Nait XS 2 with Ovator S-400 - Anyone using this combo or thoughts?

I hate to comment since I have a SN2->S-400 and it does not really answer you question. However, I believe the 400's are just about the best $ I spent on HiFi. I love them to death. I have a very "challenging" space and I had to position them in a less than ideal location. I am happy to say they sound excellent and I never tire of listening to my system.

I believe the specifications for the 400's make them more than acceptable for an XS2.

Kevin Richardson posted:

I hate to comment since I have a SN2->S-400 and it does not really answer you question. However, I believe the 400's are just about the best $ I spent on HiFi. I love them to death. I have a very "challenging" space and I had to position them in a less than ideal location. I am happy to say they sound excellent and I never tire of listening to my system.

I believe the specifications for the 400's make them more than acceptable for an XS2.

Thanks for the reply, all comments are welcome and appreciated.

I found the S-400s had incredibly tight, controlled bass, clarity and musicality. A rolled-off top end with a quite mids-forward presentation. In the end the mids (especially vocals) were too shouty for rock music to my ears, but I can appreciate where folks love them in the right space. My wife thought they were great speakers. The cabinets are lovely and despite being rather large, I had no problem positioning them in my 14x16-foot room.

All that said, I'd fully encourage you to try the S-400/XS2 combo at home and see if they work for you. I'm assuming you're aware of the pair available at Hawthorne. The folks there are very accommodating to home demos and it's a rare opportunity in our region, so by all means give the Ovators a try!

joerand posted:

I found the S-400s had incredibly tight, controlled bass, clarity and musicality. A rolled-off top end with a quite mids-forward presentation. In the end the mids (especially vocals) were too shouty for rock music to my ears, but I can appreciate where folks love them in the right space. My wife thought they were great speakers. The cabinets are lovely and despite being rather large, I had no problem positioning them in my 14x16-foot room.

All that said, I'd fully encourage you to try the S-400/XS2 combo at home and see if they work for you. I'm assuming you're aware of the pair available at Hawthorne. The folks there are very accommodating to home demos and it's a rare opportunity in our region, so by all means give the Ovators a try!

Thanks, for the feedback I appreciate you taking the time to comment on your experience with the S-400's. 

From personal experience I think s-400 s need more amplification to get them to really sing. 

SK, I've no experience of either. But the fact is when the S400s were released, on Naim's website the section on system requirements said they could be paired with the XS.

C.

They were originally a replacement for the Allae (so on older website pages). In spite of their gorgeous look and build, I don't think they were intended for top notch systems mainly, on the contrary. A member here is crazy about how good they sound with a 62/HC/140 chrome bumper set.

I have had them twice. The first time we didn't get along together very well, but in my opinion Naim has discretely re-voiced them a little and they do not need 300/500 hours of run-in (so I was told here, then!) to enter into play anymore. Now I have a second pair and can only say that they need some space around them, have a fuller sound than any older Naim design (safe perhaps the Ariva), and seem to prefer amps with drive, being not too edgy and with extended, clean treble and controlled bass.

I have heard Nait XSs sound exactly like that and others with a narrow, slightly dull presentation. If you are looking for a 2nd hand sample, I suggest an older unit that has been turned up loud often. The XS is slightly unpredictable: RSCH's one is a hormonal bomb, the two I had were more Jane Austen style. No problem with power in my opinion, but be lucky with the sample you buy. Listen to it, and the more 'macho', the better.

Hope it helps.

Thank you MAX_B, Chris, & Drewy for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated!

I lived with this combo (XS-2 and S-400) for a couple of years. Very happy with the sound. However, when I demoed the SN (1) I realized that it improved the sound a lot in my opinion (mostly bass but also midrange). I sold my XS-2 to be able to buy a second hand SN1. That didn´t happen so I used my Nait 2 (CB) for about 1,5 years with the S-400(!)... Surprisingly good. After this time I demoed the new XS-2 for about 4 days and felt that something was missing (compared to what I remembered about the S-400/SN1 combo). My dealer hooked me up with the 202/200 instead (home demo)...better but not as good IMO as the SN2 i ended up buying :-) 

I am very happy with this combo and can only recommend that you demo the XS 2 with S-400 before deciding.

Oh. By the way, as good as the Nait 2 is (PrAT bla bla bla) it´s no match for the SN or the XS.. IMHO of course.. (I´m keeping mine anyway..)

I am using the original XS with the S-400's and generally i like them very much.  I had the XS and was using them with Intro's which were then replaced by the S-400 after much auditioning.  They live in a large open area 6m x 11m which has a lot of glass.  Generally they sound good every where in the room but more so in the sweet spot which was what drew me to them.  The other speakers Revel, Proac D28, Devore 88's and Living Voice OBX-RW had lots of positives but they just couldn't fill the room warmly and consistently.  If I had a dedicated listening room I would have had the LV in a heartbeat but I am social music listener and want it be part of the everyday household fabric.  I added a third party PS which really boosted performance, removed any trace of wheeziness (hi-cap would do the same if you wanted to stay all Naim).  If I was to upgrade it would be either the Nova (for box count and ease of use) or 272/250 (to do it properly) but I have no pressing need to do so, it would merely be an indulgence.  

Thank you Magus & Simon for your comments, they are welcome and appreciated. 

I did visit the dealer this afternoon and arranged to have the Ovator S-400 speakers delivered on Thursday morning for a home demo. Looking forward to listening to them in the home environment. They certainly sounded sweet in the demo room.

Thanks to everyone once again who took the time to share your experience, insight is always helpful when looking to make a purchase!

Please let us know what you think.  As an nSat owner in a futile,  long term search of an nSub, I have always admired the 400's but have never heard them.

seakayaker posted:

Wondering if anyone is using the Nait XS 2 with Ovator S-400 speakers?  

Comments or thoughts regarding this combination welcome.

Thanks

Hi,

Nait XS with S400,  was the suggested match by naim itself.

I used them for a while with Nait XS 1 in this attic room and it was more than up to the job. Now i drive them with a freshly serviced  CB combo 62/HC/140 which is equally brilliant.

Definetely the XS seems more at ease with S400 than nSat.

Now is serving Nsta again  in my basement system.

Regards

Roberto

.

Well after listening to the S-400's for a couple of days the decision was easily made to trade in the ProAc D2 Response speakers with stands towards the used pair of Ovators. 

I would like to say I thoroughly enjoyed the D2's, I thought they were fantastic speakers. The S-400's are just in a different class and truly not a fair comparison.

The S-400's soundstage in my living room, 13.5 ft (4.1148 m) x 22 ft (6.7056 m), expanded. The separation of the instruments and vocals along with detail improved. The bass also was dramatically improved over the D2's. Overall I felt it was a an upgrade that turned out to be be a huge improvement, at least to my ears.

I was concerned about the XS 2 being able to drive the S-400's. The dealer along with some folks in this thread commented that the XS 2 would be just fine and it proved not to be any issue at all. 

There was one other improvement made today. Four weeks ago I order the Q4 EVO (Bamboo) rack and that was delivered to the dealer today.

So the current configuration is Synology DS716+II (NAS) > Q4 EVO (Bamboo) > ND5 XS > NAIT XS 2 > NAC A5 > Ovator S-400

Thanks once again to all of you for your comments, recommendations, and responses in the threads I have started over the past few months.

The journey continues.......

@seakayaker,

Great news. I'm happy the S-400s worked for you.  They had the best bass I've heard in my room and great musicality. Cheers!

joerand posted:

@seakayaker,

Great news. I'm happy the S-400s worked for you.  They had the best bass I've heard in my room and great musicality. Cheers!

Thanks, I know I am going to enjoy them for years to come. They sound great, they feel right, and they have been bringing a smile to my face.  

The other bonus is my wife enjoys the sound & their appearance. A win/win all around!

It's always great to read when somebody found a gem for his system -- and it's even better when it comes at a good second-hand price. Have fun with your new speakers! 

Congrats Seakayaker!  Have had my 400s since 2010, and am just as pleased today as when originally purchased.

Make sure they are perfectly level, and it is worth experimenting with positioning as even small adjustments can be audible. For example, I like mine best when toe-in is minimal. But every room and every set of ears is different.

IME, the 400s can only improve should you choose to move up the Naim amp ladder. No rush though - enjoy what you have!

ATB.

Hook

Great news. They will last you well into the future. If you ever upgrade your amplification they will really open up. 

Good to hear(!). Congrats to a great purchase :-)

Skip posted:

Please let us know what you think.  As an nSat owner in a futile,  long term search of an nSub, I have always admired the 400's but have never heard them.

I have N-sats and S400s. The baby system is driven by a Harmon Kardon  receiver and the S400s by a 172/200 combo. The N-sats really sing with the Naim combo, with pretty convincing bass and weight. I have tried a few sub-woofers with the N-sat/HK combo, and they haven't matched well, (because they were low rent junk). I am hoping to upgrade to a 272/XPS?250 combo soon, leaving the 172/200 to drive the baby system.

As an aside, try searching for a N-sub here in Perth Western Australia. Not only futile, but absurd.