Minimum requirements for NBL'S

No. A pair of 135's is probably where it starts.

Did an interesting dem last week ie 250 SBL, 500 SBL, 250 NBL and 500 NBL and the winner I felt was the........500 SBL.

I would say the 250 drove the NBLs well but showed their limitations, the 500 also showed up the SBLs limitations, and the 500/NBL I found a bit of a disappointment somehow. So where do I go from 135/SBL (Dont say 4 pack I've just sold those)

>Did an interesting dem last week
>ie 250 SBL, 500 SBL, 250 NBL and 500 NBL

Please! Tell us more about this dem! I have active SBLs and I would like to know how big the difference is between 4*135 and 2*250...

>Dont say 4 pack I've just sold those

Next time somebody sells 4*135s please let me know!!

Regards, Jun

[This message was edited by Jun Keller on TUESDAY 16 October 2001 at 22:57.]

I agree with Simon.. I am driving my NBLs with 2x135 and they sound superb... that is of course until I am able to home dem a 500 driving them !!

Will we ever reach Nirvana?

Minimum requirement for NBL 2*135 or 3*250+SNAXO
It works with 1*250 but shows limitations.

Active is supperb, that's the setup i have at home for now. I prefer 3*250 over 2*135, placement is more tolerant and you can adjust the tonal balance according to your room.
NBL seemed to be made for active setup.

Emmanuel

Didnt sell all 4, just sidestepping to 2x135, Fraiming, Black Burndying and CDS2ing to clear the decks to move forward from the amps and SBLs

As stated in "sideways step" (12/10/01) posting the dem was both an eyeopener, a disappointment and a red herring in one

The dem started with CDS2/52/super/250/SBL. The red herring was the 250 as I am four packed and as expected dropping in a 500 was an eyeopener. With 250 the dynamics were constrained and the bass very ponderous and bloated. The 500/SBL setup cured all the 250s ails and was definitely a step forward from the 4 pack but not sure of the role the CDS2 (I had the CDS1) played in this.

Going up to 500 NBL was a disappointment (or should that be culture shock) in that all of the intenseness of the 4 pack SBL gave was spread over a much larger soundstage and the bass slam was spread over a larger range (NBL goes much lower)with immense intimacy of performance (a case of more is less?)

Going back to 250/NBL showed the 250s limitations but was more familiar and led me to the conclusion that I would be extremely happy with either an SBL to NBL upgrade OR a 4 pack to 500 upgrade (the latter probably has the edge), but not both without living with this setup for a couple of weeks to fully evaluate this

Bosh

Sorry to hear the demo 500/nbl combo not combining in the way you hoped. I use these at home and I think the way they integrate is fantastically musical. The scale and range of the speakers is effortlessly managed by the 500 and everything comes together just right. The passive cross over does not seem to create too much of a constraint in my system. Three 500's (dream on) would be nice.

Griffin Audio had at least one pair of used SBL for @ £700 when I visited recently. At that sort of price you could continue to save for their eventual replacements and probably recoup most of the cost if you trade them in. The advantage of this approach is that you get a major upgrade now and great VFM.

Davey,
The black SBL's at Griffin have been on sale there for months, they are about 8 years old, albeit updated, and scruffy. They are black, and I home demmed them, and tried to convince myself I could ignore the scuffs, but fortunately a few days later he had a pair of immaculate rosewood SBL's come in which were only slightly over 2 years old. They were certainly worth the extra £250 over the black ones (as at the time Bob was asking £850 for the black ones, and they still haven't gone after it's come down to £700!).

When they come down to about £500, they might be worth a second look though.

Cheers
Ade

PS
I've just remembered, Sevenoaks in Birmingham had a black pair for sale around the same time which were demo models that they very rarely use. The owner was quite keen to sell them. They were in excellent condition, and I nearly brought, but through good timing the rosewood ones, the finish I much preferred, arrived at Griffin in the meantime.
I haven't been in there for a couple of months, but if they're still there I think Simon, the manager, would be willing to do a good deal. (Simon, and Chris, have been pretty good with me in the past)

[This message was edited by Ade Archer on SATURDAY 20 October 2001 at 12:22.]

Hello all,

I was going to start a new topic ..when logging on a was surprised to find the latest topic for discussion was a nait driving nbls!!! interresting as I wished to ask the following....I found this old post that pretty much covers my question ...So here goes again!!!...


Current set up is:

CDX/XPS
82/HI/NAPSC
180
Epos Es11/12

Assuming I could find a set of NBL'S at a good price would a 180 drive them ok??..I could use this configuration for a while before upgrading the power amp/amps!!

Note; Epos ES11/12 sensitivity = 87

Mad Boy Matt

quote:

---

Originally posted by Simon Matthews:
No. A pair of 135's is probably where it starts.

---

According to Naim sheeps a Nait will do just fine. Keep your money in the bank.

Its amazing what a Nait will do...

...its more amazing what the kit up the range does

Baaaah...

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tuan:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Simon Matthews:
No. A pair of 135's is probably where it starts.

---

According to Naim sheeps a Nait will do just fine. Keep your money in the bank.

---

Tuan,
if you haven't heard it baaaa then you wouldn't know baaa. Actually, I think you just don't have a clue baaa. We know, as far as you're concerned, if it doesn't have 200 giga watts of power it can't be good but the real world is slightly different. baaaa.

Funny, I was just thinking that Tuan is displaying the classic symptoms of radiation sickness. Then I looked at his public profile. Oh darn.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Minky:
Funny, I was just thinking that Tuan is displaying the classic symptoms of radiation sickness. Then I looked at his public profile. Oh darn.

---

hahaha.. good joke. Anyway, with my limited experience, Naim amplification starts with the NAP250...if you buy the lower model you will start the upgrade path fast and you will be selling yours for 1/2 the original price. The NAP250 is good enough for most of the time to drive different speakers (down to aminimum of 4 ohm load).

Matt

Mike did it for you then did he? Not a bad deal

You need that 500 now

Hello,

Well I'm back from having a little break in Dorset...and funnily enough I did go via Yeovil...Bosh

Whilst passing through... out of the corner of my eye I spotted what most definately could be a Hi-fi shop....yes.... it was ..maybe I could stop & pop in and see what goodies were inside?.......well now what do we have here?...Oh joy oh raptureand what amazing luck...for there at the back of the shop were a lovely pair of naim Nbl's ..shock..and ..surprise this was just what I was looking for....wow..uncanny

Note: some people say that I can sound sarcastic at times??

Na seriously though...Mike was doing a great deal and I couldn't resist........there was one problem though getting them back to sunny Yatton, Mike didn't seem keen to deliver ......ummm what to do

Wait a minute!! what about that really nice chap....whats his name?... Batman?...no no thats not it!.....Robin?..no surely not!.....ummmmm ....AHHH ...Jason ..thats it..yes.. Jason Gould!


Well after that little episode..me got on phone an me say L O to Jas on an he say L O to me ..an den I explaine de situ an e say no probs..me will de-liv an in-stool for you Mr Matt.. .......You wa????

Well "holy smoke" it looks like Batman and Robin to the rescue after all

I'll keep you posted folks!

Bye for now

Mad Boy Matt

Hello,

ok, so its been nearly 1 week since the beasts were expertly installed by Jason from Naim..ta mate!
I can say that I,m very pleased with the results so far...A serious improvement over the eposes
I have been informed that I will need approx. 300 hours to fully run in the Nbl's with a dip in performance about half way through...!

Iv'e managed approx.40 hours so far and I was wondering what key changes I could expect over the next 260 hours.....?

Mad Boy Matt

They'll just get worse without a NAP500. I'll give you £2999 for them

I was hoping for serious replies from experienced individuals prepared to pass on relevant information....Instead I get?????

BOSH!



Mad Boy Matt

Matt,

Sorry to see you have had no serious replies. My NBL's are about 3 months old and have improved dramatically in that time, mainly due to the fact that initially my dealer had them facing the back wall. After that was sorted things really sprang to life.

Another milestone was when we discovered that my NBL's were obviously assembled during the lunch shift at the Naim factory because they had been fitted with large steak and kidney pies instead of bass drivers and danish pastries (the ones with apricots in the centre that look like egg yolks) where the tweeters should have been.

Anyway, after these and other minor tuning issues (raw sewage pouring from the basses every time someone flushed a toilet) had been resolved, things started sounding pretty good.

Since then I can report that as your speakers run in you will get more and tighter bass and that the treble, which on my pair was initially a bit hard
will get a lot smoother. The general outcome is that things get more relaxed, bigger and more effortless.

Hope this helps Matt me old buckeroo.

Cheers minky mate,

For your sharing of knowledge in your experience of run-in with your NBL'S.

However, I must mention.... Its a shame to hear that you've experienced some initial set-backs with these rather handsome speakers :

...during your pie probs you don't mention the mid driver, now I would of thought that during the said pastrie sinario/lunch break they would of at least fitted say.........a custard tart where this splendid mid normally resides, as you don't mention this I would immediately check for any signs of tart residue!

Is it poss that when said employees fitted pie & pastries instead of respective bass & treble units, the mid was already fitted at this point in fabrication? If so we can deduce that the mid is fitted at a different time to that of its counterpart drivers...interesting?

I feel its also worth mentioning at this time that I'm not entirely convinced the pies were of the steak & kidney variety! You say you experienced raw sewage each time the toilet was flushed?.....uummmmmm I'm thinking those guys at naim originally fitted what can only be refered to as shit pie to your cabinets... surely that was'nt fair, its a brown lump disaster of serious magnitude...

Anyhow, old chap.... I'm glad you got it all sorted out in the end

Mad Boy Matt

Shut up Matt!

Your being Ridiculous

All I can say is sorry......................................................I must of ate something funny at lunch time

Mad Boy Matt

Hello guys,

Im up to approx. 170 hours now & I,m wondering if any of you could shed any light on the prob I,m currently experiencing (the so called half way dip in performance).

Bass at present could be described as thudding & quite boomy (not tight & punchy). I have a wooden suspended floor & have suffered with bass boom before when using the eposes, this was greatly minamized by using some very dense concrete slabs under the stands.

I,m hoping this is just a strange phase during the run in period, but another part of me is thinking its cause could be more serious!

When Jason installed the NBL's bass boom was discussed & it was my understanding that I shouldn't need to use my old concrete blocks ( which incidently pleased my wife no end)(toe end)


Before I do anything I feel I should see the run in period out!

If it doesn't resolve itself then I would have to conclude that;

1) I,m getting boom due to interaction of suspended floor & blocks or mana sound bases are needed.

2) Power amp isn't accuratly controlling the bass drivers & a move to a 250 or 135's is inevitable.

Mad Boy Matt

NBLs do not work very well with the "old" (i.e. olive) series



Bass at present could be described as thudding & quite boomy (not tight & punchy)

Did you try Fraim Chips...?