Nad C320BEE over sensitive volume dial and far too loud!

[funkyhitman]

Hi I have recently purchased a Nad C320BEE Amp (50wpc) and C521BEE CD Player. The sound is superb but any higher than 7/8 o'clock on the dial is far too loud. The slightest of movements turns the volume up or down by too much. The remote therefore is useless because it moves the dial by too much.

This also means I find it almost impossible to get the amp to a comfortable low volume, because it either jumps too loud or goes too quiet. I'm talking such a small movement here. Sometimes I don't even think I'm moving the dial, yet I can hear the volume change.

Due to using a tiny portion of the volume dial, when listening at low volume the dial is almost at min so the balance is off and shifted to the left channel.

I also notice when the dial is at minimum or the amp muted I can still hear the music playing quite clearly! What's going on? I can't even mute the thing!

I am very dissapointed with this amp and I find it unusable for my needs. I have never used one this sensitive. Is it because of my speakers?

I have Mordaunt Short 902i 15-100w speakers.

I cannot live with the amp being like this so if there is nothing I can do I am going to have to sell it and go back to using my mini denon or get another amp that is not so sensitive.

My denon F102 amp (35wpc) has far better volume control. The balance at the lowest volume is spot on and when muted, it really is muted! Maybe that is because it is a digital dial so the volume changes in increments which you can see on the display as numbers. Or because it is not as powerful it works better with my speakers?

I really don't know much about matching systems but people here keep raving about this Nad Amp and CD Player so i'm assuming not everyone is experiencing this volume problem.

Thanks very much for your help!

Sorry to hear that. I had a 340 and the same Cd player. can not remember for the life of me whether there was help on the actual CD player with your problem when playing CD's as in a volume control. Sure I know this dose not help you if your using a tuner or playing vinyl. But its just a Thought.

I loved the Nad amp and the Cd player loved the charcoal grey thought they look very good atheistically together. CD on top of Amp. But they reckon it should be the other way round if your doing that. Thats if you look at the Cambridge adds.

Lis@~~

[alexs2]

An easy solution is to use an inline attenuator,to reduce the level from the CD player,and allow you more control over the volume.

http://www.rothwellaudioproducts.co....tenuators.html

These seem to suit most people who have this problem.

[funkyhitman]

Unfortunately the cd player does not have volume control.

Sorry I should have said I have used an inline attenuator, it makes a slight difference but at low volumes the balance is still off and I've read attenuators make the sound a little flat so it's not the ideal solution. Thanks for your help though.

Does anyone actually know why the volume is so sensitive...do NAD make them this way or is it my speakers?

Even with the attenuators the amp still does not mute entirely!

I've read that a lot of seperates amps have volume control problems like this...but why? Can't the manufacturers make them so the volume is lower overall therefore allowing more fine control with the dial?

It seems a shame that every micro stereo system I have used has far better volume control than this expensive and suposedly well built seperate! This is my first venture into seperates and I am now put off!

Thanks again for your help.

[Cable Monkey]

What input are you using?

[funkyhitman]

Originally Posted by Cable Monkey

What input are you using?

The CD player goes into the CD L/R inputs on the amp.

Is that what you're asking?