I know this is heresy, but...

don't do it!

just go out and buy new movies (or cds).

quote:

I have recently become 1000 richer

Is this in addition to the £5k you said you would spend as soon as you got your credit card?

Does the 5.1 system you plan to buy need dvd/5.1 processor&s/speakers & sub

or are you just looking at the processor part?

Cheers

Don

Jon,

To hook into the main system or completely separate?

Interesting variety of responses!!

I am planning on making this separate to my main Naim system, for which I am still in the process of upgrading. I will have a 252 soon and am nearing my 'final system'...

The cinema-sound I already have but its quality has recently been put to shame as I now output my TV and Blu Ray through my Naim - much more involving sound that I don't use my current Samsumg 5.1 set-up!!!

However, the current 5.1 is only around the 300 mark and I know that changes in that price region can be quite dramatic. I figured a budget of around 1000 should do some justice to the Blu Ray sound. I considered wireless speakers, but a fellow Naim member made a very valid point about wireless speakers still needing power sockets.

As my thread post mentions this may appear heretic against Naim, but I am still upgrading my Naim as it is separate to this.

If anyone has any pointers, please do!!!

Regards,

Jon

Jon,

Seen some interesting s/h prices on nsat/ncent combinations. Might make a good starting point with a reasonable av receiver and add more speakers later.

Willy.

If you're going to be at the standad of 252/300, you'll want to keep your tv/Blu-ray as far away from your 252 as possible. They'll kill it.

Thanks for the comment, Count D., but I'm curious - can you expand please?

Many thanks,

Jon

Think he just means that for £1000 your never gonna get any where near the quality of your two channel set up and therfore it will show the center and rear channels up something terrible in comparison, Still gives you surround though and if you can live with it fair enough,Did something similar myself all be it with a tad more expensive reciever and routed the pre outs for left and right through 282. It's no naim system but what the hell its good enough for me for the time being. Worth considering as an option imo.

Hi Jon,

I had my tv connected to my 252 via a Chord din-phono lead and the results from my plasma were pretty average. My big complaint was that having it connected, it destroyed the music from my LP12 (and this was regardless of the tv being on or totally off). I believe this is not only due to adding a second earth via the tv, but also when one reaches the level of a 252 and above, the pre-amp sounds best with only one input. I would leave your CDS3 to do what it does best...alone.

Edit: Just read your post and you say you're going to have a separate system and not connecting to your Naim. Sorry, ignore my comments.

Perhaps it might be worth considering a 3.1 or even 3.0 for starters allowing you to get a better front set of speakers and pick up the rears at a later date ... If you could link your rather nice stereo set up to the AV then it would allow the sharing of the left and right speakers and free up more cash for amp and centre ... Just a thought ... are there any other constraints? Size/look of speakers ... placement ... etc etc

quote:

Hi Jon,

I had my tv connected to my 252 via a Chord din-phono lead and the results from my plasma were pretty average. My big complaint was that having it connected, it destroyed the music from my LP12 (and this was regardless of the tv being on or totally off). I believe this is not only due to adding a second earth via the tv, but also when one reaches the level of a 252 and above, the pre-amp sounds best with only one input. I would leave your CDS3 to do what it does best...alone.

Edit: Just read your post and you say you're going to have a separate system and not connecting to your Naim. Sorry, ignore my comments.

I feared you say that, Count D.!!

I currently have a 6m cable from my TV into my 282 - which will soon be a 252. I was concerned that having two inputs connected to my 252 might degrade the sound!!

I will modify and feedback my discoveries when my 252 arrives.

Many thanks

Jon

Am I understanding this correctly ....Only ONE source into a top end pre-amp, otherwise the sound will be affected ?? If so, what is that row of buttons for and surely they should be replaced for just one, named Source, on the 552 !?

quote:

Originally posted by SC:
Am I understanding this correctly ....Only ONE source into a top end pre-amp, otherwise the sound will be affected ?? If so, what is that row of buttons for and surely they should be replaced for just one, named Source, on the 552 !?

Everything in life is a compromise. There are two seats in a Ferrari, but if they're both occupied, it handles worse.

Missed that bit about being a seperate system to so ignore my coments aswell, i have no such problems with plasma afecting sound,conected or not sounds the same, only got 282 cds3, maybe 252 is affected more. Unless your hifi is on a seperate spur like some, chances are your plasma will be on the same circuit no matter what anyway.

If I was in your position first I'd decide what is going to decode the sound and build from there.

I'd suggest L & R are via your existing amps as this will give you more to spend elsewhere.

A good place to start would be to look for a used Yamaha DSP E800 on ebay this has amps for Centre and rears and outputs to go into your main amp. Pick up a pair of cheap surround speakers (try and get similar sonic character to your mains - e.g bright if bright, bass heavy if bass heavy but don't stress about it) and set it to have a phantom center speaker with the .1 bass mixed into the main L&R speakers. This will give you a taste of 5.1 for a couple of hundred pounds. Or you could buy an AV amp, but suggest you still send L&R to your main Naim setup and just get amp and surround speakers.

Do you like what it does in principal if so next step add a centre speaker, worth spending some money here to get one that sonically matches your main speakers. Ideally loan or have on sale or return so your sure - could be worth having a "mullet" (I used and IBM on DSP E800) as a better sonic signature makes for better surround, the video distracts you from the short comings and if you get the 5.1 bug will not need to upgrade the speaker later.

That's probably your £1000 spent.

Next steps in the order I would do them:-

Add a subwoofer.

Add a Naim power amp to drive the centre (1 Channel of a standard power amp)

Upgrade rears

Add a Naim pow amp to drive the rears (NAP 140?)

Ok why am I mulleting this system - well for me the sonic signature of matching amps and speakers gives a better return than upgrading the processor (This was a DSP-E800 may be different with another AV amp)

Then drop in an AV3 (I hope there is one at this point and the biggest feature I want is to output digital for analog sources so I can digitise my old stuff via LP12 & Naim DACs) or another dedicated decoder.

Oh and to get the full impact, a movie (not PC) projector, screen etc.

Took me years and many step by step upgrades as I could afford them, but I and my friends realy enjoy my 5.1 setup and also I have no significant degradation to my 2.0 sound. The one fault is HDMI switching 5->2 still not working!