Are Focal speakers the obvious match for Naim amplification

Hi-Fi Corner
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Something I have noticed on this thread is that folks have tried perhaps one line of Focals and from that extrapolated across all lines. There is a HUGE difference between Choras/Arias and Kantas and Sopras, and between Kantas/Sopras and Utopias, etc.

I have listened to my same system with Aria 948s, Kanta No’s. 1,2 &3, and Sopra 2s. There is a similar presentation to the sound across lines, but a huge difference in clarity at volume, bass and treble response, etc. I have also heard some Scala Utopia Evos with a Naim 500 setup. Stunning. If all one has heard are Arias, one has not heard what Focals can do.

I am in the same boat, in that I have never listened to PMCs, Harbeths, a lot of the Dynaudio speakers, Tannoys, etc., but I am going to try not to judge a whole brand by my limited experience with it.

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104

I’m perfectly agree with you. the focal kanta 2 speakers in my naim system (nap 250 dr-Nac 282-ndx2) sound very good. surely there are better speakers but it is obvious that there is always room for improvement.

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I wasn’t judging the entire brand though perhaps I should. Considering Aria standmounts sell for over $2K in North America I expected a bit (a lot?) more quality.

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Don’t know about others but I heard Kanta 3 and Sopra 3 and as mentioned didn’t like them at all
(Utopias are way too expensive for me and below Kanta is certainly not a fit for my system. So I listened to all that are applicable)

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I have 10 of these focal flax dome on my home cinema setup.

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I can only agree! I have 1028 for 4 years and I do not want to change… (272/XPSDR/250.2)

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I think they work well together - if you bother to set them up correctly. Focal speakers (the big ones at least) need space to breathe, and benefit from a well damped room. I spent ages with an acoustic modelling package (ray tracing) to position bass traps and other panels before I was happy. My Scala Utopia V2s are an excellent match for my 500 system, but I expect if you just threw them into a system without taking care they could sound both harsh and bass heavy.

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Well I listened to them in the treated room of the Focal-Naim shop in Berlin, if they can’t set them up then I don’t know. (And we tried more than one position as well)

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I’ve listened to perhaps a dozen different Focals, all with Naim amps, mostly at my dealers or at shows. I would agree that broadly speaking they have a similar presentation in many respects, all the way up to Statement/Grand Utopia level where the ability reproduce a very full frequency range while retaining great detail resolution and separation of instruments was truly impressive. Unfortunately the “similar presentation to the sound across lines” was that they all just sounded dull and did not engage me in the music in an enjoyable way. Why this should be the case remains something of a mystery to me.

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I’ve been following this thread with a lot of interest and if nothing else it makes me grateful that we are spoiled for choice when it comes to audio.

I am not sure Focals are an “obvious” match for Naim electronics, but I think they are one match. As has been said, Naim amplification partners well with many speakers. My own experience is that, of the choices available to me to audition in Winnipeg, the Kanta 2s won my heart. I have had them in my system for over a year now and they continue to bring a lot of musical joy. With a Supernait 2 for an amp and an NDX2 with XPS DR for a source, I am experiencing a high level of engagement.

One thing that works well in this pairing, I think, is that the Kantas are very dynamic, fast speakers and show up this strength in the amplification. It is thrilling, really. In my large room (at the very top of what Focal recommends for room size for the Kanta 2s) the bass is tight, well-controlled, and well-integrated with the rest of the frequency range. This has only improved with some Home Audio Fidelity convolution filters recently designed for me by Thierry. I demoed these speakers previously at more than one dealer, and I understand the concerns people have. But in my room everything about them clicked.

I intend to improve the amplification to a 282/250 DR set up within the year, but honestly I could be happy with what I have forever. It is musically engaging in a way I have rarely experienced in hi-fi, and I’ve been in this hobby for well over 40 years.

I demoed other speakers at home for a long time before settling on the Kantas. PMC, Proac, and B&W 804 D3s. All were good in their own way. The PMCs were great, and there was something very special about the Proac Tablettes - but both my wife and I really wanted a full range loudspeaker. When we able to demo the Kantas we knew we had found the one that just clicked, that sounded right, timbrally, musically, and rhythmically.

Of course, I do live in Winnipeg, so choice is limited. I demoed as much as I could and settled on the Kantas that were available from the dealer I have dealt with for over 20 years. I am happy to support him as he has been wonderful to deal with and runs a great local business.

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This is such a vital statement with huge significance that is overlooked by 99% of the speaker threads on the forum. i.e. what you have available.

Almost every speaker thread starts with a request to recommend speakers which then follow two nonsensical patterns:

  • Everyone just recommends what they have.
  • The OPs on those post and the contributors engage in lengthy discussions about the merits of X, Y and Z.

And yet, none if it really matters. The speakers available to most people within their willing dealer travel radius is limited and manageable. Most brands are instantly eliminated by lack of availability and what’s left is easier to feel out with the dealer than the forum. There is no point asking whether people recommend PMC over ATC or ProAc if the only dealers nearby do Focal, Dali and KEF.

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I would say yes, but you need to be careful about using matching cables, and also isolation, and power management. etc. Overall, when people want a system to sound good, it is not an easy job.

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= Priceless. Great share. Thx

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So, so right . When I started the restructuring of my system , to something that I could manage, my first choice was ProAc Tablette , nobody local sold them , I found a dealer who would home demo Harbeth P3 ESR

These days there are so many fans of the Tablette on this forum that I might have felt the urge to try harder but at what point Is “over the hill and far away” too far?

For the purposes of disclosure , I once bought a pair of speakers :loud_sound: unheard because I fell in love with the cabinet work.

My favourite all time speakers ( Ruark Sabres)

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Wow…dyslexic speakers…unfortunate!!!

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Likewise. I bought the Tablette’s unheard and now I can’t unhear them!

G

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You do sometimes buy with your eyes

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Hi @peppelizzio. I agree there is always ways to improve. I have the same system as you with the Kanta2. Over the last 18 months I have added IsoAcoutic Gaia2, upgraded to s star grounded power supply from Sean Jacobs, invested in upgraded interconnects. My next upgrade was to have been moving to the Sopra2. However, it would appear that there are significant supply chain issues, so these would not be out for delivery until sometime in 2023. Instead, I have just invested in a REL S812 Sub. The outlay was not insignificant, however, in relation to the cost of moving to the Sopra, it is truly a bargain. I have been blown away by the integration achieved with the Kanta2, and soundstage and even deeper bass lines outstrip anything I heard when I auditioned the larger speaker.

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This is great to hear, @neilph! Really glad it has worked out for you.

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No obvious match, Kef with Naim also very good combi.

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