This is taken from the listening position, and please excuse the non-plumped up sofa-back cushion!
Current issues:
I love these speakers, but the room is a touch small for them at 18m2 (roughly rectangular) and I know their position is compromised by our lounge furniture. All of that said, I really enjoy their clarity and soundstaging, and don’t have any tangible issues with regard to low frequencies being overbearing.
At least for the Focals (albeit not the room) the Atom is probably a little underpowered. I’d feel a bit more comfortable knowing the two were a better match, although I only rarely play my music at loud volume (and even then, not really loud).
Because of furniture and layout constraints, I need to stick to the shoebox form factor for any new equipment (hence the compact Atacama stand).
In summary, then, the speakers aren’t ideal for the room although I love them; and I’d like a bit more amp power, although I probably don’t really need it. What a mad game this is
It seems to me that I have two options. Firstly, swap out the Atom for an Atom HE, and the Focals for some active alternatives (probably standmounts to avoid the sofa being such a compromise). Secondly, to hang on to the Atom and Focals and just supplement the system with a power amp. Because that won’t be Naim due to the form factor I need, I’m thinking of something along the lines of the Gold Note PA-10, which seems to be highly regarded.
I know the easy answer would be to go for a Nova, but I don’t want (or rather, my wife doesn’t want me) to compromise the room layout any more than I have at present. I’m also not sure why some would (no doubt) consider an Atom and a non-Naim power amp a “mongrel” system but not the Atom HE with active speaker amps.
The truth is I could leave everything as-is and I’d have a solution that sounds lovely to my (admittedly non-audiophile) ears. Just wondered what others might do in my position, though, given that at some stage in the future I’m likely to give in to temptation.
Seems to me there’s nothing wrong, except you’d like to explore the wide and wonderful world of hi-fi a bit more. That’s OK, but that’s where a dealer or two can help.
It’s a house, not a studio. But even The Townhouse and The Manor control rooms had sofas .. Would you live in a house without a sofa? Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age ..
Obviously people need a place to sit and a place to keep their books and a place to set their pint of beer, etc. Once again, a big fluffy sofa between the speakers is a bad choice for listening to said speakers. And once again, “sometimes room design and esthetics force such decisions.”
Experience tells me that it would be a big uplift in sound quality.
The speakers also look quite crammed ,so it will also be an uplift for the eye,in my opinion.
The only thing I commented on was “remove the sofa”. The OP has already acknowledged that his furnishings represent a compromise - fine, you guys remove your sofas if you like, good luck.
Looking at the layout on the photo and the non possibility of changing furniture around I would certainly consider a pair of (high) stand mounts or even wall mounting of compact speakers if a change is really necessary (which it isn’t if I read the OP correct) but I can see problems looking at the speakers in their current position. I fully understand that for many a living room is just that and that Hifi comes second, me included.
Removed it from the position between the speakers ,I meant
It’s a matte screen,so not som much more reflective than the wall painting,but for extra serious listening,I remove it
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age ..
