Compatibility of NAD and Monitor Audio

I'm looking to buy a new hifi system. I've demo'd a few things but the NAD C320BEE amp and C521BEE have caught my eye together with Monitor Audio's Silver S1s (or possibly S2s?). My room is probably medium sized (18ft x 9ft and 9ft high) and I was wondering whether splashing out for some floorstanders (AE evo3s for budget or maybe MA S6's) might be a better option.

Actually what I really wanted to know was whether the NAD components and the Monitor Audio speakers will work well together, and if anyone knows of a shop that actually sells both brands so that I can actually go in and have a listen to them.

(Also would it be worthwhile going for the more powerful C521CT amp.. 80 watts rather than 50, although the S1's are rated at 90dB/W/m so they shouldn't be too hard to drive... in theory)

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

Hi Matther,
I can't say anything about the NAD equipment but I can say that the MA's are an easy drive for most amps.
There sound tends to be very detailed and quite warm. Some may interpret the detail as brightness. I had MA's for a few years and tried them with a lot of different equipment. (NAD not being one of them!) I didn't really find anything that sounded dreadful. Naim was about the worst.
All in all excellent build quality and a nice sound.
Before you commit to buy, shop around. Second hand will get you a lot more for your budget.
IMHO I think Exposure and MA sound excellent together but you may hate the overall sound.
Which area of th Country are you in?

 

Thanks alot! I'm in cambridge so nowhere too remote. Know anywhere reputable sells second hand equipment.. I can't say I'm really up for buying things off ebay..

cheers,
Matt

 

You could try this it's a lot of Classified ads. http://www.audiophilecandy.com/home.asp
Or the classifieds section on this forum.
Amplifiers tend to be a safe bet second hand as there is little to go wrong with them.
CD players can be a bit questionable. If your worried try the local hi fi dealers for second hand or EX Dem with a warranty.
Sorry I can't help you with any dealers.

 

i've got the NAD C542 with the AE floorstanders, it sounds incredibly great to my ears but i have nothing to compare it with! This is the most expensive setup i've ever heard and you'd all call it budget! hehe

 

The MA speakers work really really well with the NAD, but it might be a good exercise if you can to listen to the same speakers with the Cambridge Audio gear (prob 540A/540C combo) - then decide which sounds better. I own NAD gear but if I was going for these speakers I would prob match it with the CA gear - more refined and improved channel separation. However we are talking subtle differences here. Then again, if you're thinking about jumping up to the C352CT amplifier then I would liean back to the NAD again!!! Oh decisions decisions