What is the Current Guidance on Stereo and AV Configurations

The one bit that I’m chewing on is that the AV Receiver is heavily underutilized if it’s only driving the center speaker. So, I looked at monoblocks but that just adds so many pieces to the solution.

You need the AVR both to do the processing for the L/C/R channels and to amplify the center speaker. If using a monoblock amp you’d still need an A/V processor so would require two additional boxes (and added expense). Your simplest/easiest solution is to just add an AVR if you want to use a center speaker. You never mentioned what model Naim amp you have or if it has a HT bypass — does it?

If I had to guess, it was an asertion that being forced to manually rebalance the volume level of a front-ch amp every time you change the volume of a multichannel processor is no big deal

@cundare2 Once again, this is simply false and very misleading. Why can’t you get this? Changing the volume of an AVP or AVR absolutely does not necessitate continually changing the volume on the stereo amp, period, and that would be absurd if that was the case. As I mentioned in my previous post that you clearly don’t comprehend, once the reference volume level is set on the stereo amp (and to be ultra clear, the reference volume level is set once on initial calibration and does not change so is always the same volume level on the stereo amp) it just stays there and the AVR’s volume can be changed freely without affecting the overall balance and without having to touch the stereo amp’s volume again at all. Saying the stereo amp’s volume needs to be adjusted every time you change the volume on the AVR is just flat-out wrong information! Again, as someone who actually worked without a HT bypass, which you obviously have not, you clearly don’t understand how this works and as a result are in ignorance misrepresenting that this is difficult or at all cumbersome — it absolutely is not, and even my non-technical wife had no problem with this setup. I’m not looking to get the last word here, but I won’t let misleading information potentially affect someone else’s decision just because you can’t comprehend it. I feel like I’ve now explained this clearly several times so it’s apparent you either can’t or won’t ever get this, so my hope is that others do get it, which I’m sure they will, and that your cognitive limitations don’t affect them unnecessarily. Maybe someone else here who actually understands this and may have a bigger sledgehammer can finally penetrate the thick brick wall we have here.

Without HT bypass, the two go out of sync every time you change either one. This gets even more complicated when the FL/FR receiver/speaker combination responds differently to numeric volume-dial changes than do the other channels. That is, you usually can’t simply turn up the integrated’s volume by 5 clicks in order to compensate for increasing the receiver volume by 5. Even setting default start-up volume levels on both components does not resolve this issue.

@cundare2 Virtually nothing you said here is correct as to how this actually works in practice and shows you continue to not understand the concept at all. I’m not going to explain why you’re so off base any further because, frankly, I don’t care that you don’t get it as long as the OP gets it if he even needs it. Sharp as a bowling ball you are.

Respectfully disagree. Maybe you got lucky, maybe you’re just BS’ing. But either way, I hope the OP doesn’t fall into a booby trap.

@cundare2 You can respectfully disagree all you want but you’re wrong, and the only booby trap is the one you set in your own brain.  All that needs to be done is to properly set the channel balance for all speakers with the AVR (as you’d normally do) at a known fixed reference point on the integrated’s volume control and you’re done.  So to switch from stereo to HT you just switch to the correct input (as you would with a HT bypass) and set the integrated’s volume to the predetermined reference point and that’s it.  Done.  There is no need to continually have to reset multiple volume levels as you said, and the only additional step versus having a HT bypass is having to have the integrated’s volume at the reference level for HT and everything remains in balance unless the channel balance is again changed on the AVR.  Very simple.

using an integrated that doesn’t have HT bypass is far from a "simple" inconvenience. It means that whenever you adjust the volume level of the MC receiver, you also have to manually match the level of the integrated. Without HT bypass, the two go out of sync every time you change either one.

@cundare2 Uh, yeah it really is very simple unless you don’t understand it, which you apparently do not because what you described is not at all what happens without a HT bypass unless it’s not set up properly from the outset. It is very simple, and I know because I did it this way for a year without a HT bypass before I got a dedicated listening room.

I had absolutely zero idea bout HT Bypass. Does the AVR power the center channel?

That’s why along with what speakers I asked what specific amp you’re using.  You can do this with or without a HT bypass, but it’s a little easier with it.  And to answer your question, yes the AVR handles the multichannel processing and powering the center channel speaker.  All you need is an AVR that has front L/R preamp outputs that you plug into the HT bypass or any other unused input on the amp.  Switching between HT and stereo is as simple as changing the input on the amp, and the beautiful thing is the AVR is completely out of the signal path for critical stereo listening and only your Naim will be operational.  If you don’t have a HT bypass this still works well and just requires one additional step I can elaborate on if needed.

We have however found that the mix is such that music significantly impairs the vocals.

I assume you mean that during movies the dialogue gets obscured?  If that’s the case then a center speaker could probably help.  If you’re looking at only a 3.0 system why are you looking at an 8-channel amplifier???  What specific speakers do you have, and does the Naim have a home theater bypass input?

If you can both sit close to the sweet spot you might get away without a center speaker, but if anyone will be off center a center speaker is pretty much mandatory.  That aside, your biggest shortcoming for video/HT is not having a subwoofer, which will up the movie experience and involvement significantly.