Yes the OP has made the right decision for him having received the wise counsel (urm!) of this forum.
Some very wise advice by Hungry Halibut and Richard Dane and others too
I would pair the Nait XS with some Dynaudio Emit or Evoke range even maybe special 40
Fraction of the cost and will make some very engaging music
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There really is something quite perverse about this source first religion.
Someone has a XS system and wishes to optimise with the best speakers that will work in his/her environment and has no wish to change their electronics. He/she considers that Speaker X that costs £9k is worth a try say up against Speaker Y that costs £5k. Home demo conducted and yes Speaker X is “better” but actually you’ll be better with Speaker Y because cost wise it is nearer the price of the matching electronics. Really?
Argh says the Naim Forum but you’d be better off buying Speaker Y and investing in a better streamer/amp and then in a few months time when you realise that your new electronics will sound better with Speaker X you can change again. Barking.
With apologies to the OP for dragging out his thread.
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I can see the logic in your argument but I think there’s also a counter argument if I may!
In your first example the self imposed constraint from the customer’s perspective is that they don’t wish to change their electronics and they want the best speaker that will work with their system/room. I would expect a good dealer to challenge that in a professional way and show them how Speaker Y works with better electronics but at a similar overall cost to the customer and let them decide whether their pre-conceived approach was valid or whether improving the system elsewhere is a better use of their money. i.e. listen to both systems and make an informed decision.
Your second argument is valid but works both ways. They could buy Speaker X with lessor electronics and then realise that the system will sound better with better electronics and change again, equally barking!
The fly in the ointment is that new speakers seem to depreciate massively so I can agree that getting it right here is a good long term plan but I don’t support a mullet approach when we are talking big mullets.
A good and well matched speaker can last through a long cycle of upgrades. If you look at the Tablettes that seem popular at the moment we have people using them with an Atom right up to a 252/SuperCap/250 with some great sources and they are all delighted.
I started with my Kudos S20’s with ‘just’ an NDX 282/HicapDR/250DR, they are still with me with NDS/555DR 252/SuperCapDR/250DR and they keep on giving. Whilst I’ve had a bit of a moment with a 252, which seems to be thankfully resolving itself what I heard this weekend was spellbinding, at times better than anything I have every heard at any price. The difficult question is at what point do you change speakers again. In my system some would have changed before the amp was upgraded but I’m aware that some kept them until the electronics was at 500 system level?
So many choices, too little time!
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I think here is the clue, its the Naim Forums. 
Source first is the most followed philosophy here and it’s also what Naim has always advocated for. For understandable reasons ofcourse.
I personally find that speakers can determine the colour/tone/atmosphere more than equipment does, apart from the qualitative aspect. So i don’t mind looking for speakers that give me the right vibe in terms of emotional timbre, and which fit well in my room, and then see if my amplification matches well.
When i find/hear a pair of speakers that i really like i would have no problem selling my Naim amp and getting a tube amp, class A monoblocks or even a class D if they would make a better fit. The speakers are ultimately more important to me in finding the right atmosphere (which again is not the same thing as quality, accuracy, precision etc).
So it really also depends on how much you have invested in a Naim set and if you plan to keep on investing in it.
// starts running from the pitchforks
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I think the thing is there is no absolute “right” as to whether “source first” is best or some other approach, despite some of the things said in some threads when discussed. Many systems may sound fantastic to one person, but someone else on hearing may find something lacking or off with it - and vice versa listening to the other’s system. Here and in other threads on the subject we learn of the experiences of people who have followed the source first approach and been very happy, and those who have done it differently and got much better speakers before going very far with the source and also been very happy. I suspect it depends a lot on how people like the presentation of music, which in turn may depend to some extent on the type(s) of music to which they mostly listen.
Personally I found getting very good speakers early on (with a moderate, not bad, source) all but killed upgrade urges, making other changes become few and far between. But maybe others have found the same getting a very good source early on…
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That’s what I seem to see from a lot of the source first crowd here as well. A very narrow focus on the price tag, not looking at specs like the previously mentioned power requirement, or anything else.
to answer the OP
not insane, but maybe not the best usage of your money
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FWIW… I started with a Nait XS 2 with a pair of ProAc D2 speakers and then a pair of Ovator S-400’s. Both pair of speakers sounded fantastic with the XS 2.
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Yes, and of course it is only the stereo that’s at question, not world hunger.
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Amp >> Speaker >> Room combination is crucial to success when it comes to system building and it isn’t as simple as the correct division of funds either.
I’ve heard a £25 Chip amp powering £500 speakers sound very, very good and a £2,000 amp powering the same £500 speakers also sounding very good.
I’ve been dissatisfied with a system in my room that other people on this forum are entirely happy with in their room there is no one size fits all with system building. What I have found out though in my own experience is that an under powered set of speakers will never sound their best wether or not that is good enough is entirely up to the individual.
Worth a look at Focal Aria range of speakers. I have the 936. The 926 with the XS range would work well and look the part.
Very happy with mine with an 82, Suoercap 2, 2 x135s, NDS, 555PS, CDS3 and XPS2, Linn Lp12.
I have spent alot more on electronics than speakers and have 3 sources.
Would consider upgrading speakers to Sopra N2s.
Interesting discussion. I’ve moved a little from source first, perhaps thirty years ago, to system synergy being king with your system only being as good as it’s weakest component. Price isn’t an exact indicator but I’d be cautious of having a component so far out of the price range as the rest of the system without having a very good listen first to be sure it doesn’t show up the compararive deficiency of other components. I suspect the op has made a wise choice
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I’d agree with 926. I had a set through multiple changes of electronics from a little nap100 through a supernait 2 with Hicap and it was only when I reached 282 250dr with two hicaps and a much improved source that I felt they started to hold the system back a little
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Balance is indeed ideal - however for people with limited resources aiming for a high level final system it may not be financially achievable at every step - and where fewer bigger steps may be lowest overall cost, it does mean less balance along the way. The challenge then is to pick those bigger steps so the slew of the unbalanced system is not a retrograde step and not detrimental to enjoyment - get it right and the system improves at every step, while the lower overall cost means being able to reach a higher level in the end, or reach a desired level quicker, for the same outlay. I’ve sometimes described it as a leapfrog approach.
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Where does this leave the Nova + Kanta 2 deal that they’re selling as a matched package? I’ve got a Nova but would not immediately think of buying a £7.5k pair of speakers to go with it. I’m not against it by any means but seems an interesting partnership.
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A cynic might suggest that the owners are keen to maximise the return on selling Focal speakers…
I’m pretty cynical at the best of times but surely Naim would be ruining their reputation if the match didn’t work and it was pure marketing BS.
Although it’d interesting to read an owner review of the combo, or any other combo Naim are promoting as they’re mostly biased towards the Focals (price wise).
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Well the Nova works superbly with Kudos Titan 505s, so why not the Focals?
Regards,
Lindsay
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My thoughts exactly. A Hifi Plus review claimed it was great synergy but would be nice to read an owner review. Kanta 2’s look stunning too.