NAD c320bee to receiver (1 Viewer)

Hi all. I have been using my HT setup since about 4 years and it stayed as an entry level setup as was... Only last evening I bought a NAD c320bee thinking it would improve my 2 ch listening, but right after buying it I realised that if I added that to my system through the receiver preouts, I would only be using its power amp section and the decoding would still be done by the receiver... So I went back to the store and bought a pair of used B&W L1 bookshelves. So I am running 2 sets of speakers now, my old Kefs for 2 channel and the new bookshelves on top of the Kefs... It didn't make a noticeable difference to my ears to have replaced the Kefs with B&Ws with movies, but NAD way overperformed my old receiver for music. My question is; could I have hooked the integrated to the receiver and still use the integrated amp as an "integrated" ? In other words was it unnecessary to add a second set of speakers ?
Thanks.

You could use the main L&R pre-out from your receiver to the NAD to power the mains for movies and use another input on the NAD directly from your source to it for music listening. The only problem I can see is keeping your volume adusted correctly when switching between the two.

as John says if you use the C320BEE as an integrated you'd have a problem with maintaining the volume levels as you switch between the two.

if you connected the receiver pre-outs to the integrated amp's pre-in then the receiver would effectively be your preamp and youc an control the volume in one place. as you said, only using the power amp section of the integrated.

I suspect the better power section and power supply of the 2 channels isolated from the receiver is giving you the better sound


then it was not really necessary to add speakers

I wasn't after sound improvement, actually what I was trying to say was replacing my old speakers with smaller bookshelves for movies did not cause any deterioration in the sound. I now have two different set ups for HT and music at same point in my room, bookshelves on Kefs. Maybe that was not necessary and I could have lived with my old floorstanders if I had done what John has suggested but I think I'll keep the B&W's as I have got them for a very reasonable price.