Kans got beaten by Mission 760SE's !?!

Posted by: Alco on 18 December 2002

Hi guys,

A couple of days ago I talked to a friend on the phone, who also ownes a Nait-2. He's using some 10 year old,el cheapo Mission 760SE's. Recently he got some modifications done to the Mission's.
(new,better cable and better parts on the cross-over)
He asked me if he could come over to try his Mission's on my Nait-2/CDX combo. (he's using a Rega P3 and some cheap Harman-Kardon CD-player)
So, we got the Mission's on my Kan-II stands (fit's perfectly) placed them about 45cm/18" from the back wall, and fed the CDX with some music.
(Alison Krauss - "So long, so wrong." and Nils Lofgren - "Life and acoustic".)

To make a long story short(er)...
WOW!!!!! eek confused eek smile
THis was f..king amazing! I never expected these cheap (also very cheap looking!) speakers to sound so good!! ...and I don't mean good, considering the modest costs of these speakers (about 170,- UKP, Incl: mod) but imho they totally blew away my Kan's!
The only thing in which the Kan's were better was when I played a CD with some fat,heavy bass tracks, the Kan's had a little more control.
(perhaps due to the fact that it's a sealed box, where as the Mission is a bass-reflex...?)

Other than that I found the Mission where way better in every area... I hate to admit it...

Don't get me wrong, I still think Kan's are very capable speakers, but I guess 2003 will bring in some new speakers for me...
(don't know which one, since finding suitable speakers for a Nait-2 is a pain in the butt, but we'll see...)

Greetings,
Alco cool
Posted on: 28 December 2002 by NB
Thats sensible!!

If you can't find something thats an improvement over your Kan's then keep the Kan's.


Happy new year,

NB
Posted on: 06 February 2003 by Alco
quote:
I had and still have kans but in the 80`s i had a nait driving them and to be honest mine never really woke up til i put a 32.5 110 behind them

Hmm, I never had the idea that my Nait-2 was running out of steam on my Kan's, but I also tried the classic 72/140 combo a while back, and to be honest I was kinda dissapointed by the small improvement. (which were mostly noticable in the mids/highs)

Anyway, I already placed a 'for sale' ad
on 2 Dutch HiFi (forum)sites, for my Kan's.
I'm now very happpy with my Diapason Micra's.
(for pics see my homepage }

Regards,
Alco Smile
Posted on: 06 February 2003 by Lightkeeper
Alco !

quote:
but I also tried the classic 72/140 combo a while back, and to be honest I was kinda dissapointed by the small improvement.


I can't beleive that.

Ozren

- The difference between Theory and Practice is much greater in Practice than
it is in Theory. -
Posted on: 06 February 2003 by Alco
quote:
I can't beleive that.

I couldn't believe it either!
It was at a (former Naim)dealer who had the Nait-2 standing beside the 72/140, hooked up to Kan's (the same I now have for sale)
I swithced several times between the Nait and the 72/140. Sure, the 72/140 was better, no doubt about that, but the difference wasn't worth al the extra cash imho. (even though the 72/140 was for sale for 50% off the newprice!)

For the price of the 72/140 I expected more.
(more control,dynamics)

Greetings,
Alco
Posted on: 08 February 2003 by Lightkeeper
Alco !

Interesting experience.
I think that adding a Hi-Cap to 72 will completely tranformed that combo. It seems that PSUs are crucial factors, don't you think so?

Ozren
Posted on: 08 February 2003 by Alco
quote:
I think that adding a Hi-Cap to 72 will completely tranformed that combo. It seems that PSUs are crucial factors, don't you think so?

I'm afraid you might be right Ozren Smile
That would mean that (in s/h prices) it'd cost me about 3,5 times the price of a Nait, to finally notice a worhty improvement. That's poor VFM, imo.

regards,
Alco
Posted on: 08 February 2003 by Jay
Alco

Best to try before you make that VFM judgement. You just might be 3.5 times surprised Razz

Jay
Posted on: 08 February 2003 by Alco
quote:
Best to try before you make that VFM judgement. You just might be 3.5 times surprised

Hmm, you've got a point there Jay!
I must confess, when I had a CD3.5 I also couldn't believe that a CDX would be so much better, that it'd be worth the extra cash, but I did spent my hard earned cash on a (s/h) CDX and the difference wasn't exactly subtileSmile
When I think back on the CD3.5 -> CDX swap, I still find the price of a CDX quite absurd. (for just a CD-player)
But then again.... from day 1 I received my CDX I enjoy it very much and I'd like to keep it forever, and imho that is 100% satisfaction.
(and in all those years I never felt that way about a specifiek HiFi-componenent.)

So, I reckon it's the same with Naim amps

regards,
Alco
Posted on: 09 February 2003 by Lightkeeper
Alco !

Let's turn back for a minute.
What did you don't like at Intros 2?

Ozren
Posted on: 23 February 2003 by KENB
What's so hard about finding speakers for the NAIT2. I have tried a dozen brands and they had no trouble playing any unless you want real loud. Te only problem ws with Vandersteens and that might have been because of vandenhull cables. I love the NAIT with my hotrod Kestrels.
Ken
Posted on: 23 February 2003 by Alco
You are right about Van den Hul Ken. Van den Hul makes pretty good cables, but their speaker-cable sucks in combination with a Naim amp.

I now have some Diapason Micra's and they are doing fine at the end of the Nait, as long as I don't play very loud.
The Intro-II's are doing fine with a Nait too, but not in my room though! (WAY too much, uncontrolled bass)

But those old Mission 760 are a treat for peanuts money Smile

regards,
Alco