Sonus Faber Signums and Naim/Linn gear-Several Questions?

Posted by: Jaybar on 12 April 2002

Hi:

I am again considering selling my Spectral amp and pre-amp and maybe moving into the Linn or Naim camp. Basically, the tonal balance of the Spectral gear does not seem to compliment the Signum's lively nature and exagerated upper midrange/ lower treble balnce. Fatigue sets in and I often look to turn down the volume. Luckily, the signums provide LOTS of detail at lower volumes than other speakers I have had. They also fit in very well into the the constraints imposed by my listening environment. In short, I am reluctant to replace them at this time.

I can compensate by positioning the speakers closer to the wall behind them than is usually the case, but that creates problems of its own. Because of financial constraints, I am not looking for equipment that is priced equivilently to my current Spectral gear.

I like both Linn and Naim stuff, but they have different strengths and waeknesses. I have not heard either with the SF Signums. Because the Signums are now discontinued in the US, it would be difficult to find a local dealer for the inoitial evaluation. Hence my questions.


I have the following questions:

1) Can the Nait 5 drive SF Signums?

2) If not, what is the minimum necessary. What about the 112/150 combo? I would not want to spend more than $3000 for electronics and preferably less!

3) Since I have a good deal of Linn gear (LP12, Lingo, Linto, Arkiv-VdH retip,Pekin,Ikemi, Linn Silver Interconnects), can this perform well well in conjunction with Naim equipment or would I be better off considering something like a Linn Kollector/LK140.

In short, I am looking for a warmer tonal balance than Spectral with the ability to play tunes and engage me.


Any ideas?


Jay

[This message was edited by Jaybar on SATURDAY 13 April 2002 at 05:04.]

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Eric Barry
Jay,

I bought the CD5 from you and I thought that your LP12 sounded fantastic on my brief listen. To my ears, if it was too bright, it was only slight, and possibly something that could be taken care of with system setup.

Is the listening fatigue something that happens equally on cd and lp? If not, perhaps getting a lower rez or smoother cd player would be a solution (obviously an upgrade to a CDSII or a used CDS I would require another couple thousand dollar investment, though I think it would likely be satisfying).

If the problem is with both sources, then you can look at the rest of the system. I forget exactly how your room was set up, but the classic configuration is that the room should be acoustically dead at the speaker end and live at the listening end. I don't recally their being much behind your speakers (a window?). Maybe you could damp the rear wall a bit. A bigger rug would make the room less live. Damping the first reflections. Etc. Don't forget cable dressing (making sure none touch, which is a big pain, I know).

Your problem is that you have very good amps that will cost more to replace than they will bring used. IMO you need a 72/hicap/250 minimum (and that means giving up remote)--btw there is a 102/napsc/hi/250 fs on audiogon for $4300.

Auditioning at Innovative won't tell you exactly how something will do in your room anyway. Perhaps you could get them to set up a dem with Ikemi at the front, some SFs at the back, and compare Spectral, Naim, and Linn amps to make relative judgments on the brightness that bothers you.

BTW, I believe Martin Colloms usually says SFs need 70wpc to really work, and I think what he means by that is Naim 250, since that is the 70 wpc amp in his arsenal.

Good luck,

Eric

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Jaybar
Richard:

Thanks for your reply. I will definately be keeping my SF Signum Speakers. There is something about them that engages me in the music. Like no other speaker I have had.


Richard, do you have the stands with adjustable spikes and if so, do you experiment with Rake angle. Changing the rake angle can certainly change the tonal balance. Sumiko (US Distributoir) thinks rake angle is important. It definatelty warms up the sound and gives more clarity, but something gets lost. Maybe the problems is my relatively low ceilings (8 feet)?

Before I toss the whole baby out, perhsps I should try and tweak the system. I have a lot invested in the Spectral Gear and Spectral/MIT Cable and MIT power conditioning specifically designed for Spectral. What about listening with grilles on?

I see you don't care for the Linn Silver interconnects? Why? Migt I be better with Spectral's recommended MIT Interconnects going from Ikemi to Spectral Pre-amp?

Eric:

There is a lot that I like about the system as you note. The system is bright at times (very software dependent), but not by a humungous amout.
The Ikemi has a different Tonal balance than my previous CD5. Moreover the interconnects (Linn Silver) are different tonally from Spectral's MIT recommended ones or the Chord ones I was using with my CD%. That may be plaaying a factor The problem is the system is soo revelaing that every inch of difference in speaker placement effects the tonal balance and I am driving myself NUTS to find the optimal position. Small changes in speaker placement/setup produce BIG changes in sound and all with tradeoffs. In my heart of hearts, I agree with you than setup is key, but I can't get a fix on the optimal setup. I do want to explore the effects of Interconnects though.


Thanks to both of you for the insights.


Jay

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Andrew Randle
Choosing Linn or Naim is a big decision. One that MUST be auditioned in your own home (for a few days). You need to familiarise yourself with the finer differences between the Linn sound and the Naim sound, so I would suggest you try a fully Naimed-up system versus a fully Linned-up system (including the loudspeakers) at your place.

If you go for the Linn solution then a Kolektor/LK140 is an excellent level of quality and power. Also, I would go for the 112/150 rather than the NAIT5.

So, I would loan the following:

1) Kolektor/LK140/Ninkas (with polymer bases)
2) NAC112/NAP150/Credos (ask for a CDX as well if you can)

Try them out with their respective loudspeakers. Then try the ones you like with your SFs. If you prefer the system without the SFs then you should be able to easily sell the SFs for good money.

Try it 'n see,

Andrew

Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Jaybar
Ugo:

The Avalons are well above my budget and are NOT stocked by my dealer in NYC. Thanks anyhow.


Jay

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Andrew Randle
Even if you intend on keeping the SFs, I would make my initial assessment with Linn and Naim loudspeakers (as a point of reference), then move onto trying them with the SFs.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"

Posted on: 13 April 2002 by Peter Stockwell
Jaybar,

I've auditioned the genki/kolektor/lk140/katan system and found it very enjoyable. But I liked a Rega Planet/nait 5/Cdm1 NT system better, so I bought a Nait. I have no experience of SF signums, don't know if they need lot's of juice. If you went the nait route, I believe that you'll ultimately be frustrated by a lack of welly if you felt like getting into some headbanging or complex dance music.

Peter