Dominic & Ram of Studio AV in Eton spent a couple of hours demonstrating two pairs of speakers last Saturday. The second pair were Wilson Benesch's Square Twos. Nicely finished in lacquered Birdseye, two-way with a rear port driven by Naim pre/power amps with a CD5 series for source.
They were very good - well-controlled bass, pretty dynamic with no obvious vices. The first pair were the speakers at the top of my shortlist - Naim Ovator 400s (sealed 2.5 way with BMR mid/tweeters). These were £800(ish) more at £3k8. Neither pair are the last word in bass heft but both have a tight bottom end. What surprised me about the 400s was their excellent imaging - beyond my expectations! They are also very dynamic, more so than the Square Twos that have a reputation of being very nimble. Another aspect of the 400s was their level of detail - especially in the mid-bass that gave bass guitar a wonderful dynamism. The 400s remain at the top of my list but would need to hear how well they work in my flat or if they would be too bright with my Primare. The Ovators will have the option of active Xovers.
There are some other speakers I want hear such as a couple of models by Aurum but finding a dealer that actually stocks then isn't going to be easy. CnoE's mention of Tara is also interesting me.
They were very good - well-controlled bass, pretty dynamic with no obvious vices. The first pair were the speakers at the top of my shortlist - Naim Ovator 400s (sealed 2.5 way with BMR mid/tweeters). These were £800(ish) more at £3k8. Neither pair are the last word in bass heft but both have a tight bottom end. What surprised me about the 400s was their excellent imaging - beyond my expectations! They are also very dynamic, more so than the Square Twos that have a reputation of being very nimble. Another aspect of the 400s was their level of detail - especially in the mid-bass that gave bass guitar a wonderful dynamism. The 400s remain at the top of my list but would need to hear how well they work in my flat or if they would be too bright with my Primare. The Ovators will have the option of active Xovers.
There are some other speakers I want hear such as a couple of models by Aurum but finding a dealer that actually stocks then isn't going to be easy. CnoE's mention of Tara is also interesting me.
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