Recent Upgrade to the Legendary SBL's
Posted by: ajalden on 16 March 2003
I've just had my SBL's installed on Thursday after taking Naim up on their offer and was a little surprised by how far apart they where installed about 8ft apart. My room size is about 17ft long by 11ft with speakers installed on either side of a small fireplace but with the right one closer to the Fireplace then the other due to the fact that my TV is in the corner.
I'm currently listening to David Sylvian's "Camphor" which is largely instrumental and sounds amazing and the sound over the weekend has got better and better.
My question is that when playing music at any volume past 9 o'clock it seems slight bright and harsh on the ears
and I'm not sure if this is due to the effect I've only been playing the speakers for a few days?.
My current set-up is CD5, Hi-Cap, LP12, Linn Ekos, Temporary Cartridge (Grado!!), NAC202, NAP200 and my SBL's.
My Rack which is unnamed but contains a large amount of metal and only has 3 shelves with the Hi-Cap and NAPSC sitting on top could this be the culprit?. I have now ordered a Hutter Rack which should improve things.
I guess I'm being inpatient here but just wanted to hear from other members here if they SBL's do naturally sound bright/harsh or do I just need to give them more time to run in?. Now moved onto Vinyl playing Morrissey "Vauxhall and I" (good sunday music)which is not so much of a problem so maybe after writing all this I need a CDX2!!!!!!!!.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by garyi
I found from mine that they took a fair amount of playing, most likely to free up the bass speaker.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by ajalden
Thanks Paul & Gary I'll get back to listening to my music and stop worrying about my Hi-Fi!.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Mick P
Chaps
I had a brand new pair of SBL's last year and they do take a while to "mature".
Well worth it though.
Regards
Mick
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by garyi
indeed Mick, one elelment of my system I wouldn't consider upgrading right now is the SBL it is an awsome speaker.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Mick P
Gary
I plonked my SBL's on Mana and it did improve the sound.
Do what I did, place an ad in
www.hififorsale.com as i had a lot of replies. I bought a mint pair for £100.00 inc insured delivery.
Regards
Mick
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Allan Probin
I also installed a new pair of SBLs as a result of Naims offer and found them to be a little uncomfortable and aggressive until run-in. I had to run them continuosly for four to five days before they came around and sorted themselves out.
I used a tuner to run them continuosly. Radio stations during the day, white-noise overnight by tuning off-station. Not too loud though, just moderate volume.
Allan
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by garyi
Mick, I like the sound the SBLs produce if I want more 'cutting edge' I no dooubt will look into double layers of glass with cork in between. Its the only way to be don't you know.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by ajalden
That's a good Idea Allan I did run my CD5 on repeat when I did go out this weekend but no tuner as of yet, did you go for the Walnut SBL's?.
I heard other people on this forum counting the hours but I don't want to become too obsessive.
I don't think I will add to the Mana Debate but will let my system run in and find some new music to play before any other upgrades.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by oldie
Aj
try not to get to involved in the must try this stand against someother , depending on your floor one of the best upgrades ,and the cheapest used to be, four cross headed screws beded into the floor and the sbl,s carefully located in the centre of the screw head .Cheap but effective.As a long time user, it would seem to me that there are to meny sets of The kings new clothes and at times we have all fallen for the newer, better,you must have, message. Let them run in and you will be enthralled by them.
enjoy the music.
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Jo Sharp
Please move the NAPSC as far away as possible from the rest of the system as well.
Jo
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Chris Bell
If you have hardwood floors, the Naim "Chips" are the best solution. I have them under both my Fraim racks and my DBLs. I have installed them in several other systems with dramatic results. Think of them as adding a power supply to your speakers. Highly recomended.
Chris Bell
Posted on: 16 March 2003 by Justin
Hard to believe a Grado cartridge could sound bright on anything, though.
Judd
Posted on: 17 March 2003 by ajalden
Justin, I don't have a problem with the LP12 and as you suggest it isn't the brightest of cartridge's.
The speakers are on carpet and beneath the carpet are floorboards but the right speaker is closer to the side of my fireplace then the other and is producing more sound.
I shall wait until they are fully run in but I shall experiment with moving the left speaker slightly closer to the Fireplace.
Posted on: 17 March 2003 by greeny
Clearly these will take a couple of weeks to sound near their best, but the SBL's are very revealing speakers and will show up any weakness in the rest of your system.
You may find the CD5 is just not quite up to the task. CDX / XPS CDX2 is calling!!
I would let things settle for a month or two though before you make any other purchasing decision
Posted on: 17 March 2003 by Mick P
Hyde
My SBL's are mounted on a concrete floor.
They sound great even on their own.
I found that the top end in particular became more clear when placing it on Mana. The bass became marginally deeper.
One advantage of the SBL stand is that it is nowhere as ugly as most of the Mana range and blends in well with the speaker.
It is only basic ironmongery and the new price is well high. Buy second hand, you will save yourself money.
Regards
Mick
Posted on: 17 March 2003 by shinpad
quote:
My question is that when playing music at any volume past 9 o'clock it seems slight bright and harsh on the ears and I'm not sure if this is due to the effect I've only been playing the speakers for a few days?.
Ajalden, I bought a new pair of SBL's back in December and my initial thoughts were just as you have described. Don't worry, they just need to run in, as others have said, and then they will sound great.
Good luck
Graham
Posted on: 17 March 2003 by J.N.
Ajalden
Ferrous racks can introduce what I would describe as a thin pinched and restricted sound.
A couple of years back; I was disenchanted with the sound of my system on a pair of steel 'Sound Org' racks.
Some Hi-Fi buddies were over at my place and we hauled everything off and sat it all on a carpeted concrete floor.
It was a substantial improvement.
I reckon a wobbly wooden table will give a better sound than a steel rack.
I now have Fraim.
P.S. Don't forget to move away any other steel cased bits of Hi-Fi. A friend who has recently installed Fraim had a NAD tuner (not connected) sitting under his 82 pre-amp.
It was removed and jaws dropped. I kid you not.
Posted on: 04 July 2003 by Charles
Ajalden,
I also have SBL's. Congratulations, its a great speaker.
My CD5/HiCap sounded quite harsh and bright. My LP12/Ekos/*Wingo sounded great, no harshness, very fluid.
It wasn't until I upgraded to a secondhand CDS2/XPS that I realized it was the CD5 causing the brightness. At times I thought it was the digital medium or my sparse listening room but after getting the CDS2/XPS I realized just how good digital can sound.
Try to get a home dem on either a CDX or CDS2, new or secondhand. Huge improvement.
Charles
Los Angeles
(Wingo: Lingo with Andrew Weekes modification)
Posted on: 05 July 2003 by ajalden
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the reply but my post was dated back in March and I don't have any problems with the brightness anymore, mainly because the speakers needed a good length of time to break in and plus I bought a Hutter rack which again improved things considerable.
Last night I moved the Hi-Cap off my CD5 and onto my NAC202 but just noticed I didn't move the interconnect between the NAP200 and NAC202 so I've just moved it from the NAC202 onto the Hi-Cap. I guess this is the correct set-up with the Hi-Cap in between the pre and power amp?.
Anyway I will leave this in place for a week and see if I prefer the Hi-Cap on the NAC.
I'm going to have to listen to a CDX2 or CDS2 before too long but I'm waiting a while until I have the fundS because I know there will be no going back to the CD5
Andy
