Hello all
Have 2 systems
202/200Dr/NACA5/Chord 2 qute (basically Hugo1) in my AV lounge for watching concerts and movies. Dynaudio X16. Has bass response down to 40 HZ for a bookshelf.
282/250DR/HCDR/MScaler/Dave/Superlumina full loom/Powerlines. Dynaudio Focus 260
The room is medium size.
Opportunity has come up for used Confidence C2 for the 282 system. Also a C1 is available with a dealer
It’s always been an aspiration to own dynaudio Confidence speakers, but after many experiments, I have got both systems playing music the way I want and I feel no real need to change. In fact the enjoyment I get from both is equal, (I play a song down, then go up and listen to it, and while it does sound much better on the 282 based system) - do I get much more enjoyment if I am honest… Not that much more.
The experiments final touches were adding power line lites into a mains block from MCRU which allows to use any mains cable… It was cost effective and really took both systems to a level where they are performing well. so HC DR and 250DR plugged into wall, the sources and NAPSC on the mains extension, similarly in AV lounge, 200 DR into wall, and everything else into the Naim power line lite/MCRU mains extension block.
So not sure I want to spend 5000 Dollars on a speaker upgrade. If am being honest with myself the 202/200Dr and Chord DAC do everything so well, I enjoy it for hours on end watching concerts.
While the X16 is for me a stellar performer, I am not so sure about the Focus 260 which seems a tad bit big for the room anyway and is perfectly balanced, maybe a big more soundstage would be nice.
Not sure also a 250DR would be endgame as far as driving a C2 speaker. The other thought would be to “downgrade” from the focus 260 to a special 40, or other Dynaudio bookshelf as to my ears bookshelf speakers seem to be more musical and engaging in the room size that I have. But once warmed up the focus 260 plays music really very well. I once had a Dynaudio Heritage playing right next to it (focus 260) for audition, and my wife strangely put her foot down (she never does) and said this is no upgrade at all, and told me not to spend the money ! I could hear what the heritage did better in terms of refinement, musicality and soundstage… but was it a major upgrade, not day and night. The main difference was the Esotar 3 tweeter in the heritage which was considerably better than the tweeter in the Focus 260. The heritage however did make the X16 sound broken by comparison, but then at the price difference it should do so. In the big AV lounge though I can’t find anything I want to improve on the X16. Tried the Focus 260 in the AV lounge, but it was too much bass for both my wife and myself. The X16 really does have bass flat down to 40HZ so it’s more than enough.
anyway other brand speakers are also an option, but I do like what dynaudios do - neutral and get out of the way of the music with no coloration.
Any advice, thoughts, encouragement to spend the 5K USD… This is the Naim forum after all, we all like to upgrade !
I will be going to audition the C2 anyway this week and play some songs on it. It is a big speaker and the thought of carrying it home isn’t all that great either.
another reason I am hesitating on changing the Focus 260 is also because I have managed to get it to perform very well at low volume listening levels and it does now sing while playing music at levels that won’t wake up the family. I am concerned the C2 speaker might require higher volume levels to sing in which case that is not an option for me.
PS: I know the 202/200 has always been viewed with some negativity on the forum, but here we are I owned it now 14 years, and found it to be quite the musical performer, and kept me happy all these years and still does every day.