Sample Test - NAIM 500 series - Focal Sopra No1 - Kudos Titan 606

We let you hear how the our own Focal Sopra No1 ánd the Kudos Titan 606 sound on the high-end NAIM system: a 500-series pre-amp and streamer and 300-series power-amp.

Used gear:
NAIM NAC 552-preamp
NAIM ND555 streamer
NAIM NAP 300 power-amp
Driade flow speaker cable
Grimm TPM interlinks
Audioquest Power cables

Recording gear
Rode TPM microphones
Grace Design microphone amp
Grimm TPR cables

Index:

0:00 - 0:10 - Intro
0:11 - 2:58 - Jacques Loussier - Little Fuge in G Minor
2:59 - 6:57 - Emanuel Santarromana - Opéra
6:58 - 11:37 - Eric Clapton - Layla (live)
11:38 - 11:46 - Outro

[AbdulMofid-kr]

Kudos for me based on more natural and honest presentation. Great demo. Thank you!!

[FlowithdaGo]

The Naim sounds so playful and musical. Music just floats.

[DougMen]

Both speakers sound superb to me with the Naim electronics

[audiolife]

Kudos Titans all the way. They are so damn musical and emotionally engaging.

[Borednlonely]

Can’t beat a properly setup Naim system. Most fun in hifi

[richardtrussell]

I like the Titan’s, more open and natural sounding to me.

[RNJz]

The focals souns so much better, theyre really magical sounding

[chrisbenn]

Unbelievable sound quality even across an iPad playing into a wharfedale sound bar!

[wseto]

Not sure. But I think the kodos brightness problem might be better suited to a tube amplifier setup. Read some the others and focal might be better with a solid state amplifier. Focal do have the richness of the mid range. A mid range sound to headphone relation that I can relate to is the sennheiser hd 600 for the focal speakers and the kodos titan more of a grados rs2 open back. Had those in the past. Hd 600 is open back too. Both of these headphones can bring out the details in recordings. But again you're asking comments on the sounding of the speakers. Not headphones. Well done at least when it it's done right through the heavy compression problems of youtube. Good thing the video is in 4k. I guess that helps.

[maybecrazy]

In the UK, the more closely matched offerings would be the Kudos 606 vs Focal Sopra 2. Alternatively, the Kudos 505 standmount vs the Focal Sopra 1 would also be apt. But standmount vs floorstander is always going to have more differences due to bass reach in favour of the floorstander. The Sopra 1 does well given it's a standmount. Focal Sopra 3 compared to Kudos 707 would be really interesting. I have not heard the Sopra 3, but the Kudos 707 is one if the best speakers I've heard regardless of cost.

[Zwakkie]

Bij de Kudos ervaar ik meer live gevoel dan bij de Focal 😊👍🏻.

[iamrus]

they sound the same on the first two tracks, but on the third track I liked the focal more (the stage on the Kudos 606 is much wider, but the sound for my taste is very bright, there is not enough sound weight). lol I was surprised when I found out the price of the kudos

[agx]

I preferred the greater bass weight of the Kudos and details sound more integrated into the overall sonic picture (more realistic presentation versus the artificial sounding Focal).

[jumpstat]

I could live with the sopras, much better soundstage with tighter bass. The highs are more controlled than the floor standers. Thank for the demo vid.

[Sam-nens]

Titan 606 has deeper bass and sounds a bit compressed, the Sopra has a wider stage and more details.

[ReggaeSpijkenisse]

Bij de Kudos hoor je niet alleen muziek maar voel je het ook

[roms]

Hello,
I have a pair of focal sopra 1, with a preamp lampizator, a sony ta-4650 (i use power amp) and a pass first watt SIT 3, similar to the sony (v-fet transistors), i prefer the sony, much power and dynamic with focal.
I find the sound of the naim is colored with a lack of transparency.
The sound is really better at home, no match!

[stewartmartin]

is the Nap 500 amp to o much for sopra 1?

[tech-snowleo]

Sopra feels more musical and human, the other sounds a little thin at least on my headphones.

[timmetjuh]

Die Titan 606
klinkt gewoon echt niet goed.... Hoe kan dat joh? Teveel 400-1khz?