Edit: title edited to reflect thread’s change of direction
System has been hastily assembled but it’s been a fun trip. I’ve always liked the Naim sound when I’ve heard it in the past, so by sticking with Naim for all the boxes and taking on board the advice here I figured I couldn’t go too far wrong. I’m not really looking beyond this system; I could DR the 300, swap out the XPS for a 555, the 272 for a dedicated streamer/pre, but where would this end apart from a very big hole in my pocket
So I guess this is where it gets a lot trickier, the speakers.
Speakers will be located in a typical size living room and I’d prefer they stay close to the wall and at least one may not be too far from a corner, so can’t be too fussy about positioning. Happy to go new or pre loved, and happy to pay whatever for a suitable partner to the rest of the system.
I listen to all sorts, mainly rock and electronic (techno, drum & bass, house), but also more laid back and classical styles.
I understand the importance of home demo but wondered if anyone could give some pointers on a short list. And once again, many thanks for your input it’s been a big help so far.
Like you I have just assembled a system, mine being SN3/Hicap with NDX2/XPS dr up front. I am in the process of trying new speakers and have the ATC 40’s on a home demo at present.
So far they sounding good with all my test tracks, mostly rock edm. I can recommend them for a listen but the home demo is important .
I have had a few demo’s before lockdown and found ProAcs good - various models depending on your price preference. I also liked Sonus faber eg Olympica Nova I. Harbeth SHL5plus might be right but perhaps need more space.
A self-confessed ProAc fan, there should definitely be one or two from their Response range that will work well with your boxes. Their bookshelf Tablettes are also very well regarded by quite a few members,
Another vote for ProAc and lots to choose from in the Response Range, perhaps D30RS or D40RS. From the K-Range you could look at the K3 or K6. If looking for bookshelf the D2R from Response Range or K1 from K-Range. If you use the search feature you can find some 50+ theads discussing ProAc speakers.
Here 272/250dr combo partnering Vivid Audio V1.5. Hate or love its appearance, but for my living room a perfect match. Not much wall effect as the bass port is in the front. Sounds transparant, very neutral and fast. Actually leaves the sound up to Naim and everything else in the setup.
Many thanks for the suggestion. This is not a brand that my dealer keeps at present so a demo would be difficult ( I had to give up driving a couple of years ago due to eyesight problems). The ATC 40s are still strong contenders but I am also home testing some of the Fyne range in the 500/700 series.
Room is approx. 3.5x4.5m and carpeted with a bay window on one wall, no other windows or mirrors. I guess it makes sense to try and locate the speakers on one of the shorter walls.
Must admit I find choosing speakers a bit overwhelming, too much choice!
My room is 4.5m (plus bay) by 3.6m wide and the speakers sit on a long wall. The challenge is then finding speakers that work well close to the wall. If you choose some that need 60cm behind them they end up almost in the middle of the room. Having them on the shorter wall will perhaps give more flexibility but at the expense of a narrower soundstage. When I had my 272/300 I used SL2s and they worked brilliantly. Those or SBLs would work well across the room but I appreciate that you may want something more current.
I think ATCs would be well worth auditioning, but suspect SCM40s may be too much for a room that size. I have active versions in a room just under 4x6 m and found I had to play around with positioning to get the best out of them. If you have ATCs on your shortlist (and to my ears they are superb) I’d be looking at SCM 19s or even 11s.
I run a 272/250/555ps into a pair of Fyne 502sps and have been very happy with them. They sit out one foot out from the long wall in an 8 by 4 metre room. I hope to upgrade most of the system to 500 series over the next 2 years but I have no intention of changing the speakers - their imaging is spooky good and I love the balance they bring across the frequency range. Placing them on fraim chips and swapping the Nac A5 out for WH Phantom played a part in getting them just right for me. They look damned good in walnut too!
I believe you’re making a fundamental mistake there, as you cannot predict a speaker performance in a room.
It’s the room that has to accomodate the speakers and not viceversa.
True there are brands that work better under certain circumstances but just better than others that would otherwise work really bad.
Just an example: you could have an asymmetry issue as it seems, try to solve it by recreating it not bothering the pair of speakers facing two different side walls (one would not be parallel and hypothetically wrong) rather than facing just one.
One should really make several attempts, I mean.
I agree with Antonio.
Deciding in advance where your speakers should go is not ideal unless you have no choice.
I’m sure whatever you decide will sound great but it you have the flexibility to experiment you might just find a speaker placement that sounds amazing. In a room of your size with close to wall placement it’s good to get as much advice as possible and demo if you can
Thanks all for your input. Since upgrading my amp the Br2 speakers have really been bugging me, I know I’m missing out on so much. So taking on board suggestions and comments I’ve opted for what I hope will be a safe bet for my system and room for the time being. They’re P/L so I’m not going to lose too much when the time comes to trade in, and who knows they might just be keepers.
I’ve gone for ATC SCM11. Just felt anything larger would be too much for the current listening room. When I move the system into our larger living room I’ll take stock again.
May they serve you well.
Have had mine for 10 years and always been performing from good to excellent now in a larger room.
If you like the sound signature ,as I do, they’re really hard to replace unless spending a lot more.
