The best speaker is the one that you can afford and that suits the room best. The kit driving plays a part of course but it’s the reason why in these sort of threads you inevitably get a equal mix of both positive and negative responses.
Arguably it would be more interesting to know how well Focal work with almost any other brand other than Naim.
We all hear the same things differently as well, I have a mix of speakers currently, Dali, PMC and Focal (Kanta 1’s) I like all of them one way or another but wouldn’t class any as being particularly unpleasant.
I would say having run in Kanta’s from (nearly) new that without some breaking in they do sound odd and almost brittle in the treble, having passed that hump (fairly quickly) they sound very agile and with a well presented soundstage im my system.
I’ve not had anyone come round and listen to them and leave saying, well, that was a let down!
I’d not call them rubbish at all.
I agree some older Linn speakers were more than fine.
Others were Royd and some of the Naim speakers, I liked IBL, nSats and a few others depending if setup. correctly (the issue in some circumstances)
I’d still find use for my old amplication now and then, vinyl mainly.
My opinion is that back then both Linn and Naim speakers were voiced very much to complement their own amps, and also each others. It was like a closed system. Results using a ‘foreign’ amp or speaker could be at best unpredictable and at worst downright disastrous!
Things now are a lot more relaxed but back then it was all very uncompromising. Linn and Naim very much did their own thing with scant regard for the wider market. You either loved it or hated it. I loved it - bring back the old days!
Me
As a newbie to Naim, and expensive hi-fi, I will admit to factoring this into my calculus. I use NAC A5 cables, too. But that is just a starting point. I do think a company like Naim would try to avoid showcasing its boxes with poorly matched speakers, right? But of course the real test is to listen. A lot of people happily pair Focal with Naim, me included, and are quite happy. And every friend who has come by to listen to something has left smiling about what he heard. And my wife likes them, which is perhaps the most critical thing since they dominate one wall in our library!
Thee?
Sure. I was just making a generalisation. I worked in hifi retail for much of the 90s. While Naim back then was often paired with many speakers (we sold Naim systems with far more Linn, Mission, KEF etc. speakers than Naim ones) the only customer I was aware of to pair a Linn amp with non Linn speakers was… err me. I used a Linn amp to superb effect with something you’d never pair with Linn in a hundred years probably.
Aye, tis I
Well responded 
We are building a garden house at the moment (well, just starting). Thinking include some loudspeakers and Focal is defo on the list. Their inwall / onwall offerings look good.
These are 300 Series IWLCR6. I also considered equivalent 1000 series as well as ATC and PMC, ultimately ended up with these ones based on price, system match (currently a Uniti Atom) and the fit to the wall they sit in.
The Dali on wall ones are worth a listen as well, tried those out and was quite impressed given they’re quite compact.
I’ve got them setup primarily for 2 channel audio from the TV they’re either side of with the TV feeding the Atom over HDMI ARC. I do also use them for streaming via the Atom, which they pair nicely with. I’ve been really happy with going the in wall route, no cables or wasted space, they do an on wall version of the 300 series as well with same drivers.
Do please tell!
At the risk of loads of flak, I had Bose 901s. They worked brilliantly. I had a second Linn system with Keilidhs but the widely derided 901s excelled at emulating live performance and for movies… wow.
Took years of jokes from my boss. Was told to never tell a customer I used them or they’d never take the shop seriously. I assume that was joke but he might have meant it.
See what I’m up against. I’m one step away from being cast out of the forum.
Who can argue if someone thinks green is more beautiful then red !
You’re not alone FZ, I will admit I also owned 901’s in the nineties. Thinking back now, they were pretty terrible overall. Back then I thought I was upper class….
Fascinating Captain - as Mr. Spock would say. My experience of Bose is limited - but I have heard them. Treble and bass with not a lot in between is my recollection. Interestingly when I was setting up a full home cinema system at our last place with a projector I had this strong desire to replicate the 1970’s cinema sound I experienced in my teens. Not easily done with modern domestic equipment. They used valve amps probably with JBL speakers which had that very distinctive sound. The closest I thought I could get was using Bose speakers - overblown loose bass and a recessed mid. In the end for various reasons, not least because it had to serve for music as well, I didn’t. I’m sure though it would have made an excellent stab at that distinctive 1970’s cinema sound. I’m tempted to re-look into this!