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That box swapping itch.

What combo would you choose?

  • Sugden A21a Series 2 / Shahinian Arcs

    Votes: 25 51.0%

  • Naim NAC152XS & NAP155XS / Shahinian Arcs

    Votes: 24 49.0%
  • Total voters
    49
You need quite a lot of amplifier grunt to get the best out of Shahinians. They have a tendency to sound wimpy and gutless if not properly driven. The Arcs are rated at 250W maximum for a reason. ;) http://shahinianacoustics.com/Arc.htm
I suggest you open your mind a little to other possibilities. :)
 
James said:
How big is your room and why would you downgrade from a 202/200 to a 152/155 combo?

Have you considered a Densen?
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I sold the Naim 202/200 last year when I switched to Rega and then Sugden. The room is 15' 10" x 12' 6" had a look at densen but they are too expensive and rarely available secondhand.


jandl100 said:
You need quite a lot of amplifier grunt to get the best out of Shahinians. They have a tendency to sound wimpy and gutless if not properly driven. The Arcs are rated at 250W maximum for a reason. ;) http://shahinianacoustics.com/Arc.htm
I suggest you open your mind a little to other possibilities. :)
Click to expand...

What are opinions on the Musical Fidelity M6i it is rated at 200W per channel into 8ohms?
 
thebiglebowski said:
What are opinions on the Musical Fidelity M6i it is rated at 200W per channel into 8ohms?
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I've not heard that one, but going back a bit, other big MF amps I have owned (e.g. F18, A370, A5) have impressed me with their unflappable control.

I guess the nearest, as well as most recent, of those to the M6i is the 250wpc A5 - that certainly had the grunt, but was a bit mild mannered for my personal tastes. It lacked a bit of excitement, but the M6i may or may not be similar, I have no idea.

If you can get a dem (or a good price on it!) I would certainly recommend giving it a go. It's not really about volume level, although there is that, it's about control, authority and definition.
 
I don't intend to 'Naim Bash' but when I listened to various amp/streamer combinations last year (Naim/Cyrus/Audiolab and a couple of others) the Naim gear was easily the best looking and worse sounding.

For my money therefore I obviously wouldn't go Naim.

Many years ago it was pretty much Naim versus Linn for the top spot.

In my opinion, both Naim and Linn have lost their way, albeit for different reasons.
 
I have never been convinced by the newer Naim (black) amps with Shahinian.

The previous version of the Rega Elicit sounded very good with Arc's and Compass speakers.

Another alternative would be an older Dynavector preamp (L200/L100) and a Densen power amp. Both can be had secondhand and well worth a look.

Richard
 
jandl100 said:
I've not heard that one, but going back a bit, other big MF amps I have owned (e.g. F18, A370, A5) have impressed me with their unflappable control.

I guess the nearest, as well as most recent, of those to the M6i is the 250wpc A5 - that certainly had the grunt, but was a bit mild mannered for my personal tastes. It lacked a bit of excitement, but the M6i may or may not be similar, I have no idea.

If you can get a dem (or a good price on it!) I would certainly recommend giving it a go. It's not really about volume level, although there is that, it's about control, authority and definition.
Click to expand...

I used to own the 200w MF M6 and it was also a tad mild-mannered and laid back, though thoroughly enjoyable.

Not as forward as Naim or Sugden. Not sure how it would fare with the speakers in question though.

I hasten to add that this is not necessarily a bad thing if paired with a bright-sounding speaker though, just a matter of personal taste.
 
thebiglebowski said:
I sold the Naim 202/200 last year when I switched to Rega and then Sugden. The room is 15' 10" x 12' 6" had a look at densen but they are too expensive and rarely available secondhand.
Click to expand...
That's not too big a room, so I imagine anything with at least 60W per side would be plenty. So, why not find a used 202/200 if you liked them first time?
 
chrisletts said:
I don't intend to 'Naim Bash' but when I listened to various amp/streamer combinations last year (Naim/Cyrus/Audiolab and a couple of others) the Naim gear was easily the best looking and worse sounding.

For my money therefore I obviously wouldn't go Naim.

Many years ago it was pretty much Naim versus Linn for the top spot.

In my opinion, both Naim and Linn have lost their way, albeit for different reasons.
Click to expand...

Interesting as I've never heard a decent Linn amp (some were truly dreadful), Audiolab has always been a very average product on the amplification side and Cyrus have been ok but definately below Naim. I hasten to add that I've heard many Naim systems as I used to help out at a now defunct Linn/Naim/Rega dealer a few years ago.
 
I used a Densen B300 with mine for a while, sounded very nice, don't forget Avondale.

Pete
 
Personal preference is a huge factor but I wouldn't go back to Musical Fidelity. The initially impressive sound proved too warm & lacking resolution to my ears...
 
Indeed. That's the final arbiter. I'm amazed to read someone thinks Naim multibox systems have "Had their day"! Not from this set of ears they haven't.
 
thebiglebowski said:
Are there a lot of problems with NVA amps then?

I phoned them this morning and the guy explained that I'd have to use the LS cable to prevent oscillation as they don't have any output filters.
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Not if you do as your are told/advised just like Naim and their idiosyncrocies. I only use their Headphone amp but it is amasing to my ears.

You may loath their form of musicality if you like Naim.

Naim that tune
 
Dave,

Whether it sells quickly or slowly, surely the issue is whether the kit is any good.

Joe
 
Joe P said:
Dave,

Whether it sells quickly or slowly, surely the issue is whether the kit is any good.

Joe
Click to expand...

Well, yes, which ultimately means 'do I like the sound this kit is producing?', because there is no Platonic 'good' kit that everyone will enjoy. (I guess issues of reliability and longevity might enter the equation too).
 
I wouldn't pick that particular Naim combo (though I did vote for it), but I'm really not a fan of the Sugden sound (sorry).
 
I have Arcs. They are not power hungry monsters like the larger Shahinians but I would expect the Sugden to not go too loud with them. I tried them with my old Exposure X (30W) and they sounded nice as long as the volume was kept moderate. I'd think the 155 combo would be a side step unless you like music loud. The Arcs sounded great with a naim 52/250 - but that's got more power, is more expensive and not to your taste so is not a very helpfull comment.
 
Having been guilty of under-driving a pair of Compasses with a NAP140 for over 10 years I can't help thinking it's a crying shame to waste a pair of Arc's on either the suggested combos. The may possibly sound "nice" together, but the Arc's won't be giving you anything like what they are capable of if they were driven properly .
As already suggested the M130s currently up for grabs should be on anyone's shortlist - you'll not be sorry, or hardly recognize half your music collection for that matter :)
Good luck//Piers
 
Not sure of the best pre to go with it, but the Meridian 559 I had drove the Obs better than a Naim 200 - by a margin (i.e. it made them not sound horrible). I used a DV L100, which happened to come up in the classifieds and was, I think, recommend to me at the time here.
 
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