NBL's Vs BRIK"s Opinions Please

That's a tricky one Listener72. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and there are fans of each.

I have briks and have run them active and passive from a single Naim 250, to 3x 250, to a single 500, and they keep upping their game with whatever they are fed with. And I like them, so I am biased in their favour.

I have heard active NBLs just once, and SL2s lots, so have just some idea of the Naim 'voicing'. They were good. The tweeters may be a bit more 'accurate', perhaps even sweeter. But they don't do the soundstage like briks do and I wouldn't swap them. I don't know what it is exactly for me, but the upward firing mid/treble units give lovely scale and air to the briks performance which I don't think you get with the Naim.

And that combined with the fast, deep bass, and the something special briks do with vocals (especially female) result in my opinion being stick with what you have.

Others may chime in with a counter view. So you're possibly not going to be helped. I would strongly suggest though that, if you do stay with briks, you won't need to worry that you've missed out on something miles better in SBLs. Just a different voice really.

Good luck.

My guess would be that you could sell on the NBLs without too much of a loss if you didn't like them. Pretty risk free?

active is the only way to go with briks and N/DBLs

Yes very much. Although a 500DR cuts through the crossover 'bottleneck' pretty convincingly

I would rather have 6x135 or 3x300dr to 1x 500dr with those speakers 

A 2qute? Keep the briks and find a DAC that can bring out some emotion, that one's far too sterile or at least it was detween a Core and a 500dr system feeding NBLs, whatever digital cable I tried.

I use NBLs (passively) and think I would have difficulty finding a speaker which sounds quite so convincing on so many musical styles and which looks so good at the same time. The curved top and sloping sides give them a certain elegance which is most definitely lacking in the Isobariks. They also have a smaller footprint. BTW mine stand about 5" from the rear wall with a slight toe-in.  I find this gives a better soundstage than parallel to the wall.

I'd agree with Jon that active is the way to go with Briks. Although 135s with Briks is a classic combo. I've not heard NBLs but loved my IBLs so have been tempted. If you can afford to write of the regret cost if you buy and try NBLs and then find you want to stick with Briks then I'd be tempted. You won't know till you try for yourself with your equipment and room.

Thank you all so much for your responses.

I am still thinking now, as before I thought that the purchase may be one of those "no-brainers."

The two cute is sitting on a sprung base tuned to a resonant frequency of about 5Hz. I also have the volume a bit down from the computer source. I think all of that sterility that some talk about is gone. I have also tried a battery source for power and found that the sound was a little sweeter, but even in the next room my wife was able to clearly discern that the "naim" like and perhaps the briks ability to do peaks to their best was lost.

I think I need to do something about how my signature shows up as well!!!!

Briks have zero WAF. NBLs are beautiful, as speakers go. Depending on your domestic situation, that's important. Seriously.

I am building a new house with a "dedicated" lounge. A fire in the wall and etc etc so the aesthetics are important, but my wife says the sound is paramount!

Wife here,  have no say about anything to do with stereo..as most of your wives are the same...just put up with it!

Hello wife,

Would you object to having 6 more boxes + extra 2 sets of speaker wires in your new lounge?

That's what it takes to make either NBL or Briks *active*.

Tricky, my head would say NBLs but my heart would scream Isobariks - probably.

My normal rule of thumb is Linn arm / Linn speakers and Aro / Naim speakers (proper ones, not Ovators) , but that does not seem to be relevant here, and is not set in stone anyway 

NBLs are merciless, but quite good if you have a top flight Naim system.  I ran mine both active with 135s and a passive 500.  Honestly, anything less and you will not like the sound.  

Chris Bell posted:

NBLs are merciless, but quite good if you have a top flight Naim system.  I ran mine both active with 135s and a passive 500.  Honestly, anything less and you will not like the sound.  

Well I do. 

If you are as happy as you say you are with the Isobariks, there seems little logic in changing to something that you can't try at home. I'd be more concerned about your sources, such as the CD player, with really has no place with the amp and speakers. Then there's the PD300, which may be a Luxman, but in any event it could be better. A good Linn, Michell or whatever wouldn't go amiss. And then there's the dac. NBLs will only reveal what isn't there in the first place. 

HH, if the "PD300" is a Luxman PD300 then, provided it's in good health, it's potentially a very fine turntable indeed - well up there with the Linn and Michell decks.  The sub chassis and bearing were superb pieces of engineering, not to mention the integrated platter vacuum system. Don't forget that the PD300 was a "normalised" version of the PD555.  It was a contemporary of the Linn LP12, Pink Triangle etc.. but was rather more expensive - £500 for the basic deck when an LP12 set you back just over £300. To get the best from the PD300 it's worth having the damping inserts removed from the suspension, and the right arm choice helps a great deal too.

Thanks Richard, that's interesting to know. 

The most emotion I got out of the 2qute was with a Belden 4794R digital cable feeding it, a $20 cable so easy to try but it wasn't enough. There may be something better out there.

Richard Dane posted:

HH, if the "PD300" is a Luxman PD300 then, provided it's in good health, it's potentially a very fine turntable indeed - well up there with the Linn and Michell decks.  The sub chassis and bearing were superb pieces of engineering, not to mention the integrated platter vacuum system. Don't forget that the PD300 was a "normalised" version of the PD555.  It was a contemporary of the Linn LP12, Pink Triangle etc.. but was rather more expensive - £500 for the basic deck when an LP12 set you back just over £300. To get the best from the PD300 it's worth having the damping inserts removed from the suspension, and the right arm choice helps a great deal too.

I was in the happy position of being able to compare the PD300, PD555 and a LP12. Unfortunately, for reasons to do with who imported what, the Luxman turntables had Stax tonearms. So we put a Stax on an LP12.

The Luxman turntable were pretty good, the vacuum idea actually seamed to have some merit. The PD555 was awesome, and whilst it was difficult to do direct comparisons, the option of a 12" tonearm again had a lot going for it. Inner track distortion seemed to be reduced. I saw a 12' Linn Ittok for sale recently on Hifi shark, was amazed they actually existed. Now that would have been the ticket on a PD555.

We were also Dynavector and Koetsu dealers too, A Luxman PD300 turntable, Dynavector DV505 tonearm and  Koestsu Onyx cartridge combo with a Michell A Cotter transformer had some superb attributes.

And as you say, the engineering, fit, finish of the Luxman products back then was just WOW. The 550 Class A intergrated amplifier was seriously good too. And don't get me started on their valve stuff.

And I say that as a committed at the time, (and probably still if the truth be told), Flat Earther. I actually managed to graft a DV505 onto a Linn. Got rid of the heavy mounting plate, machined an aluminium armboard... much to the disapproval of some at the time. Mounted my Koetsu Onyx and just gave in to the plush sound. Verdi's Macbeth on active Isobariks. The Witch's chorus. Ah nostalgia. If only I could remember clearly

The magnificent PD555

And way, way, way off topic....

Although it could actually drive Isobariks without chucking a sad

I had a pair of NBL's for years with CDS1 / LP12 / 52 / 3 x olive 250 . They have a scale and clarity which has to be heard to believe. I eventually replaced them with Isobariks. I find the Bariks more coloured , perhaps boxy , but they just seem to fill out the room with sound. I just seem to listen to them for longer without analysing the sound. The NBL's are absolutely ruthless.

I dont have the funds at the moment to investigate the 552 / active 300 or 500 route , and maybe this may change things a bit. I'll just slum it with my olive boxes for the foreseeable future.