For ATC and/or Nait XS lovers only!

Alonso posted:

I got curious, beyond what is commented on this fine forum, about how people actually partner their ATC speakers with Naim power amplification (I left sources aside for the sake of simplicity) since I was more interested in the perennial question "is X amp 'enough' to 'move' Z speakers' and more specifically and also I wanted to know with what speakers people partner their Nait XS (since I have one) I know, it is a very focused/narrow and ultimately selfish comparison, but I thought I'd post it here for anybody who's also asked themselves the same questions and would like to comment on this very limited search ...

 

My observation: you missed mine, NAIT XS and Naim Allaes. 

I freely admit though I don’t know how it helps! 

C. 

My second system has an XS2 Flatcap XS combo so probably not in my profile, and I use IPL ribbon/metal mid base kit speaker with subs as they are sealed cabinets.......

I'm a not a fan of either.  Boom, gatecrash!  I have a friend running an XS2 and PMC 20.21, a combo not featured in your list.  Sounds pretty good; gets a bit out of control if you push the volume though. 

What has lead you to wondering about ATC?  ATC, from the entry upwards, need some grunt behind them even according to the spec sheet, and beyond that of an XS.  What you've observed is not surprising to me. 

Alonso , I think you are missing a critical element in your assessment : the preamp. All those people using a 250 have also a very good preamplifier. This is where the nait xs will come short , not his power amp section.
Guess what , I have a SN2, with plenty of power but the best partner of my atc 19 is my combo 32.5-160

Alonso, ATC are available active and presumably “perfectly balanced,” have you heard them in that configuration with your equipment  and do they support and complement the Naim sound which is the reason we own Naim?

May I ask other ATC owners how active speakers have advanced or altered their Naim sound experience?

I used to use an XS 2 into Spendor SP2s.

I know someone who currently uses an XS 2 to drive Wharfedale EVO Pacific 20s.

I also disagree that the preamp is the weak point of the XS 2, with an external power supply it exceeds the capabilities of the XS 2 power amp.

SongStream posted:

What has lead you to wondering about ATC?  ATC, from the entry upwards, need some grunt behind them even according to the spec sheet, and beyond that of an XS.  What you've observed is not surprising to me. 

Since I brought a pair of SCM40 home for demo, I fail in love with the sound. They were hooked up with my current Nait XS and although they sounded great to me, the 'consensus' was that the Nait was not really suitable for the SCM40, so I decided to find out which ATCs people partnered with their Naim amps (hence the absence of any non-Naim, Non-ATC component on my list)  - So yeah, bummer. No SCM40 for me now...

cnewyork posted:

Alonso, ATC are available active and presumably “perfectly balanced,” have you heard them in that configuration with your equipment  and do they support and complement the Naim sound which is the reason we own Naim?

May I ask other ATC owners how active speakers have advanced or altered their Naim sound experience?

I've also wondered the exact same thing " how active speakers have advanced or altered their Naim sound experience"

but in answer to your question, yeah, I've considered the SCM40A but they are simply out of my budget ..

SCM40A worked out cheaper than the SCM40 for me as I sold my 250DR , cables....less fuss cables platforms etc

I tried
N272/555_250DR_SCM40
N272/555_300DR_SCM40
N272/555_SCM40A

Didn't take very long to understand why people like active set ups

Parlee-king posted:

SCM40A worked out cheaper than the SCM40 for me as I sold my 250DR , cables....less fuss cables platforms etc

I tried
N272/555_250DR_SCM40
N272/555_300DR_SCM40
N272/555_SCM40A

Didn't take very long to understand why people like active set ups

Thank you for replying! - You're the perfect candidate to ask what someone already asked

"...how active speakers have advanced or altered your Naim sound experience?"

 All of a sudden you dropped a big element of Naim's chain (amplification) by going active with ATC amps - I am sure that had a huge impact - How would you describe it.

Looks like my combination is listed there too. (ATC SCM11 NAP200) with a DAC-V1. A simple but wonderfully musical system. I absolutely love what the SCM11’s do. Clean, fast, precise and perfectly balanced.

Ian.

"...how active speakers have advanced or altered your Naim sound experience?"  

Interesting question to answer, I feel the move to ATC speakers has more sound effect than removing the power amps & speaker cables.
Its now more dynamic, super clean mid range, Piano solos are just stunning......certainly more enjoyable,.  and all for in effect nothing after I sold off my cables, speakers and amps.

also my other half is happy that a few ugly black boxes have disappeared and we can have a smaller rack ..... she did ask if we can just have one box (KDS?)

Parlee-King, regarding your comments: "I feel the move to ATC speakers has more sound effect than removing the power amps & speaker cables....Its now more dynamic, super clean mid range, Piano solos are just stunning......certainly more enjoyable."

Parless-King, your observations are certainly enticing! Naim's signature sound offers unique opportunity to easily focus on the music by modifying, or minimizing other elements in  recordings highlighted by more exciting and virile amplification that you describe. Like so much it falls to matter of personal preference, my instinct has been to remain married to Naim, but I am mindful of value of active speakers that Naim is avoiding. In my own forthcoming search for speakers I will definitely use your experience as reference.          

Remember many recordings will have been mixed using ATC monitors 

You must listen for yourself and decide what is best for you..... But it's the best no cost upgrade I've done.

cnewyork posted:

Parlee-King, regarding your comments: "I feel the move to ATC speakers has more sound effect than removing the power amps & speaker cables....Its now more dynamic, super clean mid range, Piano solos are just stunning......certainly more enjoyable."

Parless-King, your observations are certainly enticing! Naim's signature sound offers unique opportunity to easily focus on the music by modifying, or minimizing other elements in  recordings highlighted by more exciting and virile amplification that you describe. Like so much it falls to matter of personal preference, my instinct has been to remain married to Naim, but I am mindful of value of active speakers that Naim is avoiding. In my own forthcoming search for speakers I will definitely use your experience as reference.          

ATC are known to strive for accuracy and clarity. Naim are known for the “Naim Sound”, with suggestions, never formally acknowledged, that there is a degree of shaping of the sound to emphasise certain aspects, to which you allude. Preference is down to the individual

BTW, as a technicality my observation is that only a small proportion of forum members have included their system details in their profiles, so the data extracted only represents those people not necessarily the forum as a whole.

What is the split  of DR and non DR amps ? Not sure how relevant it might be though. 

Warning facetious comments follows...

Alonso posted:

Who partnered a 300 with an SCM11!?

I don't know who ... but presumably you do as you did the searching!

If I find out and can tell you though, do I get a prize?

Eloise posted:

Warning facetious comments follows...

Alonso posted:

Who partnered a 300 with an SCM11!?

I don't know who ... but presumably you do as you did the searching!

If I find out and can tell you though, do I get a prize?

I suspect it's the forum member who also has 6x135's and DBLs.

Eloise posted:

Warning facetious comments follows...

Alonso posted:

Who partnered a 300 with an SCM11!?

I don't know who ... but presumably you do as you did the searching!

If I find out and can tell you though, do I get a prize?

ha! beyond who as in what's his name was a 'who on earth' sort of thing... it felt like having this high performance Supercharged 4.0 V8 and putting in a car with excellent Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (but 185/55 15 size)

Innocent Bystander posted:

BTW, as a technicality my observation is that only a small proportion of forum members have included their system details in their profiles, so the data extracted only represents those people not necessarily the forum as a whole.

I was aware of that but Naim would not give me the emails of it's client base so I could ask them (I did try) but yeah, I guess most Naim owners don't even bother to register on the forum, only geeks do, and of those who do, many as you say don't even bother to detail their system

Parlee-king posted:

"...Its now more dynamic, super clean mid range, Piano solos are just stunning..."

You probably know the story behind ATC and its founder, Billy Woodman's ... Your perception is perfectly aligned with  the extract below

"Having moved from Australia to join Goodmans as an R&D Engineer in the U.K., Billy also toured the length and breadth of the country as a jazz pianist – effectively playing his way to setting up ATC. It was a marriage of a love for piano with a strong engineering background that drove the beginnings of the company, which started out on the banks of the River Thames in Chiswick"

https://www.soundstage.uk.com/...perfect-loudspeaker/

The guy basically was obsessed with achieving the the best piano reproduction, which he felt was one of, if not the hardest instrument to reproduce correctly due to its huge dynamic range...

Full interview here

http://studio-hifi.com/images/...Choice%202015-02.pdf

I have used the xs predecessor 122/150 with another difficult sealed speaker: the Spendor sa1.  In a small room it worked ok - but after moving the system to a bigger space the system sounded a bit strained and shouty.  It wasn't until I used a Supernait to pair with the Spendors that I realized what a hard time the 122/150 was having driving these speakers.  

Innocent Bystander posted:

cnewyork posted:

Parlee-King, regarding your comments: "I feel the move to ATC speakers has more sound effect than removing the power amps & speaker cables....Its now more dynamic, super clean mid range, Piano solos are just stunning......certainly more enjoyable."

Parless-King, your observations are certainly enticing! Naim's signature sound offers unique opportunity to easily focus on the music by modifying, or minimizing other elements in  recordings highlighted by more exciting and virile amplification that you describe. Like so much it falls to matter of personal preference, my instinct has been to remain married to Naim, but I am mindful of value of active speakers that Naim is avoiding. In my own forthcoming search for speakers I will definitely use your experience as reference.          

ATC are known to strive for accuracy and clarity. Naim are known for the “Naim Sound”, with suggestions, never formally acknowledged, that there is a degree of shaping of the sound to emphasise certain aspects, to which you allude. Preference is down to the individual

Doesn't this make ATC perfect companion with Naim? Accurate and clear reproduction of Naim-sound, that's what we all are looking for, right?  

My setup is the other one of the two SN2 + SCM 40 combos listed. Very interesting listing btw, good job. 

I think XS just doesn't have enough juice to run SCM40. I run them with SN2 + aftermarket PSU, and before current combo with SN2 + HCDR. They really need the PSU to sing. I have tried them with bare SN2 also and I really lost a lot in the sound. Surprisingly though, SN2 + PSU keeps them in great control and makes them sing. No doubt they'd benefit from beefier power amp but I really love how my setup sounds atm. 

Mea culpa, i'm afraid it looks like my "mullet" is outed......

In  defence of my current setup as I've gradually upgraded, my speakers have, for various reasons been left as the last link in the process but I have to say I'm in no way disappointed by the way they sound and will be considering one of their big brothers as a possible replacement when the time comes

By the way, if there is a prize for identifying the 300/SCM11 user do i have rightful claim to it?