NDX2/SN3 Speaker Recommendations

Hi-Fi Corner
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Hello all from Down Under!

I’ve initiated a new topic seeking your insights on selecting the right speakers for my NDX2/SN3 setup. I decided to create a separate discussion to avoid hijacking a similar ongoing topic, which I’m also following closely.

To provide context, I have attached the floor plan of my living space, including the current speaker configuration (B&W 684, which I’m going to sell). The room has an open layout, combining the living room, study, and kitchen, with an irregular form. One wall is entirely glass, from floor to ceiling, while the other walls are thin plaster, and the floor is carpeted.

For my listening preferences, I mostly enjoy classic jazz and classic rock.

I’m currently exploring three speaker options and would greatly appreciate your insights:

a) PMC Twenty5 26i - Brand new

b) Audiovector R3 Arreté - Ex-demo

c) Focal Sopra 2 - Brand new

Options a) and b) fall within my budget constraints, while option c) stretches it by around 30% (or should I say ‘only 30%’ given that it is still possible to find reduced-price stock in Australia).

For option b) (Audiovector R3 Arreté), I’m concerned about the brand’s limited representation in Australia, potentially affecting after-sale support and resale value.

For option c) (Focal Sopra 2), my main worries include its dimensions, particularly the footprint of 358 * 540 (W * D), and the sheer physical size of the speakers. Given the size and layout of my room, and the fact that my amp is the integrated SN3, I wonder if the Sopra 2 might be overkill.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or experiences you can share regarding these speakers. Additionally, if you have alternative speaker recommendations obtainable in Australia that could complement my NDX2/SN3 setup, considering my musical preferences, please feel free to suggest them.

Thank you in advance for your time and expertise. Looking forward to your insights.

Best regards,

Living Room
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I’d suggest that all of those are too much for your electronics. If you like the PMC sound then the 23 or 24 would be a better fit, and if you like Focals, maybe the Kanta 2. Maybe you’d be better swapping the SN3 for a 282, Hicap and 250DR, with more modest speakers.

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Probably too much —- but the kanta 2 are a very nice speaker and a better match with the supernait. You probably need to go listen and arrange a home demo to test how they work in your space.

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I can’t say whether the Sopras are too much or not but you could definitely get much more out of them with much more expensive electronics.

As HH says, it is worth trying the Kanta 2s if you can. They may (or may not) work well in your room. I paired mine with a SN2 and an NDX2 for a couple of years and was really happy with the combination before upgrading the amplification which got even more out of the speakers.

When the Kantas were first released many on here heard them at an audio show with SN2 and NDX2 and commented on the combination very favourably.

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I have the Focal Sopra 2s in 10th anniversary concrete finish and they are superb speakers. They are big and heavy but built beautifully with high attention to detail. I bought them for about half price 6 months mint.

I have no regrets. I don’t see why they would not sound excellent with an NDX2 and SN3 which is a great source and amplification.

My amplification is higher up the chain, but I use them with a lower priced AV amp and they sound excellent with significantly lower priced amplification.

Not to everyone’s taste, being a modern design, they look stunning in the flesh.

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The other thing I would say is to get the best out of the Sopra 2s is they sound best into the room more, so a good 50cm from the back wall or more works well. They need space all around them for the sound to work too.

They sound boomy if closer to back walls at volume

They are extremely capable speakers and sound very good at low, medium and high volumes. They have their own spikes integrated and you can wind them in into nothing so that you don’t make marks on carpet to start with.

If you can get them for right price then they are worth it. I can’t explain how good they sound and how well made they are.

At my dealers they have various speakers in use. When I come home these trump them all at price and are better made. The weight of 55kg each tells you how much engineering is involved.

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I have the NDX2 and Supernait 3 with a pair of Sopra N1, what I can tell is that with the sopra N1 the Supernait 3 works without issues and pairs great for me. I Am not familiar with the N2 on the Supernait 3, they can be more difficult to drive and the N1.

As speakers are always a substancial investment that will live with the system for many years, trying to listen them before acquire one pair is advisable.

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I’d also recommend the Kantas with the SN3 and NDX2. Works well in my room and it would appear from your plan that you can give the speakers a bit of space to breathe.

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Since you asked for recommendations, if they are available down under the Proac D20r or stand mount D2R’s work extremely well with the SN3/NDX2 combo. (Biased opinion of course)

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I think you probably are going to best suited with smaller speakers in this space with a SN. I’d look at some of the Totem options, there seem to be plenty of dealers stocking them in Australia. I’ve used the Hawks and Forest Signatures on a SN2. The later would be my choice, which I preferred over the Kanta 2. Great with rock music.

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Other than weight has absolutely no bearing on the amount of ‘engineering’. There are high mass and low mass speaker enclosures each with their pros and cons, and the choice of magnetic material and size of drivers will determine the driver weight. These are design considerations, not an amount of engineering.

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I’ve heard the Sopras with the SN, they’re very good together. I’d also (I would say this) Kudos 505/606s, in fact Kudos recommend such a pairing.

Good luck.

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Thank you to everyone who shared their insights and recommendations. Your advice has been incredibly valuable.

  1. Kanta 2 & 3: I appreciate the suggestions to explore Kanta 2 & 3. When I initially visited the dealer to choose between NDX2/SN3 and NSC222/NAP250, I had the chance to demo both sets with the Kanta 2. However, I found that the sound did not resonate with my preferences, and aesthetically, I wasn’t drawn to the Kanta series. Additionally, the rear-firing ports of the Kanta series pose challenges given my room configuration.
  2. Focal Sopra 2: I have not heard Sopra 2 yet as it is difficult to find a demo stock around me, but I have a specific query for those who own them. The floor dimensions specified 358 * 540 (W * D) are crucial for my placement considerations. Could someone confirm whether these dimensions pertain to the speaker itself or the plinth? If it’s the former, could you provide the plinth dimensions? Moreover, the location for the right speaker is challenging due to space constraints. The attached photo of the corner where the right speaker will be positioned illustrates this challenge. As you can see, getting optimal placement would be a challenge.

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  1. Home Demos in Australia: Unfortunately, the home demo culture isn’t as prevalent in Australia, and most auditions happen in-store, limiting the ability to evaluate speakers in a familiar setting. For instance, my comparison between the Harbeth Super HL5 Plus XD and PMC Twenty5 26i was challenged by the different rooms and amps/cables setups.

Once again, thank you for your assistance. Your collective expertise is guiding me through this decision-making process.

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I have Focal Electra 1038Be speakers, which were superceded by the Sopra 2 or 3 (depending on who you want to believe) and these were originally driven by a SN2 + HiCap DR and the amp powered them very well.
I upgraded the SN2 with a SN3 with the HiCap DR and the SN3 drove the speakers better, much more bass response and control and overall sounded more responsive to the musical changes in songs so a good improvement.
I think the SN3 will drive the Sopra 2 with no problems as the speaker sensitivity is similar to my speakers ie easy to drive.
Obviously better and more powerful amplifiers will be better, but you can say this all the time.

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I have not heard the ones you mention.
But, I use Proac Response 2.5 with my SN3, in a 25m2 room.
In my ears a very good combination.

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You may be can think about which of the speakers you mention you’ve heard recently you liked more - the Kanta 2, Harbeth SHL5+ XD or PMC Twenty5 26i? For example, would you define the Kanta or the SHL5+ overall as a neutral speaker or one more on the bright side, what about overall character or other attributes? This may help you with a direction and also those who provide some suggestions here? Otherwise, you are likely going to hear what others like and prefer which may not be so helpful as speaker choice is also quite individual.

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I’d be interested to hear why you preferred NDX 2/SN3 to NSC 222/NAC 250. I assume they were purchased new?

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A neighbour has the Audiovector R3 arette and SN2, they do sound excellent. Same size and shape listening room as mine. Also very wife friendly, in a cool looking metallic grey.

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The plinth is 358 x 530. The tops of the speakers are around 270 x 420mm.

The plinth narrows at the rear to about 270mm. The front to midway point is 358mm.

Hope this makes sense.

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For what it’s worth I have ND5 XS2 > nDac > SN3/Hicap DR and have just taken a pair of Kudos Super10a. My room is 7x7m and although it’s early days I can immediately say they’re a great combo. Fast, quite transparent and very musical. Bass doesn’t rattle your ribs until you crank up the volume and then it does :blush: I have no reason to think the Super20a wouldn’t be equally impressive.

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