Mites

I'm don't have speaker advice,  I just wanted to say keep in mind a 6x6 room - any square room - is a problem.  You have a doubling of the rooms bass mode @ 28Hz plus a secondary mode @ 56Hz.

It can be helped - but not fixed - by placing the speakers asymmetrically (not centred in the middle of the room)  & the same with soft furnishings,  but the square room double bass mode will always stand out.  

I would expect a floor stander to be happier in that size room over a stand-mount & I would also not overlook your amp(s)  The 122's I've heard were not the smoothest & the 150 is no powerhouse,  this could be contributing to the Spendor loosing control of its bass & treble smoothness.

Whatever I would insist on a home demo to test speakers on your amps & in your room.  

Alan, I echo all Mike's points about your square room. You also have a nicely balanced set of electronics and I would look for some floorstanders to fill your large space. Two floorstander models, discontinued now but IMO worth seeking out, are Naim Credos and Naim Allaes, both of which have tight bass. The slight caveat with the Allaes is that they were marketed with the next step up in Naim electronics. Nevertheless, there have been good reports of them being used with your electronics, here in this parish.

Others will be able to advise on new models.

Mike's last point is the most salient of all.

Chris

 Hi, as an owner of 21s, and having run them in a 7x4m room (28m2) I would say they would not be suitable, despite being fast, flat and capable of incredible detail and nuance. Your room is too large (36m2 and square as Mike points out, compromised!) 22s are much better bet, but I'm guessing not in the right price range. I would check out the Focal floorstanders or other 'bigger' speakers. Aria sized standmouts did better 'scale' in my livingroom than the 21s at the expense of some finer detail. Your music taste requires some 'air shifting' for realism and involvement, the Mites won't cut it. I love my cheaper Chorus 806s for The Orb, Killing Joke, Talking Heads etc.

I don't know if this will help. Not sure how far away from the wall you have your A5s? I owned the A5s for a while this year, got a great deal on NOS and tried them at home and for me, in my system (Nait XS) I enjoyed them most when moved well out into free space. I mean more than a metre away from the wall. For sure you are having to deal with room modes. Once I had them well out into the room, I really enjoyed them, for the most part. Very nice midrange. Vocals were outstanding. I still found the treble a bit harsh. I started liking the bass a lot more. As mentioned, there is no substitution for being able to try speakers at home, for an extended period.

Good point about space behind, Dave. I'd forgotten that you'd liked your A5s, and with amplification no too dissimilar to Alan's.

Best,

Chris

*with amplification similar to*

C.

Thanks for the replies guys, some interesting points you have raised.

I didn't realise that the 150X played such an important  roll in how the speakers sound, that shows the depth of my knowledge  on things Hi-Fi !

I will experiment with re-positioning the A5s over the next few days and see what effect it has.

Thanks again.

My room is square... it can be tamed with room treatments and furnishings. As noted you'll never eliminate the bass node issue, but you can make it work... especially in a room as large as yours where you can easily place the listening sweet spot well away from the back wall.

Given the room size, I'd go floor standers for sure. Totem Mites are nice little book shelf units, but not at all suitable for a room your size. I'm familiar with the line though as I've owned Arros (these are really special speakers... but again... more suited for a small room), and Hawks. I think the Hawk would be suitable in your room or maybe the Forest model if you can stretch a little (not sure what your budget is). I'm running Proac D30R's now which I love and would definitely suit a larger space. That said, there seems to be some who really dislike Proac with Naim gear... I've never understood this, but to each their own.

One note regarding the above... the Totem Hawk and Forest are very power hungry speakers... probably not suitable for anything below the 250 level of amplification.

Maybe an other reason to look at Proac... they are relatively easy to drive.

Thanks Chris! (please contact me)

HI Dave, Will do, when my MacBook eventually returns from repair.          Best, C.

The best place to reposition your A5s is into the bin. Truly dreadful speakers. I'd have a look at the smallest of the Focal Aria floorstanders, or look out a pair of Allaes. The 122/150 is a really nice amplifier, and will work well with compatible speakers. 

That's a bit harsh! Trouble is, I had some too, and I have to agree - I took mine to a dealer thinking they must have been faulty, and compared them to his demo pair. They sounded the same. My dealer put them on eBay for me, and I went home with a pair of Kudos X2s.

The Mites would get lost in a room of 36m2. They could be a nice choice for a mini system in a small room. Go mid sized and you would want to add a subwoofer. I owned Arros once and loved them. They would be an ideal match for your system - drove them with a CD5X/FC2/Nait XS at the time and they never ceased to amaze me. Alternatively, you might like to consider Dreamcatchers, if it is stand mounts you want. I have not heard them but they get good reviews. That's about it from the Totem range, unless you want to end up having to upgrade the rest of your system. I wouldn't, it's nicely balanced, better to get the speakers right. 

Good luck!

Thanks for all this information chaps, it's really helpful.

The system is sat on a Soundstyle tripod rack which I have had for a few years now.

I replaced the glass shelving with thick MDF  which made things sound a little smoother.

Each item of equipment has it's own shelf. I think I need to book a demo with my dealer, I'm not planning on changing any of the system in the near future as I understand it is regarded as a balanced system.

My dealer stocks the Totems and PMCs  you guys have suggested so I'll start there.

Thanks again,

Alan.

Whoah! Hold on fella! What happened to trying The Hawk's suggestion of pulling the A5s out so that you have around 1m behind them?

C.

Chris, clearly you have never owned these diabolical boxes. 1m is not enough, try 100, sufficient to put them in someone else's house. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's arse, as Elvis once sang. 

Except that The Hawk disagrees. Gotta be worth a try unless Alan is desperate to splash the cash.

C.

Spendor supplied Norman Collier with his PA when on tour... Also British Rail important announcements were put through A5s, common knowledge 

If he can afford a posh car he can afford some decent speakers!

Slow speakers to go with the late trains. 

I'm using Arros in a smallish room driven by CDS2/52/250, and they are very special indeed. I added a Rel S3 sub which added the bottom octave. Nirvana...

BBM

Or, if he had not bought a posh car he could afford a pair of speakers, perhaps

Christopher, yes I will  try moving the A5s around as suggested before I do anything else.

I just needed some suggestions on where I should be looking next as I know how knowledgeable you guys are. The advice from all of you is most welcome, believe me !

Not sure about moving them to the bin though as the binmen don't come until next Monday.

Regarding the car, it actually sounds better than the A5s