Top brand speakers

JBL Synthesis, Revel, ATC, Tannoy, B&W, and TAD/Pioneer.

Audiokinesis wrote a nice but true story about audio. A live experience is in my perception a sound what is fully 3 dimensional and playing physical in front of you. And that it can go deep as it does during a live concert.

Music Always need to be the essential part. There is audio because there was and is music. The emotion is in the music.

People talk about brands, but at the end a whole system only could give a stunning and convincing sound togheter.

It is easy to create an average or poor sound even with a top brand speaker. In more occasions it is not that convincing.

I have proven that speakers who can give a deep and wide stage are more entertaining for a longer period of time than a 2 dimensional speaker.

A 2 dimensional sound is not entertaining you for a long period. Many people I met and who were not happy with their sound. In many situations they had a 2 dimensional image.

I had a client in 2009 and he had a Naim system. This is an almost 2 dimensional sound. First I talked about what a 3 dimensional sound is and what the difference is between a 2 dimensional sound. After he heard it he said: I never have experienced this. I like it a lot and I prefer it over my Naim System. When I would have heard this before that I bought the Naim system. I would not have bought it.

Still many people are not familiar enough what the difference is between a 2 dimensional image and 3 dimensional image.

Shows need to tell people more about the differences. I think they never will do. Because it will have a big influence on some brands. That is why audio will never be that open and honest to customers.

Bo1972 is partially "pulling his punch" here. The weakest link in a Naim System is typically the speakers. You CAN get 3D sound from a Naim System, providing you don't attach Naim Speakers. Totems; Harbeths; and some Dynaudio models match extremely well to Naim. In contrast, if you attach Naim's own NSat speakers to something like a Naim Nait 5si, you will indeed get 2D sound.

Here's a more striking example: Magnepan makes some great speakers. The Ayre AX-7e is a great integrated amp. For a chuckle, I asked my dealer to attach an AX-7e to a pair of Maggie 1.7s. In a word, YECH!!! The resulting sound was sterile, detached, fatiguing, and uninvolving.

The point here is that you are trying to build "a system" that reproduces recorded music based on your personal preferences. A good Audio shopkeeper will take the time to direct you to gear that matches your sound & musical preferences given your budget. Selecting speakers is a big part of building such a system, but not the only part. In the end, the parts will need to work together, and within your room parameters, in order to yield a quality sound.

Returning to Bo1972's comments, if you happen to LIKE the Naim sonic signature (many people do) and can afford the gear, don't be afraid to purchase Naim. Just be sure to match speakers appropriately. (FWIW I don't own Naim, but have friends who enjoy their Naim systems)

"The weakest link in a Naim System is typically the speakers. You CAN get 3D sound from a Naim System, providing you don't attach Naim Speakers."

Not me. And it wasn't for lack of effort either.

Naim has a different focus on sounds and image compared to highend brands like Pass Labs. It is another world. I don't say that you cannot enjoy it.

This is a matter of taste, but I have listend often to Naim equipment with other speakers as well.

The image is still a lot different, less intimate en less precise.