SL2

As HH says above, giving the lower box a push moves it back and forth on the rear left spring but gives the optical illusion that it's the tweeter moving - quickly oscillating back and forth through the cut-out. If this doesn't happen, or the oscillation looks weak or "soggy" or the tweeter appears to move around laterally in the cut-out, then there's a problem somewhere.

Hungryhalibut posted:

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

I have never quite understood the HH test re rapping on the boxes and 'the tweeter does not move'. The bottom boxes of mine definitely move if pushed but the tweeter assembly stays the same position-which makes it move relative to the top box aperture until the box stops swaying.

is this is a healthy 'positive HH test'? If not they sound lovely anyway....

Absolutely correct. The speaker moves but the tweeter doesn't, so the tweeter moves relative to the aperture. It's quite hard to explain all this, especially with a frontal lobe brain injury - I confuse even myself!

I think we got there! At least you now have a test named after you.

This thread appears to make SL2s sound like a horror to set up. I found them easier (and better engineered) than my SBLs. Took me 2 hours max to unpack and install carefully. I've also not had to adjust them after day one either. I'd hate this thread to put people off this lovely speaker. Just makes sure it is dis-assembled and packaged correctly by the dealer or previous owner, not completely dismantled!

Bruce

You judge the faff - and there really isn't much of it - by the results. There are very very few speakers that can beat what the SL2 does. The base itself is in several parts with the leaf spring inside, that's why you can't see it.

To get your Sl2s performing anywhere near their best you want them much closer to the wall as HH advises - in many cases the closer the better. Another common mistake is to have them too close together.

Michael,

Is the leaf spring visible when you turn the lower cabinet upside down - i.e. It is part of the underside of the plinth or are you saying that it is within the lower cabinet itself and never visible?

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

I found the [SL2s] ...better engineered ....than my SBLs.

Bruce mate, let's have a bit less of that please! There was no Saturn V without preceding Gemini etc.

C.

I confess up front to never having heard any Naim speakers other than Ovators (which don't float my boat at all). What I fail to understand is why, if speakers such as the SL2s are so brilliant, they were ever discontinued? I appreciate why the link up with Focal signalled the death knell for Ovators, but that doesnt explain the demise of all the earlier Naim speakers which, if the aficionados are to be believed, represent the zenith of Naim sound. 

S3 posted:

Thanks guys. I've connected them up with 5m of NACA5 and put the grills on.

Richard - The base plinth is a strange one. It was very straightforward to fit back on. Just two bolts at the front and three screws at the rear. I was in two minds as to whether to screw in the three black screws to the rear:

As I know that this cross plate is supposed to be loose and screwing in fixes it. I screwed them in in the end as I thought if they were not supposed to be used then why on earth would there be holes in the plinth.

Could you explain what is meant by the leaf spring as I am hearing how critical it is but can not work out exactly what or where it is?

 

I would hazard a guess that those 2 bolts and 3 screws are meant to have those rubber grommets mentioned earlier, between the underside of speaker and topside of plinth around them.

Timmo1341 posted:

I confess up front to never having heard any Naim speakers other than Ovators (which don't float my boat at all). What I fail to understand is why, if speakers such as the SL2s are so brilliant, they were ever discontinued? I appreciate why the link up with Focal signalled the death knell for Ovators, but that doesnt explain the demise of all the earlier Naim speakers which, if the aficionados are to be believed, represent the zenith of Naim sound. 

you hit the nail on the head in your very first line.

Personal preferences. One man's 'zenith' etc etc...

enjoy

ken

No the leaf spring isn't visible. As far as I can remember, it's contained in the flanged base under the bass cabinet.

Thanks Michael that's helpful and good news in that at least it's not missing! I really need to get to the bottom of what the cross bar at the rear of the plinth does and how it is supposed to be attached.

With the three screws in place that bar cannot be slightly loose although - per Toby's post - it may be that rubber grommets could enable that. I wonder if the screws are intended to be for transit purposes only and should be removed when the speakers are in position.

S3, rather than using best guesswork, again I strongly advise you to contact Naim.  The only people who really know exactly how the base should be rebuilt are those who originally built them at the factory.  Send an e-mail to Steve Hopkins (info@naimaudio.com) and he can ask Mike Shord who probably built a good number of SL2s over the years and built my own pair twice thanks to a cabinet change early on from Black Ash to Cherry.

Thanks Richard. I'm already in contact with Steven. Will let you know the view.

Good. I believe the speakers should be returned to Naim to be checked, unless very precise guidance can be given. If arranged, it may be possible to drop them off early and pick them up later in the day. Any cost should be met by the dealer who took them apart - that's what if be saying anyway. 

Re the point made above about grommets for transit: there are none; the owner should never have to touch the base as it comes attached to the speaker. 

ken c posted:

Timmo1341 posted:

I confess up front to never having heard any Naim speakers other than Ovators (which don't float my boat at all). What I fail to understand is why, if speakers such as the SL2s are so brilliant, they were ever discontinued? I appreciate why the link up with Focal signalled the death knell for Ovators, but that doesnt explain the demise of all the earlier Naim speakers which, if the aficionados are to be believed, represent the zenith of Naim sound. 

you hit the nail on the head in your very first line.

Personal preferences. One man's 'zenith' etc etc...

enjoy

ken

The speakers were discontinued because sales were insufficient. A lot of dealers couldn't be bothered with the hassle of setting up the speakers in the dem room - it's not simply a matter of taking them in and plonking them down. I have heard it said that Naim lost money on the SL2. It's a complex design with expensive parts, such as the curved cabinets made by Hornslet, and the flat interface plates that sit between the boxes. Even the little spacers, which define the gap between the interface plates, are pricey. The SL2 was Naim's exercise in extracting as much as possible from a two driver speaker, building on the SBL and with no expense spared. The fact that they are entirely appropriate with an active 500 system, such as Ken's, shows how extraordinarily capable they are. They may have only two drivers and look like penguins, but they can show a modern £10,000 speaker a thing or two, if sheer musical enjoyment is what you are after. 

Timmo, for some of us they really are the zenith of the Naim sound. I even own a spare pair of SBLs to future proof my system. 

While I am enjoying this thread I also worry that it might encourage people to pass on these wonderful designs. As others have said, they are not normally this much work. It's only down to the incorrect strip down by the vendor.

Go listen to some well set up 'ibbles (I,S,N or D) and let us know what you think.

Stu

Yes please don't be put off and apologies if my travails here are perceived to give these wonderful speakers negative connotations. It is an unusual scenario and not standard I'm sure.

I'm sure that when I get the input from Naim as to what to do with the plinth it will be fine.

I do really appreciate all of your advice and support. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

ken c posted:

Timmo1341 posted:

I confess up front to never having heard any Naim speakers other than Ovators (which don't float my boat at all). What I fail to understand is why, if speakers such as the SL2s are so brilliant, they were ever discontinued? I appreciate why the link up with Focal signalled the death knell for Ovators, but that doesnt explain the demise of all the earlier Naim speakers which, if the aficionados are to be believed, represent the zenith of Naim sound. 

you hit the nail on the head in your very first line.

Personal preferences. One man's 'zenith' etc etc...

enjoy

ken

The speakers were discontinued because sales were insufficient. A lot of dealers couldn't be bothered with the hassle of setting up the speakers in the dem room - it's not simply a matter of taking them in and plonking them down. I have heard it said that Naim lost money on the SL2. It's a complex design with expensive parts, such as the curved cabinets made by Hornslet, and the flat interface plates that sit between the boxes. Even the little spacers, which define the gap between the interface plates, are pricey. The SL2 was Naim's exercise in extracting as much as possible from a two driver speaker, building on the SBL and with no expense spared. The fact that they are entirely appropriate with an active 500 system, such as Ken's, shows how extraordinarily capable they are. They may have only two drivers and look like penguins, but they can show a modern £10,000 speaker a thing or two, if sheer musical enjoyment is what you are after. 

couldn't have out it better.... and yes, driven by active 500DR, they keep me listening to music till wee hours -- which is of course disastrous for work the following 'day'... :-)    time to retire?

enjoy

ken

S3,

Can you share with us what Naim will tell you about the plinth?

Just to check mine.

Be patient with positioning the speakers; small changes have a very audible difference.

Regards

Rui

S3 posted:

Could you explain what is meant by the leaf spring as I am hearing how critical it is but can not work out exactly what or where it is?

 

Looking at that image I would think this IS  the leaf spring. Two bolts at the front with slots machined front and back will give some torsional movement and the bar at the back with three screw points in the middle would give some bounce. 

Interesting Toby. I wondered that too. I'm waiting to hear back from Naim as to whether that back bar should be screwed - and if so to what extent - or free and to understand what the correct factory settings are for the attachment of the tweeter to its arm.

Currently mine are set up as follows:

If anyone has any pictures of the set up of their tweeter attachments to the arm it would be inter to see them.

TOBYJUG posted:

S3 posted:

Could you explain what is meant by the leaf spring as I am hearing how critical it is but can not work out exactly what or where it is?

 

Looking at that image I would think this IS  the leaf spring. Two bolts at the front with slots machined front and back will give some torsional movement and the bar at the back with three screw points in the middle would give some bounce. 

My understanding as well.

Willy.

S3 posted:

Interesting Toby. I wondered that too. I'm waiting to hear back from Naim as to whether that back bar should be screwed - and if so to what extent - or free and to understand what the correct factory settings are for the attachment of the tweeter to its arm.

Currently mine are set up as follows:

If anyone has any pictures of the set up of their tweeter attachments to the arm it would be inter to see them.

Mine are as far back as possible, rather than as far forward. 

Ok. Thanks HH.

Do you know if the bracket at the top of the arm is as far down as it can go?

Viewed from the side it looks like this... (this is the best I can do with the iPad)  

Thanks. Interesting. It appears to be slightly raised from flush. Last night mine were flush which could account for the need to raise the arm slightly out of the mounting brackets. By having the bracket slightly higher than flush with the top of the arm that should enable the arm to remain fully seated and for the tweeter to be at the correct height.