Which Naim speakers shall I choose?

Posted by: O.P. on 13 December 2008

Hi Guys!

I'm going to buy some new speakers for my Naim system. At the moment I have the Nait 5i and Cd5i, both are MK I. I think I will buy some used speakers, but the Naim market in Sweden is limited, but I do have a few choices:

Naim Credo 660 GBP
Naim Allae 1 075 GBP
Naim Ariva 920 GBP

I know that the Allae is the best speaker, but how well will it play with my Nait 5i and how big is the difference between Allae and Credo? Is it worth the extra money.

Kind Regards from a cold and snowy Sweden.

Oskar
Posted on: 17 December 2008 by AB
I'd buy a pair of Linn Kans, Mark I if you can, ideally with Mark II stands. They'd be great with your front end, and affordable.
SBLS would also be great, perhaps even better. Servicing SBLs is dead easy, even I can do it no bother.

Credos IMHO are thin sounding in comparison, and a poor buy.

ADRIAN
Posted on: 18 December 2008 by hungryhalibut
quote:
And as far as the SBL's needing a 82/ 250 to work at its best.Thats rubbish.

Munch

I know we will always disagree in a very gentlemanly way about this, but to suggest that a 5i can run SBLs properly is actually the advice that is rubbish. SBLs need a 250 or 135s to go them justice. It's just that now they are cheap people think they can drive them properly with a little amp. It's just not true. It's also not the case that setting up the speakers is a piece of cake. True anyone but the hamfisted can make them work, but they need expert setting up to get them to work to their full potential. Maybe Oskar should just get a pair of Neat Motive 2s!

If you are passing, you really must pop in and listen to my system to see how the nSats/sSub stack up.

Nigel
Posted on: 18 December 2008 by Ron Toolsie
The SBLs are the Decca London of speakers...proverbially a little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell. I have only heard them at my dealers where for one reason or another they did not work very well, even fronted with 52/4x135/Snaxo/Supercap. Yet other people I know have had fantastic results with them, specifically with 2x500/active. I believe they are probably more room and set-up sensitive than the DBLs that can produce some low end no matter how they are installed, even with blown gaskets.
Posted on: 18 December 2008 by AB
quote:
Originally posted by Ron Toolsie:
The SBLs are the Decca London of speakers...proverbially a little bit of heaven and a little bit of hell. I have only heard them at my dealers where for one reason or another they did not work very well, even fronted with 52/4x135/Snaxo/Supercap. Yet other people I know have had fantastic results with them, specifically with 2x500/active. I believe they are probably more room and set-up sensitive than the DBLs that can produce some low end no matter how they are installed, even with blown gaskets.


Likewise, I listened to SBLs at the dealer's, with a 555/552/300 front end, yet my own at home with CDS3/82/scap/250 were miles better.

ADRIAN
Posted on: 19 December 2008 by Chalshus
Hej.

Have you checked out hifimagasinet dott com ?

You can find IntroII and N-sats in Copenhagen.
Posted on: 19 December 2008 by O.P.
quote:
Originally posted by Christian Alshus:
Hej.

Have you checked out hifimagasinet dott com ?

You can find IntroII and N-sats in Copenhagen.


Hej Christian,

Yes of course. I always have my daily check at hifimagasinet. Winker

Well since the Danish crown has increased, the Intros is almost as expensive as the Credos. I all comes down tho make a great deal.



Regarding the SBL, there seems to be many issues with this odd speakers, heaven or hell as someone put it. Maybe I will go for the SL2 later on when I will upgrade my electronics.
Posted on: 19 December 2008 by ken c
i am in copenhagen for a few weeks every month -- it'd be fun to meet some naim users there sometime?

enjoy
ken
Posted on: 20 December 2008 by NewNaimy
Some speakers doen´t match to a specific amp.

So the Allae is good in companion with the Nait5 (i and i) as well the 150x, but connected to the SuperNait it´s not a perfect match.

That´s the reason why I´m looking for some other speakers.

Good advice is to test the setup at the own enviroment.
Posted on: 23 December 2008 by O.P.
quote:
Originally posted by NewNaimy:
Some speakers doen´t match to a specific amp.

So the Allae is good in companion with the Nait5 (i and i) as well the 150x, but connected to the SuperNait it´s not a perfect match.

That´s the reason why I´m looking for some other speakers.

Good advice is to test the setup at the own enviroment.


What is it that make the Supernait and Allae a poor match? I'm curious because my next upgrade will probably be the Supernait (Or Nait XS).
Posted on: 23 December 2008 by hungryhalibut
quote:
What is it that make the Supernait and Allae a poor match? I'm curious because my next upgrade will probably be the Supernait (Or Nait XS).


Nothing at all. In my view the Nait 5i and 150x are not powerful enough for the Allae. The snait should be fine. It all depends on whether you like the Allaes of course.

Nigel
Posted on: 02 January 2009 by O.P.
Well I think it's time for a small update. I'm in the middle of selling my old speakers and buy a pair of used Allae. They are in a maple finish an manufactured in 2002. I hope that they will suite my 5i system and the next upgrade will probably be a SN or a XS.

I will post a picture as soon as I Have them installed.

Happy new year to you all!