Hello
Very Newbie Questions
I come from mid-range and this is my 1st foray into high-end brands: an Atom with PMC db1 gold
1st mistake: change all the equipment at once, I do not have to compare what I do not like (the previous equipment was partly paid: cheap Denon AVR with very old Infinity 115 speakers)
I have tried in different places in my house to rule out the acoustics of the room (I know that in the photo they are badly located on the furniture)
The sound is tiring, tense, nervous. With little space. I suppose it will be the db1 because they are very small monitors and I am used to 3-way floor speakers. I am thinking of borrowing some standing speakers to test if it is the Atom or the PMC or which of each.
The sound makes my head ache. It is detailed with detailed music. Not with the other. It amazes me how bad the music recorded long ago sounds and that I like so much, like the English symphonic rock of the 70s. It seems that the only thing I get a respectable sound is with jazz ballads ā¦ which sounds good on any equipment.
Room of 8 meters x 4 meters (4 meters high), tables, chairs, armchairs, tables low furniture, large lamps. Equipment placed in the middle of the 8-meter wall
Where I live (Argentina) the suppliers do not test and are only interested in selling, there are no changes.
But obviously I am doing something very wrong to have gone to elements of much higher quality and yet hear worse than before and in the same place.
What do you think Iām doing very wrong?
As you can see, mine is very new
I hear
Thanks
If you canāt put the speakers on stands then try moving them to the front of the cabinet and use something to isolate them from it, like blutack. Iāve used rubber pucks before with reasonable results as my speakers have to sit on wooden cabinets too. Anything is better than directly sitting on the cabinet surface.
Iām a new (one month) Nova owner. As others will no doubt point out, Naim equipment really needs a ārun inā period of at least 50 - 100 hours. I suspect the same for your speakers. In my case it was about 2 weeks of leaving it on all the time when I wasnāt sleeping. My initial thoughts when I first fired it up was, ugh, what have I done? Two weeks later I was staying up until 3 in the morning listening to music.
Iād say this is a large part of your problem. Yes you have increased the quality but you have also likely removed all sound from 60/70 hz and down. This can make a huge difference to how Music sounds and if you are used to something bigger then itāll be a big shock.
There are issues with your setup and yes it will make it sound more open to place the speakers on stands in their own space. However, they are very small speakers and there are physical limitations as to what they can do.
Donāt underestimate the Atom. It can power larger speakers than what most people will tell you. Itās 40 watts is worth way more in comparison with other brands.
Iād say what you need to do is decide whether you can live without bass. If not, new speakers or a sub.
Good luck.
I would agree with this but believe blutac couple rather than isolate. Some of the Isoacoustics products such as Orea, minipuck and Aperta provide isolation.
Hi, firstly I think you have chosen wisely with your products , suspect you have two or three issues.
I would certainly put some isolation equipment , such as others have said.
Also what speaker cable are you using ? That probably May need upgrading if you are using your older speaker cable, it can make a helluva lot of difference
Finally , let it bed in. It does need time
Hope all goes well
It may also pay to see if the older speakers go with the Atom ( provided the OP still has them)
I think there are two problems : the speakers are too close of the tv screen and they have no proper stands.
Which speakers cables do you use? It may be another reason too.
Good point re blutack! I use isoacoustic pucks which make a big difference but theyāre not the cheapest. I suggest the OP try something to help isolate the speakers to see if it helps. If so, buy the best isolation you can afford.
Hi, welcome & you have chosen well, give it time, sort out some things to set up properly - Itāll pay off.
When weāre putting our delightful new kit together, & Iāve done it 
; just be doubly sure you havenāt put the the speaker wires the āwrong way roundā on either/both 
Keep us informed 
The stands are not an aesthetic solution for me.
Iām going to try blu-tack. I did not know him. Thank you very much for the recommendation
jaja you also thought you had made a very costly mistake ?!
Yes. I think this is the biggest problem. Always listen on standing speakers. And while the DB1s have a very good sound, even if I close my eyes I canāt stop hearing small speakers, tight sound, compressed space.
Next week I will have standing speakers to test the sound and if so I will consider changing the pmc.
The lack of low frequencies is not so much of a problem for me. Already knew. The difficult thing is a small scene, not wide space, lack of air
Iām going to try isolating with blutack.
The team has been playing non-stop at my house for 10 days. Will I need more time? I am of the idea that if I have to make an effort to listen it is because something is not right.
The cable is new. But ā¦ (and here everyone is going to tell me that this is the problem) ā¦ it is the classic 2mm red and black cable with connectors soldered by me, assembled for this configuration. I always used these cables in previous setups getting good sound.
The cables behind the cabinet are arranged so that they do not cross, so that they do not interfere.
I find it difficult to think that in such simple configurations the cables would make a difference.
Here a couple of cables cost a minimum of US $ 350, there are no test demos, and I suspect it will not change. But as I said before, I am new to this range, and perhaps they are prejudices that I transport from the other range to this
In the next few days I will try borrowed standing speakers. Then he commented
Reviews on items are usually very good. Before reaching this configuration I spent 1 month for a gold note is-1000 (used provided by the distributor) (with my Infinity 115). Anyone would say that it is a much more robust, superior equipment, etc. The reality is that I was not convinced by the warm and silky sound characteristic of gold note. Naim is clearer. Besides, it has many limitations of software and use. The Atom is more functional and versatile. In exchange for the difference in money in favor, I decided to take the PMC. I think there is a question: I did not choose them, they were a surplus of money in favor and with my wifeās idea of something more minimalist
The PMCs are very good speakers and you have already run in the Atom quite a lot. I think to get the wider soundstage you will need to experiment with positioning and isolation.
I still have the DB1is which I bought 8 years ago with a Naim XS. There were on stands, about one foot into the room - they sounded marvellous.
I later bought a pair of PMC 20.23, the DB1is are now on a shelf - they sound terrible. You canāt expect speakers to sound fine if you just plonk down them on a piece of furniture.
They are definitely good speakers; bluetack or new cables wonāt make any difference - put them on decent stands.
Firstly, welcome on board!
All good points made so far, how did you have your floorstanders positioned before? And did they have spikes, or other sort of feet?
I ask as I think speaker positioning between your two setups has likely changed dramatically, and Iāve found huge differences in sound through changes in speaker positioning. You have gone from speakers potentially placed wider, further from the rear wall, on spiked feet, to speakers on a cabinet very close to the rear wall. I donāt know if the PMCs suit being close to a wall, but even if they do, they look particularly close. Sounds like giving the PMCs a chance, well placed on stands, would be worth a go.
[edit, having said that, the PMCs come with an engineering drawing with a 100mm wall bracket! Maybe they can take close placement!]
With Naim, some speakers cables donāt work. Itās really important to know which is the brand and specs of your cables. There are a lot of threads on that in the search part.
Naim Naca 5 are not expensive at all and a lot use them.
Itās the not a question of a better cable but the right specs with Naim.