Speakers for Uniti Nova
Posted by: kdl6769 on 21 November 2018
I am about to take possession of a Uniti Nova, and wondered if anyone had any suggestions for speakers that might pair well. My music taste is pretty eclectic, but tends to be focused on classic jazz, indie pop, guitar-driven rock, 60s/70s R&B, folk, a little classical. My listening space is not ideal - long and narrow, with speakers likely to be fairly close to the wall, so placement versatility is relevant. I currently have Linn Majik 109s, but suspect that, fine speakers through they are, they may not be a match for the Nova. (They also do best when used in Linn's "aktiv" configuration and tri-wired, which isn't really an option.) I'd prefer compact floorstanders to stand-mounted monitors, and had my eye on Spendors - either A2 or A4, although the latter is getting up there in price, at least here in the US. Suggestions greatly appreciated, thanks.
I use atc scm11 with mine... sealed box so close to a wall and the nova has enough grunt unless your a proper metal head. Otherwise pmc small twenty 23 or 25.23 but I found the bass a bit slow and detached compared to atc.
I’ve heard a great synergy between Nova and Dynaudio Special 40...
I use PMC twenty5.23 on my Nova, love the system, very musical and keeps me interested. As the divergent views you’ll get will tell you, an audition is key to making sure you get the speaker that works for you.
I have Spendor A4’s with my Nova and it’s a nice pairing I think, certainly not heavy rock speakers but have lovely mids and great for the likes of jazz or acoustic and electronic too, like you I have an eclectic taste and they work well with the Nova providing useful authority. I originally bought them with an Atom which I subsequently upgraded to the Nova. I’ve a big room though with high ceilings so have bought the latest A7’s to give me more scale in the space but with a similar sound signature, won’t have them til next week though so can’t really report anything as yet
I have Bowers & Wilkins XT8 with my Nova, with set of good speaker cables, you'll be suprised.
They match your requirements....
I use Totem Forest Signatures with my Nova in a big room and are very happy with them. I have Totem Hawks on a second system and they are a good match with the Nova too, if you ar looking at a lower cost option.
Neat Momentum SX5i are great !
Can you cope with a bit of DIY? I can only recommend IPL Acoustic speaker kits. I have build myself S2TLK CD3 Ribbon and they are exceptional when it comes to value (sound) for money. I owned Neat's and B&W before which were great but these have moved my sound to a different dimension. Obviously they require a bit of work and tuning (which can be fun). These are transmission line speakers. if you are not into DIY, indeed Neat's are really a good choice too in my opinion.
I would not choose any speakers more expensive than the Nova itself ... 
One enthusiastic vote for the ProAc DT8’s! Amazing sounding speakers at a great price!
Or proac studio 148 which I have connected to a star
Dynaudio go well with the Nova. I listened to several makes before buying Special 40s. I was originally looking for floorstanders but these, in my opinion, beat everything I heard. They sound very dynamic with the Nova.
I realise you have mentioned a preference for floor standers, but I would highly recommend the Dali Epicon 2 speakers with the Nova. See the link below which lists my system components and why I think the Nova, Dalis and other specified components, work extremely well together.
Thanks, sadly a bit out of my price range.
I bought mine as an ex-demo pair with a full warranty. Best wishes with finding what you’re after.
Woj posted:Can you cope with a bit of DIY? I can only recommend IPL Acoustic speaker kits. I have build myself S2TLK CD3 Ribbon and they are exceptional when it comes to value (sound) for money. I owned Neat's and B&W before which were great but these have moved my sound to a different dimension. Obviously they require a bit of work and tuning (which can be fun). These are transmission line speakers. if you are not into DIY, indeed Neat's are really a good choice too in my opinion.
I’d forgotten IPL - I remember some time ago looking at them, likingbwhat I saw but nothing that caught my eye for myself. Their top model, S5TL on paper sounds good if your room isn’t too small, and seems remarkable value at under £1k: Maybe a great alternative to old transmission line speakers for anyone on a budget. The only, possibly significant, problem is that you can’t hear them first. However if you have heard a range of TLs before and know you like the way they do bass, it could be worth the punt.
Try the Focal Kanta2, if you want them close to the back wall, you just use a foam plug to block the back port. They work fantastic with a Nova...
Q Acoustics Concept500 should be on your demo list too. Like the Focal Kantas they are a good match with Nova sonically, the Q Acoustics are close but at a much lower price. If siting close to the wall behind, they would also probably need their port bungs in as the rear port is a large one, although bass is nice and tight from these speakers, I believe at least partly due to the advanced box construction.
At a lower budget, I preferred Quad S5 to PMC 20.23/20.24 and so I ended up with the Quad speakers. I have heard them attached to my friend's Nova and they are also a very nice match, I haven't heard anything else so far to beat the Quads at their price (although I do rather like the Spendor A4 and A7 at their respective price points too!)
blythe posted:Neat Momentum SX5i are great !.
I settled on these for my Nova after listening to different Focals and Neats.
Wonderful speakers that has become even better after using them for over a year now.
Hi All,
I have been reading this thread and thought I would chime in here.
I bought a Nova this year and have them paired up with a set of Naim S400s........the sound is outstanding and they match together really well. I know they don't make the S400s anymore, but if you are lucky enough to get a chance at a pair, it would be worth considering.
For current models, I was able to see a Nova setup with ATC SCM19's and those sounded incredible as well. I always compare the ATCs to like being in a studio as the reproductions sounds very true-to-life.
Mike
To the person who kindly suggested the ProAc Response DT8: are these big floorstanders, and are they fussy about positioning? My space is a bit size-challenged (narrow-ish), and the speakers will need to be reasonably close to walls, so floorstanders on the more compact side that are somewhat versatile in terms of positioning would be ideal. Thanks.
I'll reiterate; Neat Momentum SX5i.
I'm so impressed with them and have them either side of a fireplace and maybe 8" from the rear wall and no problem with bass or clarity.
Can you arrange a home demo?
I did and don't regret my purchase. (Using a SuperUniti here, so not dissimilar to the Nova.)
Thanks. Sadly they are far beyond budget (if I could even find them here in the US).
kdl6769 posted:Thanks. Sadly they are far beyond budget (if I could even find them here in the US).
I had missed that you were in the US and I hadn't noticed your budget. I'm sure you'll find something wonderful soon!
Eoink posted:I use PMC twenty5.23 on my Nova, love the system, very musical and keeps me interested. As the divergent views you’ll get will tell you, an audition is key to making sure you get the speaker that works for you.
+1 for the 25.23 -- great floorstanders in my view. Well, I would say this, since I bought these... They have a small footprint, and PMC's ATL makes placement less painfull... Any chance to demo these easily in the US?