[musicdre]

naim and spatial are worlds that dont seem to be often mixed.   its got me curious about how well naim amplification (pre/amp, integrated) sounds with spatials.  mine are sapphire M3s - which are very revealing (as most of us know) of electronics.  so no place for amplification imperfections to hide.  any naim/spatial experiences?  thoughts?

[jjss49]

i think it is worth a try

naim has good drive, with a rolled off high treble, and fundamentally neutral through the midrange - be sure to have any power supply upgrades for the naim pieces you might use (if applicable) as they enhance the smoothness and ease of the sound (and minimize grain)

my problem with the m3 sapphires was aggressive treble when used with most solid state gear (which i felt was necessary to control the dual 15 in woofers)

[RonN5]

Strange… I’ve played my Sapphires with the 2Cherry, the Starkcrimson stereo ultra and the Wells Inamorata II ST and I would not say the treble was aggressive… I’ve also heard Sapphires with Parasound Halo and Lyngdorf.. again, not aggressive.

[Alex-San]

Strange… I’ve played my Sapphires with the 2Cherry, the Starkcrimson stereo ultra and the Wells Inamorata II ST and I would not say the treble was aggressive… I’ve also heard Sapphires with Parasound Halo and Lyngdorf.. again, not aggressive.

I drive my M4s Sapphires with Lyngdorf TDAI 1120 and it's far, far from aggressive. My room is fairly damped though

[musicdre]

my problem with the m3 sapphires was aggressive treble when used with most solid state gear (which i felt was necessary to control the dual 15 in woofers)

@jjs49: were you meaning to indicate that naim would not (due to its rolled off highs) make your m3's sound aggressive in the treble?

i am very sensitive to aggressive treble and "edge".  my m3s have been exemplary in not emphasizing that - while exposing the sound of the amplification they are being fed.  so yes, i would expect aggressive electronics to sound aggressive on the m3s.  and certainly wish to avoid that.

[Mr. Big]

@jjs49: were you meaning to indicate that naim would not (due to its rolled off highs) make your m3's sound aggressive in the treble?

i am very sensitive to aggressive treble and "edge".  my m3s have been exemplary in not emphasizing that - while exposing the sound of the amplification they are being fed.  so yes, i would expect aggressive electronics to sound aggressive on the m3s.  and certainly wish to avoid that.

You are so correct about aggressive electronics, there are many out there today, it is the wow factor..but then you tire of the wow, and you are back to square one. Like many speakers today designed for detail and wow, but if you know how instruments sound you catch it quickly. I heard a 25k speaker at a dealer, I had one track I wanted to hear, it had a Hammond B3 organ on it, that is a sound that is so easy to hear, its tone is of its own, and the organ on this speaker sounded like a toy, the singer had no body just sound in between the speaker floating in air, high-end was forward, the bass was boomy, but the speaker looked like a million bucks. I hurt the salesman's feelings when he said wow isn't that good. I told him not really and ask how the company could charge 25K for that sound. Sorry, it is awful. On top of that, they were using 50K amp and preamps, and god knows how much in Transparent top-of-line cables. But it was an impressive system to look at and if you had the money with no experience of sound quality you buy it for looks and status alone, along with bragging rights.  Smile. Sorry I'll keep my M3 Sapphires or my past Quad Electrostatics.