Phono power problem?

Hi-Fi Corner
1

Hello everyone,
I have connected two NAIM components, a Strageline N to the Flatcap 2 and I notice a drop in power when I listen to vinyl records compared to other sources (CD, etc.). Do you think this is normal? Could it be linked to the cable? It’s new, seriously made in the UK by uk-cbe, but it’s not a NAIM…
Best regards,
Frédéric

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Do you mean the volume is quieter? That’s normal with phono versus eg a cd player.

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Yes, that’s it. I have to turn the volume up to three quarters so that the sound is neither too loud nor too soft.

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The MC Phono input on my NAC52 is quite noticeably quieter than any other input.

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Agreed.

Normal For Naim. Not The Cable.

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Thank you all for your valuable feedback. I’m reassured !
Kind regards,
Frédéric

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It’s normal for vinyl to sound quieter than other sources, but if you are saying that you need to turn up the volume 3/4 of the way from minimum to maximum, that sounds like a lot to me. Are you sure that the Stageline N is a good match for your cartridge?
Not that this is necessarily a problem as long as you are happy with the sound quality, but it’s always good to get cartridge/phono stage matching right.

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8

A silly question but it is an MM cartridge you are using with the Stageline N?

My Stageline N is noticeably quieter than the streamer input but I never have to take it past 11 o’clock on the volume dial to get it loud (with an AT MM cart).

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In theory it’s the right pre-amp, it corresponds to a moving magnet cell…

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MM cartdrige

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11

OK, there’s a problem… My phono is a Rega Planar 3 with a Elys 2 cartdrige…

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The Rega Planar 3 is a turntable, not a phono preamp. The preamp is your Stageline, and the Elys 2 is indeed a Moving Magnet. That should be an okay combination. As everyone has said, your phono will be quieter than other sources, although my similar configuration needs to be at 10 o’clock vs 8 o’clock to get a similar volume. There is another thread at Stageline N - compatibility with Rega Elys 2

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OK, thanks.

Sorry for the translation, but I’m French.

There’s too big a difference for me: I imagine it depends on the amplifiers. I turn the volume up by about 25% more to get the same sound. If it’s normal, OK, otherwise where could it be coming from?

I’ll have a look at the thread dedicated to the Elys 2 cell. Having said that, I’m going to switch to Rega Exact, so maybe everything will be resolved…

Thanks again for your help, I appreciate it.

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I don not think this will help at all with your Volume problem. AFAIK, both the Rega Elys 2 and Rega Exact are MM cartridges, with similar output levels… :thinking:

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Most phono stages output between 0.5 and 1.5v wheras a digital source is in the 2.0 to 2.7v range. That’s unlikely to change much.

That’s another reason why amplifiers have a volume knob.

I have a MM cart that actually only has the same output as high output MC. Yet with a Naim phono stage the difference is acceptable. 8 O’clock on the volume for digital source translates to about 9:30 - 10 O’clock for vinyl.

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This is all interesting because I have a LOMC with a Naim Superline, as well as a NDX2. The volume output is pretty much exactly the same for both, and I don’t have to adjust the volume switching sources. Is MM with a Stageline really that different? Just curious.

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There’s about 4db gain difference. Superline is 64db wheras the StageLine is 60db. Not a massive difference. And my MM cart has about half the output of most MM carts so 8 O’clock on the NDX versus 10 Ok’clock on the vinyl seems fine to me.

I don’t see what the problem is to be honest. Even two digital spurces might vary by as much as 1v between them.

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Thank you all for your feedback. To conclude, the difference is normal, although depending on the equipment it may be zero. On average, the difference is around +20%. I’ll try to take Db measurements when I get the Rega Exact cartdrige and I’ll come back here for the results.
Have a nice Sunday,
Frédéric

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I have a High Output MC (DV 10X) into Naim 523 E boards, in my 82. This ‘fixes’ the problem.

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@Frederic - your NAIT 5 has an input trim control. You should be able to adjust this so that all sources play at comparable levels. Either trim the Stageline input up, or the CD5 input down.