Regrettably not Naim!
I had gone to the show to listen to some AV and to hear the new SBL's (!) and preamp.
The naim AV2 system was the best of the AV bunch especially when I heard that Naim was going to release a DVD player in the next year or so (about £2k was mentioned). The arcam AV demo was a disappointment especialy as they don't do a 3 amp supply for use with existing set ups. So it looks like an AV2 + NAC175 plus the new DVD player in a few years.
The CDX/82/250/Allaes system sounded very precise and too dry and unemotional. This was maybe due to the room as I was impressed with the allaes last year.
The SL2/500/552/52/CDS2 demo was impressive in its way of showing that the 552 is just (IMHO) better than the 52 - but not £6k worth. The diappointment to me was the SL2! I did not like the look of the thing it seemed rather slabbish with large surfaces of not very interesting cherry veneer. The overhang of foam at the top rim seemed as if the grill had not been cut to the correct size. A pretty speaker in my view it is not! It did however sound very clear and transparent but not twice as good as my SBL's. The choice of music did not help and I came away feeling completely underwhelmed.
My humour was restored in the Wilson Benesch demo. They had the conservatory and there was an instant luxury feel with leather sofas in a seemingly vast area of space. The speakers were an absoulute revelation to me. The initial ones heard were the Chimeras and they stopped me in my tracks with the hairs on the back of the neck feeling. We heard some jazz and the soloists were really there in the room - amazing emotion. Went back after the naim demo to hear some more but they had changed the speakers to I think discovery or arcs - small stand mounted. Although not as awesome as the chimeras they possesed the same clarity and emotion. I was really impressed.
So Wilson Benesch did it for me. Does anyone use Naim electronics with these speakers? I would be very interested to hear the views from anyone who has.
Cheers
Peter
Posted on: 25 February 2002 by Alex S.
I've home demmed the WB Arcs and heard them at the show where they were being over-driven. I ran them with CDS2/82/SC/250. They had a steely quality I didn't like and couldn't live with. I like Discoveries a lot but don't know how well matched the Naim gear would be since I heard them with valve stuff (maybe the Arcs would sound great with tube stuff with welly).
Not much help I know - If David Hobbs-Mallyon does not respond here then perhaps you should email him.
Alex
BTW Naim impressed me at the show.
Living Voice really impressed me at the show.
Posted on: 25 February 2002 by David Antonelli
Hi,
I have wilson Benesch AcT 2 speakers with a CDS 2/52/250 (soon to be 500) and they are absolutely stunning. It is a good combo as you get all the pay offs of round earth with the absoluete zenith of flat earth in the same package.
I have not heard the Chimera's but after the 500 if I ever move into a larger house, the extra cabinet volume and isobarick drivers might be worth the extra 5K. The bishop is too big and too expensive for me, but the act 2s are the best speakers I've ever heard. So I imagine the chimera and bishop to sound the same, but with deeper, more detailed and controlled bass, although the ACT 2 is no slouch in this area and doesn't appear to have any weaknesses I can see - a speaker composed only of strengths IMHO.
dave
Posted on: 25 February 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon
Peter,
I've sent a mail to you on the subject.
Alex, do you want to give a bit of detail on the OBX's. I think it shares the same tweeter as the ACT2.
David
Posted on: 25 February 2002 by Derek Wright
Dave A's erudition re the ACT2s says it all - I use a 500 to drive a pair. The aural experience is amazing / wonderful etc etc.
Fortunately for me I have not heard the Chimeras so I can I do not suffer from speaker envy <g>
Derek
Posted on: 25 February 2002 by Alex S.
I thought the Living Voice room was easily the most impressive sound at the show, especially considering the small hotel bedroom they were stuck in.
I think the OBXs have the same tweeter - Scanspeak's top Revelator.
They were driven by about 11K's worth of Canary valve gear and managed to utterly dispel all valve myths. They were super fast, dynamic (and loud) with all the clarity, subtlety and tonal values you'd expect from good tubes. Quite a revelation really.
I'm happy to stay as I am I think but if I ever change this will be the direction to go in for me. For curiosity's sake I'll try the OBXs on the end of my system but I've been warned that they may be too sensitive for the likes of 135s or our DV since both like to shift current and drive quite difficult loads.
Regards,
Alex
BTW All those lovely Pulsar Points have been relegated to the speakers and second system.
Posted on: 26 February 2002 by David Hobbs-Mallyon
I've yet to hear the ACT2s at home, although, this may happen in the near future. I was hoping that the OBXs may be a cheaper alternative.
Why did you get rid of the Pulsars?
BTW, I hear that the L300 is very very good.
David
Posted on: 26 February 2002 by Alex S.
The Pulsars move around the system occasionally without me ever quite deciding whether they're any use or not. Not to worry, keeps me occupied.
Scanspeak tweeterwise I think the 970000 is what the LV Avatars use whilst the OBXs use the Revelator.
Alex
Posted on: 26 February 2002 by David Antonelli
Hi,
The act 2 and Bishop use the super revelator, while the act 1 uses only the revelator. there is quite a difference between these two tweeters in performance. I think the discovery and the Chimera
use a slightly modified super revelator, although Wilson Benesch is notoriously slow at updating their web page. Maybe that's why their speakers are so good. More time on product development and less on marketing.
dave
