272/250DR speakers

I have this system (272/250 DR) and employ Totem speakers (Forest).  Quite happy with them.  Small in size, not too fussy about placement, not terribly expensive, look good, and sound great to my ear.  If you need smaller/cheaper the Hawks aren't bad either.

Just sitting here now testing 20.24s, find the PMCs a little too swishy/trebly on the high end and the bass is great but a touch flabby, Aria 926s next.

20.24s though have much more grip and drive than the others tested so far, but still not quite for my ears, or I am having testers/demo ear fatigue :-)

Oh PMCs love tracks like Mark Knopflers Privateering and the opening to Hotel California, not so keen on Metallica Enter Sandman and other heavier rock driven music. Once heavier bass kicks in it looses cohesion, in this room. Need a set at home really as ever.

Thanks Wm for the Totem heads up.

Lord I wonder I end up back to my S400s.....

this kit would be great with Aria 926-936 or it could even reach up to the Focal electra 1008.

I changed my speakers last year and listened to at least six makes of speaker up to the cost of the PMC 20:23s and eventually bought a set of Focal Aria 926 which work brilliantly with Naim and which I love and can't recommend enough.  If I hadn't bought those I would probably have settled on the 20:23s

Just finished todays demo and with the pairs I tested today I have gone for the Aria 926s.

(KEF R500, PMC 20.21 then 20.24 and finally Aria 926)

I love great well driven bass, and tight not even a hint of flabbiness, and the Aria 926 fitted the bill nicely. 

I found the 20.24s just too much top end going on for me and a touch too flabby in the bass,  but lots of grip, fast and solid, just not my type of presentation.

The Aria have a lot of bass, its all there, but handled very well. The speaker placement (traffic lights style) reminded me of the Ovators and I liked them almost straight away with the bass hard but fair and the top end not too troubling/distracting.

Next step is home demo.

So that's possibly 3 of us with dodgy ears then...

I'm really interested to know how this audition goes at your home as this is a combination I could potentially aspire to in the future.

Just for balance I am now listening at home to a pair of PMC DB1i (while I get the Aria 926s here)

I really like these small speakers (owned for 3 years previously on a NAP100/DACV1) but they are exhibiting the same issues I had with the 20.21/20.24s in the shop demo, but they are still fine speakers (but I think I am a little bored of them now)

The 926s, in the shop mind, just had that little something you can't quite always put your finger on, and I did mention I hope I am not favouring them due to my NAIM bias, almost pre-liking them before trying.

The 926s had a lot of very well controlled bass, which is what I was after, but only in the home will the truth win out.

Once home trialled will post thoughts.

I still think you'd be wise to try some SBLs or SL2s before pressing the button. My speakers cost just a little more than the Focals but I suspect they are somewhat better. They certainly work well with the 272/250DR. 'Lots of bass' - no thanks. 

I've always thought that rock music needs bass that hits you in the chest, rather than slops around your ankles. I remember a recent Theatre of Hate gig at the Wedgewood Rooms - you couldn't hear the bass so much as feel it. If the Focals can do that, with no overhang, then they are the one. Deep Purple is probably as near as I get to rock music these days, but the 96k remaster of Made in Japan does sound rather good at 55 to 60 on the volume knob. 

I have never had any issues with the 400s playing heavy, industrial or heavy rock along with any other musical genre. The bass is always controlled but never overly "blown". Maybe the 282/250/SC  combo has a lot to do with it. I wonder how many people here have actually listened to the 272/250 with or without the XPS onto 400s combo. 

I agree with the Totem recommendation. Try to hear the Hawks with your system if you can ..

But where do you find a pair of SL2s?

That's why I mentioned SBLs as well. It took me ages to find some SL2s, but it was well worth it. 

Update :

Just had another demo 

Monitor Audio Gold 200 

Neat Motive

Aria 926 again.

For me the Aria were my preferred choice. G200 had a more bloated flabby bass response, but good high end, not right for any pounding metal, when driven hard they tended to break up a bit also.

The Neat were good, but boring for me.

The 926s had a little more swing about them and again wider staging and just better overall for me.

Home demo next, once the 272/250DR arrive mid-november.

Also discussed speaker cable and IC, I mentioned SL but we also will be testing other options. I have NACA5 and HiLine so will be interesting to see. Power line will run the 272/250DR, although trying to avoid XPs PSU as I want a smaller box count hence IC/Speaker cable.

Off to a Focal Spora 2 demo next Tuesday, different price bracket to 926s but they are attached to 272/250DR so will be interesting.

Just completed a system overhaul, old system Uniti/NAP250/ProAc D2, now NAC272/NAP300DR with standard Burndies/Super lumina Speaker cables/power lines x2.

Biggest problem was the speakers, I have always been a Proac fan (since the were Celef), and first tried the K6 at home, they delivered bass but it seemed somehow to be detached from the rest of the sound spectrum, next came the Focal Sopras, heard the #1s at the dealer, pretty good, but then tried the #2s at home, they fitted the bill perfectly except for their styling which went down like a lead balloon with SHMBO.

Lastly, had a home dem of the PMC Fact12s, all boxes ticked, arrived today, great out of the box, but I trust that the run-in will make them better, just the Super lumina Burndies to go then.....

Sounds a great set up DeepPurple.

300DR/272 plus PMC Fact 12s, lovely.

I tried PMC 20.21 then 20.24s and wasn't particularly blown away, but that was a demo room not my room. My budget is in the £1250-£1750 range for speakers hence the 926s so far being the choice.

926s are ex-demo for £1700 so just within range. PMC 20.24 were on a deal also but just didn't feel the love, although good just not enough for me.

Can you buy Super Lumina burndies ?

Apparenty yes, according to the Naim rep, even though they are not listed anywhere. Maybe just rep speak to keep me away from the Chord version!

Dan, loved the D2s, after the amp/speaker cable upgrade, said to my dealer "not sure if I need a speaker upgrade after all", however the PMCs are magic already.

BTW, most revealing bit of the whole process was changing from Chord Oddessy to S/L cables. I had a dem of the cables, maybe a better bet than new speakers!

D2s are about £1800 plus the right stands, try and get a listen.

Thats is kind of my thinking also. SL speaker cable plus speakers as eventually chosen, would that prove better value than say adding the SL cost to get better speakers?

I demo'd SL IC and speaker cable on my previous system and was impressed, although my dealer is edging me to Chord. So interesting you felt improvement through SL over Chord.

I will be testing all options at home.