modification and jumped. I live in the sticks and have nothing to compare it to except the plain CXNV2, my former Schiit Bifrost Multibit (5th generation, USB) and my former former AudioEngine B1. But I’ve been delighted. Astounded, really. Too bad Dan stopped doing the modification. But I had an issue: I stream (Roon/Qobuz) exclusively, and use the CXNV2’s preamp so I can adjust the volume remotely (from the couch :). I don’t remember the last time I bypassed the preamp, but a couple months ago I did and noticed a huge degradation in the higher frequencies—a fuzziness. I checked the tubes, the IC connections to my ZROCK2 and my SE84UFO25—no improvement. I want the option to bypass the CXNV2’s preamp without the degradation— to occasionally listen “pure” so to speak. So I called Dan who had me send it in. He heard the issue and adjusted “the bias back, to a level more inline with the stock 2Vrms level”. I’m no electronics guy, but it sounds great again with and without the preamp engaged. Happy days! Anyone with the mods have a similar issue? Anyone care to explain how my my bias might have changed? (Sorry I can’t recall if it faltered pre or post modification, but I’m pretty sure that I happily bypassed the preamp both pre and post modification before I noticed the problem). |
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Title: Re: Cambridge Audio CXN V2 issue Post by mrchipster on 05/05/24 at 18:57:49 duaneh, This is interesting since I also ended up sending my unit back to Dan for adjustment. The issue for me was that with my pre and amp at the time (an Adcom pair) it would get very loud very fast. I couldn't set it past '1' on my pre unless I wanted to listen at loud SPL's. I didn't like the fact that I was only using the volume control just barely up from 'off' and not in its sweet spot. Dan asked me to return it and he would adjust the gain. He mentioned he reduced it by about 6db if I remember correctly. I asked what the output voltages for both the XLR's and RCA now were, and he said about 4V for both since they are transformer coupled and in parallel. I had assumed that the XLR's were higher output and wondered why I didn't hear a difference when using the RCA's directly or XLR's through the ZBIT as far as loudness goes. Anyway, the change made a big difference, and I was now able to use the pre-amp volume control to slowly and smoothly increase the volume. When I received my Decware UFO25 and CSP3 and plugged in the CXN it continued to perform beautifully with no sound quality issues. (Whether the gain reduction was necessary for the Decware, I'll never know I guess) In pre-amp mode I did like being able to use the remote for volume control but for serious listening I preferred turning it off. I did not experience the huge difference in sound quality you did, but it did seem to diminish what the mods brought to the table. I didn't experience any fuzziness or weird artifacts but noticed that the overall sound quality was a full step up in clarity, midrange, and soundstage. In your case, the gain may have been set even higher and produced more than the Decware gear may have preferred, causing distortion of some kind. I'm glad things are back to normal for you though. |
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