Spendor A5 on Primare i30? Dali Mentor Menuet on Primare i30?

[admin_exported]

Hello,

Has anyone tried one of these combinations? How was the sound like?

- Primare i30 amp with Spendor A5

- Primare i30 amp with Dali Mentor Menuet

Any alternative to these, bearing in mind that size is key (and potentially white or oak finish)...

Many thanks in advance.

Alex

 

[CnoEvil]

The Kef R Series (R500), which now is available in white:
http://www.whathifi.com/news/kef-adds-white-finish-to-r-series-speakers

 

[poldo]

Maybe the white Kudos X2? Very small but stable plinth.

 

[John Duncan]

PMC DB1i or GB1i. Fabulous with the i30, and available in oak.

I heard the Menuets briefly with the i30 and didn't like the combination at all, which surprised me.

 

[poldo]

By the way, with Primare, look at the Audio Physic Sitara 25 in white gloss. They are expensive but very good.

 

[batonwielder]

Primare is a good match with almost anything. What kind of music do you listen to?

 

[ESP2009]

You might also want to try the ProAc Studio 140 Mk2 speakers; for me they bettered the Spendors overall.

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks to all for these responses.

CNoEvil,

Thank you for your suggestion. The KEF are now definitely on my list. I will try them out. They are larger than wished, but definitely worth listened to given their 3-way feature.

poldo,

Thanks for this addition to my list. They are indeed very small and are great if properly matched. Will give it a go. For the Audio Physics, unfortunately, the height will not allow these to be in our living room... sadly.

John,

the PMC were on my list and were a bit lower in my choices, because of the few centimeters more than the Spendor A5s. Thanks to your post, it is back in the pool. Also, the place where I plan on trying the Spensors seems to have the Kudos (?), the PMCs AND the KEF too.

batonwielder,

I listen a bit of everything: 30% of minitry of sound radio (beat and puchy), 30% of orchestral classical music (details), 10% of opera (voices and details) and 30% of vocal/live music (warmth). The Primare seems to be ideal for such width of style. The speakers therefore also need to be carefully matched. What is your view?

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks ESP2009,

The ProAc Studio 140 Mk2 seem indeed amazing, but we don't have enough space for them at home (why do we always live in a place too small? ). Have you tried the Primare with anything else pleasing?

 

[ESP2009]

Thanks ESP2009,

The ProAc Studio 140 Mk2 seem indeed amazing, but we don't have enough space for them at home (why do we always live in a place too small? ). Have you tried the Primare with anything else pleasing?

Try this thread: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/saturday-speaker-fest

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks ESP2009, Amazing post thread. Will put the ProAc Studio 140 Mk2 back in the list. After such review, these can't be dismissed!

I am not sure I got why you didn't try the PMC GB1i? was is because they were unavailable or something else?

ProAc Studio 140 ProAc Studio 140 Mk2

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hello,

Has anyone tried one of these combinations? How was the sound like?

- Primare i30 amp with Spendor A5

- Primare i30 amp with Dali Mentor Menuet

Any alternative to these, bearing in mind that size is key (and potentially white or oak finish)...

Many thanks in advance.

Alex

Hi G_alex2004

If your budget allows then also consider ATC's SCM40 monitors. Primare electronics form an excellent match with ATC monitors 8) SCM40's closed box design and importantly flat and honest presentation also helps with placing them close to walls/tight spaces.

Fwiw, i feel SCM40's are probably the finest VFM passive speakers currently avaialble on the market regardless of price.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[ESP2009]

Thanks ESP2009, Amazing post thread. Will put the ProAc Studio 140 Mk2 back in the list. After such review, these can't be dismissed!

I am not sure I got why you didn't try the PMC GB1i? was is because they were unavailable or something else?

ProAc Studio 140 ProAc Studio 140 Mk2

If I dimly recall correctly, they weren't available for an audition.

The downside of the ProAcs is that they are not shrinking violets size-wise. Yesterday I had cause to remove them from the room and a certain someone commented that the living room looked better (and more spacious) without. :shame:

Actually, in all fairness, they probably don't take up much more room than a decent pair of stand-mounters, although it is advisable to move them out from the room corners. Our room is approx 4.5m wide by 7.5m long (with the ProAcs firing down the length). I would dearly love to crank them up in a decent sized listening area, but they sound fine at 'sensible' levels.

 

[batonwielder]

I've tried Primare I30 and Proac Studio 140mk2 on separate occasions with my usual music consisting of orchestral, concertos, piano, and jazz vocals.

My feeling is that they would be a good match. The Primare is open, detailed, powerful, but warmand laid back at the same time. The Proac is very punchy but hardly warm in the bass, so the midrange remains uncluttered and the treble bright and open.

I personally like matching Proac speakers with something like Sugden, Audio Analogue, or Atoll, however. No Rega Brio R for these speakers. Together they sounded like a synthesizer to me.

Primare usually works well with Spendor, but haven't heard the A3 or A5 to comment on.

I also strongly endorse the recommendation of ATC SCM40. Absolutely amazing speakers, especially the smaller ones.

 

[ESP2009]

Of course, we are expecting an update and news of your experiences. 🙂

 

[Anonymous]

I will be auditioning a few speakers next week. The Spendor A5 and A6, and some other ones such as the KEF R series. I really want to try the ProAc, but I seem to have issues finding a dealer in central london... The ATCs seem to also have no dealer there.

Over the week-end, I tried the primare with the Sonus Faber Liuto monitor and it was a little disappointing. The base was not properly controled and somehow everything I liked about the Primare (controled power and detail) had gone. Not a great match to my ears.

Will tell more after the auditions.

Alex

 

[MUSICRAFT]

Hi Alex

Dealers in the London area are -

CORNFLAKE.co.uk

37 Windmill Street London W1T 2JU

Phone: 0207 631 0472

MY AUDIO DESIGN

First Floor, No. 35 Whitehall, London SW1A 2B

Phone: 0207 839 8880

I hope this helps 🙂

http://www.madengland.com/All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[Anonymous]

Many thanks again to all for their input. I have put a review of the speakers I tested on the following post:

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/primare-i30-amplifier-dac-and-speakers-short-review

All the best,

Alex