Hi, any experiences or thoughts with connecting the Uniti Nova via the pre-amp out to a pair of
Mono blocks? I am considering the Audiolab 8300 MB’s.
Experience? No and it might work brilliantly, but I wonder why you want to do this. Is it the first step to a separates system or do you have difficult-to-drive speakers that the Nova is struggling to handle?
If it’s the latter, perhaps a change of speakers might be more effective. If you’re en route to a multi box setup, it would be a good idea to have some idea of where you want to end up. If you’d really like to stay with Naim, there should be a good supply of used 250DRs coming to the market as folk swap to New Classic. First steps to a classic 282/HC/250 setup!
Roger
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Why monoblocks in particular? Nothing wrong with them, of course, but if it’s because you want to site them near the speakers instead of the preamp, you would usually use them with their balanced connections which the Nova does not have. Other than that, a couple of mono RCA leads and you’re sorted.
Hi Roger, it’s a little of the latter; I have the ART Deco 20 speakers which are 100kg behemoths. They are 92db efficient, so pretty easy to drive but I have driven them with a 500/552 (glory days of my past) and hence know what more power is capable with these speakers.
I’m curious what the 8300’s will do and the price factor ties in well.
Thanks Chris. I am considering the Audiolab 8300mb, which is a balanced design. The Nova indeed doesn’t have a balanced design, so there is that.
Missed adding - I can’t change my speakers because I love them too much 
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I think that mono amps such as NAP135s need a better source than the Nova can supply. I really don’t want to rain on your parade, but I fear that you’re heading for a mismatch. Remember the old Linn catchphrase ‘source first’.
I can’t comment on the Nova potential match with the older NAP 135’s, but perhaps you can elaborate on why you believe that mismatch might exist.
I’ve heard positive stories on the Nova feeding a NAP 250, granted it’s not mono.
I’m quite happy with my Nova being the source
I sold a 250DR to someone who owned a Nova, and they told it me it made virtually no difference. They then sold the Nova and got a NDX2 and 282, which made all the difference.
The Nova is good, but it’s an all in one and speaker matching is critical. Your Arts were £28,000 new I believe, and you simply don’t front speakers like that with a Nova, and all the monoblocks in the world won’t change that.
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Thanks for your opinion on front ending my
ART’s with my Nova. Two things though:
- You’re wrong
- Your opinion means nothing to me, given you aren’t experienced (in Hendrix parlon)
I appreciate you taking the time to respond but no amount of retort or coaxing will get anymore out of me on that one…
Charming.
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Business in front party in the rear.
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What an odd, and frankly disrespectful, answer from someone who is asking forum members for advice.
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HH is one of the most knowledgeable and experienced forum members here - the tone of your response to his reply is totally unacceptable.
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It seems to me that we are all missing out the [dark] humour in this forum?
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To be disrespectful is bad enough.
But to try to hide it behind what might be taken for humour…
Oh, well!
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Opinions expressed here on adding power amps to various Unitis have always varied very widely. All you can do is try it for yourself.
Using a better power amp will of course drive demanding and revealing speakers better. The downside of this is that they will better reveal the relative shortcomings of a source such as an all-in-one player like the Nova.
It’s quite common for people to turn up on this forum with such expensive speakers, perhaps because they tend to drop in price far more than (Naim) electronics. It may be that you are satisfied with such an imbalanced system. While some take the source first principle much too far in my opinion, I think you will be greatly rewarded by any future source and preamp upgrades should you choose to try.
Good luck!
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Thanks and I much prefer your open and honest take. It was said in a manner I will take any day of the week. I’ll accept my system is unbalanced but therein lies some of the fun. I’ve done the 500/552 set up with the ART’s and the Nova to me is hilariously close and undervalued in comparison - to ME it’s 80% of the 500/552 and at what fraction of the cost?
The simple point is I love the Nova and to me it sounds great, and that’s all that matters.
Can it get better, sure and that’s why I thought I’d give this forum a try
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The Nova works great with my ART’s…you should try it! That’s a genuine belief of mine, I’m not messing you about
I imagine Naim designers must have had something in mind when designing the pre-amp out on the Naim Nova. Presumably they believed that the pre-amp section on the Nova is good enough for some power amps out there (contrary to some strong views here).
@Richard.Dane
Would you have a view on this?