Hi all,
Currently have JBL 590's FR and FL, 520c center, some Polk OWM3 surrounds all driven by a NAD T777 and 2 PB2000 subs. In stereo mode the T777 can drive the 590s to what I would call "sufficiently loud" at -7db (before the amps distortion curve starts rising according to the review here.) This is with newer music that is "mixed loudly" if the music was mixed as recommended, with room for dynamic range bursts, I cannot listen to music as loudly as I would like. I bought this receiver for Dirac and I love it, but I think I notice losing a little dynamic headroom when using Dirac as well. I do plan to expand to more channels "some time in the future". Probably.
Most of my music listening is via Tidal these days from an NVIDIA Shield. Tidal has released some "Atmos" remixes of a bit of music. I like these remixes. When listening to these, I have to turn it up to 0db to get close to "sufficiently loud" for me. -7db is like a casual listening volume. Movies do seem sufficiently loud for me, I have never ran out of volume.
For a long time I have been thinking about a Nord amplifier using Hypex modules for the price and performance. I believe the DACs on the T777 measured around 85db and the amplifiers at 73db when reviewed on this site, so I thought that this may be a worthwhile upgrade anyway. My major questions are as follows:
1) is it worth going for a "Nord One NC500DM" or "NC500DM MKII" 3 channel monoblock for the RCL instead of using some of the NCxxxMP multichannel modules for LCR?
2) Should I go with 500 watt modules or 250? One worry here is the possibility of damaging my speakers. I'd likely have no qualms with replacing the Polk's anyway if it will greatly improve the system. The 252 seems to only put 130 watts into 8 ohms which seems like I wouldn't be gaining much if anything. Nord also seems to spec both at 26db voltage gain which is confusing me. Shouldn't a more powerful amplifier have more voltage gain?
3) Is it important to have the same wattage on all speakers? If not how will the fronts not drown out the others?
With one small follow up question, I read in many reviews of "the amplifiers take down the DACs as well." Don't the preouts come straight from the DACs more or less and avoid the amplifiers? If the amplifiers are not in this output path, how are they affecting the signal in this case?
Currently have JBL 590's FR and FL, 520c center, some Polk OWM3 surrounds all driven by a NAD T777 and 2 PB2000 subs. In stereo mode the T777 can drive the 590s to what I would call "sufficiently loud" at -7db (before the amps distortion curve starts rising according to the review here.) This is with newer music that is "mixed loudly" if the music was mixed as recommended, with room for dynamic range bursts, I cannot listen to music as loudly as I would like. I bought this receiver for Dirac and I love it, but I think I notice losing a little dynamic headroom when using Dirac as well. I do plan to expand to more channels "some time in the future". Probably.
Most of my music listening is via Tidal these days from an NVIDIA Shield. Tidal has released some "Atmos" remixes of a bit of music. I like these remixes. When listening to these, I have to turn it up to 0db to get close to "sufficiently loud" for me. -7db is like a casual listening volume. Movies do seem sufficiently loud for me, I have never ran out of volume.
For a long time I have been thinking about a Nord amplifier using Hypex modules for the price and performance. I believe the DACs on the T777 measured around 85db and the amplifiers at 73db when reviewed on this site, so I thought that this may be a worthwhile upgrade anyway. My major questions are as follows:
1) is it worth going for a "Nord One NC500DM" or "NC500DM MKII" 3 channel monoblock for the RCL instead of using some of the NCxxxMP multichannel modules for LCR?
2) Should I go with 500 watt modules or 250? One worry here is the possibility of damaging my speakers. I'd likely have no qualms with replacing the Polk's anyway if it will greatly improve the system. The 252 seems to only put 130 watts into 8 ohms which seems like I wouldn't be gaining much if anything. Nord also seems to spec both at 26db voltage gain which is confusing me. Shouldn't a more powerful amplifier have more voltage gain?
3) Is it important to have the same wattage on all speakers? If not how will the fronts not drown out the others?
With one small follow up question, I read in many reviews of "the amplifiers take down the DACs as well." Don't the preouts come straight from the DACs more or less and avoid the amplifiers? If the amplifiers are not in this output path, how are they affecting the signal in this case?