HT beginner - exoerience (yours) required.

quote:

Originally posted by maxbertola:

In this case, volume for the centre (if any) and rear speakers would be set on my Nac202 but I assume ...

No - you connect the AV2 to an input on the NAC 202 which has been set for Unity Gain. In this configuration ALL volumes are set from the AV2.

I have such a system and, once connected and set up, it is very satisfying and pretty easy to use - I keep forgetting to set the N-Sub to AV input. Things are made easier if the DVD5 is added - you get onscreen set-up menus.

Hi Adam,
thanks for your reply. So, to my current setup (CDX2/XPS2/202/HiCap/Napsc/200) I'd have to either add an AV2 and a 175 keeping my present DVD player, or a DVD5 or even substitute both CDX2 and 202 for DVD5 and AV2 - is that right?
Massimo

Massimo,

I am in a similar position to yourself, although I have yet to purchase half the boxes - roll on next year (whilst crossing fingers for an AV3 !)

I'm guessing that the conventional wisdom will certainly be to keep your 202, and indeed your CDX2 (presuming you want to continue playing CDs)...Whilst the AV2 will certainly serve as a standalone pre-amp, I'm presuming that for stereo duties it will be no match for a dedicated 202 (I would be interested in having this confirmed myself)...Ditto for the DVD5 re CD.

So yes, the easiest, conventional and best quality path, I believe, would be to add both the AV2 and a 175....Although I would be interested to hear otherwise for my own plans too.

Hi SC,
tonight I put on a CD I hadn't been listening to for quite some time, Glenn Gould's Mozart sonatas - not with my new CDX2, let alone with the even newer XPS2. I was amazed at the sound of this hydiosincratic, old recording of a Mozart edition that most despise. The piano was actually in my own living room, and I had to once more decide that Gould's Mozart is my favourite Piano Mozart, strange as it may seem.
I say this to stress the fact that I surely wouldn't want to recede from such a quality now, not even for an excellent DVD player like a DVD5 must be..
A decent compromise solution would be to use the analogue facilities of my Oppo player and drive a second small amp with, say, a pair of s/h n-Sats (I heard them in stereo and found them absolutely lovely, and what's more really sonically akin to my SBLs) for L and R rear channels. The only thing is, that I'd have to each time set the volume for front and rear channels on separate amps, but I think we tend to watch films more or less at the same volume...
I'll experiment. For sure, I'm not enormously inclined to get rid of any black box already in my possess!
Regards, Massimo

quote:

Originally posted by Adam Meredith:
No - you connect the AV2 to an input on the NAC 202 which has been set for Unity Gain. In this configuration ALL volumes are set from the AV2.

Adam, I'm reading the downloaded AV2 brochure, but still fail to understand if I should retain my Nac 202 as a preamplifier or could just use the AV2 inputs and volume control.
I am this time planning my addings quite carefully, and don't mean to have excess boxes unless mandatory. With just a CD and DVD player, could the AV2 be the only preamp/processor? Why to keep the 202? Thanks for your support. Massimo

quote:

Originally posted by maxbertola:
...With just a CD and DVD player, could the AV2 be the only preamp/processor? Why to keep the 202?

I've had the same question. As I've already stated, I think most advice will be to keep your 202, especially as you already have it ! I'm in the position of not knowing whether to buy a separate pre-amp as an addition at all.....But to answer your basic question, yes the AV2 will serve as a pre-amp alone. The question I'm keen to have answered by users with experience is the quality difference - especially against say a 122x or 202 ?

2 cents worth from someone like tonym might be interesting feedback, as he seems to have every black box in production ! I've noted he has the AV2 for HT use, so I'd be interested as to whether he runs this through his 552 or as a complete separate rig....might help you Massimo, I think he can be emailed via his profile.

Best

One can forget how satisfying any system from Naim is intended to be. I lived for quite a while with a DVD5, AV2 and NAP 175 system - through Wharfedale Diamond 3s or Royd Edens.

It was a consistently enjoyable system - to an extent that gave me a renewed appreciation of the potentially complex interplay of expense, quality, definition and enjoyment. It was a well balanced system and didn't draw attention to any specific areas of failure.

However, in answer to your query, I would put the AV2 on a level slightly below the old NAC 112 and so quite a way behind the NAC 122x. The DVD5 is somewhere close(ish) behind the old CD5 and quite difficult to put up against the 5i or 5x as the presentation is different enough that one might prefer one over the over - ignoring "quality". I like the old CD5 but prefer the newer models.

My solution was always to max out my 2 channel system - but I don't watch television. Working for Naim allowed me to add AV to my system and I found the recommended route best. My AV2 plays through a unity gain preamplifier input. CD and other 2 channel sources play directly through the NAC 552. An N-Sub carries out double 2 channel/AV duties although I could justify its presence in either role.

If you want to retain 2 channel quality I would recommend that you keep the NAC 202.

Had I not acquired the DVD5 and AV2 I would probably have been very satisfied with a one-box AV solution such as the N-Vi. Not as good as the separates but, for me, more than adequate - the front L & R channels still being handled by the main system.

Thanks Adam...very helpful, and I guess the answer I expected !

Adam,
thanks very much for exceeding your usual number of lines.. It was in fact very helpful for me, too.
I must say that I follow your path of reasoning perfectly, including the option of a n-Vi, which I discarded only because I don't really believe in downgradings.
Having only a CD2X as 2-channel source, and feeding the DVD in digital to a future AV2 which would control all volumes leaves me with a whole 202 dedicated to optimizing the interface CDX2-Nap200, but we were talking about quality, so..
Thanks for the support. I suppose that my best option would be, anyway, to join Naim myself..
Merry Christmas!