pawpaw:Can anyone recommend suitable speakers for an old Naim system. I have a NAC 42 pre amp, NAP 140 power amp and Snaps power supply. I use an i-Pod connected to an Arcam R-Dock as the source using Lossless files. I currently have a pair of AR18LS speakers, that have been re-foamed. They need to be stand mount speakers that are happy to be placed close to a wall. Thanks for any help.Wow! AR18's! That's going back a bit!
The older naim amps are a little harder to recommend speakers for as they were/still are quite fussy due to their tonal balance, which is a little different to their current amplifiers. the 42/140 is a great combination still, and arguably sits between the current Nait and Nait XS. You haven't specified a preferred price, but here goes. For near wall placement, the best ones to look at would be the Spendor SA1, Proac Tablette Reference 8 or the Signature version, Proac Response D1, ATC SCM7 or SCM11. The Spendors would be the smoothest of the lot, and would be a good match if you think the Naim is a little forward sounding, which the older stuff does lean towards. The Proac's would be a little more upbeat in their presentation, and the ATC's are about the best all rounders we've heard so far in this price point. they're a little harder to drive than the rest, but your 140 has plenty of current, so it wouldn't be a problem for the little workhorse. The ATC and Spendor should work better than most near to a wall as they're sealed cabinets - stay away from rear ports in general as they'll use the wall for bass reinforcement, which is exactly what you don't want. The Proacs are rear ported, but use quite a small driver, so shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Regards
David