On the borderline of being a mullet – but it sounds really good!

J.N. posted:

Greetings Allante,

The T88 Titan uses the elongated front baffle of the bottom enclosure as a flat physical barrier in front of the two ports which fire into a defined gap. The new curved aluminium enclosure divider employed in the T808 encourages the air from the ports to flow in a more controlled manner. Just one of the innovations of the new model. It also has the function of an attractive enclosure separator.

The defined gap remains effectively the same on both models, with the two ports being offset from each other.

John.

Very good description, John! 

I have nothing to add except this photo:

I hope it helps to understand the design and the impressive craftsmanship behind the Titans!

/Marcus

The Strat (Fender) posted:

On behalf of all us thank you for your responses and the time you have taken.  

L

You are very welcome Lindsay! I’m glad you like it 

Yes, it takes some time but luckily I have vacation… 

/Marcus

Really though, honestly, are they any better than a pair of n-sats?

SJB

On the 4th page!

A very interesting and entertaining thread. I thought the single lousy comment almost spoiled it, but I think it made the thread all the better.

Marcus did the wise thing to demo the speakers at home. I think you truly found what you want... this is not a simple throw money at the problem... although you never had a problem in the first place. Haha

My system is no where near your level, but with naim, when it clicks, it's enjoyable and that is good enough for me.

I am always tempted to find a bigger better and higher end speakers... one problem I worry about is that it will have such a high resolution that it would make most of my music sound horrible. Listen fatigue is a big no no.

It does look like the titans absolutely don't have this problem, and placement is flexible... wow. I wait for 303/404!!

One important thing with Titans is to change the Links If you run them passive. Titans are wired with Chord inside with a Signature link in the box. Changing that one for a Sarum is a rather big step up. I'm going to experiment with Sonority shelves under them also, maybe there is even more to get from them.

Maybe this should be for another thread but changing good old Sarum to new Chord Music (IC, XLR-Din, Speaker cable) was quite shocking...

//Jonas

Hej Marcus,

Very interesting and for me a good learning. I am very soon into the same nice “problem” you just have solved. If I read right you started thinking one and a half year ago. Must be relaxing now!

Myself I am in the final stage of changing my old Naim which are 140, 72, Hi Cap, CD2 and with BC Niger as loudspeakers. No complains they have worked very well for 21 years and still do so. With my retirement we move back to the French part of Alsace and it would be nice with a big Naim upgrade as I will get time to listen to music. My nice, friendly, loving and understanding wife gave me the greenlight as long as the loudspeakers are white or maybe black. By the way Marcus. We have a similar background. My hometown is the big city about 400 km northeast of where you live.

As always I started with a low budget which increased overtime and what are on order and will be delivered early September are similar to yours. I bought NAP 300 DR, NAC 552 with PS DR, NDS with 555 PS DR and a full line of SL interconnects, mains and loudspeaker cables. Storage will be done by a Melco. All put on two Fraimlites.

Still to decide are loudspeakers. I decided first to get the Naim equipment installed and thereafter aim for loudspeakers. Meantime I can continue to use my Nigers.

Never the less with the Naim installation I will get a home demo of the new Sopra no 3 (white). For sure I would also like to listen to others speakers at home such as Neat XL10, B&W 802 D3, Magico S1 mkll and yours Titan which were not on my radarscreen.

What I have found is that it is very difficult to evaluate a loudspeaker at a dealershop. Not just for the difficulties to find the same electronics as at home. I have listened to several brands including the Sopra 2 a few times. For example the Sopra 2 in one audition as not impressing to another audition to near perfect. Near perfect (for my ears) with electronics close to what I am buying so want to give the no3 a first try.

For me it is a question of finding loudspeakers in my neighbourhood. All of the highend dealer are minimum 70 km away. But as retired I will have time.

For info. Our livingroom is 7 m * 4,6 m. Ceiling 3 m and is part of a big open room (90 m2) including kitchen and diningroom. The big room is as an L with the loudspeakers on the bottom right side. Listening distance to the speakers are 4,7 meter and the speakers can have close to 3 meters between them.

Enjoy!

Gunnar

Hu Gunnar,

There is several shops in Sweden carrying Kudos. Derek (engineering of Kudos) are using Naim himself at home. Try 808 and see if you like them. I work with them because I think they produce fantastic products. 

//Jonas

Gunnar - with that setup, get proper Fraim, not the Lite version. 

Saw the Titans in the window of a store in the West Country of England and asked to hear them, having read this thread. They were on the end of an all-Esoteric system and £3000 of speaker cables. Played an old Naim sampler CD as they had no high-res – when I asked for jazz they suggested Pink Floyd! I could not believe how appalling the sound was. Piano and bass sounded as though recorded in different places, completely divorced. Charlie Haden's bass a mushy thump and the piano agonisingly harsh and digital. I don't entirely blame the Titans as it's obvious the dealer didn't have a clue how to set up a system, but it cured me of the desire to hear them again. A lesson in the old truth that you have to hear speakers properly set up with your system in your room to reach a reliable judgment. 

Gunnar posted:

Hej Marcus,

Very interesting and for me a good learning. I am very soon into the same nice “problem” you just have solved. If I read right you started thinking one and a half year ago. Must be relaxing now......

As always I started with a low budget which increased overtime and what are on order and will be delivered early September are similar to yours. I bought NAP 300 DR, NAC 552 with PS DR, NDS with 555 PS DR and a full line of SL interconnects, mains and loudspeaker cables. Storage will be done by a Melco. All put on two Fraimlites..........

Enjoy!

Gunnar

Nice System, and a nice size Room, please keep us informed. Should sound, and look very nice, beit Fraimlite or Fraim.

Naim sure was thinking, the entry level Fraimlite can be upgraded on a level by level basis, to their Reference Fraim!

And cheapskate's like myself, can implement Naims cups & balls.

Enjoy your Music!

Allante93!

Wilko posted:

Saw the Titans in the window of a store in the West Country of England and asked to hear them, having read this thread. They were on the end of an all-Esoteric system and £3000 of speaker cables. Played an old Naim sampler CD as they had no high-res – when I asked for jazz they suggested Pink Floyd! 

Oh dear, as someone who has never liked jazz I see I'm going to have to re-evaluate my music collection or my system as I do very much like Pink Floyd. Does it mean I need to get rid of Pink Floyd? Or do I need to start tweaking response to emphasise PraT and reduce bass? 

Innocent Bystander posted:

Wilko posted:

Saw the Titans in the window of a store in the West Country of England and asked to hear them, having read this thread. They were on the end of an all-Esoteric system and £3000 of speaker cables. Played an old Naim sampler CD as they had no high-res – when I asked for jazz they suggested Pink Floyd! 

Oh dear, as someone who has never liked jazz I see I'm going to have to re-evaluate my music collection or my system as I do very much like Pink Floyd. Does it mean I need to get rid of Pink Floyd? Or do I need to start tweaking response to emphasise PraT and reduce bass? 

No! It means you do like jazz after all. So, apparently, do I.

Hi Wilko,

There are dealers and dealers. Have felt the same when searching for the right buy. Pink Floyd and jazz. Both good but very different. No comments....l.

Gunnar

Hi HungryH

Frame or Lite. I guess you are right but my Lovely wife looked at me in a very special way when I took it up. "A furniture for that price just storing some (very special) Electronics¨.  In her mind the Lite was also too pricy.

So on the upgrade path.

Gunnar

All I'd say is that if you are spending £20,000 on a preamp, plus all the rest, it makes no sense to compromise on supports. The Fraim is simply miles better - I had one when I had a CDS3 with 552 and 300. In the scheme of things, what's a couple of thousand more? And remember, the support can make more of a difference than a new black box. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

All I'd say is that if you are spending £20,000 on a preamp, plus all the rest, it makes no sense to compromise on supports. The Fraim is simply miles better - I had one when I had a CDS3 with 552 and 300. In the scheme of things, what's a couple of thousand more? And remember, the support can make more of a difference than a new black box. 

+1

Sorry to be off topic, but what's the French part of Alsace, Gunnar

Frenchnaim posted:

Sorry to be off topic, but what's the French part of Alsace, Gunnar

With very fond memories of a gite holiday in Alsace a few years ago (and a little eau de vie left still), I guess its another way of saying  the whole of Alsace.

davidf posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

All I'd say is that if you are spending £20,000 on a preamp, plus all the rest, it makes no sense to compromise on supports. The Fraim is simply miles better - I had one when I had a CDS3 with 552 and 300. In the scheme of things, what's a couple of thousand more? And remember, the support can make more of a difference than a new black box. 

+1

It's easy when spending the hard earned money of others, it took Gunner 21 years to get to 552/300DR level.

As one Audio Reviewer put it:

There are only two components worth owning, the best, and very close to the best, for a lot less.

Viewing the Fraimlite, as an Black Box upgrade, it it most definitely, exemplifies the latter.

"For entry-level Naim Audio systems, our FraimLite features the same tripod-style configuration, carefully optimised shelf spacing and high-quality material construction of our reference-quality Fraim.

It retains the cup-and-cone interface system used by its bigger brother too, but omits the dual layer base and ball-bearing decoupled glass shelf. Reference Fraim levels can be incorporated into the same system as FraimLite so that you can upgrade to our top of the range equipment support on a level-by-level basis."

The Fraim is miles better!

Fraim = Fraimlite + Naim Glass, Cups & Balls.

 But in the end, SWMBO has the final decision.

Gunnar, when you get the Fraimlite, top off upper tiers with Fraim. 

Looks nice, and with a loaded Fraimlite, indistinguishable from Fraim.

Buy her some shoes, that may help.

Later you can expirement with Glass and Corian 

Previous post suggest Glass, works better with Amps and PSs, while Corian performs better with the Brains.

Allante93!

Frenchnaim,

Apologize,

 I should have written what I meant -Alsace, France-. The other wording is wrong. Hope no hard feelings.

Gunnar

Gunnar posted:

Frenchnaim,

Apologize,

 I should have written what I meant -Alsace, France-. The other wording is wrong. Hope no hard feelings.

Gunnar

Absolutely no hard feelings, I was genuinely puzzled. Very fond of Alsace too.

Allante93 posted:

Fraim = Fraimlite + Naim Glass, Cups & Balls.

Yes sort of. Fraimlite also omits the dual layer base but the wooden shelf shape is different and far less elegant when not actually used

Sloop John B posted:

Really though, honestly, are they any better than a pair of n-sats?

 

 

SJB

Hi John!

I have never heard n-sats so I can’t be 100% sure. On the other hand I listened to several high-end speakers and the difference were quite obvious between most of them.

Have you tried different speakers yourself?

With your system (CD555-NAC552-NAP300) you should hear a big difference between n-sat and Kudos Titan 808, I believe…

/Marcus

kmchow98 posted:

On the 4th page!

A very interesting and entertaining thread. I thought the single lousy comment almost spoiled it, but I think it made the thread all the better.

Marcus did the wise thing to demo the speakers at home. I think you truly found what you want... this is not a simple throw money at the problem... although you never had a problem in the first place. Haha

My system is no where near your level, but with naim, when it clicks, it's enjoyable and that is good enough for me.

I am always tempted to find a bigger better and higher end speakers... one problem I worry about is that it will have such a high resolution that it would make most of my music sound horrible. Listen fatigue is a big no no.

It does look like the titans absolutely don't have this problem, and placement is flexible... wow. I wait for 303/404!! 

Hi KMCHOW98!

Thank you for your kind words! 

No, I did not have a big problem. Just wanted more performance with a more soild, musical and real sound. Yes, I think that I truly found what I was looking for in the Titan 808 

Yes, I also believe that one need to have a well-balanced system upstream before one invest in expensive and high resolution speakers. Including support, cables and so on…

I’m sensitive to listening fatigue and some of the speakers that I listened to was excluded mainly for that reason.

Make sure to listen to a lot of different brands and models if you are going to change your speakers.

Good luck and enjoy the experience! 

/Marcus

Jonas Olofsson posted:

One important thing with Titans is to change the Links If you run them passive. Titans are wired with Chord inside with a Signature link in the box. Changing that one for a Sarum is a rather big step up. I'm going to experiment with Sonority shelves under them also, maybe there is even more to get from them.

Maybe this should be for another thread but changing good old Sarum to new Chord Music (IC, XLR-Din, Speaker cable) was quite shocking...

//Jonas

Hi Jonas!

Please report back your finding from your experiments with Sonority shelves under your Titans. It will be interesting to hear your view on that and if there is more performance to be had from the Titans!

I would also enjoy if you create a new thread concerning your experience from upgrading your cables from Chord Sarum TA to Chord Music.

I will never buy Chord Music but it’s always interesting to read about different upgrades, especially on that level 

/Marcus