Calling Any Naim Classic/Sopra No.1 Users
Posted by: nigelb on 01 October 2016
I am starting the gruelling task of upgrading my speakers and am initially drawn to Focal Sopras based on all the good press they have received and what others have said on here about them. Ideally I would like to try the No.2s (surely they could have come up with a better name but I suppose there are no such toilet double entendres in French) but these may be too much for a modestly sized living room and are at the upper end of my budget, so I am also considering No.1s. I briefly heard No.1s on the end of a nDac/552/300 (non DR) system at my dealer in less than ideal conditions and they sounded rather special. Of course the 552/300 would have had a lot to do with that. I currently run a NDS/252DR/250DR/Monitor Audio GX300s/SL IC/SL speaker cables system on a Fraim.
As there has been less written about the No1s, I wondered if forumites might have any experience of these speakers with a Naim Classic streaming system.
The hunt is on... 
nigelb posted:I can see this is going to get complicated as I suspected!
Happy to help/complicate things 
Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:I can see this is going to get complicated as I suspected!
Happy to help/complicate things
I have learned that few things in life that are worthwhile are simple!
Thanks to those that have responded so far. Bizarrely, two of the speakers recommended so far are both available exdem at my Naim dealer - Sopra No1s and Kudos S20s. Oooh, I see a shortlist forming and home demos looming.
nigelb posted:Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:I can see this is going to get complicated as I suspected!
Happy to help/complicate things
I have learned that few things in life that are worthwhile are simple!
Thanks to those that have responded so far. Bizarrely, two of the speakers recommended so far are both available exdem at my Naim dealer - Sopra No1s and Kudos S20s. Oooh, I see a shortlist forming and home demos looming.
Sopra No 1s are stand-mount if I'm not mistaken. Kudos S20 - small floorstanders - should perform better with your sytem.
One thing Nigel - you may be surprised with the low-bass extention.
MA300s have plenty of it and they do go down very low indeed. So I suspect a challenge there.
Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:I can see this is going to get complicated as I suspected!
Happy to help/complicate things
I have learned that few things in life that are worthwhile are simple!
Thanks to those that have responded so far. Bizarrely, two of the speakers recommended so far are both available exdem at my Naim dealer - Sopra No1s and Kudos S20s. Oooh, I see a shortlist forming and home demos looming.
Sopra No 1s are stand-mount if I'm not mistaken. Kudos S20 - small floorstanders - should perform better with your sytem.
One thing Nigel - you may be surprised with the low-bass extention.
MA300s have plenty of it and they do go down very low indeed. So I suspect a challenge there.
You are right that the GX300s go deep, very deep but they are well controlled down there and MA actually designed the GX range (including the 200s and 300s) to work in relatively small rooms without the need to be pulled too far away from walls (apparently this was due to an eye on the Japanese market where rooms tend to be smaller). The foam bungs in the rear ports also help here.
The Sopra 2s might be less forgiving of smaller rooms, hence my interest also in the stand mount Sopra 1s. I must admit, I have never really considered stand mounts before (although many years ago I owned Linn Kans and Mission 770s), that was until I heard some Sopra 1s at my dealer.
Ovators are also a consideration. The usual problem, getting a realistically short enough shortlist to home demo. These old bones do not relish lugging endless coffins up a staircase and through twisty, confined spaces (16th century pub) to the listening room - and back again.
The lengths we go to for our hobby! 
nigelb posted:Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:Adam Zielinski posted:nigelb posted:I can see this is going to get complicated as I suspected!
Happy to help/complicate things
I have learned that few things in life that are worthwhile are simple!
Thanks to those that have responded so far. Bizarrely, two of the speakers recommended so far are both available exdem at my Naim dealer - Sopra No1s and Kudos S20s. Oooh, I see a shortlist forming and home demos looming.
Sopra No 1s are stand-mount if I'm not mistaken. Kudos S20 - small floorstanders - should perform better with your sytem.
One thing Nigel - you may be surprised with the low-bass extention.
MA300s have plenty of it and they do go down very low indeed. So I suspect a challenge there.You are right that the GX300s go deep, very deep but they are well controlled down there and MA actually designed the GX range (including the 200s and 300s) to work in relatively small rooms without the need to be pulled too far away from walls (apparently this was due to an eye on the Japanese market where rooms tend to be smaller). The foam bungs in the rear ports also help here.
The Sopra 2s might be less forgiving of smaller rooms, hence my interest also in the stand mount Sopra 1s. I must admit, I have never really considered stand mounts before (although many years ago I owned Linn Kans and Mission 770s), that was until I heard some Sopra 1s at my dealer.
Ovators are also a consideration. The usual problem, getting a realistically short enough shortlist to home demo. These old bones do not relish lugging endless coffins up a staircase and through twisty, confined spaces (16th century pub) to the listening room - and back again.
The lengths we go to for our hobby!
PS - I am just listening to some Marcus Miller - better watch I don't lose too much of that low end grunt with my pending change in speakers!