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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
 
All of your responses show why Audiogon is the classiest site in the category. I am passing all of these along as well as those which may follow. She really likes the Nak and it is accompanied by a Nak CD changer, though I do not know the model number. I use the entry Maggies in my downstairs system and like them a lot. She has heard them but is a bit uncomfortable with their directionality. Thanks much.
viggen
838 posts
 
jdh,

I too use the older Nak receiver, TA1A with 35 wpc in my bedroom system. I've had it since I was 13 yrs old, and you have to pry it away from my dead hands for me to get rid of it.

The pair of speakers that mated the best with my receiver is the KEF Q30. Right now, I only have a pair of NHT Superones hooked up to it. I engaged the loudness button, and I turned the bass almost all the way down.
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.
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