Speaker Advice

Posted by: BillyE on 07 August 2016

I have been without a system for a while now.  I have done some auditioning and listened to the Uniti2, the SuperUniti and a ND5 XS and Nait XS2.  It was clear that there was an increase in quality with each step up.  I think the ND5 XS and the XS 2 performed best at lowish volumes, which is important to me.  I am not sure about speakers though, I listened with B and W CM5 S2 and the CM8 S2 and the Iota Motive SX2.  The B and Ws sounded great in the shop but I think will overwhelm a smallish room, especially as I can only put them about 15cm away from the rear wall.  I need small discrete speakers that are going to work well at not too loud volumes, the sound insulation in my house isn't great.  I was wondering about the Neat Iota Alphas - how would they compare to the SX2, and would they work better in a smallish room?  What other speakers should be on my audition list - budget about 1,500 GBP.

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by Maragoo

What's about Kudos X2? Used them for my parents and they are very happy. 

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by MangoMonkey

I love my Kudos X2s. That's the hifi component I've had for the longest time at this point.

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by ChrisSU

Another vote for X2s here! Mine were great with my Superuniti, and have been quite capable of showing up the improvements in electronics as I've moved on to NDX/282/200DR. Of course, in your room you might hate them, but you've got to start building a shortlist somewhere.

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by Pcd

Heard the Iota Aplha at the Bristol show earlier this year couldn't believe the scale such a small enclosure.

Purchasedc a Unitilite for a bedroom system and have been on the lookout for a pair of speaker to suit needed something small that could work fairly close to a wall, heard a pair of Iota Alpha's at my local dealer on Thursday ,ordered a pair and they should be delivered next week they are outstanding for there size a listen is a must.

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by The Strat (Fender)

Both the Kudos and Iota Alphas are excellent.  Really down to your preference and room.

Posted on: 07 August 2016 by wenger2015

Hi Billye,  just how small is your room?

Posted on: 11 August 2016 by Frank Abela

The Iota Alphas are definitely worth a listen. I much prefer them to the Motive SX2. However, both speakers like to have space from the wall, and the Alphas also have a restricted sweet spot due to the ribbon tweeter. For example, treble is quite curtailed when you stand up, so if you tend to listen at a higher position (say you listen at a desk) then the alphas are probably a poor choice. I think both neats are better than the B&Ws. 

The Kudos X2 is an obvious choice. Ported underneath, it can go closer to the wall more easily. It's a different sound from the neats, punchier and more fun, but not quite as refined. I really like them.

In a small room, you may want to consider stand mount or on-wall speakers. You could do a lot worse than Totem Dreamcatchers or Rainmakers. The first are all fun and little hifi, the second are seriously good speakers, though they don't sell well in the UK as far as I know. Totem's Tribe on-wall speaker range is really rather amazing. Not cheap starting at £500 each, but the sound quality and engagement is up there with the best.

Normally, for near-wall siting, the usual recommendation would be Guru speakers, but it seems availability is very patchy indeed. Check if they're available and if so you could be in for a real treat.

Another option would be Rega RX1 and RX3. The 1 is a standmount and the 3 is a small floor stander designed for smaller rooms. They're good speakers.

Other than that...2nd hand Naim SBLs?

Regards,

Frank.

Posted on: 11 August 2016 by Dungassin

Or second hand nSats, which seem to be as rare as hen's teeth.

Posted on: 11 August 2016 by Iconoclast

From experience I can confirm that the CMs matched with Naim can easily overpower a room.

Although relatively inexpensive I've read a lot of positive comments on Q Acoustics. Notably the 3050 floor standers and Concept 20 stand mounts yet I rarely see them mentioned around here.

Are they overrated or simply a bad match for Naim.