Pro Ac with Naim

Reto,

In my experience PorAc speakers, all models, are a bit like Naim equipment: the people that like really like them, and the people that don't, really dislike them.

I've been using a pair of the old Super Tablettes for about eighteen months, and my father's had the same model for 14 years. Neither of us have any inclination to change them despite listening to various speakers from various companies (inc. Naim).

The best advice is: if you're dealer is good, they should be able to lend you a pair for a home dem, get them and try them.

A couple of things to consider, tho': personally I'd prefer not to couple the Response 2.5's with something smaller than a NAP140. Also, if you do get a pair either on dem or for keeps, remember they need running in: 40 hours is a minimum normal running in time for ProAc speakers.

Good luck, and hope this helps.

Chris L

I am using 1SC's with 3.5/72/hi-cap/140 and am broadly happy. 1SC's are tough to drive, not sure about 2.5s. Main criticism from me so far is that the bottom end is not tight enough. I have heard that stepping up to 250 cures a lot of the problems. Mids and highs are sweet and clear. Makes Jazz and Vocal sound sound great...struggles more with Rock, think it is power related.

Reto--

I ran 2.5s off a 32.5/Hicap/250 for about 3 years and really enjoyed them--highly musical speakers.

They do seem to need a large room (mine was 27'x14') with room to breathe--mine were about 4' out from the back wall. They also need some grip to do timing well--I always felt like a 250 was about minimum, having tried a 180 just for grins.

The speakers got dramatically better when a 82 replaced the 32.5--of course !

Heard them off a CDS2/52/135 combo and, frankly, they were maxed out. They don't do tune, speed, rhythms etc as well as SBLs, but they are A LOT more lush and round earth sounding.

Whoever said above that they can be a love it/hate it type of speaker was right on.

Cheers,

Bob

Ride the Light !0

Reto:

I pretty much agree with Bob Edward's opinion above. I've got 3.8's. ProAc's are very musical speakers. It's unlikely that you will ever get tired of the sound. They always sound great.

On the other hand I've got some Epos 22's that do the PRaT thing much better than the ProAc's. They're a royal pain to set up and don't offer as much musicality, imaging or soundstage. I imagine the Epos-22's have many similarites to the SBL's.
When set up right though they take you places the ProAc's cannot.

On the other hand the ProAc's are easy to set up, always sound great and, in a round earthy kind of way, work well with Naim kit.

I also disagree with the post above about the Totem Mani-2's. They are about the same as the ProAc's speed wise. They are a very good compromise speaker offering lots of flat earth qualities but with prodigious bass and a so-so midrange. Hard to drive too(need NAP135's).

You really need a home demo to get to the differences though.

Arthur Bye

Has any one any experience partnering the new Future .5's with top of the range Naim equipment? Imo Pro-ac speakers go well with Naim and this gorgeous looking/sounding speaker should be on everyone's shortlist at £3-4,000.
Any comments?

I have Future One's which have a different midrange driver and, of course, larger cabinets and I like them very much with my 5 series electronics. I'd say their outstanding characteristic compared to other speakers I auditioned was their ability to render detail.

One of their charateristics, which I imagine other futures share, is that the extended feet on the rear of the speaker seems to make them pretty wobbly. I wrote Proac asking about ways to stabilize them, but they never answered.

The stylishness of the cabinets also had a very high WAF in my household.

Outside of that, I agree with the other comments made about Proac speakers and as I said I like mine very much. If the .5s sound anywhere close I agree they rate a listen with naim gear.

OK - everyone thus far has gushed about ProAc speakers with Naim equipment and, as a ProAc owner and former, and probably future, Naim owner, I'd like to offer a counter opinion.

First, the 2.5's are a different beast from may of the other, especially prior, ProAc speakers. The main driver is different and this makes the 2.5 different in many ways.

That said, I find the sound of Naim/ProAc combos to be fundamentally broken. The result is very analytical and the musical message gets messed up in a way that can be hard to describe. As Bob noted, "They don't do tune, speed, rhythms etc as well as SBLs".

The many ProAc dealers I have spoken with usually say that Naim owners often like ProAcs with Naim - and it is OK - but that ProAcs do mucho better on the end of tube stuff like the Audio Research equipment it was designed to work with. Remarks like, "If you like ProAc with Naim, just wait 'till you hear it with with AR" I've heard many times.

I'm not slagging Naim at all - I've heard Naim with other speakers in head-to-head against my own Response 2's as well as 1SCs and there are other speakers out there that provide a much more fun as well as informative listen, to my ears, than ProAcs.

- GregB

Hi,

I prefer the ProAc's to SBL's. The first impression when I compared them against each other, was that the ProAc's just made more fun.
They just play beautiful music. On the other hand
listening to SBL's is more a searching process, yes I had to search the details to find out that
there are things that the SBL does better, though there character is quite different.

To me it's just sit down and enjoy the music (
not analysing it) and that's what the ProAc makes
perfectly well!!

Of course everything is a matter of taste...

cheers.

Reto

CDX, NAC102, NAPSC, Hi-Cap, NAP 250 (on Target Rack), Chord Odysee 4, ProAc Response 2.

I am currently using ProAc Response 3.5s.....I have tried the 3s and prefer the more open & dynamic sound of the 3.5s.....they are really quite different speakers. I`ve a friend using the 4s....he`s biamped them with 4x 135s....the "synergy" is not so good though. I was using Isobariks...the world`s best bass..(I also owned SBLs for a number of years. The SBLs couldn`t work in my room due to alcoves...lovely speakers though...people who like SBLs should like ProAcs...slightly more "rose-tinted", cultured, sound. Just a point though.....sand filling is a must; also the supplied spikes are crap for such a pricey speaker....I made my own plinths out of plywood/mdf and used spikes with proper T-nut inserts.....these will never loosen if you overtighten the lock-nuts---the threads will strip first. These plinths and the sand/lead shot fill transformed these speakers...very fussy about positioning though.....havn`t really heard a speaker I prefer...B&W Nautilus` I`ve heard are very refined though too "distant" for me.....quite like what I`ve read about the Tannoy TD12(?)...I used to have a pair of Tannoy Dual Concentrics...not exactly neutral but fantastically dynamic and coherent....wish I hadn`t sold them....Tannoy DCs really bring something unique to Naim amps.....I am determined to own a pair again someday soon. Anyone else out there had any experience with Tannoy DCs with Naim amps?

Best wishes

Laurie S

I'm using CDS2/52/135 with a pair of Proac Response 2.5 and I'm very happy with the combo. My speaker choice was somewhat restricted as there is no Naim dealer in Ireland and I had agreed with my wife on the colour of the finish, thus ruling out B+W, for example. The finish is Birds-eye maple and they really look good, although they need to be used without the grilles.

My dealer was able to give me a demo pair for a couple of weeks before I made up my mind. I really think that speakers need to be auditioned in the room before any decision.