SBLs Yorkshire

maybe olive 102/140 or 72/140 if dealer have these ?

both preamps much better than 122x

pod03 posted:

......I prefer a mellower and meatier sound. I am trying to avoid the upgrade path. I am planning to listen to less demanding speakers as well.....

In which case it's a crying shame that the remote volume is such a biggie for you, Mark, because I'd be wanting to try your NVA with some AudioNote Js, say, and some NVA (ie non silver) speaker wires. This from a man who wears Naim underpants.

Cheers,

Chris

Christopher_M posted:

pod03 posted:

......I prefer a mellower and meatier sound. I am trying to avoid the upgrade path. I am planning to listen to less demanding speakers as well.....

In which case it's a crying shame that the remote volume is such a biggie for you, Mark, because I'd be wanting to try your NVA with some AudioNote Js, say, and some NVA (ie non silver) speaker wires. This from a man who wears Naim underpants.

Cheers,

Chris

�� Noooooo!

Now there is a thought - 2 systems say NVA and Audio notes just for pleasure and 112/150 B&Ws for work when getting up and down to change the volume 20 times a CD is too time consuming.

The 102 pre-amp has tweaked my interest - I shall have to consider that more carefully - though I think that it would have to be a 180, listening to both seems hard and we are getting pretty expensive - but if they pulled the B&Ws around I don't see what not.

Cheers,

Mark

pod03 posted:

Now there is a thought - 2 systems say NVA and Audio notes just for pleasure and 112/150 B&Ws for work when getting up and down to change the volume 20 times a CD is too time consuming.

The 102 pre-amp has tweaked my interest - I shall have to consider that more carefully - though I think that it would have to be a 180, listening to both seems hard and we are getting pretty expensive - but if they pulled the B&Ws around I don't see what not.

Cheers,

Mark

I've had both the 102/180 and 112/150 over the years.  Enjoyed both at the time but the 102/180 is far better IMHO.

An update. I had a listen to the 112/150 and preferred the sound of my NVA with the Audio Note AZ-2s and those speakers over the Zu speakers. Worst heresy still is that I preferred a Puresound A10 valve amp to either. No remote for me then - faced by that I had the better idea of rearranging the room to better suit inter-connection runs and volume controls.

Cheers,

Mark

Mark,

just my two-penneth worth but if you have the LP12 and an urge for SBLs, then go for it and don't faff about, get classic well proven & time honoured amped with a 72/hi-cap/250, all olive, and don't forget naca5 cable for the SBLs [naca4 will do if tight on budget]

Then you can get on and enjoy some music without main component indecisions for a nice while : )

Debs

Good for you, Mark.

Best,

Chris

Hi Mark,

nothing to add from other contributions above other than SBLs have been with me since '88 and I have no plans to change them....

Stu

Hi folks,

Thanks to all the advice on this thread and elsewhere on tinternet I got a very nice pair of walnut MK1 SBLs for £345 from the lovely gent at Central Audio. When I initially set them up they, the room and I did not gel; however, having tweaked a little but I suspect more importantly they settled I am getting a lovely sound across John Tavener, ZZ Top Fandango, Basement Jaxx, Abacab, The Carpenters, Neville Brothers, OMD English Electric and as I type 21st Century Drum and Bass Volume 1 - nasty. This is with the NVA AP30 my LP12, Arcam Alpha CD Player Delta Black Box One and even a jury-rigged cable out of my PC.

So far I did prefer the bass out of some Isobariks that I listened to recently - more of it - but getting good Isobariks for even double that proved difficult and the SBLs are more practical when I move which seems likely and I think in other regards sound better than the Briks - I did not do a side by side comparison so large doses of salt are required. If the SBL bass keeps improving as it has over the last couple of days I may prefer them to the Briks.

Cheers,

Mark

Hi Mark,

great speakers! Did the dealer include a new gasket kit/pads, or at least confirm that they are in good condition? Do search for set up advice on the forum.

wrt bass, SBLs only do bass if its actually in the recording. They are also as ruthless with sources and amplification and get better as you move up the chain.

I will be keeping mine until one of us pops our clogs!

Stu

Hi Stu, I did look at http://www.sbls.co.uk/ and manual linked from there - I have also had a good root around the forum. The gasket seems fine and the Loctite 595 silicone is £5 from my local motor factor. The pads need replacing but at that price and with Central Audio being second hand rather than a Naim dealer I did not ask - for now I moved the middle box back just enough to get on fresh aluminum. I have inquired with a Naim dealer about new pads but for now I am just enjoying the music - which is as you say just as it should be with very little added.

For clarity I went to a different dealer to listen to the Audio Note speakers.

Cheers,

Mark

They were a cracking price Mark, enjoy them.

last time I checked Naim still sold the gasket kits and pads. An email to them would confirm, or if not check Tom Tom. They recently provided lovely new grills for my dusty moth eaten ones. SBLs look new again!

Stu

Had a set of mk 2s for 14years. Have gone from nac72, 180 and lp12'to NDS, 555dr,552, snaxo242 and supercap into two 250s. They get better with each upgrade.Nuff said.

Not heard NVA with SBLs but suspect that it's better than most people would expect it to be. The amp probably does not need a service but an email to the manufacturer will get the difinitive answer. NVA are the underrated / unsung heroes of UK hifi manufacturing. Their single psu phono 2 is a wonderful device. Apparently a second psu takes it to another level (now where have I heard that before) !

The best advice I can give you it to make sure that the SBLs  are set up correctly. They are nothing special in a "sloppy" installation but sing like few others can when installed correctly. They really are something special and Naim deserve credit for building such a radical speaker.

Setup setup setup. Everyone who knows anything about SBLs knows it's the mantra, but I still wonder how many pairs are out there, underperforming.

In the last few weeks I went through it as thoroughly as I could, including trying them up to about 6 inches from the wall. I found some comments from JV about how there should never be anything between SBLs. So as I have no alternative but to have kit between them, I thought I'd experiment.

Ended up finding that even half a centimetre could make a big difference, and that in my room, one speaker a couple of mm further out than the other works best. Once positioned, a new set of pads and a re-seal left them far, far better than before the palaver.

Really worth putting the work in.

I echo the others here, I love my SBL's.  The sound is awesome via my Nap 100, UQ2, Nac 32 and HC.  They are ultra convenient and look cool also.  Don't think i'll change them for a long time!