Hopefully… 
The official Italian Naim dealer really should know…
Interesting thread. I have a 282/SupercapDR and 250DR with 90db sensitive speakers and never even get close to 9am on the dial. Not surprised that’s way too loud with a 252
I totally believe the OP’s account of events. But I have to wonder if it was not abnormal before and now is actually normal, albeit undesired. In a large room with my 86db speakers and a 282/250 9 O’Clock is really the utter max with a digital source. 8 O’clock is pretty loud.
If you look at the more recent preamps, like the S1 and the 272, the move has been towards a massive decrease in input sensitivity and away from ALPS pots and towards resister ladders. I’m half expecting that to make it’s way to future products. But it is hard to tell. ALPS pots are still used in other non Naim new high end gear. Not necessarily the same model pot though.
1 Like
Like most posts I normally listen at 8 as 9 is generally too loud. With the tv 8 is massively too loud and I normally listen at 7.5 and sound is zero at 7. When I got the tv my Naim dealer connected a dac so that he could connect it to my amps but every 30 seconds or so there was a hiccup in the sound (he later found out it wasn’t the dac’s fault but a generic problem with the tv. He then connected the headphone out on the tv to the amp which worked without any hiccups but the usuable volume range is very small. However, the sound quality is really excellent on tv and even turning the volume down to a low setting the sound is balanced.
With my Sony TV it is the opposite, I have to turn it up to 10 O’clock and not forget to turn it back down afterwards! Connected with optical cable from TV into my NDS.
Yes when I used the dac for the tv I had to use a higher volume level than for cd.
Wish there was a factory-approved adjustment to the gain and/or input sensitivity. Former would probably reduce it speaker hiss too.
90db seems very loud too me. For what is is worth the sound meter in my phone, at 9 'o clock, with 552/500/S600 i have 80/81 db with medium high recorded cd records. MFSL records are generally mastered at low level. I can’t imagine with something like new D.Duran Future Past. With my system is pretty much unlistenable and with lots of glare. With 202/200/nSat in a bigger room, i measured less than 70db at 9 'o clock.
I have the same problem with NDX2 and 252…
My speakers are in our dining area so when we’re eating the volume needs to be low… this just can’t be done on my setup… with the volume wound down, one channel is inaudible because of volume imbalance.
Taking the 252 to the dealer is a sensible idea … however, although mine is relatively new, it was purchased privately… I wonder what are my options to resolve this issue … Return to Naim direct, under warranty, perhaps?
How old is the 252 (serial number)? The fact that the sound quality appears different (worse) to the 282 suggests it might be an older unit needing some TLC.
1 Like
When i had 252, nap300 and spendor d7.2 sensitivity 90 db i could barely move off the stop lucky if i made 7.00 o’clock. Way too loud always having to adjust volume on remote very annoying. High sensitivity speakers did not help. There was always a volume balance problem
1 Like
The 252 was new in Nov last year … so last years stock… think I will talk to Naim about possible fixes, see what they suggest.
Yes … you may be right … this combination and speaker sensitivity may accentuate the imbalance… I’d still like it corrected though.
1 Like
that’s partly why i uses 84db ATC seakers… low level is at 8 and normal is just about 9 on SN3
2 Likes
Yes … sensible …
I have a pair of B&W CDM7SE which I will try … although these will, I’m sure, sound lack-lustre compared to the Spendors (but I reserve judgement)…
It’s really astounding that Naim continues to produce their preamplifiers this way. The only solution I’ve found is to add attenuators to the interconnects, which sound fine, though I’d have to assume are overall worse than not having too much gain in the first place.
1 Like
I’m astounded that this is such a common problem. I seemed to have escaped it with both the 252 and the 552. The 82 also doesn’t have the problem. Am I doing something wrong?
1 Like
Me too… Sort of…
Most Naim pre amps basic design is similar - and was originally designed around Phono - and not CD/Streaming, which didn’t exist then. The result with CD, is that things can get a bit ‘loud’ and the useful range of the Volume control is a bit limited. At peeps have said - maybe only around 9 o’clock, starting from 7 o’clock. But - as other peeps have said, your Remote is your friend here - and this allows small changes in level.
Most people (?) find this OK - but some do not and consider it a Problem, which Naim should address. With great respect, I suggest if they are so unhappy, they might consider another brand…?
Where I am (still ) at a loss, is to explain or understand the reports of a 252 being much worse, than a 282 - or similar. That makes no Naim Sense - and should definitely not be the case. Perhaps one of the units is faulty or in need of a service…? Here, I would suggest discussion with a Naim dealer should help.
My own experience is that it was less of a problem once I got a Naim CD player - rather than the Arcam or Rega that I had previously. Both of these were spec’ed at have an above standard output level. An attenuated lead helped. Perhaps this scenario is at play here…? And the same ‘fix’ could help…?
Yes, I don’t deny there is a problem that needs addressing, I just wonder how common it is. My 82, 252 and new 552 span a few decades. If the problem kit is all from a certain production year for example, it may be resolvable.
And yet, you do not regard this as a ‘problem’…?
Many years back, Naim had a real fix for this in the 3 series ‘V’ boards (328 -?) which could be fitted to say, a 72. These had variable gain and could ‘tame’ any CD player. I had a set in my first 72 - and they worked well. Think I had them set on the lowest gain available (?).
I believe I have read that the ‘V’ boards also had a degree of filtering, built in, to deal with problems with some earlier CD players…? And such, they are no longer ‘recommended’ - and in any case, only exist in 3 series form - so up to 72 but not further.
It all comes down to how much of a ‘problem’ the OP (or others) consider this to be…? Perhaps Naim is not for them…?
1 Like