Expensive experiment...Standmount suggestions ~ £2k

Dan Turner

New member
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
0
Visit site
My mate came around the other day because he wanted to try his Acoustic Energy AE1 Classics on the end of my SuperNait and now I think we're both going to end up spending a lot of money as a result.

My PMCs sound pretty damn good in isolation and they are much better in the bass department, but the little AE1s sounded absolutely sublime in the mid-range and upper frequencies. The amount of extra detail over the PMCs was quite remarkable. However we both realised that in all likelihood neither speaker was doing justice to the Naim.

So I think my mate is saving up for a Naim amp and a subwoofer now, and I'm thinking about saving for new speakers, and was hoping for suggestions of standmounters up to about £2/2.5k that would partner well with Naim and would build upon the mid-range qualities of the AE1s and the bass ability of the TB2+s.

They need to be standmounters as my lounge is fairly small (about 3.5m*3.5m) and practically speaking I could only have the speakers about 0.6-0.7m max from either back or side walls, so I think £2k+ floorstanders would be overwhelming. That said I'm used to the decent bass output of my PMCs and wouldn't want to lose that.

Shortlisted so far (mainly just because of price point, but I know the Neats are meant to be a good Naim match) are:

Neat Momentum 3i

Monitor Audio PL100

B&W 805D

Appreciate thoughts and additional suggestions!

(BTW having recently got the SuperNait purchase past the Mrs I'm not sure quite how I'm going to manage this!)
 

Frank Harvey

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2008
567
1
18,890
Visit site
Have a try of ProAc's Response D2. I'm not convinced those will be the answer, but worth a try anyway. You could also try the Tannoy Definition DC8's, and ATC's SCM20's. All of those will work well with the Naim. There's also the Dynaudio Contour 1.4's, but they do like quite a bit of room to breathe, so not the best solution in your case.

All of these speakers sound so different, you really need to try them for yourself, if possible.

Problem is, the AE1's are quite different to all of those listed above. They probably won't hold up in the bass department against some of them, but they're solid little cabinets, which don't sound boxy - probably not too dissimilar to KEF's Reference 201/2 (which will be worth trying out if you can get any ex-demo), and the PMC's are totally different again due to their transmission line bass.
 

Frank Harvey

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2008
567
1
18,890
Visit site
The SCM20SL's. They're part of the Classic range, a passive standmount design
emotion-1.gif
 

Frank Harvey

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2008
567
1
18,890
Visit site
We can recommend different models until we're blue in the face, but you really have to hear them for yourself, and choose what you feel suits your system best, and also what produces your music the way you want to hear it
emotion-1.gif
 

Frank Harvey

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2008
567
1
18,890
Visit site
I was going to mention them, but went with the SCM20's instead, as the range they belong to first got me interested in ATC. There's just something about them that I prefer......
 

IJ

New member
Mar 3, 2009
9
0
0
Visit site
You might want to take a listen to the Usher Be-718's

Pretty much raved about in most of the world, apart from the UK. Just google them for reviews. They need an amp with some power for best results.
 

Ajani

New member
Apr 9, 2008
42
0
0
Visit site
You might want to add the Revel Performa M22 to your list... I've seen a few US dealers who regularly pair them with Naim equipment...

So they might be worth an audition...
 

MattSPL

Well-known member
Jan 4, 2010
19
0
18,520
Visit site
From my experience, having ported or transmission line speakers in a small room can cause problems with bass. Not so much at low volume levels but gets worse the louder you play.

I had a pair of DB1i's in my current living room, and although i didnt have bass boom issues, it is very difficult to get an even bass response through the whole bass frequency range. You tend to get certain frequencies that sound louder or quieter than others.
I also had the same problem with a pair of B&W N803's in a different house.

I did however use a pair of PMC IB1's in a medium size room(7m x 6m), 1ft from the rear wall and had no major issues.

Im currently using ATC scm19's around 20cm from the rear wall in my 5m x 5.5m living room(same room i used the DB1i's in) and the improvement the extra cabinet size and sealed box enclosure brings is amazing.

I now have bags more bass than with the DB1i's. And i have a perfectly smooth frequency response no matter what volume level i play at.

So i suggest giving ATC a listen, along with any other sealed box speakers you can find.
 
MattSPL:From my experience, having ported or transmission line speakers in a small room can cause problems with bass. Not so much at low volume levels but gets worse the louder you play. I had a pair of DB1i's in my current living room, and although i didnt have bass boom issues, it is very difficult to get an even bass response through the whole bass frequency range. You tend to get certain frequencies that sound louder or quieter than others. I also had the same problem with a pair of B&W N803's in a different house. I did however use a pair of PMC IB1's in a medium size room(7m x 6m), 1ft from the rear wall and had no major issues. Im currently using ATC scm19's around 20cm from the rear wall in my 5m x 5.5m living room(same room i used the DB1i's in) and the improvement the extra cabinet size and sealed box enclosure brings is amazing. I now have bags more bass than with the DB1i's. And i have a perfectly smooth frequency response no matter what volume level i play at. So i suggest giving ATC a listen, along with any other sealed box speakers you can find.

Hi Matt

Good post.
emotion-1.gif


All the best

Rick @ Musicraft
 

Dan Turner

New member
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
0
Visit site
Thanks for all the replies - all models suggested are on my 'longlist'. I'll have to see what's available locally that I can demo and take it from there!

Cheers.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I would suggest the Dynaudio Focus 110, it is an interesting speaker and have no lack in the low frequency. I had compared it against 805S went for the 110. The contour 1.4 is worth considering also.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Hi - I am not sure on current pricing, so as to which model .....?

But - SONUS FABER must/should be on your list!!

What area do you live in?
 

Frank Harvey

Well-known member
Jun 27, 2008
567
1
18,890
Visit site
nexski:I would suggest the Dynaudio Focus 110, it is an interesting speaker and have no lack in the low frequency. I had compared it against 805S went for the 110. The contour 1.4 is worth considering also.

The only problem here nexski is that Dynaudio generally need a fair amount of space to work well, as well as a lot of control from the amplifier. I've not yet heard any Dynaudios work close to a rear wall. If the OP has a concrete floor and surrounded by four partition walls, he might be in luck...
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
FrankHarveyHiFi:
nexski:I would suggest the Dynaudio Focus 110, it is an interesting speaker and have no lack in the low frequency. I had compared it against 805S went for the 110. The contour 1.4 is worth considering also.

The only problem here nexski is that Dynaudio generally need a fair amount of space to work well, as well as a lot of control from the amplifier. I've not yet heard any Dynaudios work close to a rear wall. If the OP has a concrete floor and surrounded by four partition walls, he might be in luck...

I have a relatively small room too but i have to agree the Dyn would perform better in a bigger room. As for the driving the Dynaudio it was driven by a 70 watter and so far i have not encounter any issue. The PRAT is good and i had never feel any strain on my amp. The 805s in my opinion sound more extended as compared to the Focus 110. It seem the Dynaudio sound more neutral as compared to 805 and it cost a fraction of the price. It is really value for money in my opinion. :)
 

jaxwired

Well-known member
Feb 7, 2009
284
6
18,895
Visit site
I also think the Dyn Focus 110 would be a good choice. It is a fanstastic speaker and has super clean bass with lots of kick. It's also small enought that it will work in smaller rooms just fine. I do agree that it needs some space behind it, but not that much space. I'd say 12 inches would be fine if you can manage it (from back of speaker to wall). I also prefer it to the B&W 805s which sounds way too bass light for my taste.
 

Craig M.

New member
Mar 20, 2008
127
0
0
Visit site
if you go for dyn's in a small room, make sure you home dem, mine needed 55cm behind them. my atcs, for comparison, have 22cm behind them.
 

RCduck7

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2007
83
17
18,545
Visit site
Me to support the Dynaudio suggestion, i found they sound very sweet and natural, especially in the midrange when i compared them to my previous Wharfedale's.

If you can compare them to Hyperion speakers, the HWS-586 or the smaller 585 are standmounts. But there aren't to many dealers for this brand. They were big improvement over my Wharfedale's in every aspect though.
 

Dan Turner

New member
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
0
Visit site
FrankHarveyHiFi:
nexski:I would suggest the Dynaudio Focus 110, it is an interesting speaker and have no lack in the low frequency. I had compared it against 805S went for the 110. The contour 1.4 is worth considering also.

The only problem here nexski is that Dynaudio generally need a fair amount of space to work well, as well as a lot of control from the amplifier. I've not yet heard any Dynaudios work close to a rear wall. If the OP has a concrete floor and surrounded by four partition walls, he might be in luck...

Sadly not - suspended wooden floors and one of the sides is a stud wall. Although I have got some partington super dreadnoughts filled all the way up, which is sufficient to tame my PMCs, which are only 38cm from the rear wall and 54 from the sides. It is borderline though I have to admit.

Anyway, sounds like the Dynaudios are a popular suggestion so I'l stick them on the shortlist for sure and if there are any local stockists then I'll get some in for a demo.

Cheers.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I thought the Dynaudio Audience 52 & Focus 110 speakers sounded boomy compared to a nice infinite baffle unit like those from ATC. Depends on the sound you prefer but the ATCs are more accurate whilst the Dyns could be considered more fun by some.
 

Dan Turner

New member
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
0
Visit site
I have to say, going by reputation and reviews alone, the ATCs are the ones I'm looking forward to trying most based on the suggestions and comments so far.
 

Dan Turner

New member
Jul 9, 2007
158
0
0
Visit site
I have bought a pair of Neat Momentum 3i direct from Neat - they were on sale on their website brand new but discounted as cosmetically imperfect. £1186 down from £1830-ish normal retail price. The chap I spoke to reckoned that they just had one small patch where the cherry veneer was a bit lighter than it should be.

So they should arrive tomorrow and can can try them out on a 30 day money back trial - very excited!

The only thing I stand to lose is the cost of return carriage, but I'd have spent that in petrol anyway if I took a round trip to my nearest Neat dealer to try them before buying (and that wouldn't even have been in my own room).

If they suit my tastes/room well then I feel I may have bagged myself a big bargain!
 

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts