Hi, I have just received last week a 552 and Super Lumina, which I have in a moderate sized listening room (6m x 6m) and I upgraded from a 252 and NACA5.
The volume control is crazy. The extra torrent of everything means going from 8:30 to about 7.
Should it be this way? And then there’s that issue why they had the loudness button due to artificially raise low and high frequencies i.e. I’m only hearing an inflated mid band.
Does that mean I’m hearing a greatly attenuated 552 and Super Lumina combination?
That’s surprising
I went from 52 to 552 and the volume Level the same. 7:30 comfortable and 9:00 extremely loud.
Just using Naim A5 cable
Is it possible that the volume know on the 552 is set in wrong position? I know the 52 volume knob could be adjusted, not sure about the 552.
David
Hi David, thanks for the idea. It was serviced in 2019, so I’d imagine Naim would have checked that. Definitely a possibility though. I meant to write tsunami than torrent though in my opening post as every aspect of the sound has been super charged.
That was my reasoning behind the volume control being so loud - the amount of information getting through.
I went from a 52 to 552 and would say the there does seem to be slightly greater attenuation on the 552. I’d normally listen to the 52 between 09:00 and 10:00 on the dial. With the 552 it’s now between 08:00 and 09:00. Of course this may change depending on how sensitive and power hungry you speakers are?
Thanks for the feedback and affirmation I was hoping others would give. I also found out the phenomenon of low and high sounds being diminished at low volumes is human centred not in the amp.
So what I infer is that I am still hearing the full range of the 552 and Super Lumina, not a disproportionally amplified mid range.
I know this sounds silly my reasoning this way, but it’s a box ticked and I can enjoy the bedding in now and not be worried!
With most tracks I play between 8 and 9.5 and over 10 gets very loud. It is however source dependant I find I need more volume playing vinyl and DSD files and remastered CDs tend to be louder than early pressings.
As to the control knob position at minimum volume I am at 7 o’clock.
Give your 552 and Super Lumina some time to settle in and I am sure you will be hearing what they can really do soon. Enjoy the ride and don’t worry!
Just thought I’d post something Chat GPT told me, which clarified the loudness issue:
Output Voltage: The Naim 552 has a higher maximum output voltage than the 252 (12Vrms vs. 10Vrms), which means that it can provide a higher level of signal amplification to downstream components such as power amplifiers. This can result in a perceived increase in loudness when comparing the two preamps.
Gain: The Naim 552 also has higher gain than the 252, which means that it can amplify incoming signals to a greater degree. This can result in a higher level of overall volume, even when using the same power amplifier and speakers.
Power Supply: Both the 552 and 252 require an external power supply to function, and the quality and specifications of the power supply can have a significant impact on sound quality and perceived loudness. The Naim 552 typically uses a larger and more advanced power supply than the 252, which can contribute to improved performance and higher output levels.
Room Acoustics: Finally, it is important to consider the impact of room acoustics on perceived loudness. Even small differences in speaker placement or room layout can have a significant impact on the perceived volume and overall sound quality of a system.
