I’d like some advice on speakers in combination with my Nait 5si/cd5si/NacA5 cable. I hope you can help me out.
My room is 33x13ft. My system is in de front half of the room along the long wall. I’d like to place speakers as close to the wall as possibIe (Max 30cm).
I decided to buy Proac Tablette 10’s, but because I listen several kinds of music(blues(rock), country, pop and hardrock) and the size of the room it might be a wrong choice. So… Now I consider Neat Motive SX2 which might be a better choice.
There’s no reseller in my region which sells both, so I can’t compare.
The SX2 have down-firing ports, and appreciate space for that reason. That’s at least my experience with its bigger brother… They didn’t work in our room… FWIW, the step-up to the SX1 is worthwhile in my view — that was with an XS2… In the shop they sounded great! We listened to all three SX model — the bigger the better…
You won’t like my answer but the fact is you need to hear speakers in your room before buying.
For example I had the sx2 at top of list. Great speakers, perfect system match but they didn’t get on well with my room.
There is a thread on the Tablette which you should find interesting.
Try and enjoy the experience. Both those speakers are good. I ended up choosing some that were not on my radar and above my original budget because of my fussy room positioning. @Stephen_Tate and @anon4489532 are both worth seeking out for their advice.
If you like the idea of the SX2s, you might also consider a pair of Kudos X2s as they are very similar. Almost identical in size, with the downwards firing port. It’s no coincidence that Derek, the main man at Kudos, was previously at Neat.
The X2s were recently discontinued, so there are some bargains around at the moment.
Eddie, this is like asking us to choose between our favourite forum children!
Nevertheless I will. I’d take the Neats because I think you have the space, and because Bob Surgeoner of Neat once said to me that the Motive range was conceived with entry level Naim sets in mind.
Hope it works out for you. Please tell us what you go for.
In a room that size I would seriously consider Neat SX1. IMO they are more open and natural than the SX2 but had just a bit too much bass for my room. I went for the SX2 as my room is half the length of yours
I think in that size of room and with those electronics, I’d be going for the Motives. They are a better match to the entry level Naims than the Tablettes, which are probably happier with more illustrious electronics. I once tried the original Motive 1 at home and they were total bass monsters. They have evolved somewhat to the SX2 but I’d be wary of controlling them with the Nait.
I’m sure there are lots of speakers that would work well, perhaps with greater efficiency than either the Neats or ProAcs. It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is to try speakers at home - maybe others are available where you live.
I’ve ran my Motive SX2s with the same entry level Naim combo as yourself but in a small/medium sized room, where they matched and worked an absolute treat, not sure how things would’ve panned out in a big room though… As already suggested, perhaps a more efficient speaker maybe more desirable if you require more scale at higher volumes.
The same with the newer range, if they don’t have a reasonable amount of space. In our old sitting room the bass was just uncontrollable — bloody fireplace…
I guess you’re right and it’s best to try at home before buying. I bought Chario Syntar 100 monitors about 25 years ago and never had a problem with those. However, since I bought a Nait 5si and changed the setting in the room there is to much bass (resonance).
Before the 5si, the Chario’s were coupled with Marantz PM400, Cyrus One(1990), Nait 5i, Nait 5i. In between I borrowed some Mission and B&W models and very old Proac Tablettes, but the Chario’s were always by far the best.
I know it’s not ideal to place HiFi gear and speakers on the same (IKEA)desk, so I consider a new, smaller desk and place new monitors (on stands) or floorstanders on both sides. On the other hand, since I was happy with my Chario’s (which are down ported like Neat Motive) buying (Chario-)stands is an option too.
Last option I can think of is to place wooden legs/pegs to the dresser which will decouple better I guess (the wood blocks are temporary) and try Isoacoustics Aperta 100 stands between te dresser and the Chario’s.
I know these are alle small luxury problems, but I’d like to prevent bad buys…
(I live in an old house (1926) with thin walls and a thin wooden floor)
Are you aware that it’s a bad idea to stack your two Naim boxes? They will sound better side by side. A narrower sideboard and speakers on stands is a very good idea.
I agree in that maybe (first of all), you ought to concentrate a bit more on setting up your kit the recommended way - to avoid directly stacking components on top of one another and to give plenty of breathing space in-between, and around the speakers. Even better, moving the electronics to one side away from the speakers, if at all possible, will reap far more positives than simply just changing the speakers for a another make, and it’s cost free to adjust and tune to one’s preferences before making any other costlier decisions to begin with.
I removed the amp and cdp both from the desk and placed them side by side. I can hear an improvement, but it still sounds ‘noisy’.
Bruce Springsteen-Born to run maken me nervous. Dire Straits-Sultans of swing to much bass
