Speakers choice for 282/SCDR/250DR

Where to start!!!!??  Neat XL6,  Focal Sopra 2, current gap in Kudos range at this point.   

But as ever - how much space rear and sides - home demo a must.   

Good luck!!

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Where to start!!!!??  Neat XL6,  Focal Sopra 2, current gap in Kudos range at this point.   

But as ever - how much space rear and sides - home demo a must.   

Good luck!!

Where to start!!!!?? - my point exactly hoping to build a good list from the recommendations, which I will sum up at the end.

how much space rear and sides -
left speaker - approximately 1.5 meters from the wall / window
right speaker - approximately 4 meters from the wall.
Rear: speakers can be moved freely - no constraints.

Adam

Although I'm a long term Dynaudio user if I was buying now (and I will change eventually) I think I'd (subject to home demo) go for Neat.

of course - home demo is an absolute must. I plan to gather a list of speakers, present it to my dealer and 'off we go'

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'm at a similar level of amplification as you and there is no way I would spend £12k on speakers in my system. 

I'd be looking at opportunities to improve elsewhere first, or only spend say £6k on speakers (Ovator S600?) and improve the rest of the system.

Richard

Trickiy - many ways to skin the cat but having heard a 250DR and SN2 both make a sweet sweet sound with the Sopras i reckon once your at 282/250 level you can think big with speakers - provided your room can cope.  

Regards,

Lindsay

PS: I would add a XPS to the NDX though.

trickydickie posted:

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'm at a similar level of amplification as you and there is no way I would spend £12k on speakers in my system. 

I'd be looking at opportunities to improve elsewhere first, or only spend say £6k on speakers (Ovator S600?) and improve the rest of the system.

Richard

The "problem" is that I've started to run out of things to improve now

I will be testing various power supplies for my NDX over the next few weeks. And that's pretty much it.
I already have a dedicated mains spur for the system, decent cables, a dedicated stand.

Current speakers are Monitor Audio Gold GX300 - not bad, but I can hear the constraints.

A bare NDX is not quite enough source for that system and speakers at half your budget will start showing up holes in the presentation.

For 12K I would probably...

1. Add an XPSdr to the NDX.
2. At least ponder a trade up to a 252 and see if you prefer the presentation over a 282.
3. Then look at speakers in the 4 to 6K bracket. For me personally that might be PMC Fact 8 or Twenty 26 but buying speakers is like buying underpants; very personal.

feeling_zen posted:

A bare NDX is not quite enough source for that system and speakers at half your budget will start showing up holes in the presentation.

For 12K I would probably...

1. Add an XPSdr to the NDX.
2. At least ponder a trade up to a 252 and see if you prefer the presentation over a 282.
3. Then look at speakers in the 4 to 6K bracket. For me personally that might be PMC Fact 8 or Twenty 26 but buying speakers is like buying underpants; very personal.

Test power supply is due to arrive this Thrursday (XPS).

Adam Zielinski posted:

trickydickie posted:

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'm at a similar level of amplification as you and there is no way I would spend £12k on speakers in my system. 

I'd be looking at opportunities to improve elsewhere first, or only spend say £6k on speakers (Ovator S600?) and improve the rest of the system.

Richard

The "problem" is that I've started to run out of things to improve now

 

I'm sure that comment is tongue in cheek, but might you be focussing on amassing equipment rather than just enjoying what you've got and exploring new music? 

With that sort of money I'd be swapping the NDX for an NDS/555PS, and getting some speakers at a more modest level, such as PMC Fact 8. If you were to go for the Sopra 2, a better source would still make a lot of sense, though by all accounts the 272/XPS/250 goes well with them and the NDX/282/250 is very likely better. Perhaps I'm just out of touch with the latest fashion for mullets. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Adam Zielinski posted:

trickydickie posted:

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'm at a similar level of amplification as you and there is no way I would spend £12k on speakers in my system. 

I'd be looking at opportunities to improve elsewhere first, or only spend say £6k on speakers (Ovator S600?) and improve the rest of the system.

Richard

The "problem" is that I've started to run out of things to improve now

 

I'm sure that comment is tongue in cheek, but might you be focussing on amassing equipment rather than just enjoying what you've got and exploring new music? 

With that sort of money I'd be swapping the NDX for an NDS/555PS, and getting some speakers at a more modest level, such as PMC Fact 8. If you were to go for the Sopra 2, a better source would still make a lot of sense, though by all accounts the 272/XPS/250 goes well with them and the NDX/282/250 is very likely better. Perhaps I'm just out of touch with the latest fashion for mullets. 

Of course it was

I actually don't enjoy testing new things that much - I find the process tiring.
I very much prefer to listen to the music.

Another vote here for giving the Sopra 2s a try. Looks like you've got the space to accommodate them and they come in black.

Right time to be controversial.  We've really got to get away from this source first and only source will ever do nonsense.  True as Adam acknowledges he should try an XPS but his system is more than capable of delivering the goods with high end speakers. 

I've tried the focal 1028 be,  then the 1038 be, also had a dem of the kef blades, also heard most of the suggestions made already, but the speakers that really got me excited were the sopras 2's , again they were used at the recent Bristol show in the naim demo room, they are a real class act, for me they sounded at their best on the 300dr , xps dr , combination, but would highly recommend a home dem...

I recently listened to Totem Metals. They are spot on your budget of £12k. Stunning speakers and available in gloss black. Totem generally have great synergy with Naim amps.

I have the same speakers as the OP and have been pestering my dealer for some time now to assist me in upgrading them. This very wise dealer has been persistent in his advice to get the source and amplification 'right' first and has insisted my speakers would show up all SQ enhancements from a number of source and amplification (pre and power) upgrades. And do you know what he was/is right.

These unassuming speakers (MA GX300) have seen me move in stages from NDX/202/200/NAC A5 to NDS/XPS/252/SuperCapDR/250DR/SL speaker cables and I have heard clearly every magical upgrade and the quality these speakers are able to deliver from some of the best electronics beggars belief. I still intend to upgrade more electronics before upgrading my speakers. Once I have a 555 (hopefully DR) on my NDS I will start to think about the speakers.

So my twopenneth for the OP is that if I had £12k burning a hole in my pocket with his system (which I owned myself at one point in time) I would trade in the NDX and buy exdem/secondhand NDS, 555PS and 252 and then, and only then think about speakers. Heck he already has a SupercapDR ready and waiting for the 252.

Adam, I am sure you didn't want to hear the above but as I have trodden the same path as you so far, I felt duty bound to advise you of my experience with better electronics with the same speakers you have. Why not borrow a NDS and 555 and try them in your system at home if you can. You can then test (partially) my suggestions.

Mind you I always preferred Monkfish to Mullet.

Nigel

Thank you for saving my sanity and my cash. 

The SuperCap is indeed in preparation for the 252 at some point in time. 

I will be auditioning XPS and 555PS. 555PS would prepre the ground for the NDS

SL cables - already in place

Adam

nigelb posted:

I have the same speakers as the OP and have been pestering my dealer for some time now to assist me in upgrading them. This very wise dealer has been persistent in his advice to get the source and amplification 'right' first and has insisted my speakers would show up all SQ enhancements from a number of source and amplification (pre and power) upgrades. And do you know what he was/is right.

These unassuming speakers (MA GX300) have seen me move in stages from NDX/202/200/NAC A5 to NDS/XPS/252/SuperCapDR/250DR/SL speaker cables and I have heard clearly every magical upgrade and the quality these speakers are able to deliver from some of the best electronics beggars belief. I still intend to upgrade more electronics before upgrading my speakers. Once I have a 555 (hopefully DR) on my NDS I will start to think about the speakers.

So my twopenneth for the OP is that if I had £12k burning a hole in my pocket with his system (which I owned myself at one point in time) I would trade in the NDX and buy exdem/secondhand NDS, 555PS and 252 and then, and only then think about speakers. Heck he already has a SupercapDR ready and waiting for the 252.

Adam, I am sure you didn't want to hear the above but as I have trodden the same path as you so far, I felt duty bound to advise you of my experience with better electronics with the same speakers you have. Why not borrow a NDS and 555 and try them in your system at home if you can. You can then test (partially) my suggestions.

Mind you I always preferred Monkfish to Mullet.

Nigel - you were at the Audiobarn event last Autumn.  Did you not think that the Sopra 2s sounded excellent on the back of the 272/250?  No disrespect to your MAs but I would far rather listen to NDX/282/250/Sopras 2s than NDS/252/300/Neat SX2.

here is another suggestion : try to listen to a pair of Dynaudio Focus speakers.

There are still some ex-dem if you look for them, and I like the Dynaudio/Naim sound a lot. These are fast speakers, more than capable of showing that fast "naim sound"

Apparently the focus range offered too much value for money (that people weren't buying the higher Dynaudio models) and Dynaudio had to pull them from the market as they were too good at that price.

When I contacted Naim Hq for speakers, they gave me this list

Ovators, Focal, Neat, Kudos, PMC, Dynaudio.

I asked them about Proac and Sonus Faber, and they told me these were also good speakers, matched well with Naim.

I have heard Sonus Faber and Naim sounding amazing, as well as PMC/Naim, and Proac/Naim.

Having just bought a pair, I'll do the traditional thing and add B&W 804s - at a more sensible 7k - as a possibility. Would save a big chunk of budget for source or pre upgrades. 

I second the idea that there's a long way between a shirt back and sides and a full on mullet. 

Thanks guys for the various suggestions. The list is actually quite short, but interesting nevertheless:

• Neat Ultimatum XL6
• Focal Sopra 2
• PMC Fact 8 or Twenty 26
• Dynaudio Focus
• B&W 804

My next step is to test two power supplies on the NDX (XPS and 555 are heading my way for an extended home demo).
As NigelB wrote above - my current speakers (Monitor Audio GX300) may actually see me progress with my gear, before I need to change them.
Let's see

One mustn't forget the most important thing though - as long as it sounds enjoyable, that's what is most important.

Adam, maybe you could refine your search by giving a bit more information on what music you listen to and what kind of sound you prefer? Pinpoint precision? Balanced sound? Deep thumping bass? Warm or cool and dry? Pipe and slippers? etc. I can imagine that the amount of options is overwhelming, so the better you know what you like, the easier.

Music: rock, heavy metal, jazz.

Sound preferences: speed, attack, control of all frequencies (especially bass - since I play bass in a rock band ), clarity of vocals.
I found all that in Ovators S-400 which now reside in my music room. My wife finds them ugly, so unfortunately they will never make their way into the living room.

If she thinks that the Ovators are ugly, surely that's the hideous looking Sopras off the list before you start? The Fact 8 is a very attractive speaker though. 

Actually, bringing the Sopra home is a great plan - it might make Ovator 600s look positively attractive. 

Woman's mind works in trully misterious ways - my wife really likes the look of Sopra 2.... not an easy task ahead....