Musing about the Kudos Titan 808. Used in single wire mode, you need speaker links between the upper and lower section of the speaker. Factory supplied with Chord Signature bi-wire speaker links, I ask if fellow 808 users have changed them to something higher up in the Chord Cables range. And does anybody know which wires are used inside the cabinets?
And which speakercables do you use with them…
I will have the opportunity to hear and see them at my dealers soon. And maybe I will like what I hear and will be tempted to hear this at home…where the Titans 707 are so good -after running them about a year- I’m really wondering what the considerably more expensive 808 would do in my setup/room. Dangerous fields, I know…
I use the standard links but some have upgraded to Sarum to good effect I understand. As far as speaker cable, I found it hard to beat Naca 5 for essential musicality. Some will disagree. I demoed the Sarum cable and it was “better” than Naca 5 but not worth the financial outlay in my case- I need 11 meters:flushed:!
I previously had the original Titan T88’s and can say without a doubt that the 808’s bring much more of everything especially bass articulation and top end dispersion/extension. The 808 is much better than the T88. How much better than the 707 you will need to decide…Very happy with my choice to upgrade to 808’s
ATB,
Mark
I replaced the links with Chord Music. Made a positive difference. I would say clearer and cleaner. I have my superluminas connected to the bottom boxes. Some owners have the loudspeaker cables connected to the top boxes. I prefer my way. I think Titan 808 use Signatures cables internally.
Enjoy!
I had Titan 707’s here for a few weeks last year. Great speakers, thoroughly enjoyed them. Then I replaced them for the 808’s and the difference was so obvious and the 808’s stayed here. Be aware that if you get them home for a home demo they won’t be leaving
As for the speaker links, I haven’t even thought about changing them yet. My 808’s are still running in and I have no thoughts about upgrades. I do know there are people who have changed the links, changed feet support etc with great effect. If I was looking at upgrading the links I would look at Chord cables as I know they are internally wired with Chord cables.
Have fun experimenting but more importantly enjoy the music
Regards
I have the original T88s and replaced the speaker links with Naca5 ones after I read the blog entry from Signals (a dealer that I’ve used in the past) in respect of the new T808s (the blog entry is called ‘but don’t call me Bob’ on page 4). I found, as they did, that there is considerably better bass control and extension with Naca5 over the supplied links (I connect my main Naca5 run to the top box). So definitely worth experimenting in your home environment…
Thank you all so much for your thoughts/expertise/knowledge. Now I’m really looking forward to hear the 808s at the dealer. Wondering which electronics he will use - for he is a statement-dealer…
If the first impression (they will be brand new, when I hear them) is promising, I have to decide if I’m going for a home demo.
Regarding speaker links, internal wiring and speaker cables it is an interesting thought to run some high end cables and the last few centimeters will be some more basic cabling…?
As, until now, I preferred Naca5 over Super Lumina speaker cables - the option to do the speaker links with Naca5 seem a sensible possibility. But where do you get them terminated with spades? Oh, stop, I’m ahead of myself…
Update:
Heard brand new 808 yesterday in statement/nd555/Superlumina-context at the dealers. The Titan 808 impressed me a lot, albeit the room was too small and overdampened IMHO. It is maybe difficult to divide the multiple factors, but I think I was a bit underwhelmed by the electronics - things got better with a maxed out all Linn LP12, but heard enough to order a pair of Kudos Titan 808s.
As an emergency exit, for without home-demo, my dealer will take them back, when they will not work in my room.
If there is interest from the forum, I will report back, when the speakers are installed at home.
Sure! Would be great to hear the results in your room. Maybe some pictures of them in the room also would be good. Are you running them passive with the 300?
I am interested in these speakers but would only run them passive. No space for active.
Sorry, Steve, I just updated my profile…at the moment Kudos Titan 707s passiv with Nap 500dr since about 5 months. As I don’t´t see me going active in the next few years, I think the Titan 808s will blend in nice with the 500dr series amplification. As the 500dr is running in and getting better and better, I sometimes have the feeling the 707s sound a litte forced, especially in the lower octaves. At higher volume, that is.
The 300dr was not enough for the 707s to my ears, but as the 500dr has been opening up in bass and high frequencies I have the feeling the 707s are holding back the 552dr/500dr a little…Just my thoughts…
@jodl Thats wonderful as I will be looking to change speakers for my 552/500 set up. Seems out electronics are very similar! Your findings between the 707/808 will for me certainly be very useful. Thank you in advance.
Changed till Sarum first thing I did. Later upgraded to Music. Each step better but as always, the step up to Sarum is always good but the step up to Music twice the size.
I use Furutech copper spades at one end of my links to match the Furutech binding posts of the T88 (I think the 808s has changed to WBT so you could match to this to maximise synergy). The other end uses standard soldered Naim speaker plug ‘pins’.
@Jonas, @Dave, @whsturm:
So many possibilities leave me wondering about synergy. Synergy regarding speaker cable, binding posts, internal wiring…?
First I will listen to them as they are, of course. If you see the speaker as ONE unit, I feel a little reluctant to change anything. Asking Kudos Audio what they suggest would be a sensible thing, IF I will feel the need to fettle…
@Steve:
In about 4 weeks they will be installed. I will report…
, does not mean that the T88 is not a great speaker as well David. In retrospect, it was a bargain at its original asking price. Enjoy 
