Suitable speakers

Andy,

Your system is quite well balanced. I'm especially glad to see the 250 in there. It will help a great deal to drive 1.3's, especially in larger rooms. Now - let's make a few checks before suggesting any expensive changes!

You are leaving the system switched on all the time aren't you? If not, you haven't heard the system working at full performance yet.

Setup - is the system plugged into a 4-way block? This is recommended over plugging into various wall sockets. Sounds odd, but you get a cleaner feed. Personally I would plug in the CD first in the block, followed by the hicap and the 250 last, furthest away from the wall socket. That said, there are others who prefer the order to be the opposite to what I've described.

Are you using a cheapie 4-way block, or an after market item? The only after market item I recommend is the MusicWorks. I actively discourage the silver wired variants since I find they make Naim systems sound bright. Also, ensure that your 4-way block does not have a mains filter in it. Mains filters screw Naim systems.

Speaker setup - Dynaudios are a bit weird in their setup requirements. As a starting point they should be setup square to the back wall. Do not toe them in. They also want to be closer together than most - a maximum of 6 feet apart, even in a fairly large room! Keep them about 18 inches from the back wall, possibly more (but not necessarily). That's where I would start.

If the soundstage is very vague, then toe them in slightly by just a millimetre or two (honestly!) and you should find the soundstage snaps into focus. Dynaudios have very wide dispersion so this should be enough. If the bass is too deep, pull them away from the wall. If it's too light move them closer until it's to your taste. Too close, and they'll boom, too far and they'll sound light.

Check that your speaker cable is a) Naim NACA5, b) 3.5 metres or more in length (mandatory with Naim amps) c) plugged in correctly and that d) Naim plugs have been used on the amplifier end. NACA5 has a ridge on the positive side of the cable. Naim amps have the positive on the outside so if you looked at the back of the amp you'd see (going from left to right) positive left, negative left, negative right, positive right. If any of this is not present and correct you need to fix it.

Things to look at that cost money:

Are the speakers on Dynaudio Masterstands? These make a big difference to bass tunefulness, control and depth. (£200)

Is the system on a decent rack? This can make huge differences in all the music. With your system a good rack would be Hutter, Mana or Naim Fraim. The Hutter is very good value for money, although the Naim is the last word in performance. Mana owners love Mana stands with the same fervour as Naim owners love their Naim kit! Mana detractors hate Mana with the same venom that a viper reserves for special occasions. I appreciate what Mana does, but I feel the other racks provide better value and flexibility since they can be added to at your leisure whereas Mana is a welded frame. 4-shelf racks cost £650-ish for Hutter and £1400-ish for Naim Fraim. I think Mana would cost around £800 but don't quote me.

The weakest link in your system otherwise would be the 102. An 82 would make substantial improvements to every part of the music, bringing extra depth, resolution, weight and palpability to the whole scenario. Others might argue you should have an XPS for your CDX, but I wouldn't subscribe to this myself.

Either way, check the free/cheap stuff at the beginning of this post before doing anything. Dynaudio 1.3s are very capable speakers indeed and can make some quite big speakers seem like dullards. Good luck!

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

Some excellent advice above....I am amazed that you find the 1.3's shy in the bass department, they were too much for me!!!!

Try the above, it should help - especially the Masterstands, almost as essential as NACA5 IMO.

For what its worth I have been told by several Dynaudio "experts" that the 1.3MkII is to be preferred over the more expensive 1.3SE in a Naim system.

I have been meaning to get a demo of some Dynaudios myself. Reviews I've read are all very favourable.

What's the general view is a 140 able to drive a Contour 1.1 or would I be better off with an Audience 42

Wow, cheers Frank, there's plenty of food for thought there. It might not even cost me an arm and a leg either!
The system is left switched on, but I've only owned the CDX and the 250 for a week, so maybe there's still some 'bedding down' needed.
I don't own a 4-way block.I'm using a Hydra
Lead made up by Graham's. It's basically a lead which plugs in the wall and splits into 3, which allows me to connect the CD,Amp and Hi-cap, and to be honest I've not had the chance to compare it to a block. Worth a try perhaps?
I also have to admit that my speaker cable (Nordost Flatline Gold) remains from the previous system,so that could be something else to look at I hope I haven't offended too many people with that admission.Is it essential to use the Naim cable and do most stores stock the Naim plugs?
I do own the Master Stands so that's 1 item checked off, but unfortunately not one of the racks you have listed. I've still got the Sound Organisation Z545 from previous. I take it the extra spend is worthwile?
I'd love to add the XPS and/or 82, but I'll just have to enjoy it as it is for the moment.
Thanks again for your help, I'll try a bit of re-positioning tonight if the missus doesn't mind!

Andy.

Cheers Eddie, that's quite comforting to know.
I didn't mean to put anyone off the Dynaudio route. I was just getting a liitle concerned at not having heard any of the other speakers mentioned, and was getting itchy feet/wallet/fingers, well itchy something anyway!