nVi + NAP250.2 - where next?

Jon - what are you trying to achieve ? CD front end, computer based ??

Start at the front end first. The n-Sat system will happily go through a number of upgrades before it becomes the limiting factor.

Some food for thought -

CD5XS into a Nait XS. Keep the n-Vi and use it through the AV input. You then have a great front end for 2 channel stereo and still the multichannel advantage of the n-Vi for films. You could then add an nDAC to upgrade the CD5XS and so on from there. The n-Vi driving a 282/250 won't be satisfying combo - the amplifier is then really too good for the source.

James

quote:

Originally posted by Consciousmess:
Many thanks for your (sincere) advice!
Jon

"You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes,..."

My sincere advice would be to remember what you wrote on Wed 02 December 2009 and consider very, very hard whether you want to get on any sort of upgrade path again.

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by Consciousmess:
Many thanks for your (sincere) advice!
Jon


"You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes,..."

My sincere advice would be to remember what you wrote on Wed 02 December 2009 and consider very, very hard whether you want to get on any sort of upgrade path again.

Thanks for your advice, Adam, and I note the wisdom. Without going into detail, my personal circumstance is substantially different - and better - to how I was back then and my final upgrade goal is far more modest....

[/quote]

Jon - what are you trying to achieve ? CD front end, computer based ??

Start at the front end first. The n-Sat system will happily go through a number of upgrades before it becomes the limiting factor.

Some food for thought -

CD5XS into a Nait XS. Keep the n-Vi and use it through the AV input. You then have a great front end for 2 channel stereo and still the multichannel advantage of the n-Vi for films. You could then add an nDAC to upgrade the CD5XS and so on from there. The n-Vi driving a 282/250 won't be satisfying combo - the amplifier is then really too good for the source.

James

[/quote]

Cheers for that, James, because my 'front end' is likely to go down the road of a digital streamer for two channels, with the benefit of having the nVi for its DAB, its 5.1 use and to process Blu Ray. The present sources would be SkyHD; iPod; Xbox360 which I understand are not of the fidelity of CD playback.

Would adding the 282 be overkill (albeit just having it powered from the 250.2)??

Regards,

Jon

Jon - you need a digital hub - so you could use the nDAC and also use the n-Vi as a transport for the nDAC to play CD's (as well as continuing to use the n-Vi for surround and DAB duties). An XS and Ndac would be the price of a new 282 and it would sound so much better than the n-Vi as a front end to the 282 / 250.

Get the help of a good dealer. The forum is great for ideas and advice but only you can decide on what you like.

James

quote:

Originally posted by Consciousmess:
Would adding the 282 be overkill (albeit just having it powered from the 250.2)??

Not overkill - more a wasted bullet as the NAC 282 cannot be powered from the NAP 250.2.

To use the 282 you would need a power supply - minimum a HiCap.

Agree with James. I've gone the N-vi> 250.2 > 282/Hi Cap 2 and the N-vi is now very much the limiting factor in my system. Seem to have gone the opposite of source first philosophy. Just trying to weigh up the medium term options and costs of a CD 5XS + DAC against a CDS2.2 + XPS. The heartening aspect to all this is while the CD replay side through the N-vi is quite brittle and disappointing the audio I get from SKY HD films and, indeed, DVDs, is very good indeed so I can hear what the capabilities of the system are - though they remain frustratingly out of reach for now.

C P - get the DAC and use the n-Vi as a transport to start with.

James

James - I was considering that as it seemed the best intitial option but local dealer suggested the CD player change. I asked about using the N-vi as transport only, assuming it was probably perfectly reasonable if used into a DAC, but the assumption seemed to be that it was in some ways inferior to the CD 5XS transport. I have no idea whether this is true. However, he did say he'd lend me a DAC so I'll take him up on the offer. But thanks for the suggestion. Sorry to hi-jack the thread.

Why don't people advise a supernait in this situation ?

quote:

Agree with James. I've gone the N-vi> 250.2 > 282/Hi Cap 2 and the N-vi is now very much the limiting factor in my system. Seem to have gone the opposite of source first philosophy. Just trying to weigh up the medium term options and costs of a CD 5XS + DAC against a CDS2.2 + XPS. The heartening aspect to all this is while the CD replay side through the N-vi is quite brittle and disappointing the audio I get from SKY HD films and, indeed, DVDs, is very good indeed so I can hear what the capabilities of the system are - though they remain frustratingly out of reach for now.

Thanks for your comments and I've chosen to paste your first comment, C P as you've provided me with empirical evidence of the advice offered by James.

The best solution I will head towards will therefore be nVi, nDAC, 282/HC2, 250.2, nSAT/nSYSTEM........

I like the fact that it blends together all my audio sources (Sky HD, Blu Ray, DVD, DAB, ipod, Xbox) and will sound good - and affordable - so thanks for your advice.

Jon

PS Wise words, Stu, and the saying exists for the reason that the answer's "no"!!

I really like the 252 with 250.2. Just putting it out there.

quote:

Jon,
Did you keep you rack when you outed the 300/252 and other bits?
Stu

Hi Stu,

I did in fact, as I decided that once I got my life back on track I would develop my audio system again. This is the reason behind my recent questions on the forum as I now enjoy a wider range of audio sources and the nVi does its job very well.

My goals are far more moderate now and the essence of Naim's upgradability has always been an appeal to me!!

Regards,

Jon

Hi all,

I had to keep this question on this thread which I started off as I now have the following working:

nVi
282+Hicap2
250.2
nSATs, nCENT, nSUB

However, I am really confused about something. Let me firstly mention that the sound does appear to have improved - the articulation of voices on TV is much clearer and it even appears that the sound from the surround channels and perhaps the nCENT are better.

But this is my problem. I have the nVi connected to the AV input on the 282 and so what has happened is the nVi becomes the volume master for the front ttwo speakers (of course along with its nCENT and surrounds)......

....so this leaves me to presume that I am not benefitting from the 282 at all as the nVi is being used as the preamp??? Is that true? Am I correct saying that I won't utise the 282's ability as a preamp unless I get (for example) an nDAC, which would connect to a different line input on the 282 and therefore leave the 282 to be the component sontrolling volume??

Don't get me wrong, I do have the intention of getting the nDAC in the future, but not immediately - more in about a year or two's time.

I am totally flummoxed and I would really appreciate some help. To ask my key question again - but with an additional hypothesis thrown in to it - am I correct saying that with my present setup and the nVi connected to the AV input, the nVi has become my preamp, the 282 is IN THE WAY of the signal and the 250.2 is providing the amplification to the front two channels???

Surely if that question's premise is correct, I'm better leaving the 282 out until I get the nDAC in the future??

Thanks for your help!

Jon

PS The instruction booklets haven't helped me understand, so my gratefulness is increased if someone can advise!

Yes.

You would probably have had a more satisfying result taking the following path.

Buy n-Vi, nsats, ncent & nsub.

Add CDX2 as superior CD playback source to run through n-Vi

Add Nap250 as superior amplification to that of n-Vi front channels


Add Preamp & Power supply, such as 282/HiCap. In doing so, connect n-Sub at speaker level between 250 & Sats, but leave RCA connection for LFE reproduction in movie mode.


Stage 1 gives you better CD playback

Stage 2 gives you better control of your speakers.

Stage 3 removes the n-Vi from the equation, effectively and leaves you with a CDX2, 282, HiCap. 250, nsats & nsub 2ch system - through which you gain 5.1 when you plug the n-vi in.


Or 0 for less money you could have followed James N's suggestion:

quote:

CD5XS into a Nait XS. Keep the n-Vi and use it through the AV input. You then have a great front end for 2 channel stereo and still the multichannel advantage of the n-Vi for films. You could then add an nDAC to upgrade the CD5XS and so on from there. The n-Vi driving a 282/250 won't be satisfying combo - the amplifier is then really too good for the source.

Same pratical upshot, less dosh spent.


M

Ok thanks for that Mike!

I'll put the NAC282 to one side until I get the nDAC!!

Regards,

Jon

Jon - whilst the n-Vi is controlling the volume, the 282 in AV bypass is just missing out the volume control side of the 282. The buffering etc is still done in the 282. Its also worth giving the system a bit of time to run in again. If i'd switched my 282 off for a week or so it took a couple of days to come back on song.

Another thing to check is the level settings again (n-vi setup menu) to ensure you have the front and centre levels matched now you have the 282/250 in circuit.

One more quick tweak is the speaker setting - with the 282/250 driving the front stereo speakers you can set the fronts to off, which turns off two of the (now unused) n-Vi amplifier modules with a small benefit to performance.

James

Jon your hifi aspirations don't seems very modest anymore lols