Don’t know if you’ve seen this discussion and the reply from @robert_h?
Vonets Wireless Bridge and Innuos
If I’d any clue how to do it accurately I would switch the TT2 to AMP mode and lower the voltage to 2.5V to see if some mid range warmth emerges.
So, quick question for @Richard.Dane and others of Naim stock. I’m ready to try loading resistors on my speaker terminals having ruled out trying to connect direct to the TT2. I’ll talk to Zu about their thoughts on the matter. For reasons which I’m not technically proficient enough to understand several people have suggested Zu 10ohm resistors would be the place to start.
The question is simply whether loading resistors could have any detrimental impact on the 202/200/HC DR/NAPSC?
Mike, that’s rather outside my sphere of competence. I would ask Naim (R&D) directly for their view.
Noted. Thanks for the prompt response. Is there a specific email address?
Thanks. On it now. Long term solution/improvement is clearly less efficient speakers or different amplification. With some regrets I think my decision is likely to be farewell to all Naim boxes in my system but there’s no rush as even with a slight loss of resolution the new source and DAC are clearly different class. Whilst last year lock down enabled me to save sufficient for a new source, this year the priority is absolutely to sort our leaky main bathroom out so replacement amplification has to be funded by the sale of the Naim kit alone, which likely isn’t going to get me to the level appropriate to my source and speakers.
In the interim using loading resistors seem something worth trying at little cost provided Naim see no issues with it.
Got my ticket number. Shall continue ripping CDs and enjoying music once again.
How’s your new ‘front end’ working out Mike ? All good ?
Thanks for asking @james_n. You must be some kind of masochist wanting to prolong this thread 
Well, where to begin…
Nearly 1,500 CDs ripped. Probably another 400 to go. Mrs. H. streaming podcasts and working her way through lots of classical stuff with increasing frequency. The 15 year old working his way through the CDs via his Muso. Several albums downloaded. Some new and some to replace CDs which won’t rip. A small panic thinking I’d burned out the Zenith ripper after it refused to do Quick Mode for a week but actually all is well. It has quirks but they’re so minor as to not be of concern at this point.
Have the TT2 on filter 3 in DAC mode and the Zenith on USB low latency mode. I know most settle on filter 1 but 3 is helping compensate for the lack of mids at higher volumes because of the impedance mismatch. Lost a little detail at lower volumes with the filter and the USB selection but it’s a compromise worth making for now. Worth saying it’s still way more detailed and natural than the CDX2 ever was and yet remains coherent.
Consequently I’ve stopped hearing the flaws with having the impedance mismatch to any great extent and gotten totally lost in music. Averaging 2 hours per night every night. Not done that in literally years. Enjoying new CDs acquired as Christmas presents (Dylan’s latest and Waxahatchee especially) and rediscovering the stuff I own. Very hard to express in words the extent to which I’ve missed this level of immersion. Had some musical experiences the Naim never once reached. Vocalists stepping into the room etc.
The to do list currently reads (in order):
CD storage in flight cases for the garage.
more metadata editing than I’d been led to believe.
better quality wireless bridge. This one has a too short piece of hard-wired Ethernet so the box is far too close to the pre and Zenith and introduces obvious noise thanks to its plastic finish and annoyingly gaudy flashing blue and green lights which are visible as soon as the living room lights are lowered.
maybe switch the DAC to AMP mode and lower the voltage into the pre.
integrated 8ohm amp for a better match wuth the speakers. Mrs. H. won’t entertain any Class A monoblocks so it’s either a small valve or a solid state. Few of the latter match well with the Zu but the decision has been made that the speakers stay and there are some promising candidates such as Pass or Lavardin.
add an Innuos Phoenix USB reclocker. Better value than an Mscalar.
Done.
For some of us trying to find our end game system means leaving Naim behind for me that was because of an amp/speaker/room mismatch.
You either find a speaker to match an amp or vice versa I have at last found an amp to match my speakers wether or not I’ve found the perfect source for them remains to be seen.
It did for me. With my 282/250dr and hicaps the zenith/chord combo was almost but not quite. With the chord amp it’s perfect. It was a major move as the Naim amp was pretty new but the improvement was so much I couldn’t not make the change
As others have mentioned, check out a Chord power amp as well as other integrated amps… such as Chord Etude / Ultima 6 etc. You don’t need a separate pre-amp as the TT2 works great as a pre into the Chord power amps.
Agree with all 3 of you. I bought essentially a Naim recommended system whilst already owning the Epos ES11s. Ought to have been well balanced and yet it actually exposed the slightly rolled off nature of the speakers which was essentially what made them work in so many systems but, once at the level of 202/200 etc. didn’t quite do it for me.
I know plenty will disagree but, for me, you can’t move up the Naim ladder without balancing so just swapping in a 282 added some detail and bass but removed some warmth. Balancing that with a 250/300 costs serious amounts and whilst the gains are clear the source then gets exposed and so you go round in circles.
My current source is way ahead of a CDS3 and well on its way to 500 level but for an amount of money which already looks a bargain. I could solve the impedance mismatch by moving to a 282/300 but the amounts of money involved don’t really justify the outcome and for £4K or less now you can get integrateds which can effectively be your end game. Even more attractive once you get that yes Naim are right about separate power supplies but there’s more than one way to skin a cat and the PRat and timing of Innuos/Chord makes newer Naim look sluggish and sound slightly washed out in comparison.
I used to think I was wedded to the idea of pre/power as the only advance on integrated. It looks like I’m not alone in thinking that you can have less boxes, less expenditure and more music. It’s easy to lose sight of how many choices you have.
I’m in no rush to leave my Naim amplification behind but when I do it isn’t going to be for more or better Naim amplification.
I think you’re right… everything is working for you now and it’s providing you with enjoyable music again so time is on your side. Wait until the real world returns and you can easily demo stuff and that way you’ll get the balance you want whether is Naim or not.
I know you are not a great fan of tubes. But i want however to suggest you the EAR V12 integrated amp. The Prat and dynamics are wonderful, and the vocals sound so real and human. This integrated is on the 252/250 level, but sounds richer and more natural, without loosing prat.
Around 7k.
I tried it at home and was amazed at how good it was for the price.
Ha. Mrs. H. is the more the objector than me. She’s not a fan of the size and heat from Class A but will accept a small valve based integrated if the sound delivers. Just read some reviews of the EAR and there seem few downsides so it’s been added to an increasing list. Thank you.
Regrettably there appears to be no UK dealer within 200 miles of me.
A quick update. All CDs ripped. Lots of covers and metadata to edit as and when. A nice response from Naim R&D suggesting loading resistors in parallel won’t work but in series might. I don’t know what that means but look forward to hearing more.
Have abandoned iPeng for LMS as an app although Mrs. H. is happy using the former and has been very content listening to more music than she has in years.
Server volume is down at 75% which allows the 202 to travel to 9 or 10 o’clock before a reasonable volume is reached whereas at 100% it barely needed to travel at all. This has meant some loss of digital resolution but the chaps at iPeng and Innuos seem confident that 75% still gives me CD level resolution but no more than that.
Was a bit upset that King of America by the Costello Show declined to rip so bought a high res download to test the above out. Sounded hollowed out and most certainly not high res. Occasionally get CD level rips which are similar. Tried some Run DMC tonight and it was shrill where there ought to be power.
Have heard it argued I could get Roon and use the DSP to fix much of this. Roon holds no other attractions for me but I suppose I could be persuaded if it were to offer such compensation.
However, I’m well aware that there is a speakers amp mismatch and have no problem with saying the amps will be the ones to depart. What issues there currently are fall resolutely on my decision making and I’m okay with that. Have compiled a list of potential amps (solid state and valve) and it’ll be a living document until such time as further funds are in place.
In the meantime excellent results can be had with classical, jazz, acoustic and much more. For every “ohh that doesn’t sound right” there are five or more “wow, listen to that” moments. Listening to music most nights and often coming in to find Mrs. H. streaming podcasts etc. as opposed to the last year or two where I was actively avoiding music listening and she had resorted to downloading stuff on her phone.
Ambitions extend no further than amp and Phoenix and more music listening in the meantime.
Mike, you don’t need to do this. It would be far better to set the server at 100% and simply turn down the volume on the TT2 until it reaches a comfortable volume level in your room.
(Your TT2 has a very high quality volume control.) This is more or less the standard operating procedure when pairing Chord DACs with Naim – indeed, this is what I did when I had a Hugo 2. Then you can achieve good travel on the preamp’s volume pot and play all the high-rez files you like.
Joe
I’m in DAC mode so the volume is fixed.
No problem! Just set the TT to “amp” mode and then you can reduce the volume (aka the volts your preamp is seeing; one of the buttons on the TT should turn a turquoise color when you’re in the right range.) I know this may sound counterintuitive, but it won’t make the TT function less well as a DAC or anything. (@Simon-in-Suffolk , if you would be so kind as to please correct me if I’m wrong, I’d appreciate it.) The Hugo 2 is always in “amp” mode, as it’s intended to be a portable device.