anyone recommend speakers for nac72/nap140/hicap

Joc,

I ran that combination with Epos ES14's for several years and was a very happy camper. I would recommend that you try these and Naim Credo's.

Mark.

Joc !

If you like to buy a new speakers, then the Intro 2 is very good choice, but if you can stretch to Allae, it would be even better, but I believe that you must have an acceptable source for it.

Good luck,

Ozren

-The difference between Theory and Practice is much greater in Practice than
it is in Theory.-

If you have a small room, go for the IBl.

Arye

As is often said speakers are a matter of taste.

I have used two sets of speakers with my 72/Hi/140 (I now have 135s).

Castle Trents and IBLs.

Seconding Ayre_Gur's suggestion The IBLs are fantastic speakers. Try to make sure you get the mark 2 version.

There is an upgrade available but it cheaper if you can buy a pair of mk2 straight off.

You can tell the difference by looking at the woofer. If its got a shiny black edge then its the mk2 otherwise its the mk1.

BTW, what is the IBl?

please let me know.

kind regards,

joc

The IBL is a highly sought after, hard to find discontinued small Naim speaker. Your system is good enough for SBLs and you might just catch the last new pair from the factory. It is what I would do.

malcolm

Rega ELAs are also very cheap and very fast.

I have run them of a NAIT1, 110 and a 250 and have sounded great with all of those. I am sure they sound good with a 140 too.

cheers
Gus

Hi Joc

IBLs...

Casper

yes but.. you can't actually walk into any shop I know of and buy IBLs an he hasn't specified that his room is small, and SBLs would be more appropriate in anything above a broom cupboard.

malcolm

And, of course, I will weigh in with my standard vote for the Neat Critique standmount (a little faster) and the NEAT mystique floorstander (a little more full-bodied).

I have a CDS2/72/Hi/140 and I love my NEATs.

David

Joc,

I can certainly support the Epos ES14 recommendation especially with Epos up and running again therefore able to offer servicing facilities and back up. I ran the 14's from 32.5/140/Snaps, upgraded to Hi-Cap and then finally slipped in a 250. The 14's served it all up - speed, dimension, depth, emotion and bass. Gotta be one of the hi fi bargains around 200/250 with stand. Depending on your space the stand can really get in the way as the footprint exceeds that of the speaker, fantastic for tripping over. Consider also the Epos ES22, elegant 3 way floorstander, smaller footprint, handsome looks, even pretty. They would keep getting better with any upgrades in the future, stunning sound, probably better in medium to large rooms. I am a fan of the IBL but like someone said 'you can't just walk into a shop and buy a pair'. Same can be said of es14's and es22's as well. Perhaps interesting to note that when u research Epos, Naim amps were used in the R & D to product stage. I think it's true to say that a good percentage of 1985 - 2000 Naim owners would have good knowledge the Epos range, particularly 11's, 14's and 22's?

Steve D

I use Harbeth HL Compact 7 ES-2's with my 3.5/flatcap/102/hicap/140 front-end and IMHO they make an amazing match.

(They're about 3 weeks old and and I'm not sure they're fully burned in yet as they seem to keep getting better every day)

Another speaker to mention is the Mission 780's, one of the best small speakers I have ever heard.

Regards

NB

How big is your room?

How loud do you like to play it?

How important is bass to you? Do you like a lot our are you satisfied with lean, but tuneful bass?

What speakers are you using now?

Are you willing to upgrade the amp to drive a harder load if your perfect speaker happens to be a harder load?

Do you value dynamics or tonal accuracy more highly?

Food for thought...

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Joc
You of course have to listen for yourself before buying but to me the Epos range is a very good match for your gear.
I would look at a pair of es 11´s.
Have them my self and was very pleased with them when driven by a nait3. They still just performs better and better with each upgrade I´ve made. Have had them about 12 yers so they seem too have a good build quality.
The es 14 and 22 certainly are very good but I suppose they need a little bit more power than a 140.Might be wrong there but I would try to get a 250 in that case.
If you can get hold of a pair of 11´s check that the baffel bolts are not loose. In that case tighten them somewhat.
Always use them with the original stands.
Es 11´s are today a "used superbargain" and let you have the funds to either buy more music or an improved front end.

regards
Gunnar

A second hand set of SBLs would sound fantastic. Mine do! They're Mk1 and I use a 72/Hi-Cap/250. I've also got some Mission 780SE speakers running from a 140. While the 250 was being serviced I used the 140 to run the SBLs. OK so the 250's better, but the 140 is fun and more than capable of doing the business! My room is about 13'x13' with a 12'x6' annex so it's a reasonable size. SBLs can be cheap, get some and enjoy the music!
Noel.

Spendors are nice--very good rhymically but laid back presentation, easy to drive. Not for everyone, but a nice contrast to the other speakers in this thread, and they are rhythmically coherent--i.e. good PRAT, and they are nice'n'easy to drive, even for a 110/140.

--Eric

M2cw.....

Can't go wrong with earlier Naim speakers (why they call them speaker I don't understand).

IBL's are fun (I own an ES11 myself and would prefer an IBL), SBL's are great and value for money. All in a musical context, and both are capable of being run through a NAP140 (seen and heard)

Naim are selling off the last sets of SBLs that they have for a very good price indeed. If your room isn't massive, you would be all set with these speakers for some time to come. The 140 will be just enough to drive them properly, and you can upgrade the source/amp combination for a long time before feeling that you really need to upgrade the speakers. Most Naim dealers still have SBLs on demo, so you'd even be able to get the full usual benefits of extended warranties and full dealer support. Naim will only sell the SBLs through their dealer network unless there aren't any dealers in your area.

I recommend you hear them before you buy however, since they can be an acquired taste.

Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.

I started using a 72/140 with Ruark speakers and they sounded fine.

I upgraded to SBL's which were in a different league soundwise and pricewise. But its one of the best upgrades I ever did.

Other choices, Definitely Epos speakers are a good match. Naim/Epos is a good pairing

Claude P
Do you still have your Harbeths and how do they sound now ?

Quote from Alex95:
Claude P
Do you still have your Harbeths and how
do they sound now ?

Difficult to say, as they tend to make themselves "disappear" to leave all the place to the music. I guess the best way to describe them is they sound just ... right.

How they achieve that? Very little coloration in the medium - some reviewers have mentioned that their midrange is comparable to that of electrostatics - where IMO 60% of the music is.

But you also get a very good - i.e., tight, agile and fast - bass (though not extreme bass) and detailed but not overly aggressive highs.

In fact based on my listening trests they are comparable to Spendors SP1/2 (with whom they share BBC origins) are but with more open mids and a brighter overall balance. And oh, they do PRAT very well too.

Another vote for Epos ES14s - bought mine secondhand a couple of years ago and they're brill. Certainly a secondhand bargain and seem to be readily available - they pop up in Loot frequently.

Sounds good to me.