Anyone tried going active with kudos 606?
I have got the possibility of getting a snaxo set up for my 606s.
I could go budget with my SN2 and 250DR or upgrade to 282/252 with another 250DR.
Or would any improvement be minimal and funds better spent elsewhere?
Any experience/advice greatly appreciated
Things are getting serious now Mick. I would advise getting a Fraim or DRing the 555ps if you eager to spend more money. 
There is a thread « Kudos and Cymbiosis active days « . Some here have been there. I think to remember @Gazza was at the demo.
I have heard most of the Kudos range inc 606 active or passive. For me i seem to prefer a passive bigger amp, rather than two small amps. For example i preferred the 707 with a 500 amp, rather than 2 x 300…it seemed to have better control.
If my memory serves me right at Signals we heard the 606 with passive 300 and 2 x 250,s, again i preferred the 300. I think @NigelB was at the same demo, and was probably more tuned in than i was as he was really interested in these speakers.
The Signals active demo was a bit of a blur, and all I can remember was how shockingly good the Kudos 808 active with 3 x 500DR was.
@Gazza, we sat together at the Audio Show East when Kudos 707s passive 500 vs active 2 x 300 was compared. You preferred passive 500 but I thought, though different, it was too close to call.
But when I heard 707s with 300 passive vs 2 x 250 active at The Audiobarn, the active set-up won easily for me on that comparison.
The wonky active Kudos demo (SN2 + 250DR IIRC) at the Bristol Show was impressive if doing active on the cheap. I can’t remember which Kudos Titan speakers they were using that day.
Sorry, I have no experience of 606s in active mode, other than at Signals and can’t remember which I preferred, which probably means it was much of a muchness. I also seem to recall the set up and room was not ideal.
Thanks gents
They are audiobarn 606s and the offer of the “606 set up” snaxo has come from them…
Yes…a bit of a blur and no alcohol passed our lips, must be getting old.
Hi mickdale, oh yes the happy old days of active systems . In my experience running an active system is riddled with too many variables: mains quality/ cable dressing/ need for more Boxes add cables and Fraim. On a good day it sounds brilliant and on a more frequent less good day you end up fretting about cable dressing and scratching your head once you’ve been through your check list.
I’ve have historically run SBLs with 52/ 4x135s and later 552/ 2x300s into SL2s and madly in the end wonky active 300/500. I will hand on heart say that I would never take an active system on again- Yep, you may call me old! 
In hindsight I should have bought a single 500 and be done with it. Also in your case I would not build an active system around the preamp section in a SN2 tbh.
In your case passive separates will win the game hands down. Unless you have a bright room or speakers or both I would also avoid the 252 ( my opinion only) . If you can afford 552/300 or in my view even better 552/500 ( all DR a must) and avoid as many increments as possible, you have also saved yourself some money in the long run although of course the initial layout is a bit hairy.
First of all get all the basics in place ie dedicated mains and Fraim. Also optimise your overall set up including room acoustics ( the last not always possible of course but has for me been a God send ). Good luck with it 
Peter
Thanks Peter
Invaluable advice greatly appreciated
I have six large bass traps in the room which have made more of a difference than anything else ever has. Don’t look very pretty but music is more important to me than visual aesthetics.
My gut feel from the above may be the best pre amp I can afford and stay passive, the room is only 4.8 x 4.4m.
This naim gear is good stuff 
For me Peter has nailed it with what he has said, i ran active for years, and really the main reason for jt was, because i had sbl’s, and this was the best way to make them work. But looking back at it now, i think it was all a bit off a waste of time, because it was an expensive way to make things work, and its far easier just to get passive speakers working well.
300dr or 500dr and sorted.
For me as an outsider it does look like a faf and I couldn’t be bothered with all that.
The only time I would maybe be tempted is with actual active speakers with the amps built in like in some of the ATC’s but even then I am not sure.
I did think about active PMC speakers. I was speaking to their rep who was telling me they were using modified Bryston amps. Having heard Bryston amps, they are powerful, but not as agile to my ears as Naim power amps…so that was the end of that.
I’ve been active for nearly 20years now
The higher up the ladder we progress the more sensitive everything is
If you’re after something you can plug in and play then run a mile from here
Persevere and get it right and then you’ll appreciate why a number of us here have such a large box count
However active is going to be ruthlessly revealing
Your source whichever one you intend to use needs to be improved as does the amps
In your shoes I’d be more inclined to max the source
Then 552 & 500
Then cables etc
Then Snaxo and additional 500’s
Lyndon
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