End of my tether

Well one can try the resistor in parallel as per the article … … but you will be significantly reducing the efficiency… but I do think there is a risk you will affect the crossover frequencies or resonance of the crossover, but worth a try.

I am indeed using a Hugo 2 TT. Had it and the Zenith a week and have yet to sit down and read the online manual. My understanding was that people who have tried using the DAC, presumably in amp mode (?), straight into speakers have tended to abandon the idea fairly quickly. Am I wrong on this? I need to understand why the DAC would provide a better match.

I could be wrong but my understanding was that my speakers don’t have a cross over as such. One 10” driver plus a super-tweeter.

I think I can probably afford to reduce speaker efficiency given what it measures but in what way could cross over frequencies be impacted and what do you mean by resonance in that context?

The only reason I abandoned it was that I upgraded the excite 12’s I was using to much bigger floorstanders that are harder to drive. Also I decided to get back into Vinyl, so needed an analog preamp/integrated. Going directly from the TT2 to speakers simplifies the chain, so gives you a much purer signal and sounds stunning to my ears.

Same here, but found one in roon/qobuz. Cant see the booklet is available within the naim app.

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On the speaker issue — not sure whether it has been mentioned before, but why not try the TT2 driving the speakers? The TT2 might do a decent job on these highly sensitive speakers…

No Quarter already suggested.

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Thanks everybody. Much to think about but no rush. The reality is that I’m one week into ownership so neither device has fully burned in. The left speaker has a Christmas tree 2m away from it and I remain 100% confident I’ve made the right choice re: DAC and source.

Even if I hadn’t been thoroughly disillusioned with what the system was previously doing, the reality was that CD storage in our living room had migrated to piles on the floor and so a move to streaming had to happen. Having auditioned a shortlist the whole family are confident we’ve made the right choice. It’s really just about letting things settle and then deciding what we need to do in the new year to get things to where I want them to be.

A couple of outstanding questions then:

1 - I’m not sure I understand Simon’s point about cross overs and loading resistors. That aside, I can’t make much sense of how those Zu graphics would help me identify a specific pair to buy. 5, 10 or 25?

2 - Why would the DAC drive the speakers better than the Naim? Are we saying it’s because the amp mode has a better matching impedance?

Interesting to know. Thank you.

Mike, I suggest you go to, or join the Head-fi TT2 forum. There are a lot more people over there driving speakers directly off the TT2, so rather than listen to the few that have done it on this forum, you will get lots of info there.

I didn’t know there was such a thing. Good idea.

@mikehughescq

Hi Mike,

Naim volume pots usually have a channel imbalance when set to low volume levels – so what I recommend that you do is to set the output volume/voltage of the TT to a relatively low level, so that you can then get more usable range on the 202’s volume knob. Try aiming for an output level on the TT such that you can have the 202’s volume knob at 9 o’clock while maintaining a comfortable volume level in the room. (I would also control your system’s volume using the 202, not iPeng. If the iPeng has a “fixed volume” setting, use that.)

Resolving/reducing a channel imbalance at lower volume levels may give a fuller sound. Tinkering with the speaker positions -likely moving them closer to the wall- would probably help, too.

Joe

Well indeed. At present I’m torn between ripping; backing up; listening and learning my way around iPeng and the DAC etc. Not enough hours in the day despite being on holiday.

I’ve been operating with iPeng on a high volume which gives the 202 volume very little travel before high volumes are reached. I only adjust volume using the 202 remote and so you are of course right that I need to lower it within the app considerably; set that as a fixed volume, which I think the app can do, and see whether that improves things as the channel imbalance is especially noticeable with such sensitive speakers.

I’ve already noted speaker positioning as something to revisit once the tree and other detritus is out of the way.

I think you missed the point… it’s not about sensitivity, but instead about impedance. In higain mode the TT2 has only about 9.4 volts to play with on the xlr outputs… which is superb for headphones and ok for regular impedance high sensitive speakers, but less good for very high impedance speakers, with a hugely varying impedance curve.

So you’re suggesting that direct into my speakers isn’t likely to improve things then?

Give it a go… but I suspect not, or not by much.

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Noted.

With your system, you have three volume controls: 1) iPeng, 2) the Hugo TT’s output level, and 3) your 202. I am suggesting that you lower the Hugo’s volume level (as indeed I did when I had a Hugo 2) to give you more useable range on the 202. If it’s possible to fix the iPeng’s volume level, that would be great – then you have only one (easily accessed) variable for volume in your system: the 202. If you can get it so that you have a comfortable volume level with the 202’s volume pot at 9 o’clock, that will go a long way toward solving a channel imbalance.

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Not really got to grips with the DAC volume. Couldn’t even tell you what it’s set at or how to set it at present.

Channel imbalance isn’t really the issue. Of course it’s there at low volume but the issue is really a lack of mid warmth/presence.

The channel imbalance could be contributing to this problem.

Anyway, good luck with everything. Very nice setup you’ve obtained!

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