So who has an active system then?

Mine is a flat earth luddite system. Sorry, I mean a classic Linn/Naim set up.

Sondek - 52 - Supercapped Super Naim Active X Over 362 - 3 x 250s - Linn Isobariks (1988 spec,  and still in good nick, despite being ancient artefacts).

Could it be improved upon? 

Absolutely! But not at the price.

NDS/2x555PS/NAC552DR/snaxo242/supercapDR/2xNAP500 into SL2s. Additional sources: LP12/ARO/TKR/Superline/supercapDR and NAT01

enjoy

ken

555/2x555DR-S1-Snaxo BMR/Supercap-3xNAP500-Ovator S800 (with full SL cable-loom)

Done Passive - will remain with above. Future upgrades will be to DR the set of 500 and to investigate streaming again - sometime.

DB.

Melco N1Z into Chord QBD76HDSD, 552DR, SupercapDR, 362 SNAXO into 3X500s, active DBLs.

I've been "Active" for a very long time now and I'd be very reluctant to go passive. Besides, at my age this system, bar minor improvements (500s to be DRd at some stage) should outlast me.

Naim ND5xs, Chord Hugo, ATC SCA2 (preamp), ATC SCM50ASL (active speakers)

Mine is also based on late 80's Isobariks: 52-Linn Aktiv with Bingo boards/Dirak PS-135s on tweeters-250s on bass/mids. Of course there is a LP12 driving it all. 

tonym posted:

Melco N1Z into Chord QBD76HDSD, 552DR, SupercapDR, 362 SNAXO into 3X500s, active DBLs.

I've been "Active" for a very long time now and I'd be very reluctant to go passive. Besides, at my age this system, bar minor improvements (500s to be DRd at some stage) should outlast me.

Didn't know you'd bought a Melco, Tony.  So you no longer stream from your Mac?

Plus I wouldn't call NAP500 to NAP500DR a minor upgrade based on my 300 experiences!

Hi Graham, yes, after borrowing one from my dealer Signals I was pretty won over by it. I've had to sacrifice room correction for the time being, but the net gain in sound quality is worth it!

Linn Akurate DSM into Hicap DR/Snaxo 242/2x Active Leads/2x NAP 200 into SL2

It would be very awkward to go back to passive.

tonym posted:

Hi Graham, yes, after borrowing one from my dealer Signals I was pretty won over by it. I've had to sacrifice room correction for the time being, but the net gain in sound quality is worth it!

Hifi's a funny world, isn't it?  I borrowed an N1Z over the Christmas break and really wanted to like it (based on a short demo at UHES some months earlier).  I struggled REALLY hard to detect a difference in SQ (I kept thinking "it must be there!  It must be better!") and finally concluded that if there was a difference it was very slight and therefore not worth the money.  Prior to the demo I'd pretty much convinced myself that I wanted one so I was disappointed by the result but expect my wallet was happy with me.

So it's a funny world because clearly you had quite a different experience to me and I don't think either of us are cloth eared!  I'd love to understand why the same device performed differently in our set ups.

Almost Active!

Cdx2/282/HCDR/3 x 250.2/Briks

 Next  purchase SCDR, Snaxo.

Hopefully R&D is working on floaty snaxo!

Allante!

252 250.2 X 2, Snaxo SC, Allaes fed by a pretty much tricked out Naimed LP 12 with Kandid/Superline SC. And a CD5X/HC.  Pretty modest compared to some of the above but it makes music! ����

ATC has just launched active SCM19s at £5k - imagine them with a NAC272. I have a feeling the active market is about to get even more interesting.

2 pr active / passive Linn Kans (with switchable internal passive crossover via external links), active / passive Naim DBLs (with external crossovers, of course), olive SNAXO for DBL and late-period chrome-bumper NAXO (similar to olive NAXO) for Linn Sara / Kans.

The Kan links required a few extra 4mm sockets (and some of the 15mm-spaced dual bananas, set up as links) but this arrangement is super-flexible and allows them to be deployed anywhere, passively or actively, in the same manner as the Linn Katans.

Would have loved to have had active S-400s; these are the primary downstairs pair.

(I have too many pairs of speakers.)

This does not include pro monitors (ATC, Focal), or other combinations of speaker / equalization / room correction.

Graham Clarke posted:

tonym posted:

Hi Graham, yes, after borrowing one from my dealer Signals I was pretty won over by it. I've had to sacrifice room correction for the time being, but the net gain in sound quality is worth it!

Hifi's a funny world, isn't it?  I borrowed an N1Z over the Christmas break and really wanted to like it (based on a short demo at UHES some months earlier).  I struggled REALLY hard to detect a difference in SQ (I kept thinking "it must be there!  It must be better!") and finally concluded that if there was a difference it was very slight and therefore not worth the money.  Prior to the demo I'd pretty much convinced myself that I wanted one so I was disappointed by the result but expect my wallet was happy with me.

So it's a funny world because clearly you had quite a different experience to me and I don't think either of us are cloth eared!  I'd love to understand why the same device performed differently in our set ups.

Oh the joys and mysteries of hi-fi! I've given up wondering about why some things that shouldn't work, do; and vice versa.

Some very high end active systems here. I started slightly the 'wrong way' with CDX2, NAP 102, IXO, 2 x 140 and Credos many moons ago. Having heard lots of advice that top quality throughout the chain was even more important with active systems I still found that at this modest level of investment I was convinced vs the passive equivalent-and have remained so. Each change of the chain has delivered more of course, with the IXO going first and various steps along a road to where I am now, below.

NDS/555 NAC52/PS SNAXO/Scap 2 x 250 SBL (SL2s on the way soon)

Very  lovely it sounds too

tonym posted:

Graham Clarke posted:

tonym posted:

Hi Graham, yes, after borrowing one from my dealer Signals I was pretty won over by it. I've had to sacrifice room correction for the time being, but the net gain in sound quality is worth it!

Hifi's a funny world, isn't it?  I borrowed an N1Z over the Christmas break and really wanted to like it (based on a short demo at UHES some months earlier).  I struggled REALLY hard to detect a difference in SQ (I kept thinking "it must be there!  It must be better!") and finally concluded that if there was a difference it was very slight and therefore not worth the money.  Prior to the demo I'd pretty much convinced myself that I wanted one so I was disappointed by the result but expect my wallet was happy with me.

So it's a funny world because clearly you had quite a different experience to me and I don't think either of us are cloth eared!  I'd love to understand why the same device performed differently in our set ups.

Oh the joys and mysteries of hi-fi! I've given up wondering about why some things that shouldn't work, do; and vice versa.

Indeed.  And I've learnt not to tell people what they should be hearing, instead relay my findings, give some advice and let them reach their own conclusions!

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

Some very high end active systems here. I started slightly the 'wrong way' with CDX2, NAP 102, IXO, 2 x 140 and Credos many moons ago. Having heard lots of advice that top quality throughout the chain was even more important with active systems I still found that at this modest level of investment I was convinced vs the passive equivalent-and have remained so. Each change of the chain has delivered more of course, with the IXO going first and various steps along a road to where I am now, below.

NDS/555 NAC52/PS SNAXO/Scap 2 x 250 SBL (SL2s on the way soon)

Very  lovely it sounds too

Yes, a fair few high end systems.  Which has got me thinking how people ended up there?  Did they start with more modest active systems then upgraded along the way whilst refusing to move from active (my guess) or some other path?

For me, my introduction to Naim was a 52/52PS with a NAP250 amp (princely sum of only £6K back in mid to late '90's) into a pair of Mission Argonaut speakers.  I changed the speakers to SBLs going active at the same time with a second 250, then changed both for 4 135s.  All my other upgrades retained the active set up from that point onwards.

Solid Air posted:

ATC has just launched active SCM19s at £5k - imagine them with a NAC272. I have a feeling the active market is about to get even more interesting.

yes, i have scm40a and they are spectacular. the new scm19a are even more affordable. these speakers together with hugo are perhaps game changes. naim's nac272 shows naim have identified and targeting the active market.

Mr Frog posted:

Naim ND5xs, Chord Hugo, ATC SCA2 (preamp), ATC SCM50ASL (active speakers)

Nice system Mr. Frog! Would love to have active 50's!

As it were I have active 10's. 

Hi Graham

I think that you can still go active, Naim-style, with Audiovector speakers, as Naim do active crossovers for some of their range.

So Naim-style active is hanging in there by a thread.

However, with the trend towards ever larger people in ever smaller homes, the ATC & PMC style of crossover & power amps in the speaker has its attractions.

Best regards, FT

Graham Clarke posted:

Yes, a fair few high end systems.  Which has got me thinking how people ended up there?  Did they start with more modest active systems then upgraded along the way whilst refusing to move from active (my guess) or some other path?

For me, my introduction to Naim was a 52/52PS with a NAP250 amp (princely sum of only £6K back in mid to late '90's) into a pair of Mission Argonaut speakers.  I changed the speakers to SBLs going active at the same time with a second 250, then changed both for 4 135s.  All my other upgrades retained the active set up from that point onwards.

I came down a very similar path. Having gone down the valve route, I happened to hear a Naim 52, 2x250, SBL system at Rayleigh Hi-Fi and was captivated. I initially tried a passive 52/52PS, 250, SBL system but it just didn't do it in the same way, so I added another 250 & kept this system for over fifteen years.

Old school here, LP12/ARO/Exact Nac72/Naxo2-4/2 xNAP250/Linn Saras. About to try some ARC050s active too when HiFi racks build me some stands for them. Enjoyed a 'lowly' Nytech252/CXA252 with ARC101s for years previously. Aiming for DBLs at some point. Active seems to give you much more music than hifi.

Graham Clarke

Yes, a fair few high end systems.  Which has got me thinking how people ended up there?  Did they start with more modest active systems then upgraded along the way whilst refusing to move from active (my guess) or some other path?

For me, my introduction to Naim was a 52/52PS with a NAP250 amp (princely sum of only £6K back in mid to late '90's) into a pair of Mission Argonaut speakers.  I changed the speakers to SBLs going active at the same time with a second 250, then changed both for 4 135s.  All my other upgrades retained the active set up from that point onwards.

I started my Naim journey with passive SBL1991. I have had different active systems since 2003 and have always been very happy with the SQ of the systems, but it IS a lot of black boxes....not in all family members wet dreams, started with NBL, 3*250 followed by DBL 6*135 followed by 500, 300, 135 up to 3*500. Built a new house 2011 and in came Ovator S600, 3*500. (The DBLs did not work well in the new room but the 600 did). I liked them a lot. Januari 2016 I ended my active journey in favor of passive Ovator 800 NAC S1, NAP S1. Not active but superior in every way IMHO.

This is maybe of topic but: The change from NAC S1, 3*500, Ovator 800, to NAC S1 Passive NAP S1 Ovator 800 was a minor shock to me who was aiming for NAC S1 active 3*500! In my opinion it was a bigger leap in SQ going passive with NAP S1 than the difference between 552, 3*500 to NAC S1, 3*500......but expensive....and a lot of thinking: you are crazy, no, yes, no, yes. The system is still burning in with a fantastic result in SQ! 

/ Ulrik

CD555/555PS, 552/552PS, 500/300/500, DBLs, 362/Supercap DR, Fraim, Powerline x 3 & HiLine 

Would love to hear Ovators, even if I am not ready to leave the DBLs behind (which are sounding and looking good).  S600's would save on that additional 500 .