Naim Atom or Nova with PMC Twenty 23

I'd say minimum XS level

I used Nova with PMC 26.26 sounds great

Having tried the original PMC Twenty.23 with a Uniti Qute 2 and then later on the end of a 250 I can tell you that a modestly powered amp like an Atom will have no trouble driving them. They are not hard to drive.

But... they sound so much better on the end of a better amp. I've heard this attributed by others to their need for more current. I'm not sure I agree. I don't feel like the UQ2 struggled at all and the vast difference in performance with a 250 was more down to the 250 being a vastly superior amp regardless of increased power output. I never felt like the UQ2 was running out of steam or struggling to control them. So an Atom should have no problem either.

It is a bit of a mullet though and I would say they deserve more. They will respond in kind on the end of some very good equipment. I paired them with 282/SCDR/250.2 for a while and felt like that was about the level of amplification they deserved.

I use a Nova with PMC 25.23 - great combo.

Wife uses Star and Acoustic Energy Reference 1.

I would add that when wife had demonstration of Nova and Star with the Reference 1 speakers, she preferred the Star over the Nova. I would also add, that I would also have picked the Star over the Nova. It just sounded a better combo than with the Nova for the Reference 1 speakers.

Man with no Naim posted:

I use a Nova with PMC 25.23 - great combo.

Snap, sounds fantastic.

I used a SuperUniti with twenty.23s and it was very good. I would not use an Atom. It won’t be able to drive the speakers properly - they need a lot of power to make them come alive. The Nova is the one to get. 

feeling_zen posted:

Having tried the original PMC Twenty.23 with a Uniti Qute 2 and then later on the end of a 250 I can tell you that a modestly powered amp like an Atom will have no trouble driving them. They are not hard to drive.

But... they sound so much better on the end of a better amp. I've heard this attributed by others to their need for more current. I'm not sure I agree. I don't feel like the UQ2 struggled at all and the vast difference in performance with a 250 was more down to the 250 being a vastly superior amp regardless of increased power output. I never felt like the UQ2 was running out of steam or struggling to control them. So an Atom should have no problem either.

It is a bit of a mullet though and I would say they deserve more. They will respond in kind on the end of some very good equipment. I paired them with 282/SCDR/250.2 for a while and felt like that was about the level of amplification they deserved.

Thanks. I have tried once in the dealer that combine ProAc D30RS with Atom & Nova. Except for a very strong classical music (Dvorak new world symphony 9 4th movement), I don't heard much difference between Atom/Nova. I am not sure this difference will appear in PMC 2023 again, as they are sound very different after all.

If your heart is set on the PMC 20.23, then go for the Nova. The Nova will show all of the strength's of the PMC speakers and the PMC speakers will show why the Nova's  strength's over the Atom. In my humble opinion.

Man with no Naim posted:

If your heart is set on the PMC 20.23, then go for the Nova. The Nova will show all of the strength's of the PMC speakers and the PMC speakers will show why the Nova's  strength's over the Atom. In my humble opinion.

I have already bought PMC20.23 early this year - it's in a sales and I buy at at HKD16000 (around GBP1500), quite a good price.

I am struggling a bit the large price gap between Nova (near GBP4500 in Hong Kong) and PMC 20.23 (GBP1500) - hope that I won't regret on the speaker choice and then go for a better (more expensive) speaker after buying the Nova!

Man with no Naim posted:

I would add that when wife had demonstration of Nova and Star with the Reference 1 speakers, she preferred the Star over the Nova. I would also add, that I would also have picked the Star over the Nova. It just sounded a better combo than with the Nova for the Reference 1 speakers.

Will Star better then Nova (in term of price value performance) to drive my PMC 20.23?

In principle, I agree with those who who suggest a Nova, and for the reason HH suggests.

However it's worth trying to audition the Unitis with your own speakers - a home demo is preferred, but failing that, taking your speakers to a dealership to try the Unitis with them.  You may listen in a different way to the majority of people on this forum.

Xer posted:

Man with no Naim posted:

If your heart is set on the PMC 20.23, then go for the Nova. The Nova will show all of the strength's of the PMC speakers and the PMC speakers will show why the Nova's  strength's over the Atom. In my humble opinion.

I have already bought PMC20.23 early this year - it's in a sales and I buy at at HKD16000 (around GBP1500), quite a good price.

I am struggling a bit the large price gap between Nova (near GBP4500 in Hong Kong) and PMC 20.23 (GBP1500) - hope that I won't regret on the speaker choice and then go for a better (more expensive) speaker after buying the Nova!

It doesn’t make sense to think of it that way - rather you should think that by buying your speakers second hand you have saved a lot of money. My speakers cost me £2,100 used and I drive them with a £8,000 power amp. It’s always better to be over amped than over speakered. 

I would say it is not night and day difference between the Star and Nova. Where the Nova does shine, is with speakers that encompass a greater frequency range i.e.  floorstanders as compared monitor sized speakers. In my humble opinion.

Xer posted:

I have already bought PMC20.23 early this year - it's in a sales and I buy at at HKD16000 (around GBP1500), quite a good price.

I am struggling a bit the large price gap between Nova (near GBP4500 in Hong Kong) and PMC 20.23 (GBP1500) - hope that I won't regret on the speaker choice and then go for a better (more expensive) speaker after buying the Nova!

It's suggested to have similar expenditure for the source, amp and speakers, with possibly more expense on the source and amp,

The normal price of your speakers would perhaps be ~ GBP 1900?  or perhaps a little more?

So, as the Nova is source and amp, then the speakers indicate at least GBP 3800 on an all-in-one box such as the Nova - so it's absolutely in the right level of expenditure for the PMC Tewnty.23.

Huge posted:

Xer posted:

I have already bought PMC20.23 early this year - it's in a sales and I buy at at HKD16000 (around GBP1500), quite a good price.

I am struggling a bit the large price gap between Nova (near GBP4500 in Hong Kong) and PMC 20.23 (GBP1500) - hope that I won't regret on the speaker choice and then go for a better (more expensive) speaker after buying the Nova!

It's suggested to have similar expenditure for the source, amp and speakers, with possibly more expense on the source and amp,

The normal price of your speakers would perhaps be ~ GBP 1900?  or perhaps a little more?

So, as the Nova is source and amp, then the speakers indicate at least GBP 3800 on an all-in-one box such as the Nova - so it's absolutely in the right level of expenditure for the PMC Tewnty.23.

thanks. this comforts my spending!

Get the Nova, or at least a SuperUniti. Your PMCs will love you.

Huge posted:

In principle, I agree with those who who suggest a Nova, and for the reason HH suggests.

However it's worth trying to audition the Unitis with your own speakers - a home demo is preferred, but failing that, taking your speakers to a dealership to try the Unitis with them.  You may listen in a different way to the majority of people on this forum.

want to - but given that this is not a easy task (in HK the shop is in shopping mall, meaning that need to carry the speaker by hand and to walk a long way inside the mall!) so will only do it at the final step.

I have not heard the Nova but I have the Star paired with Dynaudio speakers. The Star powers them very well and sounds amazing. It might be one to consider as well. 

Dan.S posted:

Get the Nova, or at least a SuperUniti. Your PMCs will love you.

Let see search for 2nd hand SuperUniti... not sure if 2nd hand market is active for Naim in Hong Kong

Callas01 posted:

I have not heard the Nova but I have the Star paired with Dynaudio speakers. The Star powers them very well and sounds amazing. It might be one to consider as well. 

Why you select Star instead of Nova in the first place? thanks

Xer posted:

Callas01 posted:

I have not heard the Nova but I have the Star paired with Dynaudio speakers. The Star powers them very well and sounds amazing. It might be one to consider as well. 

Why you select Star instead of Nova in the first place? thanks

I had the Uniti2 and liked the CD player option, but the Star allowed for cd playback and ripping to storage (like my Mac mini). The power is more then enough. I was amazed at the sound quality improvement from the Uniti2 also. 

If presented with the option to get something better that costs more, get it if you can afford it.

This generally saves you time and money in the long run. Same is true for hifi, cars, homes, vacations, food, computers.

Exceptions to the rule exist but they don't apply here. If you can stretch to a Nova, then do it and don't give the Atom a second thought.

feeling_zen posted:

If presented with the option to get something better that costs more, get it if you can afford it.

This generally saves you time and money in the long run. Same is true for hifi, cars, homes, vacations, food, computers.

Exceptions to the rule exist but they don't apply here. If you can stretch to a Nova, then do it and don't give the Atom a second thought.

Interesting analogy, usually I will buy the 2nd hand of the best option (car) or the just outdated best item (computer). This is the best value for money usually. In this case maybe 2nd hand nova or new but discounted super Uniti.