And my point is that it could well be normal that he actually finds -20dB to sound better than 0dB for the reason I mentioned.
NAD M51 Direct Digital DAC Impressions
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And my point is that it could well be normal that he actually finds -20dB to sound better than 0dB for the reason I mentioned.
boatheelmusic
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If 0db is too hot, turn it down without deterioration!
JDOz
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Problem with reverberation?
Yes, keep below 0 dB. I've also seen -1 and -3 mentioned. The graphs of distortion vs digital signal level suggest -10 dB is optimal ...wish I understood if that particular data relates in any way to the volume setting on M51 or only something we can't control, like the recording level.
Any idea whether there is a technical reason (or SQ evidence) to suggest that using a fixed volume setting would be superior to variable?
e.g., even apart from vol. attenuation in preamp vs M51, does fixed volume setting actually bypass any circuitry in M51?
Sanlitun
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I think it must be something like the gain just being too high rather than any sort of signal changes caused by the digital volume. I'm curious if anyone else is trying to run it at 0db or if that is too hot for everyone.
Of course I did set it a 0db initially, as I thought that would be best for the digital volume, but the sound is rather fat with a loss of clarity and detail. So I am at -20db with the fixed outputs and the CMA800R set at about 10 o'clock and that sounds spectacular.
It's been quite a little adventure to get the best sound of this DAC in my setup. One thing I found in a post over in the M51 thread at the Australian HIFI forum is that there is a different opamp setup for XLR and RCA, and yes it does seem the magic really happens with the XLR connection.
NicoD6
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So i just got back my M51 and everything works perfectly. Apparently, they just did a firmware upgrade...
Sanlitun
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So i just got back my M51 and everything works perfectly. Apparently, they just did a firmware upgrade...
Did you get it back with 1.43?
NicoD6
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JDOz
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Did the service agent (or anyone) suggest that reverting to 1.39 is impossible or problematic?
NicoD6
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JDOz
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JDOz
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It's strange because 1.39 & 1.41 were backwards compatible and any new user that decided to "upgrade" their FW without first checking what version they have would be led by the NAD website to install 1.41 into their 1.43 unit. If that causes the same problems, the service agents will be making some money.
jonbee
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FWIW- I just bought a used M51 which was on build 1.37. I upgraded to 1.43 (DL'd from the NAD site) w/o any issues I've found so far.
I really like this component. The DAC is more open and detailed than my Dexa'd EE DAC plus,(not huge but noticeable), and a bit more forward in the mids. Pulling my wonderful, monster Audio-GD C3 preamp out and running the M51 into my Hypex NC400 amp opened it further, for another step up in immediacy. I was worried I would lose some dynamic power and impact by dropping the C3 (those are among its many strong points), but I haven't lost any bass power or anything I can hear, so it seems the M51 is perfectly capable of driving my power amp.
At this point I see going with the M51 with my all digital sourced SS system is a total winner for me.
I really like this component. The DAC is more open and detailed than my Dexa'd EE DAC plus,(not huge but noticeable), and a bit more forward in the mids. Pulling my wonderful, monster Audio-GD C3 preamp out and running the M51 into my Hypex NC400 amp opened it further, for another step up in immediacy. I was worried I would lose some dynamic power and impact by dropping the C3 (those are among its many strong points), but I haven't lost any bass power or anything I can hear, so it seems the M51 is perfectly capable of driving my power amp.
At this point I see going with the M51 with my all digital sourced SS system is a total winner for me.
orkney
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Glad you're enjoying the M51 -- it's a great piece. Any word on what 1.43 brings to the table in terms of functionality, features or SQ?
best,
o
New here, hello everybody!
I tried today update from 1.39 to 1.43 (did not like 1.41) but I got error while update process. So I had to went back to 1.39.
Anybody can help?
What is new with 1.43?
I tried today update from 1.39 to 1.43 (did not like 1.41) but I got error while update process. So I had to went back to 1.39.
Anybody can help?
What is new with 1.43?
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