Naim Nova Speaker Change

my room is very similiar with the same set up and distance from back wall. I had pmc and now have ATC scm11, the nova is more than capable of driving them..

Just upgraded from Spendor A4 to A7, listened to the D7 but found them a little bright - not run in though to be fair. A4’s were lovely with the Nova and compact too, if you’re tuned to the Spendor sound and liked the A6r then you should check them out. I only upgraded as I’ve a big room and like you I started with an Atom and soon traded up, the A7 give a little more scale and detail but the 4’s might work well for you in the smaller room

See my post regarding speakers that work well with a Uniti Nova:

https://forums.naimaudio.com/t...eaker-pairing?page=2

Thanks for the replies.  I auditioned A4s with the Atom and ended up with the A6Rs as I got them for nearly half the price.  I think the Nova would shine with a better speaker than the A4 or ATC SCM11.  The D7s have another level of detail compared to the A series and yes they did need running in.  I'd be disappointed to lose that so was thinking perhaps DynAudio Special 40s or Focal Kanta No1?

[@mention:69004037620063262] Hadn't considered the Dali Epicon 2 - I'll see if I can get an audition.

Unfortunately the wife doesn't like speakers on stands  so going to look for some more compact floorstanders.  PMC twenty5.23s look about the right size but I didn't think much of the twenty.23s with the Atom.  A4s after D7s seem like a step down .

I use Naim Allaes with my Nova, they can be had for a bargain price on various for sale sites. Seem to suit the Nova very well.

Nick

You should consider Neat Iota Alpha/Explorer.  The Alpha is the ultimate compact floorstander. 

Olly

DiscoVolante posted:

PMC twenty5.23s look about the right size but I didn't think much of the twenty.23s with the Atom.  

That’s because the Atom isn’t up to the task. I used 23s very successfully with a SuperUniti and they were even better with a 250DR. I don’t really think that 5m by 4m is particularly small. My room is even smaller at 5.1m by 3.6m, with speakers firing across. My speakers are quite a bit bigger than the 23s but because they are wall huggers they fit just fine. 

I would strongly advise a listen to Totem if you have a dealer near you. I have just settled on some Sky towers that can be located close to the wall also and image incredibly and my room dimensions are very similar. 

Olly posted:

You should consider Neat Iota Alpha/Explorer.  The Alpha is the ultimate compact floorstander. 

Olly

Unfortunately they are not the prettiest of speakers so aren't even in the running.

hungryhalibut posted:

DiscoVolante posted:

PMC twenty5.23s look about the right size but I didn't think much of the twenty.23s with the Atom.  

That’s because the Atom isn’t up to the task. I used 23s very successfully with a SuperUniti and they were even better with a 250DR. I don’t really think that 5m by 4m is particularly small. My room is even smaller at 5.1m by 3.6m, with speakers firing across. My speakers are quite a bit bigger than the 23s but because they are wall huggers they fit just fine. 

I wouldn't say that at all - they just didn't sound as good as the A4s or Neat Motives I heard them against - incidentally with an Atom and a Star at PJ HiFi.

When I bought my A4’s I auditioned 25.23’s also with an Atom and they dident float my boat either. Currently listening to my new A7’s with my Nova, a lot more detail the 4’s but still a little dry and tight so need running in for a few hundred hours I reckon. They lie somewhere between the A4’s and the D7 to my ears 

I've looked at ProAc, Neat, Focal, Spendor, PMC & DynAudio and the only current floorstanders that seem suitable in terms of size (max 950mm x 180mm x 330mm), visual appeal and sound quality are the A7s and Twenty5.23s.  Are there any obvious choices I'm missing?

@ Mercky - Spendors take a good few hundred hours to settle down in my experience of the A6Rs & D7s.

DiscoVolante posted:

I've looked at ProAc, Neat, Focal, Spendor, PMC & DynAudio and the only current floorstanders that seem suitable in terms of size (max 950mm x 180mm x 330mm), visual appeal and sound quality are the A7s and Twenty5.23s.  Are there any obvious choices I'm missing?

@ Mercky - Spendors take a good few hundred hours to settle down in my experience of the A6Rs & D7s.

Definitely Totem Sky Towers, and I auditioned those you have just mentioned!

always had in my head that PMC 25 23 would be what I would end up with via the feedback and being able to site close to the wall but the Totems were far superior and To others twice the price. 

Thanks - just had a look and unfortunately I don't like the finishes they offer on the Tower . The Forest Signature however looks very nice!

I try to avoid behaving like a Kudos sales person (I'm not one just for the record) on speaker threads, but sometimes can't help myself.  Yes, an obvious choice missing in this discussion so far is the Kudos X3s.  Much like Popeye found, despite the fact I auditioned other speakers at different price points, including the PMC 25.23s, the Kudos speakers were in a different league.  

They're only 25cm deep and just 1cm wider that your limit mentioned above.  It's typical to talk of bass depth and power, and top-end detail, and while better than the competition in this regard, I believe it's the mid-range detail and weight, and the dynamics of the speakers that's so addictive with a wide a range of music, and so easy to enjoy and live with. 

I watched a speaker review on youtube the other day, no idea why as I've no plan to change anything at the moment, but the reviewer started by saying he almost turn down the manufacturers offer to send the speakers for review, on the grounds that it was just another two drive units in an MDF box, and nothing stand-out about them on paper.  After explaining that he decided to give them a try, he then ran on for the next twenty minutes about how wonderful they were.  I too have heard a good number of speakers that are two drive units in a MDF box, and with nothing stand-out about them on paper, yet in listening, even at some pretty hefty price points, the sound from two drive units in a MDF box can be anything from awful right through to sublime.  Make no assumptions and listen before judging.

There, sales pitch over.  Good luck.  

I would think the d7 were made for rooms this size.

DiscoVolante posted:

Thanks - just had a look and unfortunately I don't like the finishes they offer on the Tower . The Forest Signature however looks very nice!

I have the Forest Signatures with my Nova as my main system in my lounge, which is a much larger room. I have Totem Hawks in a media room the same size as yours, running from a Uniti2, but I’ve run the Nova with them too. The Hawks are great for the smaller room. I’ve tried the Forests in the media room, but I found they need more air to breath.

leni v posted:

I would think the d7 were made for rooms this size.

Probably if the room were just a listening room but mine isn't.  I'm only 2.5m away from them which is too close.

SongStream posted:

I try to avoid behaving like a Kudos sales person (I'm not one just for the record) on speaker threads, but sometimes can't help myself.  Yes, an obvious choice missing in this discussion so far is the Kudos X3s.  Much like Popeye found, despite the fact I auditioned other speakers at different price points, including the PMC 25.23s, the Kudos speakers were in a different league.  

They're only 25cm deep and just 1cm wider that your limit mentioned above.  It's typical to talk of bass depth and power, and top-end detail, and while better than the competition in this regard, I believe it's the mid-range detail and weight, and the dynamics of the speakers that's so addictive with a wide a range of music, and so easy to enjoy and live with. 

I watched a speaker review on youtube the other day, no idea why as I've no plan to change anything at the moment, but the reviewer started by saying he almost turn down the manufacturers offer to send the speakers for review, on the grounds that it was just another two drive units in an MDF box, and nothing stand-out about them on paper.  After explaining that he decided to give them a try, he then ran on for the next twenty minutes about how wonderful they were.  I too have heard a good number of speakers that are two drive units in a MDF box, and with nothing stand-out about them on paper, yet in listening, even at some pretty hefty price points, the sound from two drive units in a MDF box can be anything from awful right through to sublime.  Make no assumptions and listen before judging.

There, sales pitch over.  Good luck.  

Thanks I quite like the look of them so will find out more. Are you running them with a Nova?  Also how far from the back wall as I'm limited to 15cm - 20cm depending on speaker depth.

My X3s are driven by a Supernait 2.  I've not heard the Nova, but I think it will match up well in terms of power, and I would imagine the design of its amplifier section borrows quite a bit from the SN2.  

In terms of distance from the back wall, mine are just over 50cm away, but that's not because I tried closer and it didn't work, that's just where I put them after unpacking, they sounded great just as they had in a dealer demo, so that's where they've been for the last year and a half.  However, I don't think they will mind being the sort of distance you mention from the rear wall.  They have a down-firing port, and something I picked up when I first heard them at my dealer's, and was equally apparent when I got them home, is that bass reproduction is very clean and free of bloat.  Bass notes remains tuneful, and they can reach really low, but somehow don't cause the room-boom that my Proac d18s often did.  The bass instruments sound more natural and in their own space than any of the other speakers I've owned or auditioned, but they know their place in the ensemble, as opposed to booming over top of it.  This is partly why I think they're unfussy about positioning and should work well for you.  

DiscoVolante posted:

SongStream posted:

I try to avoid behaving like a Kudos sales person (I'm not one just for the record) on speaker threads, but sometimes can't help myself.  Yes, an obvious choice missing in this discussion so far is the Kudos X3s.  

...

There, sales pitch over.  Good luck.  

Thanks I quite like the look of them so will find out more. Are you running them with a Nova?  Also how far from the back wall as I'm limited to 15cm - 20cm depending on speaker depth.

Also not a sales rep, also a Kudos fan... I too noticed they are missing from your list. I have X2s upstairs with an Atom in a sort of lounge / listening area in our (huge) bedroom, and they are lovely even though not ideally placed. They are quite a bit smaller than your size constraint, also have a bottom firing port and no bass boom (even though one is near a corner); I have them 40 cm from wall so they stand forward of a drawer unit. I’ve not heard the X3s, but know there is a real “family sound” from Kudos. These small speakers also perform very nicely with the Nova, but downstairs I have S10s, which are rear-ported stand mounts (in your size range) that I move in and out from rear wall attempting to hear and optimize, but they don’t seem overly sensitive and never have been boomy (although my room is very bright and very spacious)... I’ve been listening for image and depth mostly, not tonal changes if you know what I mean and have had them quite far out into the room at times. Anyway, my thumbs up is to encourage you to have a listen... I like the comment by SongStream about “something special” from a very basic looking design (two way, smallish drivers, basic rectangular MDF cabinet)... if it grabs you, it will just work out. The balance is fine, the midrange and upper mids / highs are clear and sweet; they have tight bass but in my situation might be characterized as “lighter” (and certainly not “heavy”, never mind “boomy” or “one note”). I’ve not heard (or seen!) the new numbered 505/606/higher versions, as Kudos is rare and they  would be pretty spendy here in Canada anyway; they also get rave write ups on the forum and I think seem to have the same ethos for design and performance. Good luck!

Regards alan 

DiscoVolante posted:

I've looked at ProAc, Neat, Focal, Spendor, PMC & DynAudio and the only current floorstanders that seem suitable in terms of size (max 950mm x 180mm x 330mm), visual appeal and sound quality are the A7s and Twenty5.23s.  Are there any obvious choices I'm missing?

@ Mercky - Spendors take a good few hundred hours to settle down in my experience of the A6Rs & D7s.

What changes did you experience after the run-in period? I realise its a gradual thing but were there particular areas that improved over time? I find my new A7's a little bright perhaps and bass a little flabby - but that's in comparison to the year old A4's

I don't think bass response has changed on the D7s - it's always been tight.  They're definitely less bright and dry though which I was warned they would be out of the box. Being so detailed this can be fatiguing at first.