So I’m in the market for a pair of standmount speakers.
My system
Mac, Berkeley audio Alpha USB,
SW1X DAC 3 Balanced, NAC52, SUPERCAP, NAP 135s.
NAC A5 speaker cables.
Can anybody recommend a dynamic and agile standmount speaker which is easy to drive. 87db 8ohm or above preferably.
Linear dynamic and punchy response with great pin point imaging.
Budget about 3k Sterling.
The ProAc D2R should fit the bill perfectly. 8 ohms, 88.5dB. £2,895.
That would be my choice too.
How are the Proac D2R for dynamics?
Not heard them but from what I’ve read - vivid audio Kaya s12
Kudos C10 are 87db and 8ohm and close enough to £3k that you may be able to get them within budget. Sound fantastic with my Supernait 3 and best of the stand mounts I tried. Not sure how they would sound with your system but would certainly be worth a listen if you have the opportunity.
Sorry missed your budget. A bit off the mark.
Try the new Neat Majistra speaker
Getting excellent reviews and within budget incl stands 87 db
Neat speakers great match with Naim
So I have to audition the Proac d2r as along with the Kanta No1 by Focal they fit my preference of linear, agile bass and mid with a sparkly treble. Don’t like the look of the Focal mind you.
Kudos I’ve been told are a little polite on the top end. Also how is the bass on the Cardea range? I suspect it won’t be anywhere near as tight or as well extended as the titan range.
I’d take what you are told with a pinch of salt. The Kudos C and S tend towards bright, certainly not polite, and every Focal I’ve heard has been excessively bright to me, though the Kanta range is allegedly less so. The Kanta 1 costs £5,000 rather than your £3,000 budget.
You must have misread this - if anything they are considered too incisive on the top end, and need to be only mildly toed-in to avoid shoutiness (in general, YMMV, etc).
I do run Kudos C2s, by the way.
I have no suggestions for speakers but choosing ones with 8ohm impedance or higher is a wise decision as they will also be suitable if you want to change for lower power or tube amplifiers in the future.
As hungryhalibut said, always take recommendations with a pinch of salt! Ultimately it may help you draw up a short list but there is no substitute for actually listening. Everyones personal taste is slightly different along with system setup and room dynamics. That said the Kudos C10 has been going since 2007 largely unchanged so there’s obviously a few others who seem to like it!
Hi, I’m not familiar with your DAC but I would expect better results with an unbalanced connection using a Naim preamp, otherwise you are mixing balanced with unbalanced which is generally not ideal. How much difference this really makes in any particular system is another matter!
Regarding ‘great pin point imaging’ that has never been the strongest point of classic Naim amps like yours. Of course it will also depend on the source, speakers, and room.
I would consider adding ATCs to your shortlist, SCM19 or 20 perhaps.
Regarding Kudos, I’ve heard them sounding a bit bright when used with cheaper amplification, especially when not run in, with a rather forward upper mid/lower treble, but with higher quality electronics and a well set up system it’s not my experience at all.
With your system the Kudos C10’s would be excellent, I’ve heard a pair driven by a NAP300 and they were super. I’ve also heard a pair of their floorstanding relative, my old C20’s driven by 135’s and they worked very well, hence my confidence.
As @ChrisSU says the brightness occurs with inadequate amplification and I would add sources too as the range is very revealing and rather intolerant. I’ve discovered this with my S20’s as I’ve moved up the Naim ladder. Having said all this they are still an exciting listen, rather than being a safe ‘pipe and slippers’ speaker.
C10’s are a bargain used, you should be able to find a pair for under £1000 or even less if you fancy giving them a try. I’m sure you could easily locate a pair from a reputable dealer at the moment 
Kudos wasn’t really on my radar but based on the feedback I’ll put them in my list to audition.
My DAC is connected single ended so that’s not a problem with my preamp.
I need to check how sensitive the ATC speakers are. I had thought they were hard to drive.
the older ATC’s were more difficult but the current iterations, whilst insensitive are an easy load. I use a supernait 3 with scm 7’s and it works well and being of lower sensitivity removes the reported issue of channel imbalance at low vols.
Totem Signature One
Don’t know what they cost over there, but they’re $3750 here in Canada.
Andrew
That will depend on the amp, at least for any decent speaker. Or maybe you mean something more specific than conveyed by the word “dynamics”? Can you explain further what you mean?
Also I’m unclear from your post as to whether you were associating sensitivity with ease of drive - the two are not directly related: a lot of speakers have a sensitivity of at least 87dB/W at 1m, but that gives no clue as to how easy a load they are, only how load for a given poeer. Ignore this if you weren’t linking the two factors.
Surprised no one has mentioned either of the following: