Small floor-standing speakers for Naim Atom?

[Happy_Listener]

Hi, I am looking for a a pair of small floorstanders to use with my Naim Atom in a small room. I do not have the chance to hear them so they must be bought unseen and unheard. If anyone has some first hand experience with the following shortlist or any other suggestions please let me know. Thanks.

1. Neat Momentum SX2

2. Neat Iota Alpha (may be too difficult to drive with Atom)

3. Spendor A2

4. Other?

 

[insider9]

Atom is based on NAIT amplification from what I recall. If that's the case Epos would work well also. I run a pair of M15.2 with Nait 5i-2 and the combo sounded great. I'm unable to comment on the above from personal experience.

 

[davedotco]

Atom is based on NAIT amplification from what I recall. If that's the case Epos would work well also. I run a pair of M15.2 with Nait 5i-2 and the combo sounded great. I'm unable to comment on the above from personal experience.

The small K2 model should work well with the Atom, at around £1k, not expensive either.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

Why can’t you listen. I think the neat iota alpha are probably one of the best you can get at that price. What’s the budget too?

 

[Nelis87]

Save the cash and go for the new Acoustic Energy ae109, spend the rest on cd's *acute*

 

[Al ears]

Save the cash and go for the new Acoustic Energy ae109, spend the rest on cd's *acute*

Out of that list I would say the Spendors but it's a very personal choice.

 

[rainsoothe]

Save the cash and go for the new Acoustic Energy ae109, spend the rest on cd's *acute*

Out of that list I would say the Spendors but it's a very personal choice.

+1

 

[drummerman]

Totem Arro

... because I like all things cute and little

 

[Gazzip]

You should try Kef R500’s. EllisDJ heard the Atom through R700’s and thought it was awesome. There is a video somewhere...

I had both the R500’s and then R700’s for a while. I actually preferred the R500.

 

[ellisdj]

I did and it did. that was in quite a large room which might change things a bit depends on a lot of factors there.
as your buying blind I thought I had better mention it 🙂

tough one buying speakers without hearing them at all

 

[Nelis87]

I dont consider the R500 a 'small' floorstander, and I believe the OP does neither as the R500 are over 100cm high while the speakers on his shortlist are 75cm or less.

 

[gasolin]

System audio saxo 40 or 50 or the more expensive mantra 50

 

[newlash09]

Would be from a humble manufacturer. These are pristine looking floor standers with excellent finish. And a sensitivity of 90db, to go with the atoms low power. And they are the qacoustics concept 40's. I had bought the PMC twenty 26's , with the intention of disposing the concept 40's. But haven't been able to get myself to that. Such good speakers they are.

Most models you have mentioned are step down models of great brands. Where they are just trying to give the customer a slice of their sound at a price they deem acceptable, to egg folks up the ladder. But the concept 40's were qacoustics's best effort ever, till the concept 500's came out a little while back. And it shows in the concept 40's performance. They run so close to my PMC's. The PMC's have better bass. But the concepts have better vocals. Considering the price difference between the two , I would give the concept 40's a solid recommendation.

The concept 40's are slightly laid back on very fast charged tracks. And the Naim's are relentless in their pace even on mellow tracks. So both cancel out each other and make a perfect pairing.

Sadly you can't hear the combine. So I presume you would deem it safe to go with the big names. But I thought I'd give you a heads-up about a great pair of speakers. All the best 🙂

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

You don’t want to be messing around with kef r700 which aren’t small and they don’t sound great. I’d say the spendors are good, so too with the totem arro. But another lesser known brand with a speaker similar to the neat iota alpha is the Swedish Larsen speakers. Around £2k I think. But I still don’t think the spendors beat the neat iota alpha with the 2.5 way type design and ribbon tweeters and great sound. From hearing these neats and spendors at shows the neats work better for me. Have you heard them. They are speakers that punch above their weight.

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

You should try Kef R500’s. EllisDJ heard the Atom through R700’s and thought it was awesome. There is a video somewhere...

I had both the R500’s and then R700’s for a while. I actually preferred the R500.

the r700 with an atom would I doubt be an awesome combo. The neat iota alphas with something like that atom would be better. The neats are a nice tight speaker, very good dynamically and good with bass dynamics. The r700 are lazy with bass comparatively and detail.

 

[Gazzip]

You should try Kef R500’s. EllisDJ heard the Atom through R700’s and thought it was awesome. There is a video somewhere...

I had both the R500’s and then R700’s for a while. I actually preferred the R500.

the r700 with an atom would I doubt be an awesome combo. The neat iota alphas with something like that atom would be better. The neats are a nice tight speaker, very good dynamically and good with bass dynamics. The r700 are lazy with bass comparatively and detail.

I wasn’t recommending the R700, I was recommending the R500. The R500’s are tight, focused and with a soundstage to die for. The R series is a different offering with a different sound signature from Kef reference or Q, hence their existence I suspect. I also suspect that you have not heard either, so wonder why you are disparaging them?

 

[QuestForThe13thNote]

I’ve heard both r700 and r500 and they are nowhere near as good as makes like pmc, for which I suspect you agree.i heard r700 in comparison to twenty 23 and r700 just not a match for speed, detail and dynamics of those Pmcs. The trade off in soundstage which you can put up with for these, what I think, are more musical qualities as with speakers like the neats. Anyway the op wants small floorstanders not to dominate I suspect. The r500 are whoppers compared to the short list. Not with any tomatoe inside though!