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What speakers for an old Nakamichi receiver

My daughter is into audio appreciation and, just starting, the early stages of audiophilia. She is ready for new speakers after bearing with budget-driven JBLs and old Genesis for several years. The electronic driver is one of the Nakamichi receivers of over a decade or more ago, with the Stasis circuitry somehow licensed from Nelson Pass/Threshold at the time. The power of that receiver is small, I think about 35 watts, but the sound is clean. She has easy access to dealers with B & W speakers and perhaps others, and her budget would be around a list price of $1200. While my own system is an audiophile system, I do not have the chance to listen to the zillions of new-generation speakers and models which are in the market. Any help would be appreciated.
jdh9
jdh9 OP
41 posts
 
I think my daughter has the same feeling about her Nak. I will also be sensitive to the speaker load problem raised by Audiokinesis. I think the entry-level Maggies present a 4-ohm load and would be acceptable if they worked on all other counts. The KEF suggestion is also workable. Thanks.
homedesign
24 posts
 
The priorities for the best possible reproduction in a sound system should be speakers first.

Next their placement in the environment, and the accoustic treatment of that environment, followed by source material that is deserving in sonic quality of the efforts made so far. Then obtain the appropriate components that support the speaker choice you made.

Last but not least would be cables suited to the choices made.

Anything less is just confusion and futility. Or a demonstration that it doesn't really matter in the first place. Then how can it matter what you get.

Note: when the telephone was first introduced to the public, the concensus was that you could not tell the difference from a live in person voice. Of course hearing it now would reveal just how laughable that conclusion was.
abstract7
541 posts
 
I have an older NAK receiver although it's not the Stasis design. I have it hooked up to older B&W 601s. Good match--not audiophile, but it works for the computer system. If I had the Stasis and was in the $1k range I would seriously consider the Totem Arros. Great little speakers. I have heard them with quite a lot of different equipment, and I think the NAK would be a great match. I do agree to some degree that $1k is a bit overkill for that receiver, but I think this combination would be extremely satisfying. You could probably pick up used arros for considerably less--although they don't show up used that often.
benthar
42 posts
 
I've been using a Nak stasis TA-3A for a couple years now and feel its pretty good in just about every way (no obvious sonic flaws). Speakers are Celestion 3 which sound good but I really got the Celestion 3's back when I was using a Creek 4140 s2 (the celestions with the creek is an amazing match). The only other speakers I heard w/the Nak were B&W (mid-90's vintage). The Celestion's overall were a better match (more dynamic & musical) but there may be better matches still.

One thing I can say is the best source I used with my TA-3A yet is the Musical Fidelity E-624 cd player. The slighty fat bass and warmth of the MF perfectly compliments the ever so slight thinness of the Nak reciever to make for an experience that is very "analog" but at the same time energetic and "toe-tapping" (p.s. between the MF and the Nak I used either IXOS or Bradley interconnects for best effect).

Anyway, Celestions may be worth auditioning. Let me know if she comes up with an amazing match I might just buy the same thing (!)
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