Speakers

Focal 1008Be, I think they are bang on 2k.

The Focals are great little speakers.

Have you got any in mind [@mention:55067836800704541]? 

You're right they look good, but they're nearer 3k so I haven't bother to hear them. 

Parlow posted:

You're right they look good, but they're nearer 3k so I haven't bother to hear them. 

Whereabouts are you because in the UK they are 2k?

Definitely 2k. Just search Focal Electra 1008 and click on the top dealer, lowest price guaranteed  

They are £3,300 everywhere but one particular dealer, where they seem to be on special offer. Bear in mind with the Focals really need their own £600 stands, and that what effectively becomes a £4,000 speaker is an awful lot for a Uniti. 

Another standmount that would be worth looking at is the PMC 25.21. 

Out of interest, what are the current speakers?

What HH says is true, but of course any stand mount speaker will need a stand. Is the budget to include these? 

Btw the PMCs do look very nice too. I really liked what I heard in their room at the Bristol show earlier in the year. 

Russell k do some nice sounding speakers around your budget,and they work well with naim amps .They do various cabinet finishes.On there website they have a customiser to look at different cabinets,to give you a idea what they look like in the flesh.

I've current got a pair of Castle Pembroke speakers that are a hang over from my Arcam system I got about 11 years ago.  Nice, but get messy if the volume is turned up.

I've been looking at PMC either 25.22 or even 25.23, not bad design but the nearest dealer is 2.5 hrs away.  ATC SCM 19, willfully ugly.  ProAc D20r, spectacularly ugly.

Id tend to agree that £4K is a lot to spend on speakers for a uniti, but the plan is to add a power amp (NAP 250) at some point, then a dedicated streamer (to replace the uniti).  But what ever I go with I want it to look nice in my front room. 

I try not to comment on the look of speakers too much as people can get upset - for example the  Focal Sopras look awful in black or wood to me, but strangely ok in white or orange - but others love the shiny curvy modern look. I had some PMC twenty.23s in oak which I think are a pretty speaker, albeit conservative. Most people are averse to the look of my current speakers but I think they are nice.

Ands that's all that matters HH. As long as each of us like what each of us uses that's fine. I myself am a fan of the curvy look. I doubt there are many that would be fans of my f206s. But I really like them. 

[@mention:55067836800704541] is 2k the budget for speakers to suit the system now? Or is the budget more flexible to accommodate more speaker for when the 250 and steamer arrive? 

Neat Iota Alpha's. That is what I would pair with a Qute (or an Atom), especially if I was after something with a gorgeous form factor that can just blend in and be unobtrusive. 

I'm pretty sure I will be picking up a Qute or Atom soon to serve as our TV room audio set up, and will definitely be pairing them with the Iota Alphas... perfect for a living room space or similar.

[@mention:51970829741422995] I really don't want to go through this again!  So ideally I'd buy speakers that'll work with both current and future systems. So I'm not averse to blowing my current budget.  A bit.

Hi Parlow,

Eclipse TD 510 Mk 2 are anything but a dull, vinyl covered, cuboid box. They are just under £2k a pair.  They won't suit everyone as they have astounding strengths and well known limitations.  But for you, perhaps?

Audiovector make some decent looking speakers too.  They work well with Naim as well.

Happy hunting, FT

I don't blame you [@mention:55067836800704541]. When I got my current speakers I wanted some that would obviously out perform my last pair, but would also stand up to upgrades elsewhere in the system. WAF was also taken into serious consideration 

focal aria 926.

Parlow posted:

[@mention:51970829741422995] I really don't want to go through this again!  So ideally I'd buy speakers that'll work with both current and future systems. So I'm not averse to blowing my current budget.  A bit.

It's worth looking at used speakers as well. I bought mine last year for just over £2,000 and you'd need to spend £8,000 or so on something new to better them, so long as you like their sound of course. If you could find some used speakers for your budget, then it makes a 250 and a better front end all the more accessible. 

By the way, what is the @ symbol meant to do? 

The @ is used when you're referring to a specific user.  It comes from social media (Twitter).

So does it do anything practical on the Naim Forum? I used to get emails when I was mentioned, until I disabled it. Perhaps it's that?

Top birthday by the way - that's another thing I disabled. All the best people are born on 10 Feb. 

off...@ point someone...@hh...

Adi Stefan posted:

off...@ point someone...@hh...

Now, that I don't understand...

My tuppence worth - just been through it

You MUST hear the speakers you think of purchasing and I do think you can do extremely well buying ex-dem or 2nd hand

Depending on the room, and circumstances, do take into consideration height, distance from wall, appearance etc.

Not many of "today's" speakers like to be too close to the back wall

I certainly found speakers to be by far the most challenging purchase - I do think they are always a bit of a compromise somewhere in the equation ?!

If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated music room then you can feel free !!!

P.S. - Better speakers can start to show up a few warts in the rest of the system - creating a well known illness - "upgradeitis"

Good luck with your search !

Parlow posted:

I'm looking to upgrade my speakers for my Uniti2 (with a budget of about £2000 for small floor speakers or stand mounted) and there's one thing that is driving me absolutely nuts.  Speakers are ugly.  While I get that form should follow function and I don't want to compromise, too much, just for looks there's just not a whole lot of choice. Kef seem to be trying with the LS50s to marry modern looks and good sound, albeit at a lower price point, but other manufactures seem stuck in 70s with stripy veneers or black.

Hi - well I have been trialling the Russel K 100s at home - and they are shockingly good and to my ears are better than many speakers up to 3 to 4 x their price. They are reasonably small standmounts with a great tight frequency response, dynamic with wonderful subtlety and shading - almost like a very large infinite baffle speaker - but because of their small size they image wonderfully and work close to the wall - as they are front ported. They are quite benign to drive and suitable for smallish value amps upto more significantly more powerful transistorised amps. Cost reasonable too - really would suggest you give them a try. There is also the diminutive  K 50s - apparently they are equally as good but for smaller spaces..

S

It's an extremely good suggestion the Russell K 100s.

I came across the Russell K speakers at the Bristol show back in February,  superb sounding with a smart finish.... And Competively priced...

Yeah I remember the Russel K room at the show. All sounded very good.