Absolutely agree, the importance of matching is heavily underrated.
Personal, but also depending on musical taste. If you have a narrow taste you’ll find a better speaker with less compromise than if you need one that does well with a broad range of music.
An example is the Sonus Faber Sonetto V I auditioned, often said to sound brilliant with Naim (Nova/Star). I would agree, but only with some music. I needed something more allround, so had to discard it as an option. The speaker I ended up with was at least very good with everything I threw at it, but the SF was better with the musical pieces it excelled at, just much worse with a lot of others.
Indeed. What HiFi? in collaboration with Audio t help to organise the Bristol show every year. What they don’t know is not worth knowing. A great and very trust worthy magazine/organisation in my view.
I was about to say this myself. I think the Cambridge Audio links in the chain is the probable cause of the problem.
I can only guess Cambridge Audio and Q Acoustics would be the reason you give up listening to music.
Which speaker did you end up with?
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I just kept my Vienna Acoustics Bach Grand speakers. They are sublime. The reasons for looking at the Concept 500s was twofold. Firstly, from the reviews it appeared that they would be a similar sound to the V.A.s but on a larger scale, so more of the same and secondly that I had the cash and had a momentary lapse into upgraditous.
There is a real synergy in my system. It sounds way better than some kit I have heard costing far more. It really punches well above its weight. Bearing in mind that the system I heard at Richer Sounds was £10,350, it is a fact attested by my companion on the audition, that my system sounds infinitely better.
My systems main three components being - Naim Nait XS2 – Chord Qutest – Vienna Acoustics Bach Grand.
It is a shame that Vienna Acoustics are now not widely available here in the UK. They were imported through Cyrus seven or eight years ago. I still haven’t heard any speaker that sounds better than the Bach Grand’s and bearing in mind that when I bought mine seven years ago they were then only £1750. Chord used Vienna Acoustic speakers at a Hifi show with their very expensive high end gear. Chord could presumably choose any number of speakers to demo their equipment.
The PCM Twent5 23’s [£3300] I borrowed were good [way, way better than the 500s], but nowhere near the V.A.s. If you had a blind listening test of both pairs of speakers in my system, you would have thought that the V.A.s were the upgrade from the PCMs. The several people who came over to have a listen all agreed with this.
Here is an image of the Bach Grands in piano black like mine.
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If you have some cash for hifi in the kitten, why not have a listen to the SN3? Or take a punt — a pre-loved SN2 from the usual place or a dealer? You cannot go wrong with a SN… 
You’re stuffing cash inside your cat ? Ah the joys of predictive text
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Indeed… 
LOL.
How much difference is there between a Nait XS2 and a SN3 [I would just buy a new one]? I have heard a SN2 but that was years ago, so can’t really compare. Given that I like a detailed yet sweet sound, no harshness or fatigue and good bass extension. Would a SN3 fit the bill?
I have no experience with the SN3 – only know the SN2. To me, it’s a worthwhile improvement – more gravitas than the XS2, if that makes sense. But I don’t think it’s something like “day and night”. Not at all, for that the XS2 is too good… And from what we read here and in reviews, the SN3 seems like more of the same rather than fundamentally different. So if you like your XS2, I would be most surprised if you didn’t enjoy the SN2 or 3. Obviously, nobody knows whether you would consider the extra-monies well spent…
It’s the law of diminishing returns once again. When I bought the Chord Qutest [£1200] it was such a remarkably huge jump up in everything musically speaking over the ‘cheap’ Arcam DAC [£400], as to be well worth the money. But to better the Qutest? How much would that cost? And would it be worth the vast expense for what is probably a five percent improvement?
I don’t know how improvement the SN would be, but at least it is easy for me to borrow one to find out. I will look into getting one to audition.
Having been watching Paul from PS Audio’s you tube videos, I have been thinking about a subwoofer. Paul says that they are an essential component in any high end system. I have borrowed an inexpensive subwoofer from a friend, and using it subtly and in the correct manner, it does make quite a difference. So maybe that is something I will look at. The British built BK Electronics ones look very good and have a very high reputation.
Exactly, and with each step on the Naim ladder it’s getting worse. Don’t rule out pre-loved – Naim is built to last. And once the black box is on the rack, you forget it had a home before. I got my 250DR from the second-hand market, but from a dealer for peace of mind. I couldn’t have justified the expense for a new one – would have got me into major trouble with my wife, and rightly so…
Bowers & Wilkins 702s2. Revel F206 also worth mentioning as they were a very close second. Amplification/source was the Star in case it matters.
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My wife did love the looks of the Concept 500, but agreed that sound wise it was too much a step back compared to our Pioneer S-1 EX we had at the time. Some pictures of the demo speakers below.
That shiny circular base is really, really hideous. That alone would stop the speakers ever crossing our threshold.
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That and the multicolour shiny finish kept them out of our audition : -)