CD input signal too high for 42.5

Posted by: leslie on 04 April 2002

Help please. The volume control on my 42.5 reaches full volume at about 1/5 of its travel. How do I reduce the input signal from my CD without degrading the signal. I am happy with a soldering iron!
Posted on: 04 April 2002 by garyi
Could you expand a little bit?

Do you mean about 1/5th of the way round on the volume it starts to clip? Or that the volume indicator shows as full?

What CDP are you using etc etc

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by Andrew L. Weekes
Hi there,

The problem you're experiencing is not really an issue unless the volume control doesn't have enough fine control for your needs, or you experience channel balance problems at very low levels.

Naim preamps are capable of coping with the input level of CD with no problem, the downside, as you've experienced is the volume is at full way before the knob hits the end stop.

If this is a real problem to you it is possible to make attenuated interconnects, although there can be a sonic penalty to doing this - Naim may be able to offer advice on this, but the normal recommendation is to avoid them.

Another alternative is to reduce the gain of the preamp, but this would not be a Naim approved route, requires circuitry modifications and would lower the maximum levels that can be achieved from your other sources.

Andy.

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by Markus
Aren't there boards with adjustable gain for use with various line level inputs? It may even be the case that all line level boards are adjustable. I don't remember and haven't been into my 72 to see whats in there.

If this is a possibility then I'm just wondering if you might be using some of the boards that have adjustable gain and the setting on those boards is at max. If so, then you might be able to adjust their level to something where the volume control can be used across a wider range of travel...

Markus

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by Andrew L. Weekes
Anyone know if the variable i/p boards fit the phono board connector in a 42.5?

If you don't have a TT it's possibly an option. I've never had a 32.5 or 72 so wouldn't know.

Andy.

Posted on: 04 April 2002 by leslie
I would just like a little finer control of the volume!
Posted on: 04 April 2002 by Mike in CO
If the pin layout of the 42.5 is the same as a 32/62/72 (which I imagine it is) then you can drop adjustable line-level cards in the phono inputs. My 32 has 2 phono ins (4 cards total) and when I bought it the adjustable line-level cards were in the phono 2 slots.

The reason I put the "but..." in the subject is that the adjustable cards I had sounded like CR*P with anything I plugged into them. I've learned since that those cards have some filtering designed to work with early CD players. Much better results using the direct link cards, or soldering the pins yourself. Perhaps a variable line-level card exists that doesn't have that filtering? Not sure what number those cards would be.

M