Haven’t posted for a while as I’ve been quite content with my 272/250 for the past few years and been upgrading my guitar gear (been pretty busy with gigs). As with most of us here my attention has now turned back to audio upgrades.
There are four components I would like to consider, but I’m not entirely sure the exact order of priority. Having said that the first thing I intend to do is invest in a dedicated rack. I am currently using a DIY effort MDF isolation spikes and toughened glass shelves on dome nuts. It was initially made merely to separate boxes which were stacked and made some improvements but obviously it could be much better. First choice is Quadraspire SVT, have thought long and hard about Fraim but this will limit the budget for other upgrades.
Second and thirdly I would like to upgrade speakers from Neat motive 2 (original versions), however I am also considering some room treatments. I am unsure which to tackle first. If I apply room treatment with my current speakers then change them in the future will the room treatment need further adjustment or are the room acoustics the constant regardless. I haven’t figured out which speakers I am after yet but will obviously audition. My room is 16 feet long. Speakers firing lengthways positioned in the narrowest end of the room 10 feet which opens to 12 feet. So my question is room treatment or speakers first.
Finally I would XPS or 555 ps would be my ultimate goal.
I think I’ve got the order correct?
Consensus on this is generally that the leap from nothing to XPS is less than the leap from XPS to 555. That was my experience; I’d suggest avoiding the intermediate hop and get a 555DR for your 272 as & when.
A five year plan - Joe Stalin would be proud. I think you are right that a proper stand is the first priority, though I’d put dedicated mains as equal first. I had a SVT with my 272/250 and have to say that Fraim is very much better. It comes up for sale used from time to time: I got a base and three levels for £1,000, which I thought was pretty reasonable.
I added good speakers before a power supply, simply because a pair of SL2s came up used and they are hard to find. If buying used you have to grab opportunities as they arise.
Then came the power supply. I got an XPS first then moved to a 555. I’d agree with the comment above that the improvement of 555 over XPS is a lot bigger than going from the internal supply to XPS.
Over the years I’ve swapped the 250 for a 300 and added Super Lumina wires, so the 272 is pretty well maxed out. So rest assured, it may be a superseded has-been, but it still has a lot more to give.
Rack a good idea. My dealer swears by Focal Sopra 1 speakers with 272/250 and Naca5.
Thanks for the replies, I installed a dedicated mains supply several years ago which has laid good foundations. I definitely need a good rack and have been following the recent thread on fraim and alternatives. I do really like the look of the Fraim but the price is difficult to swallow. They seem to pop up infrequently used and I guess I only need two levels so I do keep revisiting the idea???
The five year plan is necessary as like a lot of us there isn’t a bottomless pot so I really want to get things in place in the right order. My guess after rack is speakers followed by room treatment if still required.
Hi StuW. Another option to consider could be going with active speakers from say ATC. You could use the power amp as a trade in towards the speakers and have a great 2 box system then add the 555 when funds allow. I did something similar (see my system in my profile).
PaulW I have actually considered this. My dealer stocks ATC and I particularly liked the passive 19s. Not listened to the 40s as I think there would be too much bass for my room. I hesitate a little with active speakers as it does limit your options going forward, although I’m not too much of a serial upgrader.
Well it’s worth considering particularly as your dealer stocks ATC. You will also benefit from not having to worry about expensive interconnects and speaker cables. Take your time and enjoy trying out the options. Good luck.
Stu hi.
I’m going to buck the trend here and suggest your system could host better speakers now. Obviously room dependent. Sopra 1s okay, but I’d listen to Kudos, better Neats and perhaps Dynaudio.
However, first Fraim - I was amazed at the difference I’d probably go for it now. If you went for a lesser rack you’ll probably always be thinking what might be!
Good luck.
Thanks can you describe the main differences you noticed with Fraim
My room is only slightly larger than yours and active SCM40s work well even without room treatment. But if they don’t there’s always active 19s. ATCs also tend to be less sensitive (but not insensitive) to positioning.
Roger
Greater definition in the bass and middle, and control of the bass. It’s an overall performance uplift.
Regards,
Lindsay
Ha, I did wonder if this would happen, Fraim moving back to the top of the list. As far as speakers are concerned I do like the neat sound and would love to hear the ekstra and ministra. I did have the chance of hearing ATC scm19 back to back with neat xplorers and it was startling obvious how neutral l the ATCs are and the obvious the colouration of the neats. This isnt a negative point on the neats BTW but demonstrates the studio monitor heritage of the ATCs neutrality. I think I would be happy with either but would need an extended home demo to decide.
Perhaps you could get to try some Naim SL2s. They are not easy to find but at c. £2,000 used they are hard to beat unless you spend a lot more on something new.
Thanks, I have only heard ovators which I didn’t care for so have no idea how the original naim speakers are voiced. Difficult to demo.
Interestingly I had ATC SCM 19s and now have SL2s. They have a different presentation so not easy to compare. In some ways I miss the mid punch and monitor sound of the ATCs. My main issue is they are so unforgiving of average/poor recordings.
The SL2s are a lovely speaker but need a solid wall behind them to work best. Mine are on a solid wall but sitting below a window so not ideal. Also I find the passive crossover lacking in terms of SQ but I’m less inclined to go active given the extra box count and cost, etc.
Good to see a Loewe TV there. Which model is it?
I am a fan (we have 3) and I hope that they restart production soon.
Haha, we have 3 Loewe TVs too! This is our smaller TV, the Concept 26. Our main TV is the Connect ID 46 in the next room. We also have an Individual 32 at another property.
Love Loewe 
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