I suspect @Dunc is right on this one. I love my SL2s but I fully accept that they are probably the weakest link in my system primarily because I have to run them passive and the crossover is probably a limiting factor. However, in my small listening room, I do need the speakers to be up against the wall and, for that reason, it’s probably best to keep them. I might look at whether it’s possible to run upgraded PXOs on them at some point though.
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Well its not a bad system to have to live with lol, as always there is always better things to have, but its never ending and i have decided that enough is enough, probably my ears can’t do justice to anymore and infact i am not sure if i am even hearing everything that my system can do now, let alone push for more.
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That is really the sbl’s and SL2’s and all the other naim speaker biggest plus points, its a shame that speakers these days aren’t designed with close rear wall position in mind, i get that you can limit the wide stage sound with close fitting speakers, but come on, speakers manufacturers can work around this?
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The SL2s do deliver more bass extension (along with authority) with a 500DR than the 300DR though Dave. I’ve taken them as far as I want to go though from 252/300, 252/300DR, 552/300DR and now 552/500DR. Active definitely not on my radar.
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Wouldn’t it be nice if naim and focal actually made a new range of speakers just with naim amplifiers and system in mind,
Some stand mounts and then floor standing models, that work up against the wall, passive and active, but with good quality crossovers.
I guess kudos is sort of the go to speaker from naim, especially if you are running active, but i feel that focal are really missing a very big market here, as i dont know about you guys, but in all the naim/focal demo’s i have heard, its never been stunning, and more just ok at best, but more no, not for me.
A speaker thats designed to work with the 500dr/552dr, easy to place, ie not to fussy and priced around the £15k mark, would certainly be on my list to demo
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@Meni, what have you changed since? I know you have a better powerblock now, and a Chord power cord to the wall. Better Ethernet cables too.
Your room is 18 m2 if I remember well.
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Agree, that would be really good. I don’t really mind how the current Focal range sounds as, however good they may or may not be, there is just no way I could sit and look at them.
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Thats the problem dave, to go active these days with say 2 x 300dr amps cost a large amount of dosh, the cheap sbl’s at £400 or SL2’s at £1.5k soon become a expensive option, a single 300dr and different speakers, probably much cheaper option, even if you budget £10k on speakers.
As a second 300dr amp, snaxo, supercap, extra speaker cables, fraim shelves, etc, isn’t cheap, obviously you can do it cheaper, and also more expensive if you want to go 2 x 500dr amps, but these days you can get very good results with just one amp and the right speakers, you just have to spend the time and do the leg work, and find the best match for you, your music, your system and room, sounds easy, but speakers are the hardest to get right, thats probably why they tend to be the bit of gear we keep the longest?
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Yes looks are important and like you i find them challenging to look at and listen too, they didnt even get on the must try list for me, when i went off looking for my ovators S600’s replacement
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I’m a whisky tipe not beers
My listening room is 18s’m
I also took out the red box and replace it with a small box
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I’ve only heard on pair of Focal’s on the end of a 552DR/500DR but they just didn’t do it for me. They had a strange way of separating the instruments but breaking it up so it didn’t sound like band or piece of music if that makes any sense. Hard to explain but not my cup of tea which includes the looks but we all hear different things.
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There is one guy in Israel with Focal Evo Scala and is very happy with 552/500/nd555 … I’ve never heard it
I think Sl2 can be good as active 2x500
Sorry french …didn’t understand you… you mean any brands in Israel there is many and many shops but i cannot audition any of then in my house
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What can you try at home?
Only different whisky taste… 
seriously hard to say
Ok, you will certainly restart that thread later, when whisky had been dissipated 
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To choose a real good speaker its a pain in the ass..with this equipment you need to spent a lot of money..even though its not a promise i will achieve my needs