Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speakers

[Shahrukh]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Giving a dose to the anti naim ers eh??? :lol:

I remember having very cold 'green' tea served in pints, hence the heading

Actually the "dose" is well taken.

I concur with all of mpw's points. Naim is NOT for those looking for "3D" in their stereo setup. Much to many an audiophile's chagrin, I do. So yeah, Naim doesn't do it for me.

More power to all you Naim-ers out there.

 

[Shahrukh]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

===================================================

under the influence of the cold "green" tea sitting in belgaum i can say that there is no anti and no pro.

Just differing points of view which can be settled over a some more "green teas "

PS : i would love to hear the Merlins someday..



mpw

Let's do this. We'll fix it up over PM. What say MPW?

 

[mpw]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Let's do this. We'll fix it up over PM. What say MPW?

=================================

there was no "dose" shahrukh..

trust me..

having been in this so called "audiofilia" i know for sure there is more than one view point and there is space for everyone. Ultimately its happiness that counts.

i welcome your views and yes - we shall fix up over PM one day.

I shall indeed be happy to have many more FM's chiming in their views about sound.

I have many things to tell you about my pleasant interaction with Mr Bobby Palkovic - the president of Merlin Music.

Life is for living and making friends.. till the time we exist on the 3rd rock from the sun.

Cheers to that !!

mpw

 

[denom]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Actually the "dose" is well taken.

I concur with all of mpw's points. Naim is NOT for those looking for "3D" in their stereo setup. Much to many an audiophile's chagrin, I do. So yeah, Naim doesn't do it for me.

More power to all you Naim-ers out there.

Let's do this. We'll fix it up over PM. What say MPW?

=================================

there was no "dose" shahrukh..

trust me..

having been in this so called "audiofilia" i know for sure there is more than one view point and there is space for everyone. Ultimately its happiness that counts.

i welcome your views and yes - we shall fix up over PM one day.

I shall indeed be happy to have many more FM's chiming in their views about sound.

I have many things to tell you about my pleasant interaction with Mr Bobby Palkovic - the president of Merlin Music.

Life is for living and making friends.. till the time we exist on the 3rd rock from the sun.

Cheers to that !!

mpw

Always said in jest - especially when needling friends

Lets have a 'green tea' session soon then

Looking forward to catching up with you Shahrukh

:cheers:

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

You too Thad?

I am, err, fantasising! hyeah:

Although the slightly frustrating thing about this fantasy, is that I have all the other components.

The fantasy, by the way, is passive desktop monitors, rather than the previous fantasy, which was actives. Reason: I have a spare integrated amp.

 

[ghatgepatil]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

GP,

the Gurus are supposed to be darn good especially the Guru QM Two i think..

where did you hear the gurus ??

mpw

Heard them by finding some time during a work-related whirlwind visit to Calcutta. Went over to the India D&D for Guru speakers, located in that city. I was taken aback by the sound quality of their cheapest offer ie. the Junior, which I guess is well below the usual highs we get to encounter in hi-end. In fact, I liked the 'sound' of their cheapest over the daunting asking-rates of Guru's QM series. It also seems obvious that the D&D is not making serious efforts to increase his visibility. Maybe, that is why I hardly see any mention of Guru's range anywhere. BTW, I could find 'full' value, I mean VFM value of their 'Junior' speaker only. The others were very much out of budget for me. Calcutta FMs may like to pitch in after having checked it out more thoroughly.

 

[mpw]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

GP,

what electronics were they paired with ?

any photos to share ?

were they placed near to the wall / side wall / on stands ?

Their bass mechanism is unconventional and it calls for some help from the side walls / rear wall and the speaker should be mounted rather flush.

mpw

 

[arhantd]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Heard them by finding some time during a work-related whirlwind visit to Calcutta. Went over to the India D&D for Guru speakers, located in that city. I was taken aback by the sound quality of their cheapest offer ie. the Junior, which I guess is well below the usual highs we get to encounter in hi-end. In fact, I liked the 'sound' of their cheapest over the daunting asking-rates of Guru's QM series. It also seems obvious that the D&D is not making serious efforts to increase his visibility. Maybe, that is why I hardly see any mention of Guru's range anywhere. BTW, I could find 'full' value, I mean VFM value of their 'Junior' speaker only. The others were very much out of budget for me. Calcutta FMs may like to pitch in after having checked it out more thoroughly.

Even i have heard a lot about the Guru Junior and interesting things, similar to what the Helium 410 is capable of.
They are supposed to sound brilliant closest to the wall.

Regarding the D&D, i had a word with him recently.
I was looking to setup an audition in Mumbai, but he informed me that Guru is changing factories hence the Junior wont be available for 2 months.
The D&D is quick to respond to emails, but i am not sure if he has really tried to make speakers available in other cities for audition.

Given a chance, it will be really interesting to compare the Junior with 410s.

 

[ghatgepatil]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Source was a CDp (did not check make), a Marantz amp (again, no check on the model).

Did not take pics. Would have, if my phone had a camera. It's an antique piece.

Speakers were mounted on conventional metal stands. Had a slight toe-in, and placed quite close to the front wall, if I recollect correctly. Did not note the distance from the side walls. Heard both the 'famed' QM10 and the 'bland' Junior. MY ears loved the Junior.

 

[vijwilso]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

Had an interesting evening yesterday, hearing 4 speakers paired with the following electronics:


Speakers used to play musical chairs with above electronics were as follows:

1) Epos M12i
2) Spendor A6
3) Krypton K-100B
4) Amphion Helium 410

Music heard:
LP:
Explosions in the Sky - The earth is not a cold dead place

1) Spendor A6:
Nothing much to excite. The A6 sounded pretty lifeless & un involving. Most of the time played 1 dimensionally.

3) Epos M12i:
Have heard this speaker a lot due thanks to couple of FM's I know, who own them. Pretty much a safe bet in the price range it was available in, sadly its a discontinued speaker & hence its value in todays market is un appreciated.

4) Amphion Helium 410:
These never seize to amaze me. Yet again, they were plonked into a huge room (400 + Sq Ft) & demanded that they perform. That they did without much fuss is yet again brought to the fore. The magnetic effect they have on one is simply irresistible to run away from. They exhibit an unfazed approach, making you throw it into the deep almost straight away. The strongest attributes of the Helium 410's is their dynamic & wide soundstage, coupled with sheer pace of timing. It plays most of the genres of music with aplomb & gets you involved straightaway. Brings a huge smile to ones face with ease


Will await for the others present to share their views & experiences. Pics to follow

I listened Spendor S5e and A5 with Exposure and Acoustic Portrait newly launched integrated amplifier . I can not say it is lifeless , infact it has got rich tonal colors compared to other speakers i owned/listened before .
These speakers are little less exciting , but more grown-up sound . To me Acoustic instruments , Piano and human voice sounded very good in these speakers .

I am not sure if there is a mismatch with Naim , I will be getting Naim XS this year end , will be able to check with Naim .

My friend owns Spendor Fs with Naim int amp , initially unhappy , but he likes it now after upgrading the CD player to Exposure. May be Exposure is better match for Spendor than Naim

Spendors are dark sounding speakers , and less noisy compared to many other speakers . S5E performed well in a bigger room compared to A5 , but A5 is more refined . But in my room , both the speakers sounded good .

Also typically one needs to spend more time , alteast a week with Spendors to appreciate the qualities of it .

 

[denom]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

I listened Spendor S5e and A5 with Exposure and Acoustic Portrait newly launched integrated amplifier . I can not say it is lifeless , infact it has got rich tonal colors compared to other speakers i owned/listened before .
These speakers are little less exciting , but more grown-up sound . To me Acoustic instruments , Piano and human voice sounded very good in these speakers .

I am not sure if there is a mismatch with Naim , I will be getting Naim XS this year end , will be able to check with Naim .

My friend owns Spendor Fs with Naim int amp , initially unhappy , but he likes it now after upgrading the CD player to Exposure. May be Exposure is better match for Spendor than Naim

Spendors are dark sounding speakers , and less noisy compared to many other speakers . S5E performed well in a bigger room compared to A5 , but A5 is more refined . But in my room , both the speakers sounded good .

Also typically one needs to spend more time , alteast a week with Spendors to appreciate the qualities of it .

Well what me & the others heard was as described & unanimously agreed by all present. The A6 were a well broken in pair so that was also not an issue. Maybe as you say the Naim/Spendor pairing was a mis-match.
As for spending more time aspect, if something does not appeal in a couple of hours, it may never appeal in the long term at all. I speak for myself on this aspect.

Good luck to you on your future Naim/Spendor Pairing.

 

[vijwilso]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

what initially exciting may become tiresome in a long run , that was my personal experience with more exciting speakers . I agree the low level dynamics is not so great with spendor, but failed to understand why this is '1' dimensional .

This is not to challenge your view/comparision and i have not heard other speakers in the comparison , so i can not really tell . Also i have not heard Spendor A6.

My view is based on my comparison with ProAc studios 140 and Response D18 vs Spendor A5 and S5E . I used Studios for more 6 months and extensive listening session with D18 and A5 for couple of weeks and S5E for 2 months . Trust me , the appeal changes if you listen it for longer time .

I don't want to write more and sound like a Spendor fanboy

 

[mpw]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

agree with denom and your view point also.

sometimes things grow on you.

happy that you like the spendor. It is not without reason they have a good name.

mpw

 

[ilar]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

I like the match of Naim Nait 5i-2, Exposure 2010 SE CD player and Spendor S5e. They seem to be a huge step forward compared to my previous Monitor Audio RS6.

One can listen to the Spendors for long periods without a hint of ear fatigue.

This December end, we are going to receive the XS-2 and I am sure with some more watts, the Spendors are going to sound great. Will wait and see

 

[vijwilso]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

As I type, spendor playing jazz , the piono notes pop out from dark back ground , full solid sharp body to it . I wonder how this could ever be lifeless and one dimensional

Sorry, could not resist typing and react as I listen to it

 

[arj]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

As I type, spendor playing jazz , the piono notes pop out from dark back ground , full solid sharp body to it . I wonder how this could ever be lifeless and one dimensional

Sorry, could not resist typing and react as I listen to it

I agree and i also had the same reaction when i heard about Spendors being lifeless. they can never be accused of that used to be in the same league as harbeths..untill they lost out in the marketing front. Although they are taken over by an indian group i doubt if the design principles and quality have changed that much !

it is definitely the Synergy out there which would be the issue as couple of folks seem to feel the same

 

[denom]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

what initially exciting may become tiresome in a long run , that was my personal experience with more exciting speakers . I agree the low level dynamics is not so great with spendor, but failed to understand why this is '1' dimensional .

This is not to challenge your view/comparision and i have not heard other speakers in the comparison , so i can not really tell . Also i have not heard Spendor A6.

My view is based on my comparison with ProAc studios 140 and Response D18 vs Spendor A5 and S5E . I used Studios for more 6 months and extensive listening session with D18 and A5 for couple of weeks and S5E for 2 months . Trust me , the appeal changes if you listen it for longer time .

I don't want to write more and sound like a Spendor fanboy

As I type, spendor playing jazz , the piono notes pop out from dark back ground , full solid sharp body to it . I wonder how this could ever be lifeless and one dimensional

Sorry, could not resist typing and react as I listen to it

Ahaa, now I understand where you are coming from! No wonder you like Spendor sound compared to the ProAc Studio 140 Again, you have not heard the A6 so its unfair to talk about them without listening to them. We heard the Spendor A6 & hence the experience as mentioned.

But you are

As long as you are enjoying your music, why get pricked by my 1 dimensional comment???That too of a different model
Works for you, did not work for me, simple!

agree with denom and your view point also.

sometimes things grow on you.

happy that you like the spendor. It is not without reason they have a good name.

mpw

Mpw, neither here nor there approach??? Why this kolaveri???

I like the match of Naim Nait 5i-2, Exposure 2010 SE CD player and Spendor S5e. They seem to be a huge step forward compared to my previous Monitor Audio RS6.

One can listen to the Spendors for long periods without a hint of ear fatigue.

This December end, we are going to receive the XS-2 and I am sure with some more watts, the Spendors are going to sound great. Will wait and see

We seem to be comparing two different models of Spendor here, which is unfair as have heard the A6 only.

I agree and i also had the same reaction when i heard about Spendors being lifeless. they can never be accused of that used to be in the same league as harbeths..untill they lost out in the marketing front. Although they are taken over by an indian group i doubt if the design principles and quality have changed that much !

it is definitely the Synergy out there which would be the issue as couple of folks seem to feel the same

Yes that & the fact that FM's are discussing other models of Spendor than the ones we heard

 

[vijwilso]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

I am just sharing my experience with Spendors with the specific of electronics , that will help in broader spectrum than just dumping it based on one Specific Model with specific electronics.

As i stated already , i am not saying your observation is in-correct as i never listened to A6 before with the electronics you mentioned . Sp pls dont get offended .
You are sharing your experience and I am sharing mine .

It is not right to conclude something is not good without offering it right environment to work . The same is applicable to the ProAcs , i would rather say i was not able to get the right electronics to make it sing .

 

[denom]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

I am just sharing my experience with Spendors with the specific of electronics , that will help in broader spectrum than just dumping it based on one Specific Model with specific electronics.

As i stated already , i am not saying your observation is in-correct as i never listened to A6 before with the electronics you mentioned . Sp pls dont get offended .
You are sharing your experience and I am sharing mine .

It is not right to conclude something is not good without offering it right environment to work . The same is applicable to the ProAcs , i would rather say i was not able to get the right electronics to make it sing .

Yes, glad you shared your experience just as I shared mine. Different opinions as different people will always have. As for 'dumping' it can be a 2 way street, so lets not go there.

Not offended, but feel that my comments of the Spendor A6 offended you

Everything has to be paired with correct partners, else one will not get the desired results. Generally applies to all aspects of life.

 

[vijwilso]

Re: Naim Tea Party with EposM12i/Spendor A6/Krypton K100B & Amphion Helium 410 Speake

No ... No way i am offended Denom , i was rather surprised and trying to reason out why it sounded dry, also worried as we are getting the xs2 now .

I never had any owner bias for any of the products that i owned now/ before. I am the first critic to what i own , and if i dont like something , move on from it , no matter how popular is that from general opinion.

What i learned in Audio products is that there is nothing best in absolute terms alteast in the entry/mid segment. I learned to live with the trade-off/compromise , In splendors I am happy to trade-off the low-level dynamics with the mid/high performance and tonal qualities of spendors