Speaker upgrade - Allaes with NDS/555DR/300DR/252 and Supercap DR

Hi Paul,

I would put Kudos S10 or S20 on your list, plus the Proa D30RS. There are many others as well but it can be surprisingly hard to find a pair hat really excel at this price. FT

Have you thought about some SL2s? If not, the Kudos S20 may be a good alternative. 

Esthetics matter but that doesn’t say much, would eclipse TT712s pass that test? They certainly qualify on midrange but the looks wouldn’t suit everyone.

Quad electrostatics? 

A safe bet esthetically might be SL2s or, if you can find a passive pair, NBLs but bear in mind the only parts left are tweeters.

Semi-omnies from Shahinian and Larsen? (I haven’t heard the latter but the reviews are interesting)

Mid range - Harbeth. Up to £5k - SHL5+. Aesthetics - eye of the beholder.

I love the S20s but also Dynaudio and Neat.   2nd hand Ultimatum XLS?   

m.paul taylor posted:

Any ideas on a shopping list at about £5k - looking for mid range clarity. Aesthetics, matter, too. Room about 22 by about 14

 

• paul

Hi Paul,

As well as the obvious. There are a few Kudos C30's out there for silly money. All the qualities you want and more. Just get them set up correctly and/or by someone who knows how to (1 cm here and there makes a difference) and the time to do it. Can be 3/4 hours followed by tweaking for a few days afterwards.

Sound great with Naim kit too.

Kind Regards

RR

SL2 sounds very interesting - speakers need to be placed very close to solid wall - but look hard to find now. Thanks for all the ideas. 

m.paul taylor posted:

Any ideas on a shopping list at about £5k - looking for mid range clarity. Aesthetics, matter, too. Room about 22 by about 14

 

• paul

Hi Paul,

Forgot to add at the time I went from CDS3/XPS/Aro LP12/252/300/Rosewood Alleas to C30's. Very pleased with the C30's but the difference was not massive. Your system is already incredibly good. Alleas are a real Naim bargain in my view.

Kind Regards

RR

Thanks RR

I am sitting here listening and am struggling to drag myself away! Maybe I should stick with what I have!

paul

dynaudio contour 30

I thought the C30s were Kudos low point?

Speakers are such  an individual thing with room matching I would recommend employing a good dealer and doing some home demos. 

The usual suspects from PMC, Neat, Focal, Kudos etc are worth exploring. 

A little bit over budget but I heard the Focal Kanta at Basically Sound on Saturday on the end of a Nova - sounded really impressive. The looks might not be for everyone (yellow and blue ones look like they could be transformers! ) but in the flesh their retro look was kind of cool. 

Finally, are your electronics your end point? I say that as I swapped my 252 Supercap dr for a 552 and am now questioning if I should change / upgrade my PMC fact 8’s - need to let my 552 burn in beforehand deciding. 

Take your time and don’t get caught up in buying blind.

Gary

I’m sure RR loves the C30s, and they may sound great, but I’m not sure how they meet the OP’s specification of something aesthetically pleasing. 

The Strat (Fender) posted:

I thought the C30s were Kudos low point?

Hi,

Met Derek a few times, don't think he thinks that either.

When I moved from 252/300 to KK/Solos they went up another level too.

Kind Regards

RR

Hungryhalibut posted:

I’m sure RR loves the C30s, and they may sound great, but I’m not sure how they meet the OP’s specification of something aesthetically pleasing. 

Hi,

Really? Had more than 30 speakers over the years and my good wife finds these the most aesthetically pleasing of them all.

Tall, slim, marvellous oak finish and I do have some full length grills with them too.

IMHO C20's are far worse looking and we won't go there wrt SL2's etc since you will probably be as biased as I am.

Kind Regards

RR

Second hand PMC 20.26’s. Mine are awesome on the end of the same system.

In the old days of HiFi ( amp, record player) there was a rule 50% to spend on loudspeakers.

When i look at many system here, the stuff except of the LS is in the range of a small car, but the LS, small and cheap, i dont understand, its a waste of sound quality.

Imho LS gives you the biggest boost forward in terms of sound.

So i would  spent a little more, to get a balanced system.

I would recommend the Dali Epicon 6, they are not so well known ( i think in GB) but in Germany they are on top of al lists, they sound and look brilliant.

( There is no home advantage, because they are Danish????)

themrock posted:

In the old days of HiFi ( amp, record player) there was a rule 50% to spend on loudspeakers...

Which "old days" were those?  

In my old days, the wisdom was to spend pretty much everything you had on the source (usually a Linn Sondek, if you could stretch that far) and then beg borrow or steal to get something like a NAD integrated amp and a couple of tin cans on strings for speakers (Oh OK, Maxims or Diamonds then...).

It’s the perennial problem of the OP wanting to put them close to a wall hence the recommendation of older Naim ‘speakers. Lots of interest on the Forum for SL2s at the moment too. I am not so sure about Jon’s assertion that modern designs are much better given my limited exposure to ‘speakers in the last few years. Certainly boundary designs which seem rare as hens teeth.

Separate Box Loudspeakers anyone?

Stu

Hi Paul B&W 804D3 retail at £6700 check with your dealer for a exdem pair probably about £5700 they are not fussy about room positioning great speakers that love the 300amp.

Richard Dane posted:

themrock posted:

In the old days of HiFi ( amp, record player) there was a rule 50% to spend on loudspeakers...

Which "old days" were those?  

In my old days, the wisdom was to spend pretty much everything you had on the source (usually a Linn Sondek, if you could stretch that far) and then beg borrow or steal to get something like a NAD integrated amp and a couple of tin cans on strings for speakers (Oh OK, Maxims or Diamonds then...).

The Wisdom in some quarters not everywhere

Paul, Allaes must sound stonkingly good with your set. I'm not entirely sure what I'm going on but I wonder about something from either Wilson-Benesch or Neat Acoustics for you.

I don't like to see a man abandoning his Allaes though.

C.

Richard Dane posted:

themrock posted:

In the old days of HiFi ( amp, record player) there was a rule 50% to spend on loudspeakers...

Which "old days" were those?  

In my old days, the wisdom was to spend pretty much everything you had on the source (usually a Linn Sondek, if you could stretch that far) and then beg borrow or steal to get something like a NAD integrated amp and a couple of tin cans on strings for speakers (Oh OK, Maxims or Diamonds then...).

The 80s.

But in my opinion, a medicore scource with a top Loudspeaker sounds better than a top scource with a medicore Loudspeaker.

I had a manticore source for a while, damn fine deck.

It would be interesting to see what you made of a pair of NBLs which have a phenomenal mid range, a great sense of scale  and can be bought for silly money these days.

Peter