Active SL2 system: Which speaker for better NAP power

Hi Peter,

Thanks for the reply. Very interesting, but why…? Box count, leccy bill, pure sound preference…? And if it’s not too intrusive, why the need for a chat with Frank Abela rather than your own ears… electronic tech stuff (not to be ignored)?

Ewen.

Or is wonkiness best avoided?

Very possibly :face_with_monocle: ATB Peter

Geoff Coleman of Acoustica was pretty adamant I shouldn’t go wonky (had 300 and 250dr) on my SL2s

Hi Tim,

Thanks for the reply. I am guessing that you agreed with Acoustica.

In which case which was your direction of travel, non-wonkiness and 2250DR, non-wonkiness and 2300(DR?) or step back from active and single 500DR?

Any info as to how you found it would be much appreciated. I’m currently 252,SCDR,SNAXO,SCDR and 2*250(nonDR). The SCDR on the 252 made a jaw dropping difference, less so the same on the SNAXO.

Yours,

Ewen.

Hi Ewen
I will Try to give the full story!
Two years ago I had nds/555(non-dr) 52/sc/300 (non dr) into SBLs. Had the aim of going active into the SBLs. Originally picked up a 250dr silly cheap but acoustica said don’t do wonky. Around then got a second non-dr 300 and a pair of SL2s. Ran passive with one 300 to start with and then bought a snaxo and hicap from person I got the SL2s from and went active (although the system was in bits for a couple of months while house being decorated). At this stage, I hadn’t got anything from acoustica. So - I didn’t try wonky active at all so cannot comment on the difference. The sl2s sounded great active.

I then got a “bit” carried away :grimacing: and (over seven months) a 552, 555dr on nd555 and supercap dr (on snaxo) and got the 300s dr’d… sounding jolly awesome now!

Am not really sure I can help much as I didn’t make any comparisons back to back of active / passive, dr / non dr anything. I can say that the 552 is way better than the 52. That nd555 (after a few months running time) is way better than the nds

I do wonder what a single 500 would have been like instead of a pair of 300s - but I was encouraged by Jason from Naim having an active 300 into SL2s system - had a great chat with him at launch event for nd555 at acoustica. He has Titan 707s now… which I also rather like :roll_eyes:

1 Like

Hi Tim,
Would be interesting to know what amplification Jason is using for his 707s?
Going back to my previous post regarding a preference for a single 500DR, interestingly TonyM has gone from 3x500 active into Dibbles to a single 500 DR and ‘ liked’ my post. No trumpets blown here, but there seems to be pattern… I have said this before, but will happily repeat, that there is a magical synergy between the 552/500. ATB Peter

1 Like

He has but, I understand, still has his SL2s…

1 Like

As far as I know, still a pair of 300s. But I haven’t had chance to speak to him - would love to at some point.

Interesting :thinking: By the time I am considering speaker changes the titans will be up to 7007s :grin:

1 Like

Tim, would be interesting, how you would find a single 500DR vs 2x300s into your SL2s? Had various factors not sued me away from my set of SL2s, I will still claim that in the right room, they are fabulous speakers :+1:t3: ATB Peter
PS. Before stirring up a hornet’s nest, I am aware that some amongst us prefer the 300 over the 500, tin hat and all…

1 Like

Peter it would indeed be interesting but inertia suggests I will never get round to it :grin:. I have a mental problem with spending that much on a power amplifier (no idea why it’s not a problem wrt 552 and nd555/555 :grimacing:)

1 Like

Hi Tim.
I don’t blame you, it is always good to draw a line in the sand, once you hit that sweet spot. Enjoy Peter

2 Likes

Nicely understated! :laughing:

3 Likes

I’ve heard TonyM’s 552DR/500DR into his DBLs. Even though I have the same electronics into a pair of SL2s. I really wish I hadn’t heard those DBLs! :sunglasses: Same goes for 552DR/500DR into a pair of Dynaudio Confidence 50s. :astonished:

The SL2 is a lovely speaker but there’s so much more in the 500 series kit than they’re able to reproduce. :worried:

My long term aim is a pair of speakers that can really do the 500 series justice.

Sorry for going off topic! :smiley:

1 Like

I’m not sure. I’d suggest an awful lot is the room. Tony has a very large room and from pictures it looks as though yours is considerably smaller. I’ve heard a 500 system through SL2s, Ovator 800s and Focal Scala Evo, all at Naim, and the SL2 was by far the best. Putting expensive illustrious speakers into the wrong space won’t necessarily achieve what you want.

4 Likes

… or will take a mighty big shoe horn! ATB Peter

Sorry HH, I meant to add better speakers in a bigger dedicated room. That’s the long term aim. :sunglasses: I know DBLs, etc wouldn’t work in this room and I wouldn’t even think about it until a suitable room was sorted.

Got it, thanks! What I’d like is a music room separate from the TV, but that’s probably never going to happen so it’s a case of being grateful for what I have. I’ve not yet heard a speaker better than the SL2 and quite honestly I’ve no desire to. I’ve heard speakers capable of immense volume and crash bang wallop hifi pyrotechnics but to me that’s not about enjoying music.

The only time I’ve heard SL2s active was at Peter’s house a few years ago. He will say himself that there was something not right at the time. When I got my 300 I thought about active 250s but decided against it on the grounds of wires and general tweakiness. When I first got into Naim I used the wonderful Sound Advice in Loughborough and was told that, on the power amp front, one big one is always better than two or three little ones. So 300 it was. For the OP I think it would be a good idea to try one 300 or 500 against two 250s. I’ve found in two periods of ownership that it takes a 300 to bring the SL2s alive. I have said the same to our beloved moderator but he won’t have it!

1 Like

Yes indeed HH, I shall not forget that gathering in a hurry, where I think our group of Naimees at my previous house stacked up to 13 in total. 2 days prior to the event my active system went completely off, and kindly the day before Jason drove a new Snaxo up from Salisbury, having diagnosed the issue to most likely to be the active Xover over the phone- sadly it turned to be the Supercap!
Hey ho, it turned out to be a lovely social gathering, and do you remember; ‘ I even made you a salad’.
ATB Peter