Volume control on the new reference series

C'mon you lot, someone must be able to comment on the sensitivity of the volume pot on the new reference series.

sorry I only dream of reference series. tho I know on my 92, 9 is loud and 10 is too loud I wish there were more play as it really blooms around 8:30 to 9.

Can we have a comment from Naim on this? What's the point of the volume going nearly full circle if it is unuseable past 9.30?

"Simply better"

To quote a famous old advertising slogan.

I'm no techno-whizz, but I gather that if resistance is introduced it degrades sound quality.

The 112 pre-amp (for example) is operationally much nicer with a better 'spread' on the volume pot, but it uses a resistor ladder to do it; which is sonically inferior to an old fashioned 'pot'.

The new '3-stage' remote volume on the new kit is nice, but who agrees with me that the default 'press and hold' should operate slow rotation, rather than having to 'double click'?

Absolutely. I find that (on my 202) Naim has got the remote volume control logic the wrong way around. Hopefully a software update will be implemented in the future.

"who agrees with me that the default 'press and hold' should operate slow rotation" - absolutely. I'm far more frequently making small changes than large swings around the dial. The default should be slow.

Allan

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but it uses a resistor ladder to do it; which is sonically inferior to an old fashioned 'pot'.

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A good resistor ladder is superior to almost any pot, the degrading factor is how you operate / switch it.

That's where the 112 loses out, using inexpensive analogue switches to do the job.

Andy.

Andy

If a good quality resistor ladder offers superior performance; why does the 552 not have it?

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If a good quality resistor ladder offers superior performance; why does the 552 not have it?

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I have no idea at all why a better version of this was not pursued for the 552, maybe it was - you'll have to ask Naim that!

The control of it I alluded to earlier is probably much more sonically invasive if done using solid-state electronics.

There are other options though, I can only assume Naim tried them or felt the pot was an acceptable compromise, for minimal design effort, given suitable pre-selection?

I can't believe cost was an issue

Andy.

Andy,

in one of the interviews or other informational material about the then-new 552 it was said that the design team expected to end up with a resistor ladder, but were surprised to find that a (£400!) pot sounded better.

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

For those interested, be aware that the gain for inputs can be varied for each input, giving users even more scope for how they use the volume control, cool eh.

"who agrees with me that the default 'press and hold' should operate slow rotation" - strongly agreed by me too!
Probably naim could place a switch feature in the programming mode, to turn it around the way you like?

As for the variable gain inputs - afaik. these are only a feature when you have the resistor ladder volume control. I guess they are changing the pre-set in the ladder to a different value when switching the input? no such feature in the new (pot) classic line I'm afraid...

happy listening

Adrian

[This message was edited by Adrian Frauchiger on WEDNESDAY 19 March 2003 at 15:17.]

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in one of the interviews or other informational material about the then-new 552 it was said that the design team expected to end up with a resistor ladder, but were surprised to find that a (£400!) pot sounded better.

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Martin,

The pot used in the 552 is the Alps Blue 27mm series, as used elsewhere in the range, certainly it's not a £400 pot. Even a DACT attenuator doesn't cost that...

Ignoring any added value through selection, they're about £20.

Mr Sukebe,

For clarity your comment only applies to the 112 / Nait 5. It's an excellent feature - you may only use it once, but it's just SO useful. I wouldn't be without it now.

Andy.

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Originally posted by Martin Payne:
Andy,

in one of the interviews or other informational material about the then-new 552 it was said that the design team expected to end up with a resistor ladder, but were surprised to find that a (£400!) pot sounded better.

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

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Martin,

If I could clarify things briefly, we tried all whole range of options (including a resistor ladder solution which we really, really wanted for reasons already expressed by Andrew and others) as well as a very expensive pot costing around £300 but in every instance we came back to the Alps Blue which just sounded better...

Ultimately sound quality is what matters most.

Richard

Richard,

thanks - memory obviously garbled!

Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne at Dial.Pipex.com

Sukebe said

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For those interested, be aware that the gain for inputs can be varied for each input, giving users even more scope for how they use the volume control, cool eh.

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If I understand you correctly isn't this the answer to my original question? So you can use CD at 3 o'clock with the new kit or will I then be as deaf as Hyde?

John 3

User configurable input gain levels are only available on the 112 pre-amp and the Nait 5 integrated amp.

These two units have 'resistor ladder' volume controls. Everything else (old and new) have normal potentiometer volume controls.

JN, thanks I now understand. Still surprised Naim didn't come up with a solution to this when the released the new reference stuff.