From cheap AV input to Naim amplification...

Hello C.

I assume you're going from a source with an output volume control into something like a preamp or an integrated. My opinion is that control of the volume belongs to the preamp or integrated and not the source. The amplification modules are more robust in preamps and amps than in sources. The tricky part is to figure out from the source where the volume control should be so that is leaves the signal with as little modification as possible. Some volume controls on sources increase and decrease the volume, others just decrease it so in these cases you leave it at max. With a source with a volume control, you run the risk of feeding too high a signal into a preamp, so experiment with low volumes on all sides and gradually increase the source to where you think it should be. What you are trying to achieve is the equivalent of a line-out on the source.

Mind you, there are quite a few people participating in the forum, so don't rush into anything.

Why are you trying to do it this way?  The usual method is use the preamp on the AV amplifier to control the volume when watching video sources.  This has the advantage that it will also turn up the Sub and surround speakers at the same time.  Don't fret to much about the quality.  Try it and see.  Just remember to take the AV preouts into a  Unity Gain input on your Naim preamp if possible.

Your 552 does have a Unity Gain input.  It's the one marked AV on the front panel!  Without checking the manual for my own 552, I can't recall whether you have to change a setting on the 552 to use it in that way.

If you don't know how, look at my faq on 'Stereo and AV integration' in the faq section of these forums.

There is only one way of doing it - AV preamp controls the volume and NAIM pre-amp must be bypassed.

Hi Adam, that’s what I had with the nVi, but this device alters both the volume on the AV and the  pre, so if I have been using AV and switch to CD at 11:00 (volume) at 11:00 (time), there is a jumbo jet blasting the ears. I can possibly head the neighbours head bouncing off the wall.

Unless it’s him banging to tell me to turn it down?

Consciousmess posted:

Hi Adam, that’s what I had with the nVi, but this device alters both the volume on the AV and the  pre, so if I have been using AV and switch to CD at 11:00 (volume) at 11:00 (time), there is a jumbo jet blasting the ears. I can possibly head the neighbours head bouncing off the wall.

Unless it’s him banging to tell me to turn it down?

AV processor must only be connected to an AV (enabled) input on NAC. This way NAC’s volume controll is by-passed and 100% of the signal is sent to the pre-amp section. AV processor then controlls the volume (that’s why it’s called ‘AV-bypass’).

Oh I think I know what you mean. No matter what my preamp volume dial tells me, it’s still the AV controlling the volume of my power amp for the front two speakers.

So my question for this thread is moot.

(its just therefore convenient my volume controller works on the pre as well as the AV!)

In my old house I used the preamp-outs on my AV amp for the Front L and R channels and connected them to my NAC552.  I then calibrated the 5.1 setup with the volume on the 552 at 9 o'clock as that's what I typically set the volume at for CDs.  I could have chosen 12 o'clock but ran the risk of forgetting to turn the volume down when switching from AV to CD.

In my new house I'm doing what Adam and Dungassin are recommending.  You can tell the volume control is being bypassed on the 552 as the light on the dimple on the volume control is not illuminated.  Definitely the better solution although one minor advantage of the former was that if dialogue was unclear it was easy to turn the volume down on the Front L and R channels which sometimes helped.

Bryce Curdy posted:

In my new house I'm doing what Adam and Dungassin are recommending.  You can tell the volume control is being bypassed on the 552 as the light on the dimple on the volume control is not illuminated.  Definitely the better solution although one minor advantage of the former was that if dialogue was unclear it was easy to turn the volume down on the Front L and R channels which sometimes helped.

That's what the 'subtitle' bit on the player is for.  If I can't make out the mumbling, I just 'rewind' a bit and switch on the subtitles.