Without turntables of course 
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A friend and I once mused over the thought of opening a hifi shop, and how we would then be able to indulge in all sorts of wonderful gear, enjoying ourselves all day. (He’d have become the TT specialist.) Of course the reality is rather different, and we had no idea that hifi shops actually had to buy the stock upfront, naivelyassuming it was just sale or return from the manufacturers.
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They are Big. I don’t think you could live with them for thirty years. They are a bit forward sounding… not my cup of tea.
Also they are also an awkward size. Too big for monitor type stands, and too small to be floor standing. That said they were the Snizzle in 1975
I’ve actually been involved with opening a hifi store. You need about $250,000. cash You get a secured loan from a bank to fund inventory. Your main upfront cost is building out the store, salaries, insurance…etc
Then once it’s done you have to sell stuff to audiophiles who are without a doubt the most difficult, time wasting, cheap ass XXXX, Reptiles that will come in suck your time then try to compare your retail prices with Audiogon then buy it online. I hold anyone who in this day and age in the highest esteem if they can run a retail audio shop and make a living
Retail Audiophile Customer
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Not for me!
I would like to thank everyone for the comments, suggestions and well researched opinions. Shelley took the dogs for a walk this morning and I then had the opportunity to play a CD by Silvie Paladino, titled “Take my breath away”. This is the first time I have heard this CD in the Nait CD5 XS and it was breath taking. I was quite emontional.
After going around in circles wishing for a better set up. I am back where I started. I am (if you can) in love with speakers and NAIM equipment. Shelley was laughing at me as I would get the tape measure out and measure where which speaker would fit the space. After visiting my Naim dealer’s shop online I found my self dreaming about Focal Kanta No. 1 speakers. Then reading the sales burst, it recommended that some would like Subs to go with their Kanta speakers. I moved onto Kanta No. 2 speakers that do not require Subs, out with the measuring tape again and realised it would be a tight fit but doable.
Then this morning I played the CD and as I said, I fell in love all over again with what I have and can afford. Subs might be still on the menu as and when the Celestion speakers do die I will be able to use them with the new speakers whatever they maybe.
I do have one LP that has on my system some distortion and I will listen to it at the dealer’s shop in a couple of weeks after the Covid lock down ends to determine if it is my speakers or amplifier that is having an issue or, it is what it is and the LP is at fault. The same distortion can be heard on headphone on the Nait XS 2 amplifier, though appears less apparent. Or so it seems. Anyhow off topic and I am hoping it is the album.
I suppose my next post will be on the pros and cons of an XS 2 over a SN3 or a 202/NAP200DR/250DR. More money I do not have.
The bottom end did not bother me today as the vocals were so beautiful, on top of the piano, acoustic guitar and double bass. You could even hear Silvie’s lips smack quietly as she finished words with a letter p or d, one could almost taste the moistness of her lipstick lips. Definitely lost in the moment.
Thank you everyone. I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Mitch.
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The way the SL6Si are constructed (film caps in the crossover, cast neoprene cone termination), if the cone surrounds aren’t exposed to direct sunlight, that could well be a very long time!
They really are quite magical in that way aren’t they - the delicacy in voices and small scale stuff is such a strength; for that, there are relatively few speakers can match them even now. They have a most unusual sound signature, but on the right material it’s completely beguiling.
Yes. Don’t spend the Money on Subs until you get the new Main speakers sorted. Believe me you’ll be quite surprised what say a pair of D2R can do!
Magical just like ProAc’s! just as Hungry Halibert , seakyacker , and several other here are ProAc owners and their main thing
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I agree as well. I have a pair of D2R and lack of bass isn’t an issue for me (my room, setup, ears etc). I do recommend(ProAc does as well) a heavy stand to get the best out of them.
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I’ve taken this journey. I was not happy with the bass produced by my speakers (2.5 way floor standers) and added a JL Audio sub. I was happy with that . . . for a while. The sub integrated pretty well, and when adjusted appropriately added just that lower octave without being intrusive or boomy.
Two things. FIrst, after a while, I got tired of looking at it. A big black box in my room. Second, I found that from album to album, I really wanted different sub settings. Mine did not have a remote and I didn’t really feel like going over to it to adjust it often. But even if I had a remote, I think I’d have gotten bored with it just the same. So I traded in the sub and the floor standers and got different floor standers (and moved up to a 300DR amp at the time) and that solved what I was looking for.
One does see VERY high-end systems with one or often two subs. It’s just not for me I decided. The mass of hardware that it brings into the listening room being one of the big issues but far from the only one.
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The sub I find interesting is the Wilson Benesch Torus.
That is an impressive bit of kit. Thank you for mentioning it IB.
Mitch.
For opus,
I hope these photos turn out. It is winter here in southern Victoria Australia. Please excuse all the blankets drying out in th music room.
I’m trying to figure out what all the stuff is. Do you have kids?
My space is a bit different. TV and stuff is in another room so listening room stays fairly neat. At some point I’ll probably start playing with room acoustics
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No, it is the wife’s washing drying out during winter. Southern Victoria is a pretty wet place most of the time. Happy wife, happy life.
Mitch.
No, that part I got , I was wondering about stuff like that mini dish like thing and the stuff on those little tables etc… wait a second you guys don’t have a clothes dryer?
So you’re way down south. And Melbourne is the capital? Or am I all kinds of wrong 
G’day opus, yes we are about 2.5 hours south east drive from Melbourne located in a coastal town with gale force winds called Inverloch. We are two streets back from the surf beach. The little table on the right is preamp for the Linn LP12 with MC cartridge. The little table on the left holds a Lego build from the “Friends” TV comedy program. So when I am listening to music it is my friends and I 
or if you wish. Me and my friends.
The pigeon holes in the TV media stand contain, on the far upper right the CD5 XS, Middle top is the Flatcap XS and at middle lowers is the Nait XS2. Middle left contain a noise cancelling 240 Volt power distribution boar with some high quality power IEC cable. On the far right side table with the Linn preamp and power supply is the another noise cancelling mains device again with expensive IEC power leads.
At the bottom right of the TV is a Sony PlayStation One modern day replica for our son and his mates to have a retro gaming experience when they visit. On the far left is the Apple TV IV for streaming movies to the TV from the iMac in the study. The audio output of the TV is routed through the XS 2 to play the audio through Celestion SL6Si speakers. In the very corners of the room are two IKEA lamps for mood lighting which are reasonable low in light output. Enough to pull out a LP or CD and put back into the case or sleeve.
In the top left of the music stand is the two covers for the speakers. Bottom left is some record paraphernalia, Naim manuals. Upper middle left are some Nativity scene snow balls which come out once a year. Bottom far right are left over Naim Din cables and CD securing screw.
I have PTSD and find it very difficult to use my hands these days, a psychological thing. The music table in front has my favourite albums that I like to play. There are also a couple of CDs in the TV cabinet on my next to next to playlist. My favourites are currently above the CD player.
I should also mention that Mrs. Mitch has placed blankets on the leather couch to stop the dogs scratching the leather. Our 10 yr old pug has bonded with me after I stopped shift work and we listen to music together. The French bull dog comes in because he thinks he is missing out. Then leaves.
I do not know if you noticed the close up of the two speakers are taken from the sweet spot in the middle of the TV media stand (yes I measured to the mm). If you take a closer look at the speakers you may notice that from the sweet spot you are unable to see the sides of the speakers. Speakers, media stand form an equilateral triangle with each side approximating three metres.
On the rear wall behind the washing is the CD book case.
To the left of this hidden behind the washing is another low level book case that does contain books which are slowly being displaced by the LP albums I purchase.
I think that covers everything in a round-a-bout way.
Warm regards,
Mitch.
After my current post, I am now toying with the idea to forget about the new speakers for the time being and am now OCDing about a Nait ND5 XS 2. Though possibly wasted with the Linn and CD player.
The space to the middle left with the snow globes looks like a nice place to fit a Naim streamers.
Warm regards,
Mitch.