Got the itch to change my Neat Motive 2’s. I’ve loved those speakers since I paired them with the original Uniti over a decade ago and later with the SuperUniti that replaced it.
Now I have a Nova and I feel it’s time to upgrade my speakers to extract more juice and listening pleasure out of the Nova. Max budget is £3K.
Here are some small footprint floorstanders I’m considering…
Kef R5 Meta (impossible to even find a review of these, though people seem to love the R3 meta standmount)
Spendor A4
Neat Elite Classics
Neat Motive SX1 (can’t help thinking they are too similar to what I have but with a better tweeter and extra bass driver).
I’ve got a demo next week of all the above - hoping to find a set that are worthy of a home demo and subsequent purchase.
I listen mainly to classic rock, jazz, 90’s indie, pop (in that order). My room is a reasonable size but the listening area of it is quite compact - my speakers sit 1.8 meters apart and there is 50cm between the back of the speakers and the rear wall. I need to preserve this positioning with new speakers to keep the room looking ‘right’.
In the meantime, does anyone have any experience demoing or owning these speakers? Any thoughts on your findings that you could share with me? or alternative recommendations?
I have a Nova and I use PMC 25.21s with it and is a brilliant combination. If you want to audition the floorstander equivalent then try the PMC 25.23s. They are just over £3k new but you can get s/h at less than that
I’ve changed from Neat Motive SX2 to Dynaudio Special Forty’s combined with the Nova; they need a little bit more space around them, but I’m very pleased with the results
@Klout10 - thanks for your comment. What was it about the Motive SX2’s that was improved by the Dynaudio Special Forty’s? Was the improvement significant?
Hi @stavrose - how much I love the Motive SX2, basically everything that these speakers do so well was improved, bass is tighter, better imaging, well … worth to be on your shortlist
I have a pair of Twenty5.23 in my Nova system, they work really well. (That’s the previous model, not the current Twenty5.23i.) It’s a 4.3mx4m room.
The Nova controls the bass really well, so it’s a fast and agile system, I’ve enjoyed music ranging from Bach violin sonatas to Motörhead on it.
I did listen to the PMCs in a demo alongside Motive SX1s, I preferred the PMCs for the greater bass weight and control, but obviously that’s just a personal taste.
Always worth stretching your budget by checking the ex-dem stock of Naim dealers. Bargains against new price are around if you can accept or wait for your choice of finish.
Your list is logical, perhaps add Kudos. Their range has recently changed and ex-dem stock is being sold by some Naim dealers, who no doubt would oblige a demo.
ProAc possibly and PMC as mentioned. A very learned member of the forum has IIRC PMC twenty5.21i, so might be worth asking @HungryHalibut for his views.
Nova is a great one box system; my Ovator S400s were on a Nova, whilst good, they were in need of something more, so speaker matching needs a little care to achieve all b round balance.
Hi @PerF - how would you describe the sound produced by the neat elite classics? I look for musical, exciting and engaging, but without fatiguing treble. Do they fit that description?
Hi @Klout10 - you mentioned the SP40’s need space around them. Would 50cm from the back of the speaker to the wall be sufficient in your opinion to not compromise SQ?
I’ve often wondered how the Special 40s would sound driven by a Nova.
I’ve got a pair of SF Minima Amators being driven by a Nova as a second system at the moment. They’re pretty new (not broken in yet), but sound really nice so far. And they sure look the business.
Sorry HH.