Naim + Focal

Welcome to the forum. As others have said NACA5 are very good and not that expensive compared to many. Personally like Tellurium Q and sure if you search there are other threads that can assist. Trust your own ears (the only ones that matter) and enjoy the new speakers.

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Just because you say itā€™s outdated doesnā€™t mean that it is. Itā€™s all a matter of opinion. And in my opinion using a CD5si with Focal Utopias is completely potty. Iā€™m not wrong. Itā€™s just my opinion. I bet my setup with source first sounds better in terms of sheer emotional connection, for similar money.

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I just realized how un-balanced my system is: source 20k vs speakers 2k! The other way around, but probably quite silly. Sounds bloody good to me never the less. Experts: Please donā€™t roast me as well! If you enjoy the sound, whatā€™s the problem? ā€¦ from the advice here the good news is it can probably sound even better.

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Instead of Focal utopia Diablo, Focal Sopra 2 would be more recommended. And you have 6 k left to a better source, like Ndx2.

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Good evening HH, glad your latest configuration is to your satisfaction.

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As the OP just got the system apparently, from what I understand, itā€™s maybe not too late to changeā€¦ā€¦
And unfortunately, a forum is a forum. If someone is searching only congrats and false encouragements, maybe not subscribe here.
HH and I agree itā€™s an unbalanced system. At least we are honest.
The goal is not to be nasty.

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Letā€™s look at this objectively and dispassionately. The Diablo is the bookshelf/stand mount version in the range. Looking at its spec I can see no reason why the SN will not drive them. So the issue is more will the Diablo work in Coscaā€™s lounge and is the sound signature for him, well heā€™s answered that. Might a NDX2 (note he wants a CD player) with SN and say Sopra 1s be better balanced but if the CD5si (a product that performs well above its price point) and SN2/HC is his chosen configuration it makes absolute sense to get the speakers that will work in his situation.

Regards,

Lindsay

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Witch Hat phantom work well for me and didnā€™t break the bank. You can return them for a full refund if they donā€™t work out for you. Naim NACA5 is a safe bet but not the best VFM anymore in my opinion. Tellurium are good too. Lots of choices.

Donā€™t worry too much about the comments about system matching either. Itā€™s your ears in your room that count. If you ever do change front end or amp for a model higher up the range youā€™ll already have a set of speakers that will get the most out of the change.

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I used to run Sopra 1ā€™s with a 272/Xpsdr/250 Dr, and it sounded really good, not lacking anything. I started with NacA5, and eventually upgraded to Superlumina full loom. I ended up moving on because my next upgrade would be the $14,000 555DR, which was out of reach for me.
I would not worry about cables at all right now. I also see nothing wrong with buying the speakers you want first (end game), maybe he got a really good deal on them, so jumped on them. He has lots of room to improve the system down the road, as funds allow.
image

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@Cosca one other point donā€™t worry about stirring the pot as we say. Weā€™re a bunch of old fools with nothing else to get stressed about!

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Not unbalanced at all imho. Enjoy.

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ā€œYou donā€™t want to start from hereā€ but seeing as itā€™s where youā€™re atā€¦

The speaker cable geometry looks reasonable for a Naim amp.


and the supernait is more tolerant than separate power amps in that regard so Iā€™d guess youā€™re OK. If things sound OK and the amp isnā€™t getting too hot you probably are.

Welcome to the Forum @Cosca!

And then, OMG Diablos! Perhaps the best speaker in the world! And coming from 805s! This is a fantastic introduction of yourself.

You have a very interesting road ahead to upgrade, and your speakers will allow you to listen to any change and enjoy and take decisions and maximize your options.

I like to experiment, I would buy two sets of speaker cables, one silver based, one copper based. With them you can play a lot.

The Diablos are speakers I look at with envy very often. Which color are yours?

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As Yeti shows, the VDH cable is a dumbbell construction. You can find the specification as 0.58 ohm for 100metres and 32pF per metre. It does show 147 strands which is possibly a litz type? I know you can find Naim specs on the forum.
All I can say is that moving from CS122 to Chord Odyssey in my non Naim system was a significant improvement.

Welcome, @Cosca! First offā€¦Iā€™m jealous. What Iā€™d give to hear those. Secondā€¦I think Iā€™m more philosophically in line with @LindsayM and @NO-QUARTER, not that it matters contextually; their comments, though, do seem to resonate with me on the side conversation of things here. Iā€™m not in the OPā€™s room so cannot comment on the system and speakers being unbalanced, sorely mismatched or not. On paper or according to some unwritten rule of fractional expenditure in this hobby? Perhaps. But like everything in this hobby when it comes to listening, these things donā€™t always translate and is often a very personal preference thing as we all can attest to.
Weā€™ve seen the arguments ad nauseam for source first (not necessarily here, but fora-wide)ā€¦spread the system out this way or that. However, you have in your possession as had been said possibly the worldā€™s finest speakers. Me? Iā€™d love to get those first and upgrade parts of the system if I saw fit later, so that likely makes me someone working backward-to-forward. So be it. I believe you when you say the sonic results are stunning. The idea that they can and would sound better with XXX model(s)/ancillary equipmentā€”well what fine speaker wouldnā€™t? Where in the system the OP chose to spend on sound or concentrate/prioritize his effort shouldnā€™t be, IMO, met with such matter of fact-ness. I feel like Iā€™ve been a broken record lately by saying live and let live. RANT OFF.
Ohā€¦and I personally agree to keep your cables for a while and get some feel of what theyā€™re imposing. There are some good recommendations here, too, should you really want to investigate or audition. I have Tellurium Q Silver speaker cables and love them for my Spendor D7s and SuperNait2. NACA5 are, of course, great with Naimā€¦LFD, too, for not a lot of money.

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Thatā€™s not Litz, just stranded cable, itā€™s only twice the capacitance of NACA5.

It reminds me my beginnings in the audio world. I had at that time a Rega Mira integrated and one dealer wanted to sell me 10k Martin Logans speakers. The source was a Rega Apolllo.
Fortunately I didnā€™t listened to him.

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Dark brown cabinet/ black front

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What a beauty!

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Very quiet Iā€™d have thought. :grinning: (Sorry, I couldnā€™t resist.)

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