Hi hungryhalibut, I already have speakers that go well with Naim. It just that I’m falling over to the look of Martin Logan, it looks so stunning and (sexiest and inappropriate words) see through. A friend I went to uni with, his mum used a pair of ML watching telly, it was love at first sight. I always want a pair since.
I have the room to set up a pair of electrostatics, and I don’t want another pair of box speakers, I also don’t like the look of Quad ESL, otherwise, life will be simpler with a pair of ESL-63. Cheers
Buying a pair of speakers because they look sexy is one way of building a system. Buying things that sound good and work well together is another. You pays your money and you takes your choice.
I’m pretty sure that a well known naim dealer near my home offers classe power amps when customers are considering the largest B+W 800 speakers, as an alternative to the nap500. Appreciating that you are down in Oz, you may get some feedback or guidance if you were to contact Graham’s hi-if in Islington, north London. No guarantees given the remoteness, but no harm asking.
It’s a very interesting topic.i wander replace the 250.2 with bryston 4b3,i guess it’s would get a huge good results. And I want to know how to connect the hicap with the 4b3.
My setup is:
282 250.2 hicap and ndx1 with pmc ob1i.
Thanks.
Damn it, you’ve got me thinking now. The 225i integrated is 250w and $12K new. I wonder how that would compare as a step up from my SN2 run of the NDX2- would solve the box count and way cheaper than the Naim separates.
Yes, you could sell the SN3 and Hicap2 to finance it. Assuming it sounds good the main issue is that it would not fit in your lovely cabinet and you’ll end up blowing more money ion bigger speakers!
I think it would fit and my speakers are rated to 250w apparently. It’s the wrong colour though and I quite like Naim. Hard to get away from the fact that it is now very expensive in NZ though…
I certainly don’t know how the Perreaux 225i integrated would compare as a step up from your SN2 run of the NDX2, but I can attest that, in large rooms or with “hard to drive” speakers, a good quality integrated or power amp on around 250W is a lovely sinergy with the NDX2 and exerts superb control over the speakers and the room , with a larger-scale and more dynamic sound, and with better imaging and sounstaging.
As I don’t know the 250 I can’t comment on the difference, however Bryston amps have been popular pairings with transmission line speakers for decades now, including by PMC themselves, and the 4Bsst2 is a very capable amp - I use it with PMC’s EB1i (originally alone, passive, but now the EB1’s bass driver as part of an active system). It is a very neutral sounding amp, so simply works, and without worrying what type of music (unless you want some amp-imposed colouring).
As for how to connect, that is best left for someone familiar with the 282 to confirm, but the manual says to use the ‘standard’ DIN output, so you’d need the appropriate DIN to RCA cable.
I can only for see problems with this approach either find speakers that don’t need masses of power or if you really want those Martin Logans be prepared to give up Naim amps. I’m afraid this is a case of wanting your cake and eating it if you truly are hooked on the Naim sound then find some speakers that will match with them there are plenty that do.
I have got to say that electrostatic speakers, when set up correctly, does have a sound that different to any other type of speaker… the air around the singer’s, their portrait of the music can be something special… but they do need a lot of power… and space behind them…
If you are wedded to this sound there is no option other than getting a power amp that can drive the low impedance that these speakers have.
It is possible to make a Naim/non-Naim combination work, but you will need to take care to match them correctly
I heard twice Martin Logans, both with Electrocompaniet. This brand came back recently. They are black. But don’t know if matches well with Naim.
McIntosh matches well with Naim. I heard once the pairing.
I’ve just been listening to another system running a NAC 72 into a March P502 power amp. That little shoe box size March is stunning and seems pretty neutral in conveying the quality of the NAC 72. He’s running the Harbeth SHL5 anniversary speakers and the sound is stunning. He upgraded to that from a CB 250.
The March is made in Austrailia and is literally about 20% of the cost of the 250, and delivers 350W. I’m going to borrow his to try running of my SN2 with the Totem Forest Signatures and see/hear what it does. There is another less powerful power amp too that I could add the Nova and Totem Hawks.
This could be a very cost effective way to get more current to the speakers with a neutral presentation from the Naim preamps.
At US prices the March is 14% of the cost of a new 250. Of course, in the US a 250 is $6,890.00 plus tax. I rather suspect that a 250 will be (much) more load tolerant due it being fully regulated, where the March is Class D. I had a pair of Class D PS Audio M700s which were excellent.
Alan March is recommending the P451 mono blocks as the best option off the SN2, rated at 225 W, so right at the top end for the Forest Signatures. I might borrow the straight P502 power amp from my friend first and see how that sounds.
