Hi All,
I am going to be crazy with my new SN3. This is my second unit, because the first was replaced due balance problem. My dealer send my another amplifier, but seems the problem stay. It is very irritating. I did check different sources like CD player, ND5 XS2 and turntable. Also, different speaker cables. The unbalance staying when I increase volume. The proper balance I get is when Balance pot is on 2 hours, but dynamic is weaker. Should I learn live with it or ask for another unit?
If you don’t think it’s right then perhaps compare at the dealer.
A different location may dismiss room setup.
SN3 owner here and very happy with it no balance problem and I imagine your money is as good as anyone else’s.
Niggling doubts spoil pleasure not what it’s about.
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Could be the room.Do you listen nearfield.
My listen place is about 2 m from speakers.
Swop the speaker cables around at the back of the amp to check, also try headphones if you have some
I have already done, then right speaker is dominant. It is not big difference. I did some comparision with pink noise and Decibel X App. The phone was stady in listen place. Have noticed:
VOL knob Left Right
08:00h 56 dB 54.8 dB
09:00h 73.6 dB 73.1 dB
10:00 h 81.6dB 81.2 dB
I think sitting further back can solve the problem.
Nothing changes when I moved my sit. Also, headphones have unbalanced. The worst, that my dealer said no more replacement, he wants to give me a refund, but I wish I had good SN3.
My sn3 centers at 11 o’clock.
No big deal mate.
Just get use to it.
I suppose the knob is off center.
For me nothing to worry about.
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I had three SN3 and balance was always at 1 or 2 o’clock. What efficiency are your speakers and at what volume level position do you feel that the balance gets better / worse?
Also, are the surfaces left and right from your listening positions the same?
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I have Dynaudio Contour 20i @ 86 dB. The balance is still wrong with volume knob at 9 o’clock. I don’t go more. It’s too loud for me. The vol knob at 9 o’clock & bal knob at 2 o’clock, then I have correctly. The room doesn’t matter, because headphones have the same.
Sounds not quite right - I would give it back otherwise you will never enjoy it as you should. Why your dealer is reluctant to order a new one is not quite clear to me.
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If my knob was telling me lies I’d have it seen too. 
Why pay premium prices for mediocre assembly. 
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Assuming the measurements were made with stereo material, if the music or preferably a single voice are in mono, are the results still the same?
Yes Chris when playing mono song or pink noise the centre of balance is on 2 o’clock
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Is the knob aligned correctly on the spindle? If you swing to left and right extremes is it equidistant from the 6 o’clock position?
It was first check I did. The knob is align correctly. It’s definitly louder when you go knob hard to left, then hard to right. Both speakers and headphones.
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I had that problem
Usialy its very noticeable with efficiency speakers 90 db
I never heard about thiz phenoma with 86 db speakers
Luckly my dealer was also a technician and he understand that the volume pot (yes actually the volume pot) is the problem and he ordered new one from naim , before instaltion verify by ohm measuring that there is more or less equal ohm in both sides of the pot, then he dismantle my pot and measure it also and prove that there was big deviation compare to the new one.
After he install it we listened togther to the amp and the inbalance gone completely.
I do not understand why naim dosent fix it or check it before it send this kind of precious device to customer…
It is very frustrating and you shouldn’t live we that problem. Its a magnificent amp and you deserve to enjoy it in its best.
Ilan v.
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Cheers Vaksil. I’ll pass your advise to the dealer/ technical.
But if you read the review on Naim inside, in the “ Jonathan Gorse introduction to Naim “ , Soundstage review, this should not happen:
“ After assembly, every unit is put on a test rig to measure its performance across multiple parameters. Anything that fails this testing is sent to a dedicated area of the factory for reworking. Once they’ve passed electronic testing, all completed amplifiers and streamers are then subjected to individual listening tests. Naim is dead serious about consistency, and the firm is determined that the amplifier or streamer you heard and liked in the dealer’s demo room will sound exactly the same as the one that’s delivered to you and installed in your home.”