drummerman:
Kef's iQ range, in particular the (non-SE) iQ7 and 9's.
Perhaps have to extend that to NAD though I never slayed the brand, simply never bothered to listen to any other than the latest entry level amp/cdp which, at the time, outperformed a Musical Fidelity/ProAc system at around 15 times the cost. Not ideal settings but then homes rarely are either ...
I'm still intrigued why you're back with a NAD Matthewpiano? Not a criticism at all. What is it that you like so much about it over the more expensive amps you had?
I think things have been slightly complicated by a range of factors, not least the realisation only very recently (after going back to a NAD) that the positioning of my speakers within my room was less than ideal and having a major impact on the performance of every set-up I've tried. I came to this conclusion after thinking it was strange that nothing was really satisfying me consistently enough. Moving things around has had a huge impact, and so I'm not sure most of the kit that has been here has really had a very fair chance to be honest.
That said, I really do think the NAD is a cracking little amp. Its the over-riding sense of musicality that hits me every time I listen to it. There is life and depth in the sound that I've not really had from anything else and I love the feeling that, whatever speakers I use, it seems to drive them with ease and provide really excellent tonal quality and details levels at all volume levels.
That leads me to my own humble pie. I've been loaned a pair of second hand B&W 685s to try by a colleague in the industry who was determined to change my mind about them. Having auditioned them before with the Marantz CD/PM6002 and the Arcam CD17/A18 I was unimpressed with the 685s, and have always said as much on these forums. In those auditions they sounded splashy, dull, and uninspiring and I couldn't see what all the fuss was about.
Well, I've now listened for about 8-9 hours with these 685s set up in my own home with my own equipment and I can't believe how different they sound. Driven by the NAD they sound rhythmic, spacious and extremely musical with excellent control across the frequency range. They actually image better than the Quads but have a much more open quality, and there is absolutely non of the splashiness that I heard in the earlier demonstration. They are the first speakers I've had here that seem to reproduce the bass end so convincingly without making it overblown. Now they sound like the speakers that WHFS&V have reviewed so glowingly and I really can see what all the fuss is about. Refined, yet articulate and attacking when required, they gel very well with the NAD amp and my MF V-DAC/340C combo. The detail levels these things retrieve are incredible. I'm hearing new things on tracks I thought I knew inside out! These are in the black finish but, given the big saving and currently poor availability of new 685s, I can't see them going back.
The egg is on my face, and the humble pie is being digested as we speak.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram