This can also depend on your E.A.R.s 
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Yes absolutely. Some found Naim/ Focal well balanced for their ears, other not.
I do wonder how many Naim fans would have considered Focal if the business relationship between the 2 businesses wasn’t there.
I’ve never heard a Focal speaker so can’t comment. This particular brand has never came into my thinking in all the years of Naim ownership.
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Indeed…
Focal has been a prominent brand for many years, also in the professional market, but it historically targets a bit different demographic than Naim enthousiasts. Focal speakers and headphones focus more on accuracy and clarity, which are not really known as the main targets of Naim equipment (IMHO). So it does not surprise me that the Naim forum populace has mixed experiences with them.
Focal also offers some excellent studio monitors by the way at really good value for money, like the Trio6 and Trio11. They have the quality of 10K+ home bookshelves for only 2-3K in cash, simply because they target a pro audience rather than home enthusiasts. Great options if you are looking for accurate speakers in for instance a home office or close listening setup.
It’s also interesting that there is an overlap in the Muso products which have the Focal sound quality (even with class D amps) but with a slight Naim tuning. It seems they are well received by both sides.
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It’s not just a business relationship - we’ve been two brands working together for more than 10 years now, including co-developing products. I think people - especially the cynics - forget that point.
I replaced Naim Ovators with Sopra 2 - resulting in a way better sound - back in 2012, some 6 years before i joined Naim…
I also wonder if people realise that although Focal may not have been widely available in the UK until the past few years, that is not the case globally.
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As I can’t merge the two threads, here’s a link to the other thread started by the OP:
Bitsrbits, as I mentioned in the other thread, I would certainly replace any 3rd party PSUs here with proper Naim ones. They will change the performance of the equipment and in most cases very much for the worse in my experience. Just to confirm is it a proper Naim PSU you are using or not? I can’t recall whether it was mentioned one way or other.
Also, do I recall correctly from your other thread that you have the NDS sited on a large marble slab?
I once tried this as I had some thick marble shelves from a custom made rack. Under my CDS3 it did some really weird things to the sound, making what was once a sweet sounding player now have a rather brightly tipped up top end with a bit of an edge to it.
I wonder whether this may also have something to do with the problem?
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Yes, I can totally get that. I owned NDX/252/250DR (and don’t know what a 300 sounds like). With the Sopra 2’s the sound was utterly explosive and thrilling. And utterly knackering after 20 minutes. I changed the 252 for a Macintosh tube pre’ on part of my journey to eradicate brightness before understanding it was the speakers. So, been there, done that. The more transparent and honest a system’s eqpt gets, the more the true characteristics of each element, including speakers, will impact SQ. This is what may have happened with you.
If you were reporting this issue with e.g. a Sonus Faber set-up, I’d recommend looking elsewhere. But Focal has some history in this arena with some listeners. To this day I sometimes miss that intense thrill. But not the intense fatigue! My ears, not yours. Also, I sold the Sopra’s before installing dedicated mains and really excellent power cables. These two had the greatest impact on reducing glare after speaker change. Maybe they would have made sufficient difference with the Sopra’s. I think not but will never know.
Anyhow, assuming the DR is bringing greater ‘everything’ I imagine you’ll want to keep it. Then there’s nothing for it but to go through the programme of easily-made tweaks referred to above. I hope you find an easy solution. But if not, the most expedient next step might be go to a dealer who can set up a rig with same key electronics, the Sopra’s and some other speakers known for well behaved high frequencies, as comparators. It won’t be totally conclusive because your room is different to a dealer’s demo’ room; and your mind won’t be as settled as at home. But it should clearly demonstrate the general differences available in reproduction of the upper mids and leading edges and their magnitude by changing just speakers. It’s free, too.
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My intent was not to offend.
As stated, I have never listened to or considered Focal speakers. I was only commenting on the relationship and wondering whether without it, would Focal be at the top of Naim users audition list.
Not surprised you moved away from Ovators … only joking 
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It’s funny, though - one of our friends still mentions them after all this time, ‘I loved those rosewood speakers you had’… (We had a special-finish matching Fraim at the time, too!)
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Hi Richard -
I have all Naim PSUs. My rack is Quadraspire with toughened glass shelves (I am not allowed Fraim for aesthetic reasons). I was happy with the tonal balance of my original system on this rack, but maybe the NDS doesn’t like it? Although I thought the suspended brass sub-chassis was supposed to isolate the key circuitry?
I think it was another contributor who was using a marble slab.
I still LOVE the look of them and really wanted them but could never get them to work. They never sound right.
Shame really.
Ok thanks for clarifying.
The suspended circuit boards do some wonderful things to ameliorate microphonics but the whole box does become quite sensitive to what it’s sat upon - think along the lines of a suspended turntable such as a Sondek, which responds considerably to whatever it’s placed on. In my experience metal racks with glass shelves will often emphasise any brightness.
To that end, it’s worth checking that the metal feet are absolutely square on whatever surface they are placed upon. Naim supply wafter thin alloy shims to help here as few if any surfaces (not even glass) are absolutely perfectly flat to the tolerance they demand. Any rocking, no matter how minuscule, will impair performance.
Also check the Burndy for how it’s dressed and whether it’s nicely “relaxed”. It’s easy to get wrong and the sound then gets hardened at the top end and lacks air and “breath”.
Take each connector of the cable in each hand with the cable lopped between in front of you. gently twist the connectors with a wrist movement while gently swinging the cable. You may wish to do this alone, as you may get some odd looks…
Also check to see that the strain relief on the connectors is not done too tight or too loose. There should be a small amount of movement but not too loose.
When you connect the two ends make sure the cable is nice and relaxed as per the above and that you have “formed” it so the plugs slide in perfectly without having to put any torsional stress on any of it.
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Oh they looked good. In truth it was the 400s and 600s that left me cold. I heard the 800s on a full 500 active system in the Naim demo room and that was impressive. Are there going to be active variants of the Focals?
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As I’ve posted before you really, really must change your rack. The metal feet and the glass shelves are an open invitation to brightness. If the Quadraspire looks appeal you can get a bamboo SVT, otherwise Isoblue is excellent. Both are way cheaper than changing speakers. To change speakers while keeping that rack would be very foolish indeed.
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As i’ve mentioned before OP can try as a test to place a few towels beneath the equipment and see if that changes the sound signature. According to the rationale that steel + glass is an open invitation to brightness, then the difference with towels should be drastic and immediate.
This is quite simple to test and either confirm or disconfirm.
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I’m in the office at the moment but I’ll do some tests this evening. I’m not sure I’m quite up to HH’s previous suggestion of putting the NDS on a coffee table, as that would take me about 24 hours of re-wiring.
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Richard - thanks - I’ll try your suggestions when I get the time.
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I purchased a bamboo isolation platform and a proper glass shelf with the same bearings and cups used on a fraim from a known UK hifi accessory dealer. I wanted it for my lp12. Due to height constraints, and platform size and a dust cover that covers my entire lp12, all I could use was the glass shelf and the bearings and cups. It took the bass and musicality out of my lp12. I removed it, placed the lp12 directly on my Quadraspire Evo top shelf and the music came back. Eliminating the glass may be the key, the 300 delivery is very clean and revealing.
Scott
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Hi Simon, even in my case a door handle caused a nasty 1st reflection off a door handle ( hiding behind the wool carpet underlay) from my left channel when door is closed for listening. Everybody should try and look at what items they have on their side walls between/at ear height and tweeters. The classic old and simple mirror test is always good for locating 1st reflections remembering there are 2 from each speaker near and opposite wall 
. Peter
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