Allaes set up tips

First, buy or borrow a torque driver.  Set it to 3.6Nm and check that the bolts holding the main mid/bass driver are properly torqued.

Secondly, the crossover boxes should be fitted so the retaining screws only just touch/nip the rubber grommets - so do not over tighten.

Apart from positioning - and that's something that will depend very much on each individual room - then the most critical thing is to ensure that the cabinets are kept vertical and that there is no rocking or twisting of the sprung base.  A spirit level is essential here. 

If you have a solid hard floor, setup is relatively easy.  If carpet, then you'll need to cut through for the spikes, and then ask what is underneath?  If wood, then best use Fraim Chips to prevent the spikes sinking through the wood and coupling to the floor.  Once you have ensured that the spikes are right then tighten up the nuts.  Do not leave spike nuts loose.  The base is fixed at the front but sprung at the rear.  It helps to start at the front ensuring the cabinet is perfectly vertical, then adjusting the rear spikes to ensure no rocking and no twisting to the base. It's similar to the SL2 setup (see FAQ) except you don't have the tweeter arm to help indicate when the spikes are making a perfectly even contact with the floor.

Lastly, make sure you have the Naim SA8 speaker connectors fitted to your NACA5 speaker cable.  Be sure to get polarity right when connecting to the speakers and the amp.

Wrt to positioning,well worth heeding Naim's advice to keep them away from corners in my experience.

When I bought mine, Andy from Signals advised me to keep them fairly near the rear wall (Naim specify 10-40 cm) to stop the mid-range disappearing.

Great speaker.

Richard, thanks for that. Seem to recall that some said they sounded a lot better with crossover boxes removed from the cabinet completely? Have loosened them off as they were screwed on Linn tight by previous owner. Also thanks to Christopher for the input. How where to locate a torque wrench.

???? Daft Apeth,....Look at Lejonklou's forum, where you have a lot of information about which torque wrench who is best.

/Peder ????

Plenty of Torque drivers available in the usual places online.  Just ensure it covers the required range.  You can spend a lot on the best but any torque driver is likely better than none.  Remember that you'll probably need the bit ends as well as the driver.

I read here a while ago that the tweeters should be left at the factory settings.

Yes, it’s just the bass drivers that need periodic checking with Allaes. 

And the stands.

/Peder???? 

I would advise caution about touching the bases.  If you don't know what you're doing it's just too easy to cock up and then it's a back to the factory job.

Richard Dane posted:

I would advise caution about touching the bases.  If you don't know what you're doing it's just too easy to cock up and then it's a back to the factory job.

???? Richard,....Interesting,for I have read a Naim document,where it even says which Nm values you should pull the front and the rear screws with,in the tripod.

Have previously bought a pair of Allae to my son,but they are not installed yet because he and his girlfriend got a little girl.
Have myself never listened or installed a Allae, however,I have read all the information available about these.

Have all the information written down,...so here I can remember wrong....but the rear screws in the tripod 0,8Nm...the front 2,8Nm.

If you have a good calibrated Torque driver, what is it that makes you not able to do this yourself.?

We all know that screws need to be drawn every now and then,...it's normal maintenance of a music system.
◾Same thing with the treble-element,why it cannot be retighten to the original Nm value after 10-15 years against the steel-plate.

◾The same question for the resilient steel plate for the treble-element against the cabinet,...and if you have any more tips,it is gratefully received.

/Peder ????.

Peder, I've seen some horrors that came back to the factory where users had really cocked up the bases, got the spring the wrong way, even tightened it all up, then wondered why they don't sound good. If you know what you're doing then fine, but if not, leave well alone...

Is there a proper guide on how to tighten the bass and treble units with the correct torque values, I have access to a calibrated torque wrench and have never checked them since I’ve owned my Allaes?

Nick

Just installed a "new" pair of 1998 Creddos for my son this morning. Torquing up the bass drivers the screws turned approx 1/8 of a revolution. Well with doing. 

Willy.

Excellent advice from Richard (as usual) and as a previous owner of Allaes of 13 years out the box they are a great speaker, setup correctly an awesome speaker and well worth the effort to do this right.