Ovator 600 improvements?

While I have no direct evidence that the S600 has been updated, I had listened to 4 different pair before making my purchase.  (I had one pair on home demo for a month)  The S600s I took delivery on were much better than what I had heard before.  Perhaps subtle tweaks have been made or change in manufacturing techniques?  I can only guess.  

Personally, I'd go for a new pair.  

You can get huge differences in performance depending on set-up in room and the tightness of the driver and underside bolts. These need to be adjusted to the correct torque by either your Dealer or as defined by Naim themselves if they advise you on this.

It seems with the best will in the world, the cabinets do slightly shrink enough to de-dension the correct driver and stand bolt torques after a few months from initial purchase - I think this applies to virtually all speakers in wooden cabinets.

So whatever Ovators you get - check them either initially if they are second-hand, or by your Dealer after about 3 months for correct torque settings. They go 'flat' if they are too loose. I never touch mine and trust it to to my Dealer.

The in-room set-up is also particuarly critical; the same pair of speakers can sound totally different depending on a few cm or even mm difference in fine-tuning.

These are from my own experience.

DB.

I'd love to know those torque settings.  

Torque is usually measured in Newton Metres or Foot Pounds.

Cheers

Don

I think you will find that all S-600's in the market, even earlier dealer 'demo' models will be the latest spec.  This will include the internal bass tuning tubes and frontal damping material plus the two small asymmetric pads to the BMR fascia.

These plus the correct torque settings and correct speaker plugs should give you a fine sounding loudspeaker for about the price of the new S-400 if you can source them 'exdem'

The torque setting is different for the different bolts; some are 3 and some 2.5 - don't ask me which, that is why I left it to the Dealer. You don't want to touch these IMO unless Naim give you the correct data, because you may damage them with too much torque.

I only mentioned it as it was significant with mine - and it would be a shame for the potential of such a fine speaker to be spoilt by this. If yours still sound as good or better than when you got them new, there may not be any problem worth the worry.

DB.

Many thanks to all for your assistance.  Not sure which way I'll go!

Buy the used ones, and for the rest of the money buy a lots of beer/wine/whiskey/ or whatever you like to drink, it will make any loudspeaker sound much better.

Chris,

Just call or send HQ a mail.

They  will get back to you with numbers.

Hope they are still burning in well?

Stu