Are Focal speakers the obvious match for Naim amplification

There is hope. There is very good synergy between Focal headphones and the most recent Naim product: the Atom HE. It’s not just a personal preference (I admit, I like it) but it’s quite widely appreciated.

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Agreed but I would argue that the “umbrella” was driven by economics not sonic synergy so it’s not surprising that the component “marriage” isn’t perfect.

But respect to you and Jas Gould for your taste in speakers :wink:

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Depends on your room and personal preference.

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Times are hard. Have you seen the price of popcorn!

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Tomorrow Amazon prime day get some stock Tommy.

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I bought my Focal 726s 8 years ago after comparison with a couple of magazine faves. I needed some larger speakers after a house move where my existing Castles did not work in the new room.

Originally used with my Audiolab, the addition of 72/Hicap/160 really woke them up and I ended up under the ‘umbrella’ without really planning it!

Hardly in my experience.
Taste matters of course.

Update: Nd5xs2 + sn3 just arrived today and even with them being new they have made my speakers sound amazing. In the future I’d still like to hear other brands in my room but I’m really happy at the moment.

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When I started on the Naim journey, my dealer (who I am not naming) didn’t stock Naim speakers as they didn’t sell.

I’ve tried various B&W and Elac speakers and now run a pair of vintage MK1 Kans. My listening room is very small 7ft 8 x 11ft 2 and the Kans sound wonderful driven by my olive amps. Nothing I have tried in my room gives me the enjoyment I get from these old speakers. In a small room correctly set up with the right amplification and high quality source they produce the most open vibrant detailed clear sound I have ever heard. I’ve not tried Focal, even the smallest of the range just would not work in my room, thank goodness for the Kans.

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Some months after getting my Dynaudios, I was searching for an amp upgrade and also did listening sessions at a dealer before home testing. At the dealer I heard the NDX2/SN3 combo on the Sopra N°1 and it was an absolute no go (similar experience to others). I asked the dealer to connect other speakers (don’t remember which ones), but already liked the sound much better with everything else equal. So certainly preference and taste are the biggest factor. I did not hear the Sopras on any other amp, but at least that experience wasn’t convincing, however, the SN3 at home with my Dyns very much was :slight_smile:

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I’d been wondering what those speakers were called, there seems to be very little info about them currently.

Only for the marketing department :joy::joy::popcorn::popcorn:

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congrats on the new electronics!

There is definitely an aspect of, “if it seems to be approved by Naim, I’ll not question it.” Prior to the Naim Focal relationship, no would have ever bothered to match Naim with Focal (there will be one - and I’m sure they’ll chip in to tell me I’m wrong).

But Richard is also correct, many didn’t like Naim speakers much either. I’m certainly one. I had grudging respect for SBLs but no way would I have ever bought a pair. Back in the 90s, if I had had Naim, I’d have stuck Linn Tukan/Keilidh/Kaber on the end of it.

When it comes to pairing, I think Naim, perhaps more so than most brands, has no natural pairing at all. A Naim amp’s great current delivery and control makes them pair well with a wider variety of speakers than most others. There are speakers that don’t work well with Naim but you have to really go out of your way to find them or obviously mismatch them.

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That raises an interesting point, to me at least, though it may need a different thread.

Which of the major speaker makers really don’t go with Naim?

Who partners Naim boxes with the big Tannoy DCs or Martin Logan or Audionote or anything with a horn?

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Well put it this way, I’d not put my 98db sensitivity Omegas on my NAP250.

I think a lot of speakers might just not be someone’s cup of tea but that’s not the same as Naim not getting the best out that speaker. Most speakers within the recommended power range of Naim amps will work well.

Taking all those that are electrically compatible (not overly sensitive or present problematic loads), I can’t think of anything that is a truly unanimous thumbs down.

In contrast, the old style Linn amps of the 90s were basically rubbish without a Linn speaker.

I have always believed in the concept of system synergy, which it seems is rarely mentioned these days. The whole idea is that the components of system should play to each others strengths and weaknesses. The result can be a system where the whole is significantly greater than the sum of the parts.

Obviously there are very many speakers on the market that will work perfectly well with Naim systems. However I would always select one that played well to the strengths of Naim. So, a speaker that was fast, dynamic, rhythmic and tuneful. Much like the Naim speakers of old which not surprisingly were a perfect match!

Without wishing to cause offence to anyone it always puzzles me when I read of people using things like LS3/5a’s with Naim. Yes they will work, but to my mind they are a complete mis-match synergistically. They have a completely different set of priorities to Naim, and as such neither will bring out the best in the other. Each to his own though.

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Yes it is strange but then again perhaps I am. The kans with all of their difficulties just match perfectly the Nait 2 in a small to medium sized room. Synergy you mention seems to me to be just right. Clear, musical, even enough bass presence for a bit of rock. I have kept them together since first purchase in 1986 despite various other speakers going through my hands and various moves in location and room set up. They just work, or I have got used to their sound together. On the other hand they don’t fill a large room. Here I have found my preference is for Spendor. Again I have tried others but find I return to them, so believe they are the perfect match for Naim. It may just be that we each of us find a sound we prefer and then look for that in ‘new’ speakers.
Re the Focal question, I hadn’t heard of them pre naim except as an in car speaker. I suspect the since takeover there is some synergy being looked for within the company.

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I’ve had Kans in the past. The best I’ve ever heard them sound was at my dealers in the 1980’s with a CB250. They just sounded like much bigger speakers and the bass they produced then was actually shaking the floor! The pairing with the Nait 2 is a classic though, and I’m sure very many were used like that.

I’m glad you like your Spendor’s. Sometimes you just find something that feels just right for you and then it’s best to stick with it. At the end of the day it’s you who are listening to it so it’s only your opinion that matters! I know that most people would probably hate my Klipsch Forte III speakers, so different are they from the accepted ‘norm’, but for me they bring music to life in a way I have never heard before. Happy listening! :slightly_smiling_face:

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