Speakers for Naim 552DR & 500 with NDS source, Statement cables

PMC fact 12s or kudos Titans are pretty popular with people with high end systems.

I would recommend be patient and some demos with the support of a good dealer would be the way to go.

Gary

The Ovator S800 is a good upgrade to the DBL.
They have the DBL strengths in the Bass but are faster and image a lot better IMO.

DB.

I am very happy with my Verity Audio Sarrastros, so can definitely recommend them for musicality .....

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

I think you ought to get the Focal 926's first - then move onto Ovator 400's so you can really appreciate them...

I'd get settled for a good year of auditioning and cogitating. You can't rush speakers and even if the first (or second) pair through the door seem to hit the spot, how are you supposed to know for certain? Should be fun though. Recommendation is pretty pointless although what has already been suggested would me where I would go, along with those new B&W 802 things. But when it comes to speakers, rooms and tastes all bets are off.

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Yes, Dusty, the Sopra 2s are stunning aren't they? Maybe just as well that their positioning requirements make them unsuitable for my listening room otherwise I'd be very seriously tempted to trade in my beloved Electra 1028be's.

Mike 

I don't know if Wilson Benesch still make the Chimera. It's the best speaker I've heard, and that includes active Ovator 800s. 

MDS posted:

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Yes, Dusty, the Sopra 2s are stunning aren't they? Maybe just as well that their positioning requirements make them unsuitable for my listening room otherwise I'd be very seriously tempted to trade in my beloved Electra 1028be's.

Mike 

If you had SL2s you wouldn't even think of Sopras. 

If you have a dealer that sells Dali try the Epicon 8 which are a very different beast to the 6 model: they could be your definitive speaker for decades. In terms of price/quality it is very difficult if not impossible to find something better at this price point.

Hope this helps

I'd strongly recommend you audition the big Shahinians. Everything else is just a loudspeaker. 

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Never have liked any of the Focals so far, but then again only heard at typical conditions in audio shows.

Wilson Audio is also something to try....

Budget?  Focal Sopra 2 or Neat XL10?  But really depends on your room/taste.

Last time I change my long time favorite SL2 to Magico S3 and I am very happy with the results!

Magico S3 with 552/500 sounds really magnificent, I recommend you to check them in your room.

Give up now. There is nothing better than DBLs. Maybe active DBLs. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

MDS posted:

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Yes, Dusty, the Sopra 2s are stunning aren't they? Maybe just as well that their positioning requirements make them unsuitable for my listening room otherwise I'd be very seriously tempted to trade in my beloved Electra 1028be's.

Mike 

If you had SL2s you wouldn't even think of Sopras. 

HH, I have and I am still thinking of the Sopras. I have heard and enjoyed SL2's, they are wonderful. But, for me they do many things brilliantly, just not the final 10/20%. Only my opinion.

This speaks (pardon the pun) volumes to me. So much so, I have requested a home demo of the Sopras. The musicians just took a massive step forward with the Sopras insitu. Now, don't get me wrong I'm not saying they are the last word in speakers. What I heard impressed me, and when I got home I played the same track and my Ovators just didn't reach that point. I'm gutted as I am extremely happy with my Ovators, maybe the collaboration between Naim & Focal is taking shape.We have seen many interesting debates on this fine forum about speakers and no debate can surpass a home demo. My ears, my room, my music.....my money!!

Stay tuned!

Those Sopras seem to turned a kind of sonic corner for Focal. No one has a bad thing to say about them and no one (yet) has couched their observations. Are you thinking of going with Orange?

I wonder if the Sopras being (allegedly) so good is because of, or in spite of, Naim's partnership with Focal. It would be interesting to hear them one day. 

It might be coincidence. Can't say as I believe in coincidences.

Why not try something crazy, you big guys are so encroached within the usual suspects.

instead of asking for advice ..get a speaker system that no one here has ever heard of and rave about how amazing it works with your system.  Put the hard work in yourself and try and nurture a new cult ?

Hungryhalibut posted:

MDS posted:

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Yes, Dusty, the Sopra 2s are stunning aren't they? Maybe just as well that their positioning requirements make them unsuitable for my listening room otherwise I'd be very seriously tempted to trade in my beloved Electra 1028be's.

Mike 

If you had SL2s you wouldn't even think of Sopras. 

No offense, but a single 6 1/2" mid-bass driver can do only so much, the Focal Sopras spank SL2's to death!

fathings cat posted:

PMC fact 12s or kudos Titans are pretty popular with people with high end systems.

I would recommend be patient and some demos with the support of a good dealer would be the way to go.

 

Gary

+1 for PMC Fact12.

But if funds allow and you think you might want to go active, anything from the PMC SE range. But they need a serious amount of room and can make DBLs look small in comparison (not as wide but we are talking extremely deep and tall)

Harry posted:

Those Sopras seem to turned a kind of sonic corner for Focal. No one has a bad thing to say about them and no one (yet) has couched their observations. Are you thinking of going with Orange?

Well, I was only impressed compared to the old models. The midrange is much improved although still way behind the best in my opinion, while the bass continues to be slow and with little detail or expression.

badlands posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

MDS posted:

Dustysox posted:

I went to a local "audio evening" and heard the Focal Sopra n°2, they were superb. My 600's are now vulnerable!!

Yes, Dusty, the Sopra 2s are stunning aren't they? Maybe just as well that their positioning requirements make them unsuitable for my listening room otherwise I'd be very seriously tempted to trade in my beloved Electra 1028be's.

Mike 

If you had SL2s you wouldn't even think of Sopras. 

No offense, but a single 6 1/2" mid-bass driver can do only so much, the Focal Sopras spank SL2's to death!

I beg to differ. No way I would have swapped my SL2s for them. Much less music despite the greater frequency extension. Chalk and cheese, especially for acoustic and classical.

Also, FWIW 8" not 6.5

Martin, my advice would be to figure out why the DBLs are not working for you. Generally speaking, DBLs have slightly mellow tonality. If you are not hearing that type of tonality, something is wrong. More precisely, if your ears are drawn to these speakers' sound rather than their outstanding way with a tune (their ability to get to the heart of the music and portray it is still as good as I have heard) then there is something wrong.

Assuming the speakers are well-positioned, I suspect that you would benefit far more from the services of an acoustician than that of a new piece of consumer electronics. There are multiple vendors available who can radically improve the acoustics of your room while not making look like something from a science fiction film.

Only after that would I like at new kit.  Derivatives of the old Wilson Bensech Bishop (e.g those and the Cardinal - not the 'normal stuff') and perhaps Active ATC150s are potential alternates.