AV speakers to go with Credos

Posted by: Ravvie on 30 December 2003

I have been wrestling with the problem of integrating AV into a Naim set-up. Dealers seem reluctant to take this one on, other than to suggest either a separate AV system or the full Naim route.

My critical listening remains vinyl, though we actually spend more time on AV.

Naim centres are unsuitable, mainly because they are physically too deep (dangerous for my 3 year old whose head is at my listening height), would look silly under a wall mounted plasma, oh, and price.

I wonder if a 3rd Credo (s/hand) would be sensible? A dealer (ex-naim) thought I was mad on the grounds that the Yamaha amp wouldn't drive it and wouldn't tonally match anyway. And of course I would have an odd Credo left over.

Previously I owned Mk1 Rega ELAs. Would s/hand Kytes be suitable for rears?

Have currently got a loan of M&K K7 centre and K4 tripoles. These seem to tonally match reasonably well but they sometimes sound like separate speakers. At £875, I'm not convinced, though I'll experiment more with positioning.

Have tried and liked the REL Quake, also on loan, though had nothing to compare it against. Seems to integrate well on LFE, using depth setting but not slam. Should I be aiming for a better sub in my set-up?

I'd appreciate any thoughts you have on these or other options.

Regards,

Ravvie.

System:
LP12, CD3.5 (fc to follow)
72/hc/90 (180 or 250 to follow)
Credos
Pioneer 636 DVD, Sky+, Panasonic plasma
Yamaha DSP E800
Kef 90 centre & Jamo prologic dipoles from previous system

Posted on: 31 December 2003 by Frank Abela

Ravvie

The Yamaha would have no problem whatsoever driving the Credo as a centre. Credos are easy to drive. Your dealer was right in suggesting the all-Naim route simply because Naim speakers have quite a particular presentation which is difficult to match with other makes.

If you can cope with having a Credo as centre, this would definitely be the best match by far! However, I can certainly understand why your dealer thinks you're mad. Another option would be to have Credos all the way around, again the best match! If you don't have the space for the Credos at the back, then Kytes would not be a bad idea although they're quite limited in terms of bandwidth. Also consider IBLs which are a smaller footprint and typically go for around £400. If you're looking for a wallmount, then I guess the Kyte is the more likely option.

One other option at the rear is a pair of Speakercraft in-ceiling speakers. These vary in price from £400 to £1500 a pair and come with adjustable crossovers. The adjustability allows you to modify their presentation to match the main system. Provided they're setup correctly they're very effective and the E-800 will have no problems driving them either.

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.