n-Cent & power amp query.

I've never listened to the n-Cent Rack, but I originally powered my Axess from one channel of a NAP150 before moving up to a 145 and the latter was very significantly better.

I'd be surprised if the n-Cent didn't benefit a lot from having a 145 drive it.

The Axess and Axent will definitely show significant gains moving from a NAPV175 to a dedicated NAPV145.  I guess the n-Cent would too, but then it's a lot of hammer to crack that particular nut and I'm still to be totally convinced of the n-Cent when used with any of the bigger speakers.  If you're running it with n-Sats and n-Sub then no problem, but otherwise go all out to track down one of the bigger units.  At least two hi-end AV dealers I have met on my travels (one of them not even a Naim dealer!) have declared the Axent to be the finest centre channel speaker they have ever heard.  Only issue: can you accomodate one?

Resounding "Hell Yes!!" from me ... In the dim and distant past (OK - about three years ago) I started out running an AV2 with a NAP250 and a NAP175 on Arrivas, n-Sats and an n-Cent - when things got to "fun" levels I used to feel that things were getting a bit polite and sitting back.

I know that in AV duties the centre channel is generally the heaviest used of all and the evil pushers (also known as Jason and Mark - our sales guys) suggested that it was me just running the system harder than a 175 was happy to handle(*) which is why it was sounding a bit sat on. So I borrowed a 250 and used half of that to drive the n-Cent - made one hell of a difference so I bought myself a 145 and used the third channel of the 175 to drive a centre rear. The n-Cent can take a lot of stick before it protests!

(BTW - as a note on what Richard said, the Axent is *AWESOME* ... although they were discontinued before I started at Naim I evenually found one with a rather battered cabinet on eBay a year or so ago.)

Phil 

(*) Can I point out here that I run a *PAIR* of n-Subs because when I ran one I was getting it to bottom out - apparently this counts me as "a tad insane" but IMO if the opening sequence of "Iron Man" doesn't have you ducking for cover then it's just not good enough...

Hmm...might have to give this one a try. I seriously doubt i could go as far as an Axent but maybe i'll keep a lookout for the Axess, as it doesn't seem much bigger than the n-Cent but might make better use of a 145 if i did take the plunge.

I imagine the Axess are pretty thin on the ground though... 

Not quite. It's probably over twice as large!

axess Specification

Dimensions (H x W x D): 175 x 536 x 451mm

Weight (unpacked): 16.6kg

n-CENT Specification

Dimensions (H x W x D): 160 x 430 x 300mm

Weight (unpacked): 10.0kg

axess Specification

Dimensions (H x W x D): 175 x 536 x 451mm

Weight (unpacked): 16.6kg

axent Specification

Dimensions (H x W x D): 175 x 940 x 440mm

Weight (unpacked): 27.4kg

The Axess is the deepest of all and a bit wider than the n-Cent at 536mm v 430mm but check the width of the Axent - it's almost a metre wide at 940mm!

Don't know about the 175, but before I got my 145 to drive the nCent I had a D650.  This was the the Naim 6 channel power amp - actually 3 stereo pairs designed for multiroom use, but I found that it was perfectly feasible to use it for all 5 channnels with my AV2.  The 145 was a significant upgrade in terms of intelligiblity etc.  Expensive, but worth it IMO.

The 650 was actually a really good amp for that purpose - now as rare as rocking horse doodads of course!

I know someone who is still using one with an AV2 for a nice little pre-power AV system. :-D

Phil

Just watch out for that depth as the numbers don't really prepare you for the reality of the depth ... The Axent is too deep (and just a tad too wide) to fit on the middle shelf of my AV stand and the Axess is even deeper!

Phil

The only reason I changed was that I was noticing that the rear channels with the 650 would occasionally disappear.  IIRC the 650 setup was such that if there was no input for a while, that stereo pair of channels would mute until input was reapplied.  This is (I assume) because of its mooted multiroom use.  Didn't happen often, but there are some films where rear channel info is not used for some considerable periods of time.  Just became a little disconcerting after a while.   Very happy using a combination of 250.2 (fronts), 145 (centre) and 200 (rears) with my AV2/282/HiCap. 

You could have used the trigger / remote inputs to have switched the various channels on and off rather than using teh auto switching...

Phil

I have an AV2 and for the left and right channels goes to my naim 6 pack isobarik system (no short fall there then i'm sure you'll agree ). The NAP 175 takes care of the middle (Axent) and shainian super elfs (surrounds). Would you saying then, that the NAP175 is the weakest bit of kit in my system and that a NAP145 would be considerably better or just a bit better ?

Absolutely - that should be enough to bring the neighbours out in a cold sweat ... I assume that's the original "six pack" of six 135's? (Or is it the later six pack of three 500's?)

I will honestly say that once I had my levels set properly (using an SPL meter rather than by ear) I found that the 175 was simply running out of steam *AT THE LEVELS I USE* and remember I have been told that I'm a bit "enthusiastic".

For me those levels tend to be pretty high - 65 on the AV2 volume (with three NAP300's driving NBLs active and a pair of n-Subs with the gain set at 67) is commonplace when I'm doing a movies session (and the neighbours have let me know they'll be out) so 'Your Milage May Vary" however for me it definitely was a worthwhile update - try it with one channel of a NAP250 if your dealer will lend you one?

If I was to put my head on the block I'd probably go far enough as to say that *I* feel I got more from going from the 175 to a 145 driving the n-Cent than I did from going from the n-Cent to the Axent but I know that Richard feels that improving the speaker (in the case of the original poster) yeilds bigger gains...

Just for the record - previously I've had centres from such as TDL, Ruark, M&K, KEF (both the THX Reference and the Reference 200) and PMC amongst others...

I've even been toying with something a tad more insane as far as the Axent is concerned which I think could sound nice... :-D

Phil

C'mon Phil, spill the beans... ;-)

The six pack is 6 x 135's along with 2 x M&K  MX-350's subs. My neighbours are very good with it, however my next door neighbour but one did say he heard it once. What about the centre speaker output on the NAP175 if i was to use a 145 ? Wouldn't you have to have some sort of resistive load on it, otherwise wouldn't you damage the amp with not having a speaker on it ?

The 175 should be absolutely fine if the centre channel is unused however you could always use it to drive a centre rear... ;-)

Phil

I have a NAP140 amp boxed and stored away, would this be better to use this to drive the Axent rather than the NAP175 ? But the NAP140 is 45 watts (i'm pretty sure) as opposed to the 175,s 50 watts, could this make a difference ?

I've never tried a NAP140 - they're a bit before my time here - but there's nothing to be lost by trying it ... if it sounds better then great, if it doesn't then all it's cost you is a little time. :-)

Phil

Christ, you were right - the Axess is deep! And heavy. 

Tonym,

 uses his standing upright in the middle of his DBLs and the same with his SL2s before the DBLs.

Stu

Yeah, seen Tony's system pics Stu. Very clever use of his available space. I'm planning on having a AV unit built to go under the TV that'll be deep enough to accomodate the Axess and the rest of the AV kit. I'm guessing it'll have to .5m in depth at least.

Blok do besoke units and their regular gear is keenly priced, so i'll come up with a design and  dimensions and see what they can do.