Naim + Focal

Hi-Fi Corner
64

Hang around here a bit more @Cosca , this thread is ‘quiet’, even restrained, compared to some :grinning:

The issue at hand:

1- If you haven’t looked at this already, I’d suggest you check this link on this 'site:

Speaker Cable for Naim power amplifiers - Frequently Asked Questions - Naim Audio - Community

Be mindful of twisted cables - and it seems some manufacturers don’t state the specifications of their cables.

2- How long do your speaker cables need to be?

3- a good starting point with Naim is to use NACA5, as it’s ‘fast’ and relatively inexpensive but not greatly detailed when compared to others. With a (superb & highly revealing and ‘efficient’ in power terms) Focal Be tweeter on the end of it, it can sound bright/perhaps edgy. The Tellurium cables tend to offer greater detail to my ears and take the edge off the top-end of the sound - but some are expensive e.g. the Ultra-Black.

A regards your speakers and kit, the key question and aspect for consideration is whether your speakers fit to your listening environment very well (they obviously do per your post), with the sub-set question of do you want to improve the system further down the line? - which, given the cost of the speakers, suggests there could be more spend to come? If you haven’t already worked it out, this is a place where it’s very easy to spend another person’s money!!!

The great thing is that you have a speaker where the replay can be improved/upgraded quite significantly – and the only ears which count here are yours.

As others have said, the orthodoxy is usually to spend more on the source(s) and amplifier(s) - that is, information which isn’t originated/extracted from/by a source component cannot be recovered down the chain of replay. Better source = better replay.

This is all relative, in that what you’ve got sounds good to you, but please be assured there’s more that can be delivered from the Focals.

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It’s ugly, looks like a stormtrooper

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No, my white Focal Sopra 2 look like a Stormtroopers. Love 'em :grinning:

Focal-Sopra-No2-Floorstanding-Speakers-white
Focal-Sopra-No2-Floorstanding-Speakers-white600×600 39 KB

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67

More like ‘Exterminate, exterminate’ :grinning:

I like Focals BTW.

68

Give me a pair of SBLs any day Clare. Yuk!

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69

I have Focal Cobalt 816 speakers with my 5si’s - sound very nice to me.

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Hi and welcome…

The speaker room coupling is one of the most aspects - and if the Diablo Utopia sounds good in your room with your SN2 - then great - only you can decide.

I actually think sources each have their style - and there is no right or wrong source for a given system - each has its character - and the better your system is the more you can appreciate your different sources… sure a higher end source can provide more information - and yes on some recordings that will be beneficial - but certainly not all - so if you like the sound from your CDP then great.

Speaker cable can be a funny thing - it actually is a pretty crucial component in terms of electrical characteristics. Naim amps usually require a minimum inductive reactance and a maximum capacitive reactance to operate in a stable manner - and a minimum of 3.5 metres per side of NACA5 provides this - although 5 to 6 metres might provide a slightly more relaxed sound from your amp - so that is what I would focus on. You can find NACA5 used in the usual places too - so that could be option if you don’t want to get new - whilst experimenting.

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LOL - I must admit if I brought those into my house - I think before too long I would be living in it alone :grinning:

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So then you can do Utopias!

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Why on earth would he?

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Relax, just kidding

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If someone bought them into my house, they would be living alone!

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As some have mentioned above, I have found that speaker cables can act as a fine tuning component in the system. In my listening room I found that NACA5 contributed to what was already a forward treble presentation and they had to go. I have experimented with a few different chord cables - the signature arguably trimmed back the presentation a bit too much and snuffled out some of the energy of the music. I currently have sarum cables which hit the sweet spot for me in my room.

Ideally if you are able to, try to borrow some cables from your local dealer over a weekend and experiment to narrow your preference. Congrats on your new speakers, enjoy the music and your journey.

Peter

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I meant to add that the Cobalt speakers outpaced my previous set up - but at the time they were ex-demo and sounded great.
If I’d bought something that matched my previous setup I would have needed to buy speakers when I got the 5si’s…

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I have a pair of sopra n1 and the speaker cables I use are the Audioquest Robin Hood zero, they work well with the sopra and could be a good match to the Diablo also.

But I do not have a Naim amp at the moment, I may get a supernait 3 next year if it matches with the sopra.

79

I see some comments about the Diablo Utopia being the best speaker in the world. Can this possibly be true? An $8,500 stand mount? I haven’t heard them but I have a hard time believing it’s better than everything from ProAc or ATC among others. Maybe I am not thinking of the right speaker? Would love it if others could elaborate.

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I think the price of the stand-mount/bookshelf is rather more than $8.5k - I think it’s ~£11k in UK (perhaps more).

There is no such thing as the ‘best speaker’ - and there are other high-end brands e.g. Magico, who would dispute such a tag.

The one thing which tends to differentiate Focals is their use of the Beryllium tweeter, which offers very detailed replay and is highly efficient in turning amp energy in to sound. Sometimes (depending on set-up/kit/room etc,) it can come across as ‘too revealing’ and bright. I think Magico also use Be tweeters, as do several other high-end manu’s.

Go look at the price of the Focal Grande Utopias and their size - you need a large listening room!

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Best speakers in the world in the sense that they belong to the Utopia series. The series start with the Diablos and arrive to the Grande Utopias, a very, very special speaker. They share the Be tweeter technology and many other details, hence the best speakers in the world label.

I of course know this is subjective.

Edit: The listed price of the Grande Utopias is 200.000,00 Euro, this is objective.

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82

All speakers are a selection of compromises. So there’s no such thing as “best”, it’s about which compromises you prefer over others. Hence so many different brands, all with their own share of fans. And some people hating the speaker others love and vice versa.

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Compromise, true - the main one being not having the actual musicians on tap to play in front of us when we want them to… :grinning: