Focal or DALI for Superuniti?

What do you find lacking with the Credo's?

Good question but not something I can easily answer.

i'm happy with my Credos but...

I went to a demo at HiFi Cinema on Tuesday and was really impressed by Focal and DALI speakers.  My feeling is that better speakers will deliver more from my SU but would be happy to be dissuaded.

Or put another way, try and demo a NAP200/250 using SU as a streaming pre. It will then allow a natural step up to 272 later. £3grand on speakers for SU is a little steep. My £2grand PMC twenty.22s can take better front end than the SU. If you find the Credo really 'not working' in your room then ok maybe go speaker first.

Not sure £3k is necessary, I have the Focal 926 on a Supernait 2 and I'd be happy to put them on the end of a 250dr.  As for all Naim I was at a demo of the dr amps and Sopras yesterday and was talking to a chap who had come to listen to the 300dr and who had decided after listening to Sopras to swap them for his Ovators.  Its all a matter of taste so I'd listen to loads and then see if you can get a home demo on the ones you liked most.

I don't have any experience of Focal or Dali with my SU although I have heard both brands sounding very nice in other systems. However I do use my SU with £3k range speakers and find the SU is very happy driving them as I am listening to them.

The SU is a fine piece of kit that delivers more musical pleasure for me than my previous 8 box Naim system. If you want to multiply boxes then fine but don't feel you have to! By all means compare your Credos with other speakers, I certainly preferred my Monitor Audios to Allaes by a clear margin so I don't buy the Naim speaker synergy theory. One Naim upgrade that could be worthwhile is a Powerline - I was amazed at the improvement from a mains lead and any half decent dealer will lend you one to try.

Are you intending to keep the SU for the foreseeable future? If so, stop reading now and listen to some speakers.

If you do think you might move on from the SU, perhaps now is the time? For example, with your budget plus the sale of your SU, you could probably get a brand new 272/200.

Peter, I drive with my SU a Dali Mentor 5. It is an older one. The Rubicon is the follower of the Mentor. I Am very happy with this combination. But it depends on your room. I tried a few speakers but the mentor was the best for me in my room, even though there were other speakers sounding better in the dealer rooms. I had the same expierience with Aria 936. At the dealers room it was very good, but in a room of my friend (he bought the Aria 936 for his Cambridge Audio system) it was a no go! My recommendation hear all your favorits against your credos in your room.

Wiesi

Thanks to all for varied, but most helpful, advice.

At some stage I will upgrade to a 272/250 but I want to keep that treat for a future time and I want speakers that can handle it.  I love just having a single box after years of multiple boxes.

I will take my SU to HiFi Cinema and listen to DALI and Aria.  A slight problem is that I may move the system to another room at some stage.

I will definitely try the Powerline although I find that price a bit shocking for a mains cable.

Get some proper speakers. Get some SL2s. With 272, XPSDR, 250DR (and Powerlines !!) they are all the speaker you'll ever need. And you can muddle through with the SU in the meantime. 

Have you considered creating a Signature with your constantly promotion

- not having to repeat every post whats currently in your room/on your agenda - oh and do not forget the bamboo

Updating changes to the latest, greatest, and ultimate flavor of the month would require some vigilance.

It'd be good to know what you deem to be an issue with the Credos so your dealer can help choose an appropriate option.

As it happens we've been reacquainting ourselves with Credos as we have a nice pair in as trade-in for Shahinian Arcs. In our main foyer, the Credos are still brilliantly fun speakers but it's surprising how finicky they are to set up. After some mucking about we had to place them about 10 inches off the back wall, which is far more than I expected.

The SuperUniti is indeed a very capable machine, but you do need to have an idea of where you think your system might go eventually so you know that buying your preferred speaker is not the end of the situation. Last weekend we had the SU driving Kudos X3s followed by Shahinian Compasses and then Arcs, and the customer felt that the Arcs were a step too far for the SU - still sounded very good but the SU was having to work at it, which was distracting. Shahinians are easier to drive than many speakers in the >£3k range, though Focals are generally relatively easy to drive.

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.