Naim Unitiqute or DAC-V1 system choices

[Jota180]

B.

 

[Jota180]

Hi Dommer, I see from your signature that you have a UnitiQute partnered with a Nap 100 so I am interested to know how much difference the nap 100 makes? On paper if I had the funds a Naim DAC-V1 with the Nap 100 would be top of my demo list. Hyperthetically if you the opportunity to swap your UnitiQute with the Naim DAC-V1 (at no cost) what would your decision be and why? Thanks

I have the UQ2 and bought the NAP 100 after hearing the difference between the two. The dealer had the lot connected to a pair of speakers and switched between them (UQ2 on it's own and with the NAP 100 connected). The NAP 100 controlled the bass better, made the vocals stand out more and gave a greater sense of scale overall.

 

[SJCT99]

Ok I have decided to go down the Naim Unitiqute route and so just need to decide on speakers from these options:

A) Neat Iota

B) Q Acoustics Concept 20

C) Sonus Faber Toy

D) Arcam Muso

Any others speakers that I should consider with a maximum height of 27.5cm? Thanks

 

[dhifi]

Not familiar with the Naim sound but I use my Iota's with Spotify/Apple lossless over ZP80 (Coax) and Mac (SPDIF) into Cyrus integrated (8XPdQX) and I've been wowed by the sound and stoundstage from such tiny speakers. Bass performance is also good (mine are corner mounted).

PS How do you find the sorround performace of the Pay 1's does it add much?

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Neat Iola

a bit bigger

KEF LS50 30 cm

Dynaudio Excite X14 28,5 cm

 

[npoguy]

Neat Iola

a bit bigger

KEF LS50 30 cm

Dynaudio Excite X14 28,5 cm

I was also going to suggest the LS50's--I'm currently using them with a UnitiQute2. Looks like they are just a bit too tall.

 

[SJCT99]

Hi dhifi thanks for your input, to answer your question about the play 1s with the playbar, they work really well as surround speakers, for action movies and the like but for normal tv I don't miss them as you know the playbar being a front 3 channels with left and right angled to push the sound further away from the center channel creates a wide soundstage anyway and who needs Britain's Got Talent in surround sound?! Pairing the Play 1s to the Playbar takes less than 3 minutes. (unpairing only takes 30 seconds) so it works for me just to bring them in for films only and enjoy them for music as a stereo pair in the kitchen for the rest of the time. I tried the play 3s as surround speakers too and I actually much preferred the Play 1s and they are neater and less expensive too. If you have the cash and the space to have Play 1s as surrounds permanently then I would recommend them and it is easy to switch between 3.0, 3.1, 5.0 and 5.1 configurations (if you have sub and/or surrounds) without having to pair and unpair. As an aside I have a Play 5 in my office at work and I think I prefer the sound from the stereo pair of Play 1s.

 

[SJCT99]

As for the Kef LS50 they are just too big for where they are going to go and 27.5cm is the very maximum height possible. I did demo the Kef LS50 a while back but I actually preferred the sound of the cheaper Kef R100 and at 28cm high I am tempted to see it I could remove the Kef badge from the top edge of the speaker without ruining the finish as that would bring them down to 27.5cm! But it could be an epic fail if I bodged it up!

 

[Jota180]

You can use the KEF LS 50 on it's side since it has a UniQ driver arrangement. The width is only 20cm so that would leave plenty of room.

The same would apply for the R100 although with it's badge it may look a little odd on it's side.

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/could-i-use-a-kef-ls50-on-its-side-as-a-center

 

[rainsoothe]

i auditioned kef R300 with Rotel RA 1520 - they might've not been broken in or something, but they sounded pretty soft to me - might be a good match for UQ though, who knows? Make sure you audition.

haven't heard the LS50, but quite a few naim forumites seem to be happy with UQ2 + Kef LS50 combo.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

i auditioned kef R300 with Rotel RA 1520 - they might've not been broken in or something, but they sounded pretty soft to me - might be a good match for UQ though, who knows? Make sure you audition.

haven't heard the LS50, but quite a few naim forumites seem to be happy with UQ2 + Kef LS50 combo.

i din't like Rotel sound sig, to analitical/metalic sound, and demo the 1520 and 1570.

 

[Philim]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

heard them with Arcam A19 and LOVED the combo!!! 8)

nice set of speakers!

 

[Jota180]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

28cm tall. Too big.

 

[rainsoothe]

i auditioned kef R300 with Rotel RA 1520 - they might've not been broken in or something, but they sounded pretty soft to me - might be a good match for UQ though, who knows? Make sure you audition.

haven't heard the LS50, but quite a few naim forumites seem to be happy with UQ2 + Kef LS50 combo.

i din't like Rotel sound sig, to analitical/metalic sound, and demo the 1520 and 1570.

Although I do like the rotel sound, that was the point I was making - the Kef R300s managed to make an analitical/metalic component sound like a wet sock

 

[Leeps]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

28cm tall. Too big.

Jota, might I ask what your plans are for siting these speakers? I get the impression that you're shoe-horning them into a small gap somewhere? If the speakers are completely surrounded in a bookshelf or something, then this could severely affect your options and ultimately the kind of sound you'll be getting. The fact that smaller speakers are referred to as "bookshelf" speakers isn't very helpful. It's far better to think of them as "stand-mounters". (Sorry to spell this out: don't want a teach granny to suck eggs situation).

If they are in some kind of box, anything with rear ports could be a flatulent disaster. I suppose it's like putting Pavarotti (when he was alive of course) in a broom cupboard and expecting him to sound at his best.

I suppose my point is that the positioning of the speakers is just as (if not more) important than the particular brand of speaker you're considering and if the speakers are sited in some small shelf, this makes any demo bordering on worthless. For example i'd imagine the KEF R300's could be truly awful in such a surrounded location as their bass can already be difficult if just slightly near walls.

If your options to locate the speakers in open space are very limited, then I'd consider wall-mounting some Neat Iotas somewhere else in the room where the speakers aren't completely surrounded. The Iotas are cracking speakers anyway and if positioned better would likely exceed potentially superior speakers poorly positioned.

 

[Jota180]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

28cm tall. Too big.

Jota, might I ask what your plans are for siting these speakers? I get the impression that you're shoe-horning them into a small gap somewhere? If the speakers are completely surrounded in a bookshelf or something, then this could severely affect your options and ultimately the kind of sound you'll be getting. The fact that smaller speakers are referred to as "bookshelf" speakers isn't very helpful. It's far better to think of them as "stand-mounters". (Sorry to spell this out: don't want a teach granny to suck eggs situation).

If they are in some kind of box, anything with rear ports could be a flatulent disaster. I suppose it's like putting Pavarotti (when he was alive of course) in a broom cupboard and expecting him to sound at his best.

I suppose my point is that the positioning of the speakers is just as (if not more) important than the particular brand of speaker you're considering and if the speakers are sited in some small shelf, this makes any demo bordering on worthless. For example i'd imagine the KEF R300's could be truly awful in such a surrounded location as their bass can already be difficult if just slightly near walls.

If your options to locate the speakers in open space are very limited, then I'd consider wall-mounting some Neat Iotas somewhere else in the room where the speakers aren't completely surrounded. The Iotas are cracking speakers anyway and if positioned better would likely exceed potentially superior speakers poorly positioned.

The original poster is the one who has said 27.5cm is the absolute tallest speakers he can accomodate. If that's the only spot he has then he can either buy a speaker under that height or use one that is taller but can be laid on it's side without affecting it's sound.

KEF LS50 or R100 would fit in on their sides and still sound the same as if they were 'the right way up'.

 

[unsleepable]

As for the Kef LS50 they are just too big for where they are going to go and 27.5cm is the very maximum height possible. I did demo the Kef LS50 a while back but I actually preferred the sound of the cheaper Kef R100 and at 28cm high I am tempted to see it I could remove the Kef badge from the top edge of the speaker without ruining the finish as that would bring them down to 27.5cm! But it could be an epic fail if I bodged it up!

I am afraid that they measure 28 cm tall without the badge. The badge itself adds something like 2 or 3 mm more.

But take into account that these speakers benefit from plenty of space around anyways, which may not be the case where you want to put them.

 

[Leeps]

Have you tried some guru juniors.

Front ported. 24th and sound lovely with naim

28cm tall. Too big.

Jota, might I ask what your plans are for siting these speakers? I get the impression that you're shoe-horning them into a small gap somewhere? If the speakers are completely surrounded in a bookshelf or something, then this could severely affect your options and ultimately the kind of sound you'll be getting. The fact that smaller speakers are referred to as "bookshelf" speakers isn't very helpful. It's far better to think of them as "stand-mounters". (Sorry to spell this out: don't want a teach granny to suck eggs situation).

If they are in some kind of box, anything with rear ports could be a flatulent disaster. I suppose it's like putting Pavarotti (when he was alive of course) in a broom cupboard and expecting him to sound at his best.

I suppose my point is that the positioning of the speakers is just as (if not more) important than the particular brand of speaker you're considering and if the speakers are sited in some small shelf, this makes any demo bordering on worthless. For example i'd imagine the KEF R300's could be truly awful in such a surrounded location as their bass can already be difficult if just slightly near walls.

If your options to locate the speakers in open space are very limited, then I'd consider wall-mounting some Neat Iotas somewhere else in the room where the speakers aren't completely surrounded. The Iotas are cracking speakers anyway and if positioned better would likely exceed potentially superior speakers poorly positioned.

The original poster is the one who has said 27.5cm is the absolute tallest speakers he can accomodate. If that's the only spot he has then he can either buy a speaker under that height or use one that is taller but can be laid on it's side without affecting it's sound.

KEF LS50 or R100 would fit in on their sides and still sound the same as if they were 'the right way up'.

Even if it technically fits, it could still sound dreadful if it effectively becomes a box within a box. How do you prevent the cabinet or shelving around it from affecting the sound? How do you allow enough room for the ports to breath? If this location had been my original plan, I'd seriously consider changing the plan, hence my suggestion to look at alternative places in the room.

The Neat Iota's are so dinky they could easily be wall-mounted in places not otherwise considered for more traditionally sized speakers.

 

[lpv]

Yeah, can you tell us more about where you're going to place the speakers?

Did somebody mentioned AVI DM5? (27cm tall) that would be my choice and s/h M-Dac.

None of your choices will beat DM5's in terms of power, clarity, control.

If passive I would go with full Rega set up.

 

[Jota180]

As for the Kef LS50 they are just too big for where they are going to go and 27.5cm is the very maximum height possible. I did demo the Kef LS50 a while back but I actually preferred the sound of the cheaper Kef R100 and at 28cm high I am tempted to see it I could remove the Kef badge from the top edge of the speaker without ruining the finish as that would bring them down to 27.5cm! But it could be an epic fail if I bodged it up!

I am afraid that they measure 28 cm tall without the badge. The badge itself adds something like 2 or 3 mm more.

But take into account that these speakers benefit from plenty of space around anyways, which may not be the case where you want to put them.

What I was saying was the R100 and LS50 can go on their sides and sound exactly the same as on their ends due to having the UniQ driver.

If they are on their sides they are not as tall.

This isn't for me by the way, my LS50 are on dedicated stands. It's for another poster who says that's the absolute height limit. I'm sure he's aware it's not ideal but it's got to be more ideal than no speakers at all.