We had also tried the ProAcs Tablet 10 and the Harbeth P3 PSR closer to the wall. However, the spatial depth then seemed limited to me. I think the Accordos need air around them anyway and are not an ideal solution for placement very close to the wall.
Over 360 posts and I still havenāt seen a pair. 
Didnāt think Naim did speakers now. 
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Yes, 8k is not so cheap and if you are prepared to go to and above 5k then also may by try to audition a couple of similarly priced/level contenders before deciding? Especially that you can have also speakers of slightly different size and character at a similar price point?
Frankly, I donāt know yet. So far, I thought I would get further in the price range up to 5k. But the cheaper speakers turned out to be a step to the side rather than forwards. And my Vienna Acoustics are not that bad in comparison. If I get any further, Iāll be happy to report back
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I understand very well, and sometimes itās also curiosity (well, foe me at least). When I changed to the Spendor D1 many years ago, soon after I thought I should explore others and went on to own and audition many similar in the range, only to return to the D1s a few years later - well at least now I can say I am pretty sure these for me are the best small monitor contemporary iteration!
With my main setup speakers, the Marten Oscars - Iāve now had them for several years since soon after they were launched and they work brilliantly for me and in my home environment. And, sure enough, I am sometimes curious to try something else, but so far, whenever Iāve come back home from some audition and played some music on them, itās been a āoh yesā smile.
What you write is exactly right for me and my situation. On the one hand, trying things out is part of the hobby. I have built up my current system step by step with a lot of trial and error and with many tips from the forum (including network optimisation and room acoustics). Iām really enjoying it this evening in particular - a wonderful way to relax after a long day at work. Speakers seem to be the most difficult thing for me and home demo would be key. Also, speakers above a certain price range are very individual and depend on the room in question. They are therefore difficult to resell at a reasonable price if you have bought them new. Thatās why I think carefully about a purchase. And I will also try out a few others. Iām not in a hurry. And the Marten Oscars you have are among my absolute favourites, along with the Franco Serblin Accordo.
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Thank you for such an exhaustive report, I have P3ESR which with the right material sound wonderful, l have also heard the Nait 50 with Rogers LS3/5E - and that too was very good.
My feelings are the Nait 50 is very good with quality monitor speakers and needs sources like an LP12 or NDX2 ( I use a CDX 2 )
I heard mine using Chord Epic speaker cables and personally use Witch Hat Phantom speaker cable
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Love the finish on the Sterling speakers
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I own an NDX2ā¦ I know the NDX2 is used as example source in the Nait50 manualā¦ but quite frankly the NDX2, good though it is, really under achieves by a considerable margin of what the Nait50 is capable ofā¦ I would at least look at the ND555 or equivalent or better non Naim source to get the best from the Nait50ā¦ itās that good.
As such the Nait50 is hard to position in the Naim hierarchy ā¦ perhaps thatās why it was positioned as a limited edition special.
An example of its incredible performance was demonstrated a few months ago. One of the Nait50 input channels started sounding ordinary as opposed to exceptional. It was a hard oneā¦ I thought it was me, but on immersive listens it became quite obvious. One input started sounding like a regular mid tier classic ampā¦ and the other magical. Took it to the dealerā¦ we used a standard non ND555 level sourceā¦ we couldnāt hear it. We upped the source to a DAVE levelā¦ yes we could now clearly hear the performance drop in comparison to the other channel.
It went back to Naimā¦ initially NFFā¦ but in the end I was told that Jason aka Golden Ears at Naim was brought inā¦ yes he could hear the shortcoming on one of the inputs. The input DIN socket and for good measure relay was changedā¦ it transpired one of the DIN sockets pressure contacts had a small manufacturing faultā¦ voila super high end sources could be enjoyed again at full potential on both inputs on the Nait50
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Thank you. They are Wild Oak.
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Quite happy with my ATC7ās in a near-field second system. Great balance of sound, I can understand why lots of the reviewers were startled at how ATC managed to get this level of sound from ārelativelyā inexpensive speakers.
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Some pricey DAC/Streamers being suggested.
Personally, I would divert more funds towards speakers like the Alumine Two by Stenheim.
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And you would immediately hear all the shortcomings of the average dac/streamersā¦ balance is a tricky thing out there
The diminishing returns on a DAC/Streamer are reached long before that of speakers imo.
Iāll always allocate more money towards loudspeakers than a DAC/streamer for my system.
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No, source first
I always overbuy on speakers. But in my defense, it just hurts once when you spend too much on speakers. Plus you never wonder āwhat ifā. Iāve read many times that changing speakers will make the most difference in a system. With that in mind doesnāt it make sense to spend a little extra on speakers.
For me, if the source was analog.
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And what is the difference if digital?
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