IBL's
Posted by: Andrew L. Weekes on 11 July 2002
Went to my dealer today to collect my serviced LP12 c/w new Klyde and somehow ended up with a pair of Naim IBL's in the back of the car to play with!
A quick clean (you think Mana's a dustrap?) and removal of the various, once living, things nesting in the stand base and I introduced them to my 150, relegating my Kans to the kitchen, temporarily.
These things are bloody great and I don't think they'll be going back, but I'd be grateful for hints and tips from the forum learned on ways to get the best from them.
I only did a quick dem plonking them on wobbly carpet, but it's obvious to me they leave the Kans for dead in every area. A very different tonal balance but it's plain to me now just how coloured Kans are.
The paint / powder coat finish on the base is a bit poor, and there's signs of rust under the finish in places, but nothing some serious elbow grease and a tin of spray paint will not cure.
Thanks in a advance for any advice.
A.
A quick clean (you think Mana's a dustrap?) and removal of the various, once living, things nesting in the stand base and I introduced them to my 150, relegating my Kans to the kitchen, temporarily.
These things are bloody great and I don't think they'll be going back, but I'd be grateful for hints and tips from the forum learned on ways to get the best from them.
I only did a quick dem plonking them on wobbly carpet, but it's obvious to me they leave the Kans for dead in every area. A very different tonal balance but it's plain to me now just how coloured Kans are.
The paint / powder coat finish on the base is a bit poor, and there's signs of rust under the finish in places, but nothing some serious elbow grease and a tin of spray paint will not cure.
Thanks in a advance for any advice.
A.
I've lived with the IBL's for a bit now, and they've had a lot of use - I love them.
They are still slightly bass-shy at present, but this is primarily due to the aforementioned placement problem, which I can live with for the present. Going active would be an easy fix, in some ways, but not a route I wish to take at present as it's likely to bring dissatisfaction with me lesser sources. Beefier power amps would no doubt help too, but the 150 is doing a sterling job at present.
I always sat my Kans on cross-head screws into the floor, and despite the protests I've tried several times and always preferred them this way.
I whipped the screws out and re-installed them under the IBL's which has brought the bass end up a bit, and tightened the sound further. I can see the reason for considering Mana, I think a lot of the energy was being wasted somewhere into the springy floorboards. Anyway a cheap, effective solution that's worked a treat.
The musical insights the IBL's give are truly amazing, and really makes my Kans sound muffled and shut in. I'll try the new Linn tweeters later, to see if that helps, the Kans can then be pressed into a second system in the bedroom. That will have to wait a bit though, I've spent way too much money this month on HiFi and project development!
I'm also much more impressed with the treble - the stinging crash of a cymbal is portrayed with the dynamics one expects, and any doubts I had about the quality of the treble were solely due to the unrealistic, polished presentation I've heard from other speakers, which I am now confident is artificial and false. The tweeter keeps everything under control, but leaves you in no doubt what a big lump of metal hit with a big stick sounds like
Why doesn't anyone produce 'speakers like this anymore - superbly musical and requiring boundary placement. Every other speaker I've tried in my room sounds crap and boomy, simply because they seem designed for larger rooms. There must be others in the same position, maybe that explains the large membership of the Obsolete Linn Speaker Fan Club
A.
They are still slightly bass-shy at present, but this is primarily due to the aforementioned placement problem, which I can live with for the present. Going active would be an easy fix, in some ways, but not a route I wish to take at present as it's likely to bring dissatisfaction with me lesser sources. Beefier power amps would no doubt help too, but the 150 is doing a sterling job at present.
I always sat my Kans on cross-head screws into the floor, and despite the protests I've tried several times and always preferred them this way.
I whipped the screws out and re-installed them under the IBL's which has brought the bass end up a bit, and tightened the sound further. I can see the reason for considering Mana, I think a lot of the energy was being wasted somewhere into the springy floorboards. Anyway a cheap, effective solution that's worked a treat.
The musical insights the IBL's give are truly amazing, and really makes my Kans sound muffled and shut in. I'll try the new Linn tweeters later, to see if that helps, the Kans can then be pressed into a second system in the bedroom. That will have to wait a bit though, I've spent way too much money this month on HiFi and project development!
I'm also much more impressed with the treble - the stinging crash of a cymbal is portrayed with the dynamics one expects, and any doubts I had about the quality of the treble were solely due to the unrealistic, polished presentation I've heard from other speakers, which I am now confident is artificial and false. The tweeter keeps everything under control, but leaves you in no doubt what a big lump of metal hit with a big stick sounds like
Why doesn't anyone produce 'speakers like this anymore - superbly musical and requiring boundary placement. Every other speaker I've tried in my room sounds crap and boomy, simply because they seem designed for larger rooms. There must be others in the same position, maybe that explains the large membership of the Obsolete Linn Speaker Fan Club
A.