advertisement


Speaker Advice WARNING OP uses Naim amplification

Sloop John B

Sloop John B

And any old music will do…
So I have a dodgy tweeter on a Naim SL2 which are powered by a Naim NAP 300DR (with a 552 Pre) and n-sub.

So I'm wondering should I use this as the catalyst for a speaker upgrade / change?

They have been in situ for 13 years so I really don't know how they sound any more, they just sound like music to me.

I do like the fact that they can go close to a wall but this is not an absolute pre-requisite on their putative replacements.

So what speakers should I be considering ? (and I know I will need a home dem which can limit one but I find some dealers are more receptive than others to facilitating this by courier.)

I do have a wide enough taste in music but percussion done correctly is what will stand out for me. The better drums and percussion sound usually the happier I am.

Certainly if I do decide to try some speakers I would like to try active speakers (i.e. ones with amp in the box) but I have quite a good engine room to run passives obviously as well.

Thanks,

.sjb
 
I would try ATC40S (active) as a starting point, they work well with a naim pre-amp, I run mine from a 252. I ran SBLs for circa 15 years & the ATCs are a lot better.

I’ve recently tried an ATC CDA2 & was amazed how good it sounded compared to my naim gear, probably just a better match with the balanced connection.

You could go really radical with some bigger ATCs & one of their pre-amps.

I am a big naim fan but the recent switch to actives has really changed my perceptions.
 
The best percussion I ever heard was with some Audio Physics Tempo speakers. Very fast, punchy, they go very deep when needed but never exaggerate the bass when the bass drum is leaner and very accurate sound.
Nevertheless, they throw a lot of details so good recordings and source is a must.
Personally, your electronic is perfect according to me so I would stick to it. Pretty difficult to get a better kick of bass drum with other amps than the 300 DR !
 
Try some Kerr speaker. https://www.kerracoustic.com/
Having been down the active active route for a decade or so and then back to passive, I personally have found to prefer the latter. As you have some kick-ass electronics just get some new speakers.

active speakers are not really simplifying anything, it’s just an ‘alternative’.

The simplest system IMHO is a hi-end integrated amp with a built in modular USB DAC and a pair of passive speakers.
 
SL2s are great speakers, and a difficult act to follow. As someone who ran a pair for a few years, I can tell you that making them active completely transforms them. I think, whatever you do, you need to replace the tweeters. Don't worry about going to Naim, you'll find that the Scanspeaks will be very well matched - you'll never hear any difference. Just replacing 13-year-old tweeters will improve sound quality anyway. The attachment ring's held in place with Hylomar Blue gasket compound, but you'll find there'll be enough stuck to the ring to work fine for the new tweeters.

ATC40s are great speakers, but they really don't appreciate being close to a rear wall, whatever anyone else tells you. Obviously, the only way to find out is to try a pair at home.
 
If you want to go active I personally wouldn’t do it the naim way as it just seems ridiculously expensive & ultimately you are still running the same speakers.

ATC40s cannot go as close to wall as SL2s but they don’t need masses of space behind. ATC50s would, perhaps, be more in keeping with the rest of your gear but they are twice the investment.

I think active speakers are a neater solution & far less complex in terms of racks/cabling.

I would get the tweeter fixed first & then try some other speakers.
 
I’ve been on a similar journey recently. I’ve had ten happy years with my Naim (Avondale 250, NAC72 with RSL cards and hi-cap ) and Neat speakers. Unfortunately I’ve developed some sensitivity to treble in one of my ears, and as much as I love the neat sound, I need something with a softer tweeter..

I’ve ended up with active ATCs, although in my case SCM19a’s. They suit my room superbly and I’ve moved my 250s into the second system. I’d strongly encourage you to have a listen to both Neat and ATC. Good luck!
 
I'd get them fixed as they still are regarded as one of naim finest speakers.

But it's nice to have new toys.
 
Never even seen a pair SL2 here in Denmark, some were available in Sweden years back, very scarce unfortunately.
Not many made I guess, still fetching good UK prices while SBL seem to be quite cheapskate these days.
Had several nSats back in the days, not a bad choice in smaller room, they gave my Royds a run.
Would think Proac 10 are the business nowadays.
 
I’d add Shahinian Obelisk 2’s to your list if you do fancy a change. Less demanding than the Mk1’s and I believe others have used them with your power amp.

Suffolk Tony’s advice appears logical in your position though.
 
Cereal Killer said:
If you still want naim speakers the S400s would be a good shout and dirt cheap
Click to expand...

what is dirt cheap more precisely please ?
To my knowledge SL2 are roughly 2000-3000 ukp.(hmm don't have ukp currency symbol on my pc ? have you left Europe :oops:)
 
Indeed I will certainly try and get them fixed, but with my (lack of) DIY acumen and absence of a Naim dealer in Dublin, it probably won’t happen quickly. There is an itch to scratch so even if only to sell on I’ll get them fixed.

I won’t be going active with another power amp as if anything my desire would be to reduce box count. (But I do seem to have the knack of adding boxes - my streamer being an Auralic Aries, m-scaler, Hugo TT2, rather than just a one box solution.)

The idea of removing boxes is appealing. Standard actives and I lose the 2 300DR boxes. Going Dutch I could lose the 2 552 boxes and perhaps the 2 chord boxes as well.

I’ve nothing to lose by trying but I wouldn’t mind trying a passive pair or 2 as well.

I do however feel that (some) speakers seem to be crazily priced and it’s hard to fathom that they are not at the very zenith of the law of diminishing returns.

Bar source and the DR upgrade my system has been stable since 2007. I may end up at the end of 2021 with the same system or something completely different.

.sjb
 
I think I remember that you were concerned about the carbon footprint of your hifi -- I hope I am not totally wrong and confuse posters in the other place...

If you going the ATC active route, you might need a few more solar panels for your conscience... Somebody posted, I think, that the ACT40A take something like 50W per speaker (ideally 24/7). That would make your 300DR a green solution - and I am not talking about the logo..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top