Speakers to go with the new 5 series?

Posted by: Tim Collins on 09 September 2000

Hi,

Another newbie to Naim.... Am looking to get the 5 series (cd5 & Nait 5) and am interested if anybody recommends a good speaker set to go with it? I.e does it really have to be a full Naim setup to get the best out of the system?

Regards,

Tim

Posted on: 09 September 2000 by Engelbert

Have a close listen to Naim's Intro 2 and Credo before you commit yourself. In my experience Naim electronics work best with Naim loudspeakers. However, I've heard a basic Naim system matched with Royd Minstral SE's - exhibited a mellowness and clarity that was impressive for the money.

Posted on: 09 September 2000 by Don Braid

I've heard that the Intro 2s - although they aren't my cuppa - make a wonderful match for a CD5 and Nait 5. It's even suggested they were designed to be a perfect match for the Intros.
Don

Posted on: 21 September 2000 by Frank Abela

Tim

The Naim speakers suit the Naim systems very well indeed, but they aren't the only speakers that work well in the context of a Naim system. Here are others that I consider to suit the 5 series:

Acoustic Energy AE109SE (£430?): Good value floorstander with a lot of punch, if not particularly accurate - needs space.

Acoustic Energy Aegis 3 (£350): Good value floorstander with punch. Again not particularly accurate, but fun. Doesn't need as much space as the 109.

Dynaudio Audience 40 (£400) and 50 (£577), Contour 1.1 (£785?). Small standmounters really suited to their own stands (£200). Fast and dynamic with great drive and presence. The Contours have to be the latest model, otherwise the Nait won't drive them.

Dynaudio Audience 60 (£729): Small floorstander, can go to within 8 inches of a wall. Fast and dynamic.

AVI NeutronIII (£500): If you need a small speaker, this is as small as it sensibly gets. Good little speaker, suited to Target Nu-Neutron stands (£160?), which have a bass lift to help that department.

Regards,
Frank.

Posted on: 21 September 2000 by Todd A

I'm a Monitor Audio fan. I don't know what your budget is, Tim, but the Studio 20 is fantastic. More realistically, the Studio 6 should do the trick. I currently own 700 PMCs (along with a 3.5 / Nait 5) and they're outstanding. My guess is that the Studio 6s would be better (I've only heard the 20s). Hell, even the Silver series are worth a shot - they're fine speakers for the money.

Totem makes some fine small speakers, too, though they’re a little pricier and harder to find. ProAc’s are good speakers, especially the Response series, though I know this line can invite some vitriolic comments from other forum members.

Posted on: 21 September 2000 by Arye_Gur

If you are short in money - I heard the "5" combo
with Rega EL 9 and it sounded very well.

Arie

Posted on: 22 September 2000 by Rico

quote:
I can improve the electronics by adding power supplies, etc. without having to worry about trading in the speakers for many years. (This 2nd point might be more relevant in a small country - here in NZ the market for 2nd hand audio gear is much more restricted than it was in the UK.)

Andy T
- in terms of your used market in NZ, do keep an eye out on Trade & Exchange (nearest equivalent of Loot), Saturday NZ Herald classifieds... and there's a shop in Welington which deals exclusively in pre-loved kit called WT Audio... you'd be surprised what you can buy/sell through Bill. Radio & TV classifieds in The Evening Post seems to have fallen off over the years. And of course, your friendly Naim dealer might help you find a home for your pre-loved items when you're upgrading - word of mouth is surprisingly effective.

Re your comment about Credos withstanding front-end upgrades for longer, I think fellow contributor Mr Boon might disagree, having much listening enjoyment from his Intro's right to the upper levels of the kit list, at last recollection. At any rate, enjoy!

Rico - musichead

Posted on: 24 September 2000 by Tim Collins

Thx for the response. One of the reasons I am asking this question is that my dealer is in Dubai - thus does not have much equipment to demo with. He needs to order it especially, which of course is never cost effective.

Vuk, one question.... What are the other two speakers at half the price?

Tim Collins

[This message was edited by Tim C on SUNDAY 24 September 2000 at 16:33.]