Given the conditions in my country, it’s unfortunately not easy to listen to, compare, or even access different brands. As an audiophile enthusiast, I’ve tried to carve out a path for myself based on the information I’ve gathered through forums, reviews, and tests. As my knowledge has grown, so have my ears and tastes evolved over time. Along this journey, I’ve tried many systems. In summary, I sought deep and powerful bass that is dry and clear , beautiful vocals, and clean and detailed yet non-fatiguing three-dimensional sound. Since I liked Dali’s sound, I pushed my limits and bought the Dali Epicon 8. Learning that music is the sum of compatible components was an expensive lesson. After what could be called a romantic purchase of the Epicons due to poor wallet management, it was unfortunately not possible to acquire other components that would match them. When driving the Epicon 8s with the Acuphase E408 in a 7x7x3 meter listening space, the soundstage became overly complex and the sound very fatiguing, especially at high volumes. I sold the Acuphase and bought the Naim Supernait 2 and ND5XS Streamer. (When I started preferring Spotify over CDs, my CD player remained at the Ah nja tjoeb level.) With the new setup, I finally achieved a sound I liked. I’m very happy at high volumes, but when I listen at low volumes, especially at night, the grandeur of that beautiful sound disappears. The bass becomes hard to hear, the highs fade, and it turns into something like car radio sound. I added a JL Audio Fathom F113, but since it disrupted all the balances in the sound, I sold it.
My question to the forum is this: Would upgrades such as adding a Hi-Cap or upgrading the streamer, while preserving my current system which I’m happy with except at low volumes, be a solution for my dissatisfaction at low volumes? Or is it inevitable to switch to a more powerful amplifier? Would Naim pre-power combos suffice for this, or are even more powerful amplifiers necessary? Or is the solution to sell the Epicon 8s and move to smaller speakers? At this point, it’s no longer possible for me to make more romantic purchases, so I strongly need suggestions based on the knowledge and experience of the forum members. Thank you for your support.
It’s usually a good idea to have a large speaker in a large room. Your Dalis are well reviewed and as you like them it would be a shame to sell them. The problem is that both the ND5XS2 and the Supernait 2 are out of their depth. Getting a NSS222 and the New Classic 250 would be a good place to go, while the 333, 332 and 250 or 350 would be even better.
Hi Vogi and welcome to the forum. I have not heard your speakers myself, so am going on general experience.
I agree with @HungryHalibut that going up the Naim ladder, either 200 or even better 300 series, would be a sensible move if you have the funds available. What I am not sure is whether that would solve your low level listening issue. Many speakers, particularly those that strive for a neutral sound, can sound less engaging at low volume exactly in the manner you describe in your post. It’s partly a reflection of how human hearing works. The lack of boundary reinforcement in your large listening space is likely to exacerbate the issue.
So a change of speakers might be called for, but I know of few models that really excel both at realistic and at low volume levels. There have been a few threads on here discussing this point so it would be worth a bit of searching the forum if you do decide to change them.
But I’d be inclined to start by investing in some New Classic kit first and see how that goes. Do let us know how you get on.
a wellintegrated sub might be a way to go, but buying on forum or other advice without hearing is a good way of getting in the wrong direction unfortunately. I have not heard any of the current models from Dally afor many reasons, since they seem to change from year to year. At least for some Naim components like my old 250 low listerning on efficient speakers could be a problem, but I do not know your Naim integrated. The only thing I do know is that the new classics like the 222 has a volume control that makes it easy to play at really low levels, but you will always lose something bass and 3d when listening at llow and very low levels.
Thank you very much for your valuable supports. From your suggestions, I understand that upgrading with Naim products will noticeably improve the sound quality at both high and low listening levels, but we cannot be sure that it will be enough to meet my satisfaction goals at low listening volume.