First post, very new to reasonable(vintage) hi-fi so please don’t beat me with sticks
I have a NAC92 and NAP90 with Flatcap on route.
Sadly the cd3.5 I bought didn’t function so it’s been returned.
I’ve been trying to get a feed in to play nicely using the tape input 4 (though 5 does the same). I run something similar on a Quad 33/303 where the tape record din goes into pigtails and then a Sonos port and Arcam rlink. So that pre out inputs can be sent through the tape record as an output and the tape input plays streamed music in from the dac. It works quite well.
I bought a 5 pin to pigtail RCA cable and this does work well on input 4 or 5 on the NAC92 for the streamed input. The out put works but is noisy. I press the Mon button and this does push an output through the cable (from sources added for testing to cd or tuner). The noise can be best described as sounding like a really poor record on a really poor turntable.
Looking for advise on the likely culprits? The cable is new and not running near any external power (it’s all jury rigged on a set of benches).
Thinking of sending the NAC in for a service if it would potentially solve this (though happy with the SQ in all other options). Or is this method just a rubbish way and should be abandoned and stick with the quad for pushing inputs into the Sonos feed?
The tape record output normally provides a buffered output based on whatever input is selected, so if you select, say, CD, that is what will be present on the tape record output.
Normally the preamp can either output (to power amp) the selected input, in my example CD), or the tape monitor input, so potentially something different could be connected to that and heard at the same time as feeding a signal from the selected input (e.g. CD) to whtever is connecred to the tape record output. Does this fit with what you are trying to do?
The tape 5pin din on the NAC92 is a different pin out to allow back in the day ( how I understand it) a pigtail (1 to 2) to a double tape deck. This allows an output from any of the selected inputs to the NAC92 to be recorded onto cassette. The second “tail” is the standard tape input in to the NAC92. Pressing the MON button while selected on a different input pushes that input out through the tape pigtail.
The Sonos part doesn’t really matter it’s just a system at taking that output. The Quad does this also and it functions fine. The NAC92 takes the input beautifully but the output RCA’s have the noise on them.
The rest of what you is exactly correct: and it is working in that manner. It’s just the tape output is truly terrible quality. Sound like a damaged record on a poor turntable. Static and noise.
Sorry I’m having a little difficulty understanding the setup: what are you feeding in, to feed out through the tape output while listening to whatever is attached to the tape monitor input?
It’s not the same cable. It’s a cable bought specifically for the naim. It works it’s just very noisy and I don’t fthink that’s been generated in the short pigtail. I did however megga it to check the pins incase and they are running though correct and nicely. As said it functions bar the poor quality
I think I’ll just send it into naim for them to have a look
That’s not how it/I’m using it works. If it’s being fed as an output I’m not listening to anything through the NAP90 fed by the NAC92.
The input into the NAC92 (cd as example) is being pushed out the tape record out by the mon. No sound through the speakers on the naim kit it’s being used as a distributor to elsewhere. But as stated this works. What I want to know is what internally would be causing noise on that output.
So is the sound you are listening for on the tape output from the CD player?
If not and you are trying to listen to the tape input on the tape output, you can’t do that (the tape output won’t be connecting to the same tape input) and what you will be hearing will be primarily noise plus some breakthrough signal probably induced in the cable itself.
So is the sound you are listening for on the tape output from the CD player?
Yep this 100%
The two parts of the pig tail will never be used at the same point. Both parts function except the tape in is crystal clear the tape out is awful
you say same in 4 and 5, so NAC doesn’t seem likely culprit, which would seem to leave two options: either the signal level and impedance characteristics unsuitable for the Sonos input (seems unlikely if you’ve done satisfactorily before from a different amp), or does a faulty or unsuitable cable
I haven’t tried pressing the tape button at the same time as the cd selected so unsure. Cd is selected (as that’s what I want to send to the tape record out).
