Homage to the SBLs
Posted by: Naheed on 23 July 2002
I've upgraded my SBLs from Phase Three to Phase Four Mana (Four sets of Soundbases under the SBLs) - with magnificent effect.
I know you guys don't want to hear so called mindless Mana ramblings, so my comments hear relate to the SBL improvement, though you can check out the OTHER forum if you so wish.
I managed a three hour listening session yesterday - back to back CDs (no cueing/skipping tracks), the transformation is SBL performance is amazing, the speakers now appear so grown up, they effortlessly ooze tunes now, but with frightening PRat, and PRaTs where its at, the sheer pace and vice like grip to rhythm is sublime. I listen mainly to Progressive Trance which is heavy on the BPM, and tends to leave most systems struggling with the bass line, which in turn means you loose to surrounding detail - now the improvement I've heard when listening to some older tunes, especially Paul Oakenfold (GU in New York), the dull repetitive bass thuds, have been unravelled to reveal quite deep complex bass lines, really changing the whole character of the tune !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The same applies to mainstream pop - vocals stand out with an eeriness, and backing vocalist are positioned believably, not the usual mixed around the lead singer (which usually means you never knew there were backing vocalists).
I think I can safely say I may have reached my balanced system/my happy medium (for now)...
naheed
active Phase 4 SBLs is the only way...
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by Naheed
Hakan - broadly speaking each successive phase just allowed the SBLs to breath easier - they music progressively oozed from the speaker, rather than being thrown forward at you...
Phases 4/7/9 are something special - with regards to speakers and electronics.
The sheer speed the SBLs can operate at is amazing, but in contrast on their own the sound was very confused/muddled.
naheed
active Phase 4 SBLs is the only way...
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by johno
quote:
Originally posted by Naheed:
I've upgraded my SBLs from Phase Three to Phase Four Mana (Four sets of Soundbases under the SBLs) - with magnificent effect..._
Eventually your speakers will be too high and you will have to start placing mana stages under your listening chair/sofa... Maybe this will make it more comfortable...
(the time alignment will change on every SS added.... so effectively lowering you listening position..
John
Shore
Posted on: 23 July 2002 by bec143
Please enlighten us audiophilistines. Is this sarcastic, or does increasing the number of supports under your SBLs really transform their performance? This is so counterintuitive-it's like the reports in scince that diluting a chemical to less then one molecule per unit assyed still has an effect, a claim that has been made in very prestigious journals to support the idea that the stucture of water is somehow modified by being exposed to the agent. Is teh structure if your SBLs changed by 5 soundstages in a way that is fundamentally different then 4 soundstages? I'm not saying it's not true, I just don;y understand.
Bruce
Posted on: 24 July 2002 by belsizepark
There is a general concensus (or so it would appear) that a better quality preamp sounds better than a lower quality one with a hi-cap..
Do owners of Mana think the same with sound stages.. For example.. rather than adding countless levels of soundstages under their sbls, would they not get a better improvement in sound by just upgrading the speakers???
Regards
Belsizepark
Posted on: 24 July 2002 by belsizepark
But when someone has splashed the cash for four soundstages under their speakers... (i dont actually know what the cost of that is).. but surely even lovers of mana must be moving to a world where they could improve sound better by changing the speakers...
simlarly with stands..the same applies to mana and Fraim.. whatever either of them do the sound.. surely a more effivient way of spending the cash rather than having your CDX on umpteen phases of Mana or on Fraim would be to just add an XPS?
Regards
Belsizepark
Posted on: 24 July 2002 by Naheed
Over the last four months I've made a few changes to my system (CDi then 82 with an extra hicap, then Supercap, and then a Snaxo/Hicap) the changes were noticeable and worth it, BUT not the huge improvement I demand for that sort of cash.
Plainly put adding this single SB, has Totally trounced the 82 and Supercap improvements, only the Snaxo addition levelled this.
Yes the better your Naim the the better the result, and at some point I will swap to better electronics/speakers, but with this route (and first hand experience has shown me this) in most cases the box improvement is very under whelming.
The stands are essential - but its really a question of when to introduce them. Both base racks (Fraim and Mana) are awesome upgrades (to me on par with p/supply additions), but the Mana route allows the flexibility to improve your whole system for as little as £200 !!!
All this said - all stands have an effect on your gear, to me Mana gets the the best out of my Naim gear and is upgradeable (and that's it). Doubt there will ever be a Consensed opinion on this - so listen for yourself...
naheed
active Phase 4 SBLs is the only way...
Posted on: 24 July 2002 by Naheed
I'll stay at Phase Four for now, i think the height is irrelevant...
naheed
active Phase 4 SBLs is the only way...
Posted on: 24 July 2002 by garyi
This is always the point at which I get confused, 4 times 175 quid is a lot of money.
Posted on: 25 July 2002 by belsizepark
So 4 sound stages cost £700... not an insignificant amount of cash... possibly better spent elsewhere....
Regards
Belsizepark
Posted on: 25 July 2002 by Naheed
As I mentioned the addition of one Soundbase to me was WAY greater than the addition of a Supercap or the 82 Hicap (this being regardless of Phase !)
So this equates to £175 versus £2450 - simple guys (get to a dealer do a demo Phase 1 versus Supercap)
That all said couple the additional phases with the Supercap ... 
naheedactive Phase 4 SBLs is the only way...Posted on: 28 August 2002 by Naheed
For anyone that's interested
>>>Posted on: 29 August 2002 by FangfossFlyer
Got any pictures of SBLs on Mana??
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by i am simon 2
Have any of you manafiles ever tried using enough SBs to build stands for standmound speakers?
Simon
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by garyi
7 times 175 quid... Um how much are kans?
This is the cheaper route?
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by graphoman
“As I mentioned the addition of one Soundbase to me was WAY greater than the addition of a Supercap or the 82 Hicap”
I can’t help but there’s an old Hungarian saying coming into mind: “the baby is overly beatiful”. If it’s not clear from my poor translation then I may discribe it another way: less would be more.
graphoman
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by Naheed
Richard, this is an old picture at Phase 2, haven't got around to taking any new ones (yet).
naheed
active Phase 5 SBLs is the only way...
Posted on: 29 August 2002 by Naheed
Would be costly using Soundbases, a form of modified speaker stand would work best, not sure how feasible this is, best way is to speak to
JW/Mananaheedactive Phase 5 SBLs is the only way...