do i go down the av route but how ?

You could slot an AV2 or other processor in there and use the 252 in unity gain for the fronts.

However you will need a 175 amp centre and rear speakers, perhaps a sub, and then of course the AV2

You could test the waters with a less expensive processor with built in such as a Yamaha.

Buy an AV processor like the AV2, you don't need to buy extar amps and speakers straight away as you can use you 2 speakers and a phontom front to start getting extra benifit from day one. It's obviously best to then get full 5.1 or 7.1, but you don't have to do it all on day one. If I were you I would not junk your current HiFi setup it is fully compatible.

If your TV or screen is between the speakers then i'd be tempted to keep what you have and just feed the L&R front outputs of the BR player to the 252 (set the player to downmix to 2 channel). If you find AV is for you then an AV2 will provide the processing and use your existing system for the front L & R and a 175 will drive centre and rear channels. I've got rid of my centre and surrounds - we find we get totally absorbed in films with just the n-Vi driving the fronts & sub via my normal Naim system without needing the rear effects.

James

Thanks all for your advice. At least now i can start to talk to my dealer about this with a few options

Your easiest option is, as already said, the Naim AV2, 175, and add the extra speakers/subwoofer etc. That still won't give you the quality levels you get from your 252/300. Also, the AV2 doesn't have HDMI input and so won't decode the HD audio codecs on bluray, so you would be using the more usual DD and DTS compressed codecs.

That is rather expensive (I know!), so if you're not too concerned about matching quality, and if you want HDMI input and HD audio decoding, then instead of the AV2 get a separate AV receiver (most of them seem to come with Tuner built in) and integrate your Naim/Neat gear into it for front channel/stereo music use. If you don't know how to do that, I'm sure your dealer does. If not, I or many others here, will be happy to tell you how to do it (a good place to start is the Naim AV2 manual - available on their website)

thanks will look in the AV2 menu

Which I just did, but it doesn't appear to have HDMI inputs?

Alas, no. But the AV3 will have!

Do not even think about the AV2, it is a fosile (spelling?)

You go straight and buy a Denon 3310 or something similiar. _Very_ good WFM imo.
Then you get very good room correction, 7 amps, and everything else you might need, trust me

Connect the new surr-reciever to the 252 and use unity-gain, hook sat-box, dvd, BR, or any videostreamer to the AV-reciever.
Buy some decent but cheap surr-speakers and a good center-speaker macthing youre front-speakers.

In this way youre stereo performance will stay intact and sound as good as always and when the kids what to watch a movie they just have to pressa button on the 252 to get full surround.

I did what Alive did and bought a Marantz SR 6003.

Must say also that you need to look down this avenue. I am quite pleased with the results that I get.

I did not try the AV2 so cannot comment.

When/if you get round to buying centre/rear speakers, I would suggest taking one of your current front speakers (yes, I do know they are big and heavy) with you and hooking it up with your trial centre (or one of the rears) as a stereo pair. Then switch the driving amp to mono, and use the balance control to switch back and forth between the two - that way you will be able to assess if they have a similar sound quality. That's what I did when I was using Royd Eden fronts - I finished up with a BandW centre and Royd A7 rears.

Thanks Alive, your option is more practical. Trying to Stick with Naim on the AV front is very very expensive and too many boxes. Also had a good discussion with my dealer, who suggested a similar route

quote:

Originally posted by ashrafs:
Thanks Alive, your option is more practical. Trying to Stick with Naim on the AV front is very very expensive and too many boxes. Also had a good discussion with my dealer, who suggested a similar route

It doesn't have to be expensive mate. On the advice of my dealer, I picked up a used AV2 & NAP175 for less than a Pioneer AV receiver i'd been thinking of getting to match a Pioneer Kuro plasma screen.

Along with a s/h n-Sats/n-Cent combination for center and rear duties, the whole lot came to way less than £2k.

Just keep your eyes peeled on the classifieds and that well know auction website! (we're not allowed to mention it but i'm sure you know which one i'm referring to )