n-Sats were one of my favorites too, no count of how many Naim speakers I have had, but surely done some successful dealings with Max.
The best of the bunch were actually a pair SBL, heard them by a dealer in Copenhagen, back in the early 90’ies. Source LP12, it was awesome and the rest is history though I never managed to really get that experience at home.
Not a fan of Focals, never heard Kantata but Sopra (various) no thanks.
Which Loudspeakers do you own now ?
Thanks very much for the input. No worries, we just got a Focal-powered-by-Naim store here in Berlin, so I can easily have a listen myself. I just kind of hoped that you already love the K3 as I find them the prettiest speakers 
Hi,
RSCH has just reminded me that we already heard the Kanta 3 at my dealer’s some time ago; unfortunately, I don’t remember much about their sound but just that they actually look nice… As for the Sopra 1, I look forward to listening to them again because they did a strong impression on me although, as I said, I am partial about two-ways.
Sorry for this detour from the original topic.
m.
Also on my list to audition if I find them somewhere!
Though in my room, the Kanta 3 would just be the perfect match, looks-wise. I just posted some system pics, https://community.naimaudio.com/t/system-pics-2021/13622/3817?u=suedkiez
Suedkiez,
I have to partly correct my somehow impulsive dismissal of most Focal speakers - I visited my dealer yesterday and although it was not the right moment to carry the Focal Kanta 3 downstairs to the 252/300 system, I could again have an exhaustive listen at the stand mount Sopra 1 with those electronics.
The room is a circa 25 m2, professionally treated one; Sopra 1s were at least 1 mt., away from all walls and the speaker cables were the there ubiquitous Nordost - I believe those specific ones to have been something costing like a decent pair of speakers. So apply the type of mental tare you think proper.
After so many years, and having trained ears for music it doesn’t take me weeks to understand a piece of gear; I don’t say that the Sopra 1 ‘had me at hello’ but for sure in the end I was totally convinced and delighted with the session. They have a marvellous, smooth, rich, open and detailed upper range which really opens a window on the recording, without harshness and with a confounding clarity of each instrument or voice’s position in the virtual space; bass is still a bit stiff and doesn’t yet go as low as it will in a week or so, but it’s there. 3D imaging may well be an HiFi artefact but that artefact was enormously entertaining…
Their overall balance may be a little tilted upwards but they surely don’t lack body, and the integration between woofer and tweeter seems optimal. That is to say that I have checked Focal’s price list here, and while the Kanta 3 is €10,000 the Sopra 1 is 7,500. I don’t remember how the Kanta 3 sounds, but I would most certainly save 25% and go for the two-way: I can’t see how one could wish for something more and why one should want two or three woofers when one seems able to fill a modern room with ease and authority.
My opinion only, but you mentioned the Kanta 3 to me so these are my impressions.
Best,
m.
P.S. After a long listen with the Naim combo we tried the amp I currently have, a 40 W tube integrated with a price tag almost exactly 1/10 of the 252/SC/300DR. Although less wide, spectacular and assertive than the Naim, the smaller amp was able to make the Sopra 1 retain a beautiful, natural voice, sufficient SPL in the room and most of the qualities of the larger amplification. You don’t really need to spend a fortune to drive those speakers. Please don’t consider this as advertisement or endorsement because I have never loved Focals and mine is a completely unbiased, as well as unexpected, opinion.
m.
Thanks very much, they are certainly worth a listen then. Based on what I read, the Kanta seems to be a bit less bright than the Sopra. The standmount vs floorstander question is, I believe, always about the difference between the 45Hz at -3 dB of the Sopra 1 vs the ~35 of the 3. Whether this is worth it - good question. I’ll put the 1 on my audition list
Hi,
I guess some could find the Sopra 1s ‘bright’ in some environments; to me they sounded luminous and not fatiguing at all. But then, my ears are not those of a 12 years old… 
Anyway, yes, I think they are definitely worth a listen.
Best,
m.
It will be a question of ears, room, and music. “Too bright” was a common complaint for a long time in the Focal Sopra (and above) & Naim comments, and less so for the Kanta, I believe. Everyone has to listen for themselves - my room most likely favors a voicing that is less on the bright side, but will have to try
“Too bright” is a good description what I experienced with Sopra’s
An issue I have heard other so-called modern high end speakers (= pricey) provide too, indeed those with ribbon tweeters and such.
Guess the high price, vulgar look and over-detailed sound may attract some in the audience.
Not something I would give room.
They have nothing in this area on the B&W 80x 
When we demoed Sopra 3 with Naim amps were everything but too bright
Regards
Roberto
Proac K6 work great with that combination. I still have them with a 552/300 pair.
Hi Matt,
I use Active Ovator s800s with my NAIM kit and absolutely love them. I have no intention of changing them ever. Detailed, dynamic, (they can be delicate too) punchy, and fast. You should hear Slipknot at volume - shakes the street.
They actually look pretty good in this picture and in this setting. In real life I find them oppressive-looking, possibly the listening distance makes a difference. I have a 2.6m equilateral triangle and their looks scare me at this distance.
Nice cat, haha.
I don’t mind the dalek look of the 802, though not sure what my wife would think, but as I preferred the sound of the PMCs I didn’t have to find out!
I tort I thaw a puddy tat!
One word of advice is that I was also looking for speakers for a similarly large space. And like you, the listening area was effectively a subset of the room (i.e. speakers not firing across the whole space). In the end you don’t always want the volume levels at one end to have music on the other. So even though my speakers can fill the space we ended up getting a Qb for the other end (kitchen).
