I’ve long enjoyed my Nac 102 Nap 140 and a NAPSC combination. However I recently got the opportunity to pick up a couple of Bryston power pac 120 power amps to attach directly to my PMC FB1 speakers.
To connect the two Brystons required buying a secondhand HiCap and two 4pin to XLR cables.
I think I’ve cabled up correctly. I’ve checked with the cable supplier that the 4pin to XLR’s are configured for correctly the purpose. Everything is powered up. But no sound.
I’ve heard all the equipment working except the HiCap which I bought on line as work and it looks to be in good condition.
Thanks in advance Adrian
I’ve attached a couple of pics of the set up. Is there anything obviously wrong going on here? Any suggestions to troubleshoot?
IIRC the Bryston amps have a balanced input on the Cannon XLR, so you need to ensure that the DIN4-XLR leads you have are for a balanced XLR (i.e. a pseudo balanced configuration going from a single ended output to a balanced input) and not a Naim-type single ended XLR (as found on the Classic Naim power amps).
Hi, in addition to Richard’s advice above, I would add a couple of points.
First, you should be able to check that the Hicap works by connecting it to your 140 in the conventional Naim way. At least that will confirm that it works, and you should notice an improvement in performance compared to your previous setup if the Hicap is working well.
Second, how long are the DIN to XLR cables you are using? Naim preamps don’t work well with long cables, so if your speakers are a long way away this arrangement may not be ideal. Obviously you will want to get some sound out of your system before addressing this, though. Good luck.
Hi Richard - thanks for your warm welcome and advice. I checked back with the cable supplier and they sent me the wiring schema for the cables. Don’t know if this makes sense to you or anyone?
Hiya FZ - good question, there’s no particular reason I went for XLR over RCA. Maybe something lurking in my subconscious mind focused my thoughts on XLR to the detriment of RCA. Not sure why that would be as I’ve not got any experience or insight to favour one over the other. Maybe it was just the lure of a new and exciting connection type! Do you have a preference between the two?
Well the XLR plug is superior to RCa but that’s somewhat moot here. In this situation the XLR inputs on the power amp are balanced and the Naim doesn’t have balanced output. So making up an unbalanced to XLR lead may work in some cases there aren’t really advantages and you have to order a special cable.
A balanced circuit is significantly more complicated than an unbalanced one so if you don’t have balanced outputs to match balanced inputs, you’re better off with a standard RCA cable using the simpler unbalanced circuit.
FWIW even when both components support balanced XLR, which connection ultimately sounds better is going to depend on various factors. One is not inherently superior to the other. They have different strengths and weaknesses. As a generalisation (with plenty of exceptions) balanced works better on long runs over 3m and unbalanced better on short runs.
Sorry to hijack this thread but I’m curious to know how the PowerPac is mounted to your speakers. I have a pair of FB1+’s and have seen a few sets of the amps floating around on the used market. Did your speakers have mounting holes pre-installed or are they simply screwed to the back of the cabinet?
