n-Cent and SBL's

I should say the Ncenter is the "closest non matching" center for your SBL.
It doesn't use the same drivers as the SBL so, is not a perfect match, but it is definitively voiced a la Naim, so if the matching Axess is out of your budget, the N-center is a good choice.

Hi Tim
Good Question. Please have a look to my poste http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=67019385&f=78019385&m=945102544 where I asked the same and got some good answers.
Regards from little switzerland
Michael

HI,
I have just put an N-cent inbetween my SL2's - the N-cent being driven by a Denon avr2805 and the front left and right channels are pre outed into the 282 etc. The N-cent replaced a B&W CC6 centre I'd had for years.

Well, the presentation changed somewhat for the better - vocals come from the screen (U Know what I Mean) and sound sharper - also left to right front effects have taken on more definition and shape. The Naim centre does not wallow in the bass - the B&W obviously did this as my wife and I could tell from the swap in speakers instantly.

Hope this helps some...

andy c!

Guys

Thanks for the replies. I'm looking forward to testing the n-Cent when my local dealer, Maurice, gets his demo kit.

I have been somewhat worried that a £500 speaker will not hack it, but Andy's feedback is good news. If it works well with SL2's a match with SBL's clearly has potential.

Will let you all know how I get on, although I've been told it might be a couple of weeks before the kit becomes available.

Thanks again.

Tim,
where are you located?
Cymbiosis in Leicester has a demo N-centre...

andy c!

I would be very surprised if the n-Cent wasn't an excellent match. The n-Sats are very similar in presentation to the SBLs (not as good bviously, but similar presentation), and since the n-Cent is designed to go with them, I'd expect it to suit the SBLs too.

Well!

As an frustrated SBL owner trying to figure out the maze of 'what ifs' re speakers to match my SBL's for HT use, this is a very interesting thread/news indeed!

Frank said:

quote:

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I would be very surprised if the n-Cent wasn't an excellent match. The n-Sats are very similar in presentation to the SBLs (not as good bviously, but similar presentation), and since the n-Cent is designed to go with them, I'd expect it to suit the SBLs too.

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Wow - the N-sats sound good indeed - now I'm doubly interested in hearing them when they finally arrive here at my dealers.

Frank, from what you've heard/deomoed, what in your opinion would be the closest match to SBL's re a surround speaker - the N-sats, or the Arriva?

Regards

John...

N-Sat and Ariva are perfectly matched, they sound very closely, the Ariva having more bass extention.
Your choice for surround is yours: do you want deep bass, can you setup floorstanding speakers as rears.
Personnaly, I would go with N-sats and save for an Axess. Don't get me wrong, the N-cent is a very good speaker, but the Axess is a better match for your SBL. Pricewise, the Ariva+N-Cent is almost the same as Axess+N-Sat.

A local magazine reviewer has spent the last 2 days in my store testing the N combo + DVD5+AV2+150x+175. He was mostly impressed at the amount of details and the loudness these small speaker can give. In "Masters and Commanders" the system was shacking my large room at 55 on the AV2 volume without any sign of compression.
The N-stands are fantastic, faster and clearer than regular stands, a must with the Nsat. I want a shorter one for the N-Cent, the screws are there on the center, so it should be a mater of time (Naim?).

Hi Tim,
I use a single SBL as a center speaker and that works very fine.
Maybe this is an option for you.
Best regards
JD

Manu said:

quote:

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N-Sat and Ariva are perfectly matched, they sound very closely, the Ariva having more bass extention.
Your choice for surround is yours: do you want deep bass, can you setup floorstanding speakers as rears.
Personnaly, I would go with N-sats and save for an Axess. Don't get me wrong, the N-cent is a very good speaker, but the Axess is a better match for your SBL. Pricewise, the Ariva+N-Cent is almost the same as Axess+N-Sat.

A local magazine reviewer has spent the last 2 days in my store testing the N combo + DVD5+AV2+150x+175. He was mostly impressed at the amount of details and the loudness these small speaker can give. In "Masters and Commanders" the system was shacking my large room at 55 on the AV2 volume without any sign of compression.
The N-stands are fantastic, faster and clearer than regular stands, a must with the Nsat. I want a shorter one for the N-Cent, the screws are there on the center, so it should be a mater of time (Naim?).

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MMnn, very interesting comments and thank you.

Sounds like an Access center then (ideally) for SBL's, with choice of either N-sats or Arrivas for surrounds.

I can fit in floorstanding surrounds, and I do like the idea of deep bass for surrounds. I do know that avoiding signal filtering via processor bass management usually seems a plus in terms of fidelity, and I read mostly on US forums where it seems to be common in high-end HT systems to run multiple subs on a per channel basis, whether sats or floorstanders, so I figure full bandwith, or as near to it as one can go on all channels is the way to go - provided one has the space + $$ of course.

Lastly, I'm an advocate (following idealistic theory, plus some listening) for matching speakers all round. But again one has to live in the real world, and some compromises are usually inevitable.

Given that the drivers are different in the Arrivas/N-Sats to those in SBL's, do you envisage any problems re matching Arrivas or N-sats to SBL's for surround duties? - for instance would one be better trying to fund say, Allaes? (similar drivers to SBL) or is it not so critcal in practical terms for surround speakers to need to go that level?

Best Regards

John...