Neat petite classic are a very solid paring with the N50. Make sure they’ve a lot of hours on them. Slip of paper in the box says 200 hours. I’ve a little over 100 hours on mine by now. Music over the last week in particular has become very beguiling on them.
The tensegrity Tri-pod stand is an important part of the design along with a sprung suspension base in the speaker cabinet, like having a Townsend Seismic platform built in. The speaker is effectively decoupled from the floor.
Yup think I will finally succumb and order a pair, most likely displacing Kef R3 Meta’s in the cabin on the second Nait 50.
Just a dilemma as to black or white.
It’s worth looking into if you like everything the Ayas do but are simply concerned for your neighbours. However, if you find a speaker that you prefer/works better in your room it makes sense to sell. Incidentally, there is a pair of Ayas on eBay at the moment with a distinctive yellow back ground…![]()
Regarding neighbours and sounds. One of the major reasons we bought the detached house we live in (a double garage was another) was me wanting to enjoy listening to music and not wanting to upset the neighbours. Twice I have lived with a different household the other side of the wall. Once was an elderly couple who were lovely but they had the TV on very loud - I could only imagine how loud my music would have been for them - indeed, in the two years I lived there I rarely used the HiFi system for that reason. The other was at university. During our second year we lived in a largish Edwardian end terrace - quite a nice roomy house TBF. Our immediate neighbours were an all-female student house. They were generally quiet (apart from when they argued - which was quite often) however, rather unfortunately, one of the girls, when at it with her boyfriend, was rather too ‘vocal’. Having grown up in a detached house which was a long way from neighbours, it was at this point I vowed that a detached house would be my ‘end-game’ accommodation.
Typically I don’t usually like black finish but I couldn’t justify the £300 for the natural oak finish. In reality the black is actually very stylish. It’s a lovely black oak veneer, looks and feels very premium. There’s a contrast between the oak and felt surround of the tweeter and woofer that again is finished flawlessly. They don’t seem to do the curved moulded type cabinet anymore. I put a pic up here back a few thousand posts ![]()
I think the new petites in black are black oak…..rather than the satin black ?
the other speaker to consider is the AlChris TX-1…..I remain swithering between my ATC SCM11, TX-1 and the Petites, but the Petites are difficult to justify in cost terms.
I am keen to try a pair of TX-1 to try in my study…..
Had forgotten that they have the wood finishes, haven’t had that type of speaker for a very long time, B&w 805n would have been last one I think.
Will contact my dealer next week and have a chat, they do look pretty stealth in black.
Correct, black oak. As for the price I’ll admit up to recently I thought Neat were pushing it a bit at £2k. Very very good, but could be £1500 for example. There’s been a steady ongoing improvement however. Hitting that 100 hour mark over the last week or so has brought a very significant and noticeable jump.
Dears.
Anyone has tested a DAC Heed Abacus between a Node Nano or Wiim to the NN50?
black satin no more ?
It’s lovely to be detached and in the knowledge of enjoying your music without the worry of neighbours.
I’m a little envious!
We actually downsized from a large Victorian house to a flat here in the UK and a holiday townhouse in Spain.
Ironically the house previously was exactly the way you describe the Edwardian end terrace, we’d hear everything from the neighbouring house, but oddly in Spain we have extremely thick cave house walls so not a peep from the neighbouring house.
Back to the speakers…Guilty as charged…yes their are indeed mine😁
I’ve just managed to find myself a pair of satin black petites which I’ll hopefully collect on Thursday. ![]()
Not clear, Neat website doesn’t clarify either. I ordered black assuming only the black satin existed but the black oak arrived. Nice surprise for my taste.
Just dropped into an audio store in London today. They were demoing a goldmund mimesis (I think) preamp with nap 350 amp, ns333 and goldmund Asteria speakers. My wife commented that it didn’t sound as good as my N50 setup. She’s a keeper ![]()
I had the opposite experience with the Neats. I demoed them along with several others and found them to be lacking detail and rather veiled. I opted for the Dali Menuet SE which to me are/were far superior to my ears.
I suspect they didn’t have adequate mileage on them, or the set up was off. Accepting the Dali’s may simply be more to your taste, the Neats as I listen to them right now couldn’t possibly be described as veiled or lacking detail in a million years. Out of the box versus Falcon Q7 they did initially seem more relaxed and less forward. That’s changed. I now find them better in every way.
I was lucky enough to purchase the neat petite 30 anniversary model which was a run of only 100 such beasts
Finished in piano black gloss
Will be with me until the end - wonderful speaker
Nobody knows. ?
I hope you enjoy the Neats - by all accounts they are very good speakers and, as you have already tried a pair in your room, you know what they will sound like. Good luck with the sale of the Ayas.
A Spanish town house sounds like a good option to me - especially with our current weather. It’s interesting regarding the thicker walls filtering the noise. Is it an older house?
It’s funny having lived or stayed in both… detached houses in high density or suburban settings in housing estates can be awful for noise when windows are open … noisy heat pumps, arguing families, cars, music from outside … you name it..
A semi detached… in low density or rural where traditionally built with thick and even cavity partition walls can work very well… no or little outside noise, and internal noise is usually very low level such as occasional low frequency thuds, or DIY hammering drilling on attached walls.
So horses for courses. I currently live in the latter, and we sound proofed the partition wall in the music room. In 32 years not one single ask to turn the music down… and we cant hear their music either and they play quite loud.. or have done when I have been around..our house has just turned 102 years old.
but yes detached with no near neighbours, ie not in a housing estates or ‘developments’, would be ideal, other than your family will be wanting you to turn it down. ![]()
I get texts from daughters asking me to turn it down…., which I do or I fallback to the cabin.