Speaker Advice - NDX 2 Streamer - First Time Naim User..!

Hi All,

What a great resource here!

Well, I am new to Naim products and I have just bought the NDX 2 streamer which is fantastic!

I am still using my old John Shearne Phase 2 amp and Shearne 3.5 power amp bi -wired to old Ruarke Sceptre stand mount speakers.

I recently went to my local dealer and listened to some various speakers and the sound was so different through each it left me a bit unsure as what might be best…(I didn’t take my amps only speakers and the Supernait amp didn’t get on with the Sceptres…

Currently I plan to keep my amps as they are in good nic and I can only afford a speaker upgrade at this point…

I like the Sceptres slightly laid back character although they are lacking a tiny bit of bass for my tastes.

If anyone has any suggestions for a small/medium size room speaker (up to 3k ish) I would be very grateful!

Cheers all,

Jamie.

There are so many. I’d suggest listening to some at your dealers. Proac, spendor, pmc, Sonus faber, kudos, neat, audiovector, focal …… there’s a long list of suitable candidates.

There are lots of good choices, as @robert_h says. I rate Neat Xplorers particularly highly, for example, but can think of a dozen candidates.

However, I don’t know your amps or your room, and both will be critical in making a good choice. If at all possibl, I’d enourage you to ask a dealer to demonstrate possible speakers in your room with your intended amplification - without that, any test will tell you very little.

Good luck!

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It would be interesting to know more about what you are dissatisfied with and what improvements you are seeking. The Sceptres are by all accounts fine speakers, which you say you like, and I wonder if you should be looking at the amplifier first. The Supernait 3 is the obvious choice, but you say it didn’t get on with the Sceptres, and I wonder what exactly you mean by that.

The Shearnes but are getting on a bit, so if you plan to continue to use them it would be wise to get them checked over and serviced. You may find that gives the improvement you seek. As to speakers, there are just so many. Think about whether you want floorstanders or stand mounts, and how far from the wall they need to be, which is important in a smaller room.

I am in Cornwall and there is one ‘proper’ dealer - they have Proac, Dali, ATC, Kef, Kudos, Focal, Harbeth, Neat Acoustics, Epos, Russell and a couple of others…

I have had the amps serviced recently and it was on the advice of that guy (Russ Audio - very well respected) that I should hang onto them for now being that they are very well made and they do respond well to a decent source - he tried them out on his own system (expensive SME turntable etc…)
The Sceptres are nice and I have no real complaint other than i think the amps are maybe better than the speakers… there is a lack of bass response which is generally reported with the Sceptres but not that bad but its noticeable…

As expected the new NDX has brought much more detail and clarity over my old cd player (Ki signature).

The room is on the smaller side only 12 x 14 ft…

I plan to take my amps to the dealer soon top try some speakers - their room is a similar size but with more wall reflection than at home.

I took the Sceptres on my last visit and the Supernait amp sounded great with other speakers but the Sceptres sounded ‘weird’ - the dealer said the same - it was like they were struggling to keep a balanced sound - the detail was there but not in a cohesive well timed presentation - difficult to describe. I have not heard anything like that before.

At home the system works well with the new Naim but I cant help but think updating the speakers would be best - I will know more when i have been back to the dealer with my amps and take it from there - thanks for the suggestions guys that’s helpful - on my last visit the bookshelf ProAcs sounded best although they were the smallest I tried…

Thanks all…

J.

Hi Jammers, The John Shearne amps were really interesting in their day (also a beautiful design too), although a commercially short lived brand unfortunately. When I heard them I thought they sounded very good indeed. From what a I remember (it was a while ago!) they had a slightly smoother presentation than something like the Naim equivalent of the day (which I preferred at the time), but I do remember them being great fun and I was sorely tempted to swap from Naim (that hasn’t happened often). The dealer in question did demo the Shearne amps with Ruark speakers (Talisman 2 IIRC), stating there was a synergy between the brands.

If the dealers (try more than one) are accommodating (they should be as it is in their interest), then it may be worth spending an hour or two with your entire system (inc cables & interconnects) and with your NDX2 as the constant, swapping in and out different speakers, amplifiers and cables, and by elimination try and identify where the shortcomings lie. As already mentioned, given they are in their dotage, the amps may need a little help with servicing etc, which may be challenging given they are not that widely known of these days.

Anyway, just an idea, and hope you and the retailer can work out a solution as these sorts of problems can be frustrating. Best of luck.

It’s really down to synergy with your other components and room, and of course a sound signature that you like! Best to shortlist a few at your dealer and then arrange home demos.

If it’s the dealer in Penzance then they have a very good broad range of speakers; I’d be surprised if there wasn’t something you’d like.
There was something at the bottom of lemon street in Truro but they might have gone.

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