I would like to try some modern speakers with the Nait 50. I’ll buy second hand and PMC seem easy to obtain, good value, and I’ve enjoyed what they do when briefly listened at shows.
A HiFi friend said the transmission line bass can be a bit strange somehow. Not entirely sure what he’s picking up on but do folks think the stand mount or floor standing model will have more natual/normal sounding bass? Looking at the entry level and one notch above. Thanks in advance.
I have the twenty5.21i and there is nothing remotely strange about the bass or anything else. They are very fine speakers. Whether the Nait has enough drive I don’t know, but they do need a bit of power.
The 21s don’t require masses of power. Mostly they need a very good amp, which the Nait 50 is. But possibly a tad more grunt in reserve than the 50 can deliver. An XS3 or Nait 3 would work better I expect but if you can try them with the 50 before buying go for it.
25 watts is flexible enough whereby you can pair with most bookshelf speakers but if you are hoping to fill a large room with realistic volume, you might look at high sensitivity tube amp friendly speakers.
I say this as someone with PMCs on the end of a more powerful Naim amp and also a puny 10w amp with really really easy to drive speakers.
I would suggest avoiding .21 or .23 as they are difficult to drive. 250DR doesn’t do them justice, once you pair them with a 300DR or even more potent amps.
On the other hand, .22 and .24 require half the power, being almost 3dB more efficient than their smaller siblings. But I still wouldn’t drive them with a Nait.
The “strangeness” surrounding the PMC bass signature is probably due to their ability to stop and start on a dime, making the low end sound ultra-fast and not as bloated as most other speakers do.
Really helpful - thanks gents!
I will avoid the .21 and .23.
You’d think they’d engineer the entry level models to be more efficient.
The office is in the pitched roof of a double garage where Keilidhs work fine at the moment. A fair amount if bass is lost due to the room construction so the .24 probably makes more sense.
The new prodigy range from PMC might be worth considering, they are the new entry level speakers, supposed to be very good.
My Nait 50 drives my Harbeth P3ESR with ease , and these are reputed to be very difficult , though I would love to hear PMC Prodigy or even PMC Gold
I agree don’t be fooled the humble 21 needs the best it can get…I used mine with a 250dr…it was fine but not that special…but when hooked up to the Nap500 omg…it is a demanding little speaker.
I know it’s not a pmc but how about a ProAc response D2 D or R. That seems to be what I’m down to in my considerations.
The better speaker
and easier match (according to specs)
I believe the OP may also like Harbeths.
Different and better brands including audio note ,some tannoys(?) may be worth auditioning
I’ll take a look but was put off Proac a bit after hearing the Tablette 10 a while back which just wasnt my kind of speaker.
Are you specifically looking for a small speaker? And what size room?
Given the classic appeal of the 50, I’d be sorely tempted to pair it with some JBL monitors. Easy to drive but large standmounts.
I agree on the tab 10’s. Just looking at specs the tab 10 sig has a frequency response of 55Hz —30kHz, not much low end. The D2 on the other hand is rated at 30Hz—30kHz. Living where I do there is no demo, always sight unseen. I love my ProAc k10’s with the 500 series so hopefully I’ll like the D2’s. If not, it won’t kill me to trade them in if I hate them. When in a bedroom system isn’t that critical as long as there is adequate bass at lower listening levels. If there isn’t, out with the Nait 50 and bring in the Marantz from 1977 with the loudness button and separate bass and treble control!
People’s experiences vary. I run Twenty5.23s (previous generation without the I in the model name) on the end of a Nova and I find it a really musical combination. Would I get more out of them using a bigger and better amp? I’m sure I would, but they sound damn good with the Nova. In a small to medium sized room I’d think you could drive them to good volume levels with a Nait50, in a bigger room you might struggle for high volumes.
No, looking at a floorstander. Just mentioned the Tab 10 cos that was my main experience with ProAc but perhaps they are not representative.
I quite like those reissued JBLs but not sure theyd be as easy to find on the used market as PMC.
Hi @Murmur
I assume the PMCs need a bit more up them than the Nait50 can provide but I couldn’t say from experience.
I’d be very curious to hear a comparison between the Nait50 and the SN3. I’m surprised more people haven’t done this. I guess if you’re beguiled by the new retro kid on the block - and let’s be honest, it’s the sexiest thing Naim have made in years - why wouldn’t you find a way to accommodate it?
The PMC / Nait / LP12 (utilising the MM cart) is a simple and synergistic set up that sounds terrific.
What do people think are the obvious contenders for the N50?
Even if the N50 doesn’t quite have enough ummph to 100% drive the PMC 25 series - I can imagine they will still sound great.
I hope you manage to find what you’re looking look.
Yeah, was very happy with the previous setup but couldnt resist the new Nait in the end.
The Nait 50 drives Keilidhs fine to my ears and they are similar spec to the .24 (both 90db sensitivity / 8ohm impedence, but measuring more like 87db / 6ohm impedence).
Good to hear, they were an easy load, once I ran them with a LK Majik.
Maybe think Rega (or Royd) speakers
The IO amp (30w) is fine on RS3/RX3
Yes, wouldnt mind hearing the modern Rega speakers or perhaps Royd Conniston but dont see many for sale. Tried Royd Edens a few years ago and much preferred Kans.
Its possoble the the Keilidhs will work very well with a P6 or modern LP12 and I wont need more modern sounding speakers.
As an ex Keilidh owner, I drove them with a 33 watt Majik. They sounded very good indeed but definitely were another ballgame bi-amped with an LK100. Not sure I’d pair them with even less power than the Majik.
But yes, a superb speaker. Though if you can find a pair of good condition Kabers, even better. Kabers will definitely need some power though.