Hello everyone, I’m coming back to Naim with an excellent Supernait 3!
The rest of my system consists of a WB Circle turntable with a Benz Ruby cartridge and PP1-T9 phono, and a Lumin D1 streamer. I mostly listen to jazz, blues, and classic rock. My living room is about 25 sqm (270 sqft), and I NEED to place the speakers against the rear wall.
My current speakers are a pair of ProAc Tablette Ten Signature. I really love the sound for everything related to jazz, vocals, and acoustic music, but… when it’s time to play classic rock from the '70s or '80s, pop music (my wife’s passion), or poorly recorded music (which is very common these days), something is missing.
I’m thinking of switching to small floorstanding speakers that can be placed close to the back wall, with a small footprint (less than 20 cm in width and as small as possible in depth).
On my list are ProAc DT8, Totem Tribe Tower, Wilson Benesch Square Two/Three, Ophidian Mambo 2, or… should I place the Tablettes on stands and add a small sub for the lower frequencies?
Any other ideas or suggestions?
Thank you!
From a ‘don’t try to fix what isn’t broken’ angle - I think I’d try a sub first and see if it does what you need. The passive Graham Audio subs might work, despite being designed for slightly less sensitive speakers.
i think you should demo some kudos speakers. pick your model and price range. i’ve had 505s and 606s. they were great. but i’ve also heard the 20As and 10As, also excellent and all kudos can be placed close to the rear wall.
Finding the right speakers can be a big challenge so I’d second this advice. Audition a subwoofer before you do anything else.
I’ve always found Pro-Ac, PMC, Totem et al to be too clinical/studio monitor like for me. There’s a whole list people reel off with Naim boxes which “go well” but, putting aside that speakers are such a personal thing, I’ve never found many of them to be especially compelling. The current fad for ATC with Naim fascinates me. Spoken to maybe five dealers in different parts of the UK on my travels and all stock both Naim and ATC. All feel compelled to stock what sells but all feel they’re a poor match.
I’d start with the subwoofer and see if that’s some or all of what’s missing. If it’s not then I’d move onto speakers.
PMCs are narrow and work well close to a wall. Whether you like the sound or not is a different story.
First, what’s wrong exactly?
Second, where are your speakers located now?
Third, poorly recorded music, won’t magically improve with different speakers.
My Proac 10 sigs driven by Nova, are a replacement for SA1s, now repurposed, very pleased - purchased pre-owned, unheard, given they have to be wall mounted, in a dining room. They are hung on B-Tech Speaker Wall Mounts with Tilt & Swivel. No issues with classic rock, bearing in mind source, amp, speakers; they wont replicate sizeable and adequately driven floor standers.
Imho, you may have to determine budget and then decide where best to spend, but it may well be the case, speakers are not your weak link, particularly if you try dedicated stands; ymmv. There is a thread or two here on Tab 10s and you may find some thoughts on stands.
I’ve auditioned the Totem Forest, Tribe, and Harbeth at one time or another when thinking of what to replace my B&W 602s S2 speakers. At the time, I read up on Spendor Speakers, and since then, it has been a toss-up between Spendor and Harbeth, though my first choice would be Spendor and later, I will do an in-home comparison of a pair of Harbeth 30.1. Our listening enjoyment is similar though I lean more toward your wife’s passion and my collection of 1000 used LPs bought in the day, consists of Classic Rock, Blues, Classic and Outlaw Country, Folk, male and female artists. I’m currently using the XS integrated amp and XS Flatcap, though I will upgrade to the XS3. My turntable is an original 1983 LP12 with an Ittok arm and (NOS) Asak and enjoyed countless hours of listing over the years. At one point in time added Marants 1501 receiver and ever since, enjoyed both worlds of listening; analog and streaming. One day will venture into adding an Aurender A200 streamer server to the mix but in the meantime, I’m recording my LPs to WAV using an LP- LP-cassette converter to the computer hard drive and making up playlists to cast/stream. Getting back to help me with new speakers, I recommend auditing the Harbeth and Spendor speakers.
Audio Note AN-E
Designed to perform optimally near walls or even in corners, these speakers offer excellent sound quality with enhanced bass response due to their placement flexibility.
PMC Twenty5.23
Featuring an advanced transmission line design, these speakers can be positioned closer to the back wall without compromising sound quality, offering deep bass and clarity.
It’s impossible to say whether you’d prefer subs with your current speakers, or a.n.other floorstander - much auditioning needed! If you go for a sub it needs rpto be of a quality to at least match your stand mounts, not skimping on it - after all, the reason why full range speakers cost considerable more than the majority of standmounts of similar sound quality is because bass is the most difficult part of the spectrum to do well. And do bear in mind that ex-dem or secondhand increase your buying power.
You haven’t mentioned budget, so as not ruled out I’ll suggest auditioning the only narrow / small bass driver speaker I’ve liked. PMC Fact 12, which are an incredibly skinny 168mm wide. They’re quite deep but needed of course for internal volume, and you don’t see when they’re facing you! PMCs, or at least their upper ranges (are quite neutral-sounding and therefore can reproduce alo genres properly, not omitting oart of the spectrum nor adding distracting colouration. However, whether your amp would control them adequately I have no idea - but of course if sufficient to sound good th the Facts would reward any future amp upgrade.
Adding a subwoofer to your bookshelf speakers can enhance the overall audio experience by providing deeper bass and improving the low-frequency response. This combination can fill out the sound and create a more immersive listening experience However, whether you should add a subwoofer ultimately depends on your personal preferences and the size of your listening space. If you enjoy rich, full-range sound and have the room for it, adding a subwoofer to your setup can be a worthwhile investment
Naim SBLs don’t fit your width requirements but otherwise strike me as ideal.
Naim IBL
Speaking from experience with a SN3 and speakers close to the wall I can recommend NEAT IOTA Alpha and Kudos 606. Both of which I have used in my living room.
These two models and far and wide in terms of pricing but lesser models are available. The Kudos 20A are probably a more sensibly priced option than the 606.
NEAT and Kudos both come up trumps when it comes to placing speakers against a wall.
Only a home demo will tell though.
Well that was not my experience with C20s, driven by a SuperNait. I eventually moved them as far from the walls as possible in an attempt to get a balanced sound. But in the end, they just had too much bass and treble for my taste and I moved them on. The least successful speakers I’ve had in my room.
The OPs room is somewhat larger than mine, so his experience may differ, of course.
Roger
SN3/Fact 12s: available for immediate purchase from your local branch of Mullets R Us.
Fact 3s (only available second hand, now) might just work with an SN3. I used them with 272/XPS/250DR and, personally, wouldn’t have gone lower in the Naim hierarchy.
Roger
I see the new (not yet available) PMC Prophecy9 (165mm wide) is the new low budget (non mullet?) size equivalent of tge Fact 12, and a much more efficient speaker with a sensitivity higher than average at 91.5 dB/W vs F12’s lower than average 84. That translates as 5.6x less power needed for the P9 for same sound level, though I’ve no idea about other amp demands, nor how they sound.
Look for some mint Kudos X2’s. Small footprint and not fussy on placement. You should be able to pick some up at a very reasonable price and are hugely enjoyable.
Another vote for Neat Iota Alphas. They are excellent. Very musical and fun.
Supernait 3 here with Kudos X3
Find a pair and stop looking more than enough. 
Hi paperman- if you want to spend a more modest amount and don’t mind pre loved… I bought a pair of Proac’s response d15’s, new, when I bought my first naim system- amped by a 202/200 combo which I’d say your sn3 would be a comparable integrated amp set up. I tried quite a few floorstanders at around same price mark as the Proac’s, the latter I found to be the best by some margin. As you like the proac sound you may find that the response 15’s suit your needs as they have downward firing bass ports so can be pushed against a wall. I still use the d15’s with a superuniti and they surprise me when I give them a session. The d15’s come up occasionally onan suction site, a bargain at around £600… im not sure whether proac offer anything similar now