Speakers

[MUSICRAFT]

Well we don’t deal with Rotel and also some other brands which i’ve mentioned/recommended over on this site over the years.

As far as I am concerned by all means go ahead and mention any brand you want to your hearts content.

Bottom line is that it is you who desires as you put it ‘commercial partnerships’ through wanting payment for leads generated by for your reviews. This is one ‘synergy’ i/we don’t want to be involved with.

 

[rainsoothe]

That sounds like brand loyalty which I worked out I never submit too unless I really can’t do without a certain sound. But Naim isn’t one of those as there are so many similar and as good. What happens in audiophile HiFi is these brands trade off name and reputation to wack up prices. You find out the auralics etc are really not vfm.

In my case it's reluctant brand loyalty. I think that selling streamers with known lcd screen issues and trying to weasel out of warranty is a cruddy thing to do, and made me want to switch. I also hate the severe upgraditis their ecosystem gives you.

I also got into Naim after I went to the dealer's to audition Sugden and Simaudio, and the dealer just proposed two systems, one of which was Naim - which I had not heard of prior, so it was the sound that convinced me.

Also yes, there is stuff that's similar, and although I heard amps and sources that might be in the same arena, after a small departure from Naim caused by financial issues, I wonder if I would be truly satisfied and not have the itch of going back.

 

[Romulus]

The three speakers you picked are quite different so audition may be a simpler affair as to what you prefer. As to amps, Naim sound I would consider a 'marmite' choice you either love it or not. Naim is often compared to Exposure amps, which in comparison can be the cheaper option in price. The suggested Nord amp is really interesting because what it can do, the current power it has and of course the suggested price. If you like the sound the option to choose speakers may be increased significantly because of the high current output, its a nice position to be in for any future upgrade in rest of the system. But all the above depends on the synergy of suggested system and equally importantly will it sound good in your room acoustics. The slight negative with Nord Amp is that you have to purchase it to audition it (no dealers).

 

[rainsoothe]

The three speakers you picked are quite different so audition may be a simpler affair as to what you prefer. As to amps, Naim sound I would consider a 'marmite' choice you either love it or not. Naim is often compared to Exposure amps, which in comparison can be the cheaper option in price. The suggested Nord amp is really interesting because what it can do, the current power it has and of course the suggested price. If you like the sound the option to choose speakers may be increased significantly because of the high current output, its a nice position to be in for any future upgrade in rest of the system. But all the above depends on the synergy of suggested system and equally importantly will it sound good in your room acoustics. The slight negative with Nord Amp is that you have to purchase it to audition it (no dealers).

Naim is indeed love it or hate it. For the record, I also read about Exposure being the poor man's Naim, but after hearing the 3010 s2d I'm a bit on the fence about that finding, as I found the bass on Exposure amps nowhere near as tight as Naim's, and I could say the same about their dynamics. Yes, it was on different speakers, and only compared it directly to a Densen amp, but I got a home demo with the Densen and the sound was very close to what I heard in the shop - and prat wise, the Densen is indeed as good as Naim, but not cheap.

 

[jonathanRD]

Naim is indeed love it or hate it. For the record, I also read about Exposure being the poor man's Naim, but after hearing the 3010 s2d I'm a bit on the fence about that finding, as I found the bass on Exposure amps nowhere near as tight as Naim's, and I could say the same about their dynamics. Yes, it was on different speakers, and only compared it directly to a Densen amp, but I got a home demo with the Densen and the sound was very close to what I heard in the shop - and prat wise, the Densen is indeed as good as Naim, but not cheap.

Interesting, as my local dealer who stocks both Naim, Rega and Arcam steered me clear of Naim amps. So I home demoed Rega amps after discounting the Arcam. I also home demoed the Exposure 3010SD2 and preferred the Exposure over the Rega Elicit-R.
Just to confuse matters, another dealer provisionally invited me to a 'bake-off' between simialrly priced amps - the Naim Nait 5si, Creek Evolution 100A and the Exposure 3010SD2 but told me that the Exposure was the best in his opinion.
Go figure that lot out? - maybe we've all got different ears and rooms and speakers.............

For context which I think is important, I was comparing similarly priced amps.

 

[SpursGator]

So you see, OP? Many good choices here, and they do sound different from one another. You've been recommended Class A, Class B, Class D, tube and solid state. The whole range. But they are words on a page until you listen. If you can't do the live audition then at least make sure you can exchange.

Personally, for your type of music, I might start with a Naim product. For me their sound is a bit quirky, highly pulsing, rhythmic, and engaging. But it isn't particularly transparent and certainly isn't "warm." But they pair very well with ProAcs, in the sense that ProAcs are already pretty warm themselves, and can be flabby with a soft amp. Naim seems to perk them up, benefitting from their natural presentation while adding the trademark Naim boogie.

As others have said, though, there are surely comparable SS amps out there that cost less. And if you are more interested in airy detail than being unable to stop tapping your toe, then by all means try a tube amp or a Class A (I love Sugden but would have to hear it with ProAc). You'll get even less for your money but maybe you'll like the sound. Good luck with your search - this is the fun part.

 

[Gray]

....maybe we've all got different ears and rooms and speakers.............

No 'maybe' about that Jonathan.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

equally importantly will it sound good in your room acoustics.

I would say the room acoustics are the most important that need to be tackled effectively and neutralised. And in Lyngdorf Audio's TDAI-3400 with RoomPerfect I've got access to the best room correction technology in the business

 

[Al ears]

I would say the room acoustics are the most important that need to be tackled effectively and neutralised. And in Lyngdorf Audio's TDAI-3400 with RoomPerfect I've got access to the best room correction technology in the business

Perhaps we could stick to answering the OPs question. It is in everyone's best interest.

 

[plastic penguin]

The Marantz KI Pearl Life you mentioned should be perfectly adequate for the ProAcs.
Otherwise, if you have access to them the Musical Fidelity M5si, Creek Evolution 100A, Exposure 3010S2d but as nopiano says it's difficult to recommend without knowing where you are or what you can audition.

All the speakers the OP has mentioned need a different type of amplifier: The Kef R series needs a open and punchy sound, while the ProAcs and Klipsch need a smoother presentation. And they're all at different price points.
For the kefs I'd be looking at something like midrange Regas, while the ProAcs and Klipsch I would short list MF, Audio Analogue... or perhaps a valve amp

 

[Simon 13th note]

At the end of the day it’s very easy to categorise sounds into a house sound, but the thing is this just doesn’t work in practise. I forever found that when I was reviewing stuff. Take on preference and differences within brands and you can never really say one brand amp suits a particular speaker. Acid test, read all the opinions and try yourself.

 

[nopiano]

Belatedly to say you’ve had a number of good amp suggestions that’ll work fine with Proacs, if you decide upon them. See if you can hear a couple of models that have the inputs and facilities you need. I‘m quite a Marantz fan but I’ve never heard them with Proac. And much as I would love you to buy a British amp, I think the service, support and warranty you can get in Portugal shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

[Cerco]

Belatedly to say you’ve had a number of good amp suggestions that’ll work fine with Proacs, if you decide upon them. See if you can hear a couple of models that have the inputs and facilities you need. I‘m quite a Marantz fan but I’ve never heard them with Proac. And much as I would love you to buy a British amp, I think the service, support and warranty you can get in Portugal shouldn’t be overlooked.

Thanks!