Living Voice IBX RW4 and Naim

Dear All
I have had a few studio demos (actually the OBX RW3) and would like to hear what experience other people have of these speakers.
First demo was with melco, chord Dave and some EAR amps. The second time was with my Auralic Altair G1 and a Naim supernait.
Personally they made a good impression on me and quite an enjoyable musical presentation.
I currently have Naim SL2 speakers driven passively with a NAP300. Overall i enjoy alot this setup but sometimes can go against the grain.
This dealer also sells kudos but seems less enthusiastic than the sound from living voice. I can’t say having never listened to kudos speakers. He also is a big Harbeth fan.
Regards,
Mark

Hi, I like the living voice speakers very much but I think they sound better (and are designed for) tube amps like Audiomat, ear or, at the top end, kondo. A kondo integrated with living voice is a match from heaven…

2 Likes

Hi Christoph,
Thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately the gap between the demo with tube amps (EAR) and supernait (the only Naim amp available), was large and not an A-B comparison. I agree with your comments though and think the living voice sound is very special when perhaps driven with the right source and amps. The demo i had was a pretty extensive one although I did not stretch for a home demo.
I have made my investment and have Naim amps and will not change that.
One day when time permits I will get them in for that home demo, but want to avoid jumping on the upgrade train again and feeling the need for new amps etc…

I have an older pair of LV Avatars MK1 I think.
I have also heard the OBX RW .

They can sound good with solid state amps ,I have a Nait XS2 as well as a Puresound 2a3 valve amplifier.

The XS2 sounds very good with my Avatars but they really come to life with the Puresound.

The best amplifier I’ve heard with the OBX is the Border patrol 300b SE with the choke input filter PSU. With a suitable pre like the SJS Arcadia.
The presentation is quite simply magical, wide open with remarkable depth and clarity and strong bass which you don’t often get with a 300b amplifier.

Very nice summary and put into words better than I can. Yes they are magic and I could listen to them for hours. In fact the studio demo that I had with my music Auralic Altair G1 and the supernait lasted close to 4 hours. I was lucky to have such a long uninterrupted time with them.
I’m sure it would have been much better with the EAR pre and power. Don’t remember the models now, but yes the sound with melco and chord Dave was excellent, but that demo was shorter and without my music

1 Like

And I would add that I could happily live with my XS2 if I didn’t have the 2a3 .
They sound very good with the only negative being the high input gain , because the LVs are so sensitive, there is very little range using the volume control.

But I could happily live with it in all honesty.

Thanks for that Christov very helpful comments. Yes the high sensitivity is an important point in the match. Yes I have an NAC252 + NAP300 and would clearly like to have a home demo before buying. I also have a vintage NAC42 and NAP110 which might even suit better who knows.

1 Like

Yes I would advise a careful audition and take your time, if it doesn’t work for you then move on to something that does.

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.