NAD 326bee - What speakers??

Serg042

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Hello everyone!

I am looking for speakers for my NAD 326BEE.
I know that it should be the other way around and I should choose an amplifier for speakers, but I bought it at a bargain price, almost unused and I really like the character it shows when played on headphones (Beyerdynamic dt 770), so I would like to stay with it.

I would describe the sound that I like as: warm, but not "muddy warm", rather dynamic, full, punchy, with a strong and low-reaching bottom and a clear, but not harsh, tiring treble.
I am far from the definition of an audiophile, I like a bit more emphasized, fat bass (but well controlled, not one that moves walls), and much more pleasure than the perfect, laboratory reproduction of the original gives me the vibe in the songs, things that make the head move to the beat by itself, as well as the energy carried by the lower frequencies (although I don't mean the rumble obscuring the rest of the sounds, rather dynamic warmth that leads everything, but does not cover the treble).

The music is played from CD, turntable and laptop (FLAC), in terms of the genre, it is mainly US hip-hop from the 90’s, so drums with bass and vocals play a large role, although it does not mean that all the rest is irrelevant, because many rap albums (such as "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre, the first albums of Public Enemy, or The Roots) contain a whole lot of detail and flavour in the higher registers that it would be a shame to lose some details to the lows themselves.
It is also worth noting that some albums from earlier years were recorded in much worse conditions than modern ones, so the speakers cannot be too "critical", as is the case with, for example, studio monitors, which mercilessly show any imperfections in the mix.
In addition, I would like the speakers to be as good as possible when listening at lower volume levels, I often stay up late and would like to be able to enjoy the music without pissing off my neighbours at 2 am ;)

The budget I plan to spend oscillates around £500 and I take into account both new and second hand.

The room is a typical living room in a block of flats (about 16 m2 / 172 ft2), TV, table, sofa, bookshelf with Cd’s and records, bookshelf with books, two paintings, no curtains on the windows, floor - parquet / carpet (50/50), so I would define the acoustic conditions as average.

Of course, I am going to listen to the proposed models and not buy blind, I also plan to go to local Richer Sounds in a few days, so maybe you have any suggestions for specific models that I should check out from Welcome to Richer Sounds Solihull.

Thanks in advance for all your help!
 
Good morning.

I would have a listen to the Dali Opticon 1 mk 2, the wharfedale Evo 4.2 and the B&W 606 S2. That’s a good few to tax the patience of the RS staff 🤨. I’ve deliberately suggested models just over your budget so bear that in mind.
Frankly, there are so many to choose from around your budget but you may find a wonderful audition at RS doesn’t translate into the sound you want at home. Take your NAD with you and ask them to connect it up in the listening room.
Have fun .
 
Mission lx 1, 2 and 3 Mark 2 are not fussy on the amp and I expect to work well.

Are you looking for bookshelves or floorstanders?
 
Mission lx 1, 2 and 3 Mark 2 are not fussy on the amp and I expect to work well.

Are you looking for bookshelves or floorstanders?
I consider both types, however I have a little worry that bookshelves may not be enough and require adding a sub. But I will listen to a few floorstanders as well as standmounts.
As for Missions, someone on another forum advised me to listen to LX5
 
Good morning.

I would have a listen to the Dali Opticon 1 mk 2, the wharfedale Evo 4.2 and the B&W 606 S2. That’s a good few to tax the patience of the RS staff 🤨. I’ve deliberately suggested models just over your budget so bear that in mind.
Frankly, there are so many to choose from around your budget but you may find a wonderful audition at RS doesn’t translate into the sound you want at home. Take your NAD with you and ask them to connect it up in the listening room.
Have fun .
I realize they are over my budget, but I will listen to these Evos because they get very positive opinions everywhere, who knows, maybe they will make me say goodbye to a few more Pounds ;)
Several times on other forums I was also advised to listen to the Q Acoustic 3050
 
Great amplifier with a splendidly effective current supply, so anything you buy within your budget will not be a difficult load at all.

I consider both types, however I have a little worry that bookshelves may not be enough and require adding a sub. But I will listen to a few floorstanders as well as standmounts.
As for Missions, someone on another forum advised me to listen to LX5

Generally, with cheap floorstanders all you get is extra flab, not bass, when compared to similar priced standmounts.

Not always, but often enough to beware of the phenomenon.

Also, with any speakers in your budget, to get everything from The Chronic and similar (I’m a fan of that particular album) you do need a sub.

I’ve tried it both ways, and it’s not a contest.

However, without one you can still get, say, 80% of the impact, so it’s not a disaster having no sub.

And, the production on Dre’s stuff is tight as a drum. To get the most from it you need good quality and detailed speakers, as you say, there’s plenty going on in the mix (as it were).

It’s a shame you bought the Nad in a way, as active speakers really are wonderful for this kind of music.
 
I realize they are over my budget, but I will listen to these Evos because they get very positive opinions everywhere, who knows, maybe they will make me say goodbye to a few more Pounds ;)
Several times on other forums I was also advised to listen to the Q Acoustic 3050

The 3050s are too flabby for Dre imo. They sound big at first, but really can’t do fast bass without bloat.

A friend of mine hast the previous version, and 2001 and I Am... just didn’t have the propulsion I know they do have.
 
Great amplifier with a splendidly effective current supply, so anything you buy within your budget will not be a difficult load at all.



Generally, with cheap floorstanders all you get is extra flab, not bass, when compared to similar priced standmounts.

Not always, but often enough to beware of the phenomenon.

Also, with any speakers in your budget, to get everything from The Chronic and similar (I’m a fan of that particular album) you do need a sub.

I’ve tried it both ways, and it’s not a contest.

However, without one you can still get, say, 80% of the impact, so it’s not a disaster having no sub.

And, the production on Dre’s stuff is tight as a drum. To get the most from it you need good quality and detailed speakers, as you say, there’s plenty going on in the mix (as it were).

It’s a shame you bought the Nad in a way, as active speakers really are wonderful for this kind of music.
Thanks, that's a very important note, I will listen to the 3050 out of curiosity (after all, there must be a reason why many people recommended them to me... although maybe they just had no idea what kind of music I was talking about, so they didn't have a benchmark like you), but then is there anything specific then that you would recommend me to look for?
 
Agree with Paul on that. You might just have a listen to the Q Acoustics Concept 40 though. Not sure whether RS stock them anymore but as £1000 speakers retailing for £699 at a lot of dealers recently, they offer exceptional value and come without the ‘flab’.
 
 
A lot of people actually like distortion. It sounds, initially at least, impressive. It sounds like bass.

But it isn’t, it’s smeared bass. A lot of this is to do with the room and the speaker positioning in the room, but a fair bit can be attributed to speakers being made to try too hard.

I’d stick with standmounts. For any given price it’s always the way to go as there is invariably more expense involved in making and shipping floorstanders.

For the lower end of your budget I’d seriously consider these. Top class reviews all round.


And for a bit more I’d consider these.

Again, great reviews, especially about the tight bass


I’ll have another look when I get home.

Agree with Paul on that. You might just have a listen to the Q Acoustics Concept 40 though. Not sure whether RS stock them anymore but as £1000 speakers retailing for £699 at a lot of dealers recently, they offer exceptional value and come without the ‘flab’.

Actually, this would be a great idea if it’s budgetable.

QA went to significant trouble to damp the cabinets in the Concept speakers.
 
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I consider both types, however I have a little worry that bookshelves may not be enough and require adding a sub. But I will listen to a few floorstanders as well as standmounts.
As for Missions, someone on another forum advised me to listen to LX5
You should definitely demo or shortlist the Mission lx Mark 2 range. The lx2 (both mark 1 and 2) have been reviewed on this forum and are award winning. I would expect the floorstanding version to be similar top end as they share the same tweeters.

I had the smallest bookshelf, the LX1 (mark 1) and they don't need a sub.
 
You should definitely demo or shortlist the Mission lx Mark 2 range. The lx2 (both mark 1 and 2) have been reviewed on this forum and are award winning. I would expect the floorstanding version to be similar top end as they share the same tweeters.

I had the smallest bookshelf, the LX1 (mark 1) and they don't need a sub.

Have you listened to much Dr Dre?
 
Thanks, that's a very important note, I will listen to the 3050 out of curiosity (after all, there must be a reason why many people recommended them to me... although maybe they just had no idea what kind of music I was talking about, so they didn't have a benchmark like you), but then is there anything specific then that you would recommend me to look for?

If it was me with your requirements, and in fact I wanted an essentially full range hifi that did not distort and had an excellent grasp on clarity and impact I’d buy these straight away.

 
The Concept 40s are incredible value. At £1000 they were good value, at £699 there is nothing close. The equivalent from Monitor Audio are the Silver 200 in gloss black costing £1100. The latest B&w 600 series budget end floorstanders are £1500. The kef q550 are £600 although they are kef's lowest range.

Bespoke drivers with larger magnets than the concept 20s. Superior crossovers, build quality is on a par with Monitor Audio Golds that cost several times more. Metal crossover plates and binding posts. The luxurious piano gloss 9 layers of lacquer finish, the aluminium front plate.
 
Indeed. There’ll be a lot of Dre production on Snoops work.

If you’ve heard any with a well integrated sub then you must know stereo speakers with 5 inch drivers are just never going to the music justice.

There’s very little sense of the impact.

6.5 inchers will do much better, a pair of 8 inch better still, and a sub is just bliss.
 
In that case, the Mission 3 way QX5 with a pair of 12 inch bass drivers (one in each speaker) should do the trick or the Mission 3 way LX6 mk2 with a dedicated mid and twin 6.5inch drivers should give decent bass.
 
Ps, it’s not just the deep bass I’m alluding to here.

It’s also the relative volume. There is a significant (to say the least) mid to lower bass in great hip hop, especially the better 90s stuff.

And it is comparatively loud. So, even though some good stereo speakers can hit the mark, they are starting to lose relative volume by that time, and therefore impact.

So either well controlled big (8 inch) drivers or a sub are needed to really get the point.

I’m certainly not saying it can’t be enjoyed on good 6.5 inchers with a good amp, it certainly can.

Buy for a good idea of what all the fun is about... in this instance inches and horsepower count.
 
In that case, the Mission 3 way QX5 with a pair of 12 inch bass drivers (one in each speaker) should do the trick or the Mission 3 way LX6 mk2 with a dedicated mid and twin 6.5inch drivers should give decent bass.

The QX5s should get close, assuming the 12 inch driver is suitably braced, and assuming there is a powerful amp on the end of them.

Also the x-over is at 180hz, so it may be a great LF driver, (and as it’s Mission, I’m sure it is) but it’s not a sub.

And they are past the budget by a fair margin and are huge for a flat.
 
Hello everyone!

I am looking for speakers for my NAD 326BEE.
I know that it should be the other way around and I should choose an amplifier for speakers, but I bought it at a bargain price, almost unused and I really like the character it shows when played on headphones (Beyerdynamic dt 770), so I would like to stay with it.

I would describe the sound that I like as: warm, but not "muddy warm", rather dynamic, full, punchy, with a strong and low-reaching bottom and a clear, but not harsh, tiring treble.
I am far from the definition of an audiophile, I like a bit more emphasized, fat bass (but well controlled, not one that moves walls), and much more pleasure than the perfect, laboratory reproduction of the original gives me the vibe in the songs, things that make the head move to the beat by itself, as well as the energy carried by the lower frequencies (although I don't mean the rumble obscuring the rest of the sounds, rather dynamic warmth that leads everything, but does not cover the treble).

The music is played from CD, turntable and laptop (FLAC), in terms of the genre, it is mainly US hip-hop from the 90’s, so drums with bass and vocals play a large role, although it does not mean that all the rest is irrelevant, because many rap albums (such as "The Chronic" by Dr. Dre, the first albums of Public Enemy, or The Roots) contain a whole lot of detail and flavour in the higher registers that it would be a shame to lose some details to the lows themselves.
It is also worth noting that some albums from earlier years were recorded in much worse conditions than modern ones, so the speakers cannot be too "critical", as is the case with, for example, studio monitors, which mercilessly show any imperfections in the mix.
In addition, I would like the speakers to be as good as possible when listening at lower volume levels, I often stay up late and would like to be able to enjoy the music without pissing off my neighbours at 2 am ;)

The budget I plan to spend oscillates around £500 and I take into account both new and second hand.

The room is a typical living room in a block of flats (about 16 m2 / 172 ft2), TV, table, sofa, bookshelf with Cd’s and records, bookshelf with books, two paintings, no curtains on the windows, floor - parquet / carpet (50/50), so I would define the acoustic conditions as average.

Of course, I am going to listen to the proposed models and not buy blind, I also plan to go to local Richer Sounds in a few days, so maybe you have any suggestions for specific models that I should check out from Welcome to Richer Sounds Solihull.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

I would not rule out studio monitors because of any notion of ‘critical’ type response.

That is largely hifi nonsense spread by those who like distortion.

As an example, the tweeters on the Adam range are nothing if not smooth. I’ve had loads of them (and still own one pair) they are very detailed but not at all harsh.

And for low volume listening without losing the sense of the music there really is no substitute for proper active speakers.
 
It would be very difficult to have big deep bass in flat without disturbing neighbors, in which case headphones might be a solution...
 
It would be very difficult to have big deep bass in flat without disturbing neighbors, in which case headphones might be a solution...

True enough.

I wish I liked headphones. I use them whenever I’m outside on foot, an excellent invention then.

And I’ve been re-watching Person of Interest recently. Rather late though so it’s involved headphones at times.

Useful certainly, but for me at least, there’s no comparison with headphones and hifi; music out in the listening room everytime.
 
I wish I liked headphones. I use them whenever I’m outside on foot
That's your problem then. You have to put them on your head. The clues in the name. :smashin:

I use headphones 80% of the time. Nothing to interfere with the sound, you'll hear every bit of the recording, for good or bad. Will they beat listening on speakers, not really because it's a different experience. Almost every night I'll be listening on the headphones so as not to disturb the boss while I'm keeping on eye on you reprobates.
 
I would not rule out studio monitors because of any notion of ‘critical’ type response.

That is largely hifi nonsense spread by those who like distortion.

As an example, the tweeters on the Adam range are nothing if not smooth. I’ve had loads of them (and still own one pair) they are very detailed but not at all harsh.

And for low volume listening without losing the sense of the music there really is no substitute for proper active speakers.
Honestly, I myself was considering using Adam's monitors for listening.
I use the A7x myself for my after-hours hobby, which is widely understood sound processing (some production/mixing/mastering), hence my opinion about "critical type response", because using them a lot and knowing their character exactly, with a comparison with hi-fi equipment, the difference is quite noticeable. Using kitchen imagery, the hi-fi speakers kind of "stick" the sound together, creating a whole meal, while the monitors clearly separate them so that you can critically evaluate each of the ingredients, often even highlighting imperfections (as in the case of Yamaha Hs models)

On the other hand, just listening to music on my A7x with a slightly modified eq is pure pleasure, so maybe actually a T5V, or even a T7V with a subwoofer, is something I should consider 🤔
 

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