Reference 3a De Capo I

Sounds fantastic.
IIRC, some of the Reference models are made in Quebec, no? What's the MSRP?

Could you describe your actions with the NASF?
I'm considering trading in my Mystiques for Petites.
I'm using CDX/72/hi/140 and by all accounts it won't be enough firepower.

Mike, MSRP is 2500, but you better shop around-- (sha nan na na) as I did.I had a go at the NEAT Petite 3's for a bit, listened to Ninkas and Katans. I thougt the Petites sounded fine for everything except what i listen too-- opera and classical stuff. They just thinned voices a bit too much for me and made Luciano sound kind of -- pinpoint. He is anything but that, as you know. Yeah-- tonally they just didnt float me. Also, that tweeter is definitely-- there. It sounds a bit too much like a -- tweeter, for me. You cant forget about it. Otherwise they imaged (yeah yeah) real well and were great with rock. Buuut-- with a 140, tis true they were a bit dynamically constricted. You needed to wick it up to get it on. The bass problems others have spoke off with them though, never really happened for me. Against the Katans, they were just off tonally. The Katan was a more balanced sound-- meatier tonally, even for a small speaker and i think a bit faster-- but that could have been their relative ease of drive.. My Reference 3a's are still breaking in, but NO JOKE INDEED are these instruments. The fit'n finish lacks a bit-- they are black boxes. That's it. But the new binding posts are great and they simply dont exist as speakers. The music happens. They are in the room as it does, just casually hanging out. My 140 could be a 14 or a 1.4, for all they care. This load is no effort. And they dont seem to mind listening in on any kind of music. Kathy Battle-- Tool whatever they listen to in Britain (the strokes, maybe?)-- it's all in their contract. They ARE assembled in Canada, i think. All i can say is, I have owned about 22 pairs of speakers over the last 14 years, and the Reference 3a mm de capo I's are definitely-- one of them.

You've been most helpful and your service record has been updated- honorable discharge.

What are some of the highlights out of the 22 pairs of speakers you've owned?

when i get home from work.

A lot of the highlights are not that high because this was all PN (pre-Naim) and who cares about those bad old days??? Swapping this amp brand and that pre brand with some japanese cd player which didnt work well with the purple wire from this or that company and all that. When imaging was my sine qua non, i was big into Totem Model ones-- I would marvel at the bass and the stage. Sold those for Dunlavy sc-1's i recall. Damned accurate. Damnably accurate. Whatever. I just couldnt get past the fact that they were really--- well, accurate. (yippee). There were Alon ones-- those threw a great stage, but didnt work with my system or something was broken, as i just couldnt groove on them and the soundstage was waaaayyy back of the speakers-- too recessed. Then i danced with electrostats a bit-- or rather, didnt-- Martin Logan Aerius i's, which my Linnaeum extremes (99.00 on sale!) nearly blew away. The logans were too sharp and had no pace at all. Pretty to look at though. Then I had soundlab dynastats. The sound was big and broad, but this was the early model and the woofer seemed not to be aware there was a panel above it. It also boomed a bit, but they were my brother's fav, as he thought that image size counted for a lot. And it was big. Then came apogee stages. The set up nearly killed me and they had nothing going on in the involvement factor other than a super clean treble-- which you had to have the correct vise (sp??) to keep your head in to hear. Soooooooo... I got British on they ass!! I went to Spendor 1/2's which i thought now and then did an uncanny violin impersonation, but that were ultimately, for me, lacking in drama and seemed like an old gent with a bowtie-- slow and dignified. A bit too warmish for me too. So i went with god's own-- the quad 63. Ahhh they were glorious!!! For the week they worked,, they were stupendous!! it was a great week. (they were second hand). One panel arced and the rest is 500 dollars or so of history. By the way--- DONT put them on Arcici stands. They did a great imitation of an anorexic table radio on them. The best one i've heard. Then i re-purchased the 1/2. I sold them AGAIN cause I heard the 2/3 was the bomb!! I got it but never succeeded in getting these to be anything warm and tubby. Probably placement and the lack of NAIM equipment. Sometime in there I had the Sound Dynamic 300 ti, a Harry Pearson cult budget favorite. An excellent speaker for the money, but in Direct comparison with the 1/2, not as involving in the mids-- really its only glaring weakness-- a recessed (slightly) midrange. All of this comparing was with a trust Counterpoint SA-100 and a Pass Aleph 3 and other such things. the Counterpoint was a wonderful piece. I sold and rebought it too. Then, after a few more speakers, I finally realized--- I had been auditioning all these speakers over the years and not loving the sound of any-- hmmmmmm could it possibly have to do with my 200 dollar sony cd player with the cheapo outboard dac??? Naaaaaahhh --- what difference could a cd player make??? a disc is a disc. right?? Then i got a CD 3.5 on the reviews. OOOOOOhhh BABY!! so that's why none of these damned speakers sounded right!! Now I wish i had STARTED with that player and i wouldnt have any of this tale of cash loss and tears to tell. Please send anyone who "doesnt think they can hear any difference in CD players" to me. I'll straighten them out PRONTO. Worth more than all the damned speakers I bought and sold put together. I coulda had a friggin pair of 200 dollar (pound or whatever) missions all those years or something and the correct CD player and that would have saved me... oh hell, that's life. But I digress into the Post-NAIM years (well-- year, actually) and I will get to that anon.........

And I thought I was a badass having bought three pairs of B&Ws in one year.

Man, that's quite a story. So your $200 CDP remained the constant through all that?
Well, at least you singlehandedly kept the American economy afloat thoroughout the 90's.

Too bad you couldn't do Spendor with Naim; it's a nice match. In any event, it seems you hit the jackpot with the DeCapos.

PS, your posts would be a lot easier to enjoy in all their splendour if they weren't formatted as one long sentence

Mike,

er, paragraph?

cheers, Martin

Martin,

Exactly.

Best,

mike

Dont forget to mention that the Decapos are very easy to drive. A favorite among the SET tube crowd.
I have a pair driven by a Nait 5. Solid bass and plenty of power to spare. Dynamic as hell.
The Decapos are a crossoverless design with just a filter to keep the tweeter from getting fried.
Nothing between you and the music.