Seriously, you should listen to some tube amps with Devore O-series speakers.
You’re talking about serious systems capable of producing serious hi fi and needing to run them at very low volume. I cannot help but think of you pondering whether you should buy a Lambo or Ferrari to drive around your 25 mph speed-limited neighborhood because you want ‘best possible road handling at lowest possible speed.’ Obviously not a perfect analogy but you get the idea.
I’m serious – listen to some smallish output tube amps and those Devores. (Which I know you can’t actually listen to unless you travel, which you absolutely should be doing before you make a very expensive “mistake.”)
Which output voltage works best into your 500? What range of attenuation do you use on the Rossini? It’s nice to keep it at 0 dB but I saw measurements in a review indicating -5 dB had the least distortion.
Hi K - no the S1 partnered by the 300 wouldn’t solve that problem. A bigger power amp played at a lower volume would extract the detail that you are after. After changing the NAP 300 to a NAP 500 on the BMR of my active system I’m listening to music at lower volumes than with three NAP 300s. I’ve found this whenever I’ve upgraded the power amp, a bigger amp needs to be pushed less than a smaller to get better results.
Cheers Pete - Have you thought about sound insulation?
Be careful with litigation it might result in a worse situation for you, it should a last resort, I think any disputes with neighbours will have to be disclosed when you sell the house? which might make it harder to sell, imho.
Ymmv
No way around it, Magico speakers simply are not designed to shine their best at low volume – as low as he’s talking about.
There are many reviews and forum discussions to be had if one searches “tube amp for Devore speakers.” It’s the O/96 speakers that I’ve heard in a small room with a small tube amp that sounded wonderful together. My dealer here in the Boston area has a small room with such a setup that’s always ready to demo. They have a lot of small condo clients who need to keep it to low volumes.
It may have been in your speaker thread from a while back but did you ever try the O96s with your 500? @Mitch seems quite happy with something even more sensitive, even before he went ape with the amps.
I think to remember that @Katzky2021 room is big. Maybe Avant- Garde speakers with tubes amps for best sound at low volumes?
But we are far away from Naim and Katrzy wants to stay in the club.
My room is big, but we’re putting a couch where we’ll be sitting only about 9 or 10 feet from the speakers.
This is a realization I’ve had recently – need not aim for filling a big room. Especially if there is an option to sit a given distance from the speakers.
Welp… I’ve pulled the trigger on the A5s so that’s set in stone. The S1 doesn’t seem like it is going to solve any problems. Buying those Townsend Podium things maybe that’ll help reduce vibration transmission via the floor.
Hi. First, an answer to the easy question: the white light on the S1 can be controlled by the Statement remote from very bright (good for daytime, well lit room) to extremely dim (for those late night interludes).
As to the more difficult question: the 300 really is not a very good match for the S1, though a 500DR would do a very good job (though not as good as the S2 amps, obviously).
About 6 or 7 months ago I was able to score a full Statement (used) at an excellent price. It replaced a 500DR/552DR. The improvement was huge (as one would expect). The sheer scale of the music astounded me and all others who have listened. It’s not like I needed all that extra power to drive my speakers (Grandinote Mach 36s, with 105db), but that extra power allows for very impressive low volume listening. Of course, when I want to rock out, it becomes otherworldly! The Statements will reveal more bass and depending on your room, that could be a great thing or a bit of a problem. But there are ways of dealing with that.
anyway, in my experience, I have NEVER regretted any upgrade within the Naim world, and I’ve done quite a few!
I’m sure your elderly neighbours feel they have the right to live out their days in peace, without having it ruined by your music. If you can afford a Statement maybe you should just move to a detached property so that you can enjoy your music without making others’ lives miserable. Getting mega Magicos and expecting them to sound good at low volume is a sure path to trouble.
As to the neighbors, I once lived next to a women who also thought she deserved absolute silence in her condo, even at 2 in the afternoon. Some people are just unreasonable.
I agree. If the volume is not specially high, if the music is not sounding too many hours, and if it’s between 10 am and 8pm, the neighbours has to accommodate themselves.
Or retire and live inside a forrest
Hi
I run 6 volts into the 552 as I feel it sounds the most dynamic also leave the volume at 0.0db on the rossini.
But when I went directly into the 500dr for about 7 weeks, while the 552 was away, I tried all different things from all the different voltage outputs at different volume settings.
For me I preferred the volume closer to 0.0db and then set the voltage to get the volume needed, but it is a bit of messing especially if you play at very different volumes all the time.
But my other conclusion was naim power amps are not the right amp to do it this was, I would certainly try Constellation power amp as quite a few dCS owners use these directly, but as said they need to be paired correctly
Mostly the sensitivity of your speakers perhaps, 105dB is incredibly sensitive! That will allow full dynamics with minimal energy, in contrast to a 85-89dB speaker that will require some power to get things going.
