I would like to ask the expert here on the view of NAD 320BEE & MA BR5 combination.
I bought the NAD 320BEE last Dec and I like the warm sound very much, however the Mission m32i is beginning to sound a little small and less bass for my living room, I thought of upgrading to a pair MA BR5.
My question is.. will my NAD 320BEE 2x50watt 8ohm be able to drive the MA BR5 30-120watt 6ohm easily?
I'm not too sure whether should I add a pair of subwoofers or to get a new pair of floorstanders, I like deep & rich bass which the m32i can't provide.
Adrian, I can tell about my own personal experience. My room is about the same size, and my amp is a Cambridge Audio 640A v1, which is 65 watts. I almost got the 'BEE, it was a tough choice. I wanted a stereo setup, not really interested in surround, and I wanted deep bass. I did a lot of online research and then went and demoed a bunch of speakers. I ended up with the Monitor Audio silver rs6's, and I couldn't be happier. They have amazing bass performance, it hits hard and goes deep. No need at all for a sub. In fact, I even put foam bungs (came with the speakers) into one of the ports just to dampen the bass a little.
But anyways, when I first set out, I was just about sure I was going to get either the KEF iq5 or the MA bronze br5. As far as the 2 brands go, I personally thought the MA's were way better than the KEF, in detail, clarity, and soundstage. So then it came down to the bronze br5 vs. the silver rs6. And I ended up with the rs6 because 1)the soundstage was so much bigger and 2)the bass performance. No doubt, the br5's are full-range and have impressive bass, but the rs6's take it to another level...to that level where no sub is ever needed, because the bass is THUMPING when it needs to be. And I'm so happy now that I made that choice, every time I listen.
So, here's what I'm getting at. In my opininon, based on my own experience, if I were in your shoes I would either keep those m32i's and get a sub, or splurge a little and take it to the next level with the rs6. I don't think, for the money, that the br5's will really deliver what you want in terms of bass. It might be an improvement, but won't be revolutionary. With the rs6's though, you can rest assured you'll have all the speaker you need.
Oh, and as for the whether the BEE has sufficient power, I can tell you that the MA's are very efficient, and at least in my setup, 65 watts is more than enough.