Just got my first Naim system; how does one add a sub?

No probs, Geoff.
You're right that I'm not sure about subs, but I've never actually sat down and listened to them.
I've sometimes thought of them, but as I said earlier I've still got the same speakers (Kans) as I bought in the 80's, and they really can play a bass tune (I'm a bass player BTW).
I think that if I went of searching for deep bass, my first port of call would be some briks.
Paul

Paul Rowlands

I know I'm beginning to sound like troll. But if Naim made a bloody great subwoofer you'd all be hailing it as the biggest breakthrough since sliced bread IMHO. The trouble is you'd all need two!
One subwoofer just doesn't do the trick. Tending to draw the attention away from the music and inserting an artificial, selfconscious lag to the bass.
Finding the right positions for the two boxes is a serious business. Ideally they'd be better as pyramidal stands for the smaller speakers like Kans (to really get close enough) for best results. Floor standers obviously don't help here.
Don't knock subwoofers until you've tried two and gone to the endless trouble of finding the right position and balance. It really isn't a weekend (loan from the dealers) sort of job to get even close. Bunging just one anywhere in the room and then crying "foul" when it messes up the sound is just too easy an option. Though it does save lots of money.
I imagine Naim has already discovered this in endless tests. It must be an enormously difficult marketing decision to release such a thing onto a bunch of hair shirted purists like some of you lot! Quite where two Naim subwoofers would fall into system heirarchy may never be finally agreed!

Nime

Everyone has the right to be wrong.

I have to admit to using a REL sub, with quite good results I might add, but have had to change my thinking as my system has changed.
I have Totem speakers which are ported standmounted isobariks akin to the famous Briks talked about so often. They have the potential to do pretty deep bass (especially for a standmount)
I started out driving them with a 112/HC/150 and used the sub to reinforce the bass at all times with good effect.
I now have a 282/2HC/250 mk2 front end and low and behold all the bass I need at properly substantial listening levels. I now only use the sub when listening at low volume, which is of course artifical bass enhancement, but quite effective since the main speakers are just ticking over at these sort of settings and not moving enough air for the lowest bass frequencies to come alive.
When the system switches into Home Theatre mode of course the sub gets full use.
Basically the 150 did not have enough clout to drive the Totems at the bootom end and the sub filled that in. The extra power in the 250 really showed this to me. I don't regret buying and using the sub because I got pleasure from the overall sound generated with the 150 but there is no substitute for amplifier strength to produce the bottom end properly.

GEOFFP

Now, the idea of using a sub at low volumes kindof makes sense.
It's true that sound characteristics change at different volumes.
In my adventures with mains cables I managed to make my system smooth and bassy and really quite comfortable at low volumes. Unfortunately the sound fell apart when I cranked it up a bit.

Paul Rowlands