Speakers for 500 series

:joy::joy::joy::joy::sweat_smile::+1::fire:

And by the way, that was a great thread.

I have used three generations of B & W 802s in a medium sized room, finishing up with the current D3s. You don’t mention if your 500 is a DR which makes a significant improvement. It is very non hi-fi and offers excellent bass grip needed by the B & Ws.
As your room is as you say then the larger 800D3s would work well. At this level a home demo is a must.
Some dismiss B & W/Naim as a no-no. Not in my book.
Enjoy your dealer demos to get a short list and get the possilbe winner/s at home.
Speakers are always the hardest to choose. They all have a “house” sound.

2 Likes

The 500 is dr and no home demos. I live in an area that is a hifi wasteland. The folks who have multiple dealers are so fortunate to home demo speakers. I’m in God’s country, fly over states, no home demos for us.

1 Like

That’s tough, so to an extent you are on your own, but you will be spending a significant amount of money. Just unboxing a pair of quality speakers and getting them into a rough position is a two man job.Sorry ladies, you could be looking at 100KGs. Then if you find they are not for you try reboxing them as they were.
On the positive side you say the room is large and that’s an advantage in general. Positioning should be relativly easy.
I think a sympathetic dealer is the one to go with. You have spent a fair chunk of money on the 500DR. Good luck on your project. Could you take a short flight, Covid permitting, to get a handle as to which way to go?

And this current thread may also be relevant:

1 Like

ProAc. The nicest you can afford. Ribbon tweeter is magical and a must. I have a K6. The newer K6 Signature is a nice uptick. My dealer loves the K8 but they are too big for my room. Great fit and finish. My lovely wife loves ours and our visitors are impressed with the looks and the sound. I understand the K10 has been postponed. I know a few 500 owners who are happy with their K speakers, and I had the D40R before. The K6 is the next level for sure.

6 Likes

Sonus Faber Amati Futura works great with my 500 series…

3 Likes
  • Magico M3
1 Like

Neat XL6’s - sensational with the full 500 series

2 Likes

PMC Fenestria. But the 500 alone would struggle to power them. Still a triamped pack of NAP500s would do the job well and still cost significantly less than Statement.

Also a brilliant example of why bi/triwire terminals on hard to drive speakers does actually make sense. Without them, your choice of compatible amplification is massively limited.

I’m a huge MBL fan. They are magical, but hard to drive. Still I’ve never heard anything else I’d buy if I could afford them.

1 Like

As Zackwater lives in US, why not Wilson speakers.

4 Likes

I wanted to like them but couldn’t. Beautiful tweeter, stunning mids but a very particular bottom end which didn’t work for me. Very subjective though and I do understand their appeal - if the bottom end is to your taste, they are fantastic (and much better priced in the US).

1 Like

I’m happy with my Shahinian Obelisks.

Kudos normally integrate easily. Titan 707 or 808s. Neat XL6 or 10 are also excellent but XL6 didn’t work in my room, 30CM behind them.

1 Like

I have a 500 system and purchased my K6 Signatures without a demo. No dealer in my area carried any of the high end ProAc’s. I had to rely on advice from trusted sources and I could not be happier. They blew away my Kudos T88’s in every respect… astonishing low tuneful bass and the ribbon tweeter sounds delicate and detailed. I’m sure the K8 and K10 would be good choices for a larger room. A good dealer could advise or contact ProAc direct… they were very helpful.

There are precious few good speakers on the market. Most are a disaster, favoring fireworks and a “etched” sound over music. The K6’s are neither and play every genre with grace and authority. Highly recommended.

16 Likes

Based on my experience I agree - however also in my experience there are significant differences in people’s preferences for the character of the sound speakers produce (presentation of the music), so what one person may consider to be excellent another may find less good or even quite naff or disengaging. Both may say there are precious few good speakers, just not agree on which!

2 Likes

Wilson Benesch without any doubt. They all have the quality and the personality that could match a better Naim system. My Precision 2.0 are one of their cheapest and still way ahead of other speakers below €15.000.

1 Like

Funnily enough, after a lengthy but fun selection process, have recently ordered pair of Wilson Benesch Resolutions for my 500-series set.

3 Likes