Phono Boards on NAC 72

Posted by: Alcide Nikopol on 29 March 2003

Hello everybody,

After long years of enjoying my NAIT 2, I just got into an s/h NAC 72 and NAP 180 combo. Sounds fine and will probably do even better after heating up a bit. But I have a serious problem with the phono input and the correspondent boards.

Whenever I plug them in, the only thing I can hear is a “KRRR … KRRR … KRRR” on both speakers, going from left to right and back again. Pulling one board leaves the nasty sound on the other channel et vice versa. Without the boards, no nasty sound any longer, but no nice sound either.

Does anybody have an advice on how to get the whole thing working, so I can go back listening to my vinyl collection. Thanks for your help.

Alcide

Posted on: 29 March 2003 by Justin

Does your 72 have two sets of Phono inputs, or one?

Here's what I am guessing is happening, but it is only a guess because I can't see the inside of your 72:

When phono boards are not installed, there may be a jumper on the main board that is in place. This permits you to use a line level source into the phono inputs. When you installed your phono boards, I'm guessing that the link is still connected, which might causing the problem.

On later 72's, the cd input can be converted to a phono input by installing phono boards and cutting the jumpers. You might experience this problem if you try to use the boards without cutting the jumper. Just a guess though.

Judd
PS. do you feel that your 72/180 combination sounds better than the nait 2 on cd?

Posted on: 30 March 2003 by Alcide Nikopol

Thanks Judd,

I feel (and hope) you are on the right track. My NAC is the later one with one Phono input and a CD input. There are jumpers close to the phono boards and somebody has been soldering around there. The former owner of the amp didn’t use a TT, so probably he got the phono input modified. So what shall I do? Just cut the link?

Alcide

P.S.: For now I do not feel a huge improvement, but I didn’t find enough time jet to listen to it.
I will give a more detailed answer in a few weeks, when everything will be neatly warmed up and my brand-new NAC A5 cable burnt in a bit.

Posted on: 06 April 2003 by Alcide Nikopol

Thanks Judd for helping me,

Indeed you where on the right track ! After asking people on the PFM Forum and my dealer as well, I just cut the jumpers and put the phono boards back in. It worked !!!

Thanks again, Alcide

P.S.: I got some time to listen at my new system and it really sounds better than with the Nait2 and the Linn K20 cables. It is not really a question of definition, even if the bass seems a bit tighter. It is the soundstage: listening to classical music, I now can locate the position of each instrument or group of instruments in space.
I noticed that Alco changed his Nait2 for a 72/180 as well, just wondered if he felt the same difference. Could you tell us Alco ?
BTW, I own my Nait from new and it would break my heart to let it go, so I will set up an other system in my study room. I am still looking for some cheap speakers that will have to be in a bookshelf (no space for stands).

My systems :
CD 3; NAD 533; NAC 72; NAP 180; NACA5; B&W CDM7SE
Micromega Logic; Nait 2; Linn K20; ????

Posted on: 21 June 2003 by Alco

quote:
I noticed that Alco changed his Nait2 for a 72/180 as well, just wondered if he felt the same difference. Could you tell us Alco ?

Sorry for the late response Alcide,
I must confess that I expected a bigger improvement from the 72/180 over my Nait-2.
Nevertheless, there certainly is an improvement.
The most obvious difference to me is that the 180 is punchier/more dynamic than the Nait, and that the treble using the NAC72 is a tad less shouty than the Nait-2.
To my surprise I can't say that the 72/180 sounds more open of more detailed than the Nait.

So, imho the Nait-2 is much higher VFM than the 72/180, but the improvements is obvious,and I do like the fact that the volumepot on the 72 is of much higher quality!
(no more low-level channel imbalance

)

by the way, I just rediscovered this topic, when I was searching on a 'board-pulling 72' topic. I'm only using a CDX myself, and was wondering what boards I can/should pull to obtain maximum sound quality.

regards,
Alco

Posted on: 22 June 2003 by Alcide Nikopol

Hi Alco,

I just had a laugh at the "Best CD player in the world...ever!" topic, having had the same impression even with my modest system.

quote:

quote:
3.) You have a baseball bat to defend yourself against the inevitable army of White Coats who come to take you away when your friends discover how much it cost, and promptly call in a clinical psychologist to assess you

I guess the same thing would happen to me, if I'd buy a CDS3 or any other CD-player mentioned in the above list...
If my friends,family would know what my CDX costed new.... they'd call the army of white coats immediately! (hell, even if they'd hear what it costed me s/h!)

I am now considering buying a HiCap for my 72, but I will have to wait for it, otherwise the white coats will come for me, don't even mention a CDX !

I read your topic about board pulling, but the only track I had was given to you by Mike Saelieng in the PFM forum, so sorry, but I can't help you on this !

Greetings from lake Geneva,
Alcide