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Neat way to go

Minio

Minio

Kind of Sort of Not really...
I've been lucky to get an ex dem pair of Neat Momentum 3i's at a good price and have been listening to them for a couple of weeks now. Driving them with a pair of Arcam 10p's they seem to have settled down nicely with my music. Mostly jazz, classical and rock they can play rock good and loud whilst still remaining crisp and detailed playing jazz for example at late night levels. No sign of the listening fatigue or over brightness mentioned elsewhere on this site.
Has anyone else got these speakers and what do you drive them with?
 
That would be an awesome Mega system! Something I can dream about with maybe a top spec LP12 at the front end.
Meanwhile back on little old Planet Arcam I've found they make better power amps than preamps. The Alpha 10 integrated has a little chip in it that they call a preamp which is basically the sonic equivalent of having a garden slug in your signal chain.
This is best bypassed thus effectively making it a 10P power amp. I pair this with another 10P fed by a (Class A?) Musical Fidelity Preamp 2A to raise as much sound for my pound as possible.
A nicely transparent setup that I'm hearing but I would imagine the Naims to exert Real B*lls and Grip on the proceedings - all be it, into the mega price bracket.
 
Minio said:
I've been lucky to get an ex dem pair of Neat Momentum 3i's at a good price and have been listening to them for a couple of weeks now. Driving them with a pair of Arcam 10p's they seem to have settled down nicely with my music. Mostly jazz, classical and rock they can play rock good and loud whilst still remaining crisp and detailed playing jazz for example at late night levels. No sign of the listening fatigue or over brightness mentioned elsewhere on this site.
Has anyone else got these speakers and what do you drive them with?
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Congrats on your superb speakers.

We really like them with the Exposure 2010s2 or 3010s2, which are both very musical fits. More detail and separation using Hegel amplifiers, which include an excellent DAC for a near complete solution; albeit a more analytical sound.

The Momentum speakers work best with just the right amount of power, and are exceptionally good at low volume levels, so there's no need to spend £2k+ on a more powerful amplifier, but rather focus on amplifier suitability and enjoyment.

Regards,
Peter
 
Bob at the Neat factory mainly uses an olive Supernait in the demo/voicing room. If funds are tight get the Exposure X in the classifieds which is at a good price more expensive, powerful and better regarded than the Nait in it's day (no connection)
 
Thanks for the interesting amp suggestions. Although I am happy listening with the current setup I am a bit of a hifi junkie and always have a change around over time.
Previous speakers were Monitor Audio GX50's which are easier to drive ie just one 10P is good. The Momentums need a bit more power; they are larger, can go louder and give a bigger soundstage, sounding like there are more musicians in there; for example more sections to the orchestra in a Beethoven symphony - more openness across the f range and more layers to studio recordings.
Plenty of juice is de rigeur for the Momentums although I think I read the recommended power requirement is 50 to 150 watts.
 
MVV said:
Bob at the Neat factory mainly uses an olive Supernait in the demo/voicing room. If funds are tight get the Exposure X in the classifieds which is at a good price more expensive, powerful and better regarded than the Nait in it's day (no connection)
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Olive Supernait???
 
thebiglebowski said:
Olive Supernait???
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For some reason I thought originally they were olive but I'm just remembering the green lights. Anyhow Supernait 1 with a CB Hicap. I've been several times and it was always a Supernait although sometimes he passive bi-amps with a 250 for some reason, personally I couldn't tell if this was any better or not. One of the good guys and I always come away with music to buy that he has introduced me to.
 
I've always liked the supernait I had a 202/200 and thought it sounded very similar for much less money.

Olive supernait threw me as I've never liked the sound of the olive/chrome bumper stuff.
 
... he likes more juice ...

muzzer said:
Whispers.....NVA 80 monoblocks &pre, Naim500 performance without the ouch.
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Any one heard these? After youv'e made sure you have the right speaker cables to satisfy them of course.;)
 
I have the diminutive Motive 2 speakers, which sound absolutely awesome, so I would imagine these to be a significant step forwards.

Enjoy.
 
yeah well Gary that's the stuff Neat use to listen to their speakers. Personally I'm of the view that so long as the power is right any reputable modern amp will do just as well as any other.
 
Weiss-Man said:
I have the diminutive Motive 2 speakers, which sound absolutely awesome, so I would imagine these to be a significant step forwards.

Enjoy.
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I've managed some amazing sounds out of the Motives 1s with some very expensive Tom Evans Linear A power-amps and Vibe/Pulse 2 pre-amp, but very obviously not a recommended system given the total investment. The Momentum 4i is a massive step forward, and possibly the most significant in the Neat range regardless of investment. The new Momentum range due soon, will hopefully further reinforce why this is one of the best speakers you can buy under £4k. It's utterly enjoyable and engaging!

Regards,
Peter
 
I had Momentum 3i for 5 years. They like to be biamped, as do all Neat speakers. Neats are all enjoyable, usually excellent top and bottom, but can lack midrange presence if you don't partner them well; I'm not surprised they worked well with TE.
 
You could consider a pair of monoblocks or a stereo amp from Which Hat Audio phone Mark up he is also a member here MJS ( ex NAIM engineer)
http://www.witchhataudio.co.uk/
Excellent amps based on the excellent Avondale audio amps (which is what I use)

Or some Teddy Pardo Pre Power / Mono blocks great amps vgood value

Alan
 
Alex S said:
I had Momentum 3i for 5 years. They like to be biamped, as do all Neat speakers. Neats are all enjoyable, usually excellent top and bottom, but can lack midrange presence
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I have effectively bi amped my 3i's by using one 10P per channel. Thus RH channel for treble and LH for Bass/mid on each amp, one 10P for left speaker and one for right. I get good transparency and control going from soft to loud and the sound is dependent on the source as well as the preamp.

I have two preamps: a Musical Fidelity "The Preamp" and a Musical Fidelity "Preamp 2A" which both sound quite different. The former has a harder hitting driving sound, the latter a more open and sweet sound. I can't make up my mind which I like best so I have kept them both!

No regrets on the Neats though!
 
I moved from Elite's to Vito's 10 years ago. Ran them with Exposure 18 monos before moving on to DV electronics. Since then, I've stopped buying hardware and moved onto software... lots and lots of software....
 
.. I must buy no more hifi for the next 10 years .. high hopes ..

As for wall placement, I have them in a room 3.2 by 4 metres about 42cm from the back wall and they are not boomy.
However this will vary for different rooms (mine is upstairs and tends to drink bass) and different setups. I even use a REL Stampede for a little additional weight to the bass. SW's are quite handy as you can dial in the level to your taste. Some music works better with a faster sound so the sub can be dialled out.
Bringing the speakers into the room gives a bit more depth to the soundstage.
 
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