Speaker advice yet again!
Posted by: Willie B on 18 January 2003
As a new contributor to the forum I would like to ask other Naim users about speakers.
Until the mid-nineties I enjoyed a system comprising Dual turntable, A60E amplifier (remember that fine little amp?) and some nondescript speakers. A visit to a real hifi shop led me to upgrade to Naim 72/140 and Mission 753 speakers, followed shortly by a Meridian 500/563 CD player.
Then in 2001 the upgrade gremlins struck again and the 72 was improved by a hicap and then replaced by an 82 – both made a considerable improvement. Interestingly tapes of Radio 2 and 3 programmes for the car were much better – no doubt due to the 82.
The next step in mid 2001 was to replace the 140 with a 250. Now I have heard this step up in dealers demos and been suitably impressed but for me there has not been a substantial improvement at home. I can only think that the speakers are now letting me down. I also tried a CDX2 at home – better than my Meridian but not by £2ks worth.
I have tried Allaes at dealers and been impressed but less so when I home demoed a pair. I then tried a pair of late second hand JM Labs 906s at home and found them better but not by much. The dealer who lent me the JM Labs then lent me a pair of 4 year old Wilson Benesch Orators and suddenly the music came to life – I didn’t need to keep swopping leads between speakers to see which was best – it was a no contest – the instruments were better separated, much cleaner and there was a whole lot of base.
In the end I didn’t buy the Orators – wife didn’t like the style and colour and I was unsure whether there are even better models out there (WB suggested I try their Arcs). But it left me convinced of the need to upgrade the speakers next. My preferences are for blues, jazz and rock and it seems difficult to find speakers that will sound creditable when playing big band jazz and loud rock – Ryan Adams to Rolling Stones. I go to a lot of live amplified gigs where the sound is probably sub-hifi but the sound is tremendously exciting when it come out of great big speakers.
I have read good reviews recently of a number of speakers including Wilson Benesch Arcs, PMC FB1s and B+W 800 series. I would also be interested to hear comments about SBLs compared to Allaes. If it is any help my room is 12 feet by 20 feet by 7.5 feet high with the speakers on the narrow wall and with a concrete floor.
Until the mid-nineties I enjoyed a system comprising Dual turntable, A60E amplifier (remember that fine little amp?) and some nondescript speakers. A visit to a real hifi shop led me to upgrade to Naim 72/140 and Mission 753 speakers, followed shortly by a Meridian 500/563 CD player.
Then in 2001 the upgrade gremlins struck again and the 72 was improved by a hicap and then replaced by an 82 – both made a considerable improvement. Interestingly tapes of Radio 2 and 3 programmes for the car were much better – no doubt due to the 82.
The next step in mid 2001 was to replace the 140 with a 250. Now I have heard this step up in dealers demos and been suitably impressed but for me there has not been a substantial improvement at home. I can only think that the speakers are now letting me down. I also tried a CDX2 at home – better than my Meridian but not by £2ks worth.
I have tried Allaes at dealers and been impressed but less so when I home demoed a pair. I then tried a pair of late second hand JM Labs 906s at home and found them better but not by much. The dealer who lent me the JM Labs then lent me a pair of 4 year old Wilson Benesch Orators and suddenly the music came to life – I didn’t need to keep swopping leads between speakers to see which was best – it was a no contest – the instruments were better separated, much cleaner and there was a whole lot of base.
In the end I didn’t buy the Orators – wife didn’t like the style and colour and I was unsure whether there are even better models out there (WB suggested I try their Arcs). But it left me convinced of the need to upgrade the speakers next. My preferences are for blues, jazz and rock and it seems difficult to find speakers that will sound creditable when playing big band jazz and loud rock – Ryan Adams to Rolling Stones. I go to a lot of live amplified gigs where the sound is probably sub-hifi but the sound is tremendously exciting when it come out of great big speakers.
I have read good reviews recently of a number of speakers including Wilson Benesch Arcs, PMC FB1s and B+W 800 series. I would also be interested to hear comments about SBLs compared to Allaes. If it is any help my room is 12 feet by 20 feet by 7.5 feet high with the speakers on the narrow wall and with a concrete floor.