Ovators and SuperLumina in da hauzz...

Oh , dear!

Adam, why couldn't  they lend you a pair of run in speakers.  I thought the minimum recommended length for a pair of cables was 3.5m, unless that only applies to the NACA5 and not the SL. Anyway, I hope they work for you. The 400s are great speakers  but they do need some run in time. Let's us know how you get along. 

Best of luck.

Tony

I'd suggest Downloading the tellurium q burn in disc online for just £17 to speed up the burn in process

Tony2011 posted:

 I thought the minimum recommended length for a pair of cables was 3.5m, unless that only applies to the NACA5 and not the SL. 

 

So did I Apparently SL comes pre-configured in 3, 5, 7 or 9 meters. So 3 meters it was for me.... 

Knipester posted:

I'd suggest Downloading the tellurium q burn in disc online for just £17 to speed up the burn in process

I actually own this on a CD - so track 2 on loop tomorrow, when I am off at work. My neighbours will love me by the time I get back...

Adam -

Here is a speaker break-in technique that worked well for me.

https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...75#13674671673367875

Good luck!

Hook

When I had Ovator 400 they took 4-5 months to sound "as they should". 600 took at least 6 months, more likely 9 months. 

//Jonas

Do not forget to be carefull for the place in the room, it can dramaticaly change the sound ! As closed speakers, it is sometimes difficult to find the right balance with the place - each centimeter is important !

Enjoy

I'd be inclined to use the speakers with your existing cables. If you use brand new SL at the same time as the new speakers, you won't know what's doing what. My SL speaker cables were ex dem, but I don't think they were well used as the improved quite a lot over a few weeks. 

Even though the Ovators are new, you should still be able to get a really good idea of whether they are right for you over the course of a week. Are they a finish that you'd be happy to keep if you like them?

Indeed - I must have moved them 3 times already. Strange enough, they ended up in the same spot as my previous speakers. My friendly NAIM dealer suggested different alternatives, but "permited me" to place them where I like it, not where he likes it So they are back to what I believe is a sweet spot in my room.

Let's see how they develop. For now it is a pain listening to my system sounding a bit rubbish.... But there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel, and from the sound of it, it's not a train rushing towards me....

Does that mean you are a fan of Half Man, Half Biscuit?

Hungryhalibut posted:

I'd be inclined to use the speakers with your existing cables. If you use brand new SL at the same time as the new speakers, you won't know what's doing what. My SL speaker cables were ex dem, but I don't think they were well used as the improved quite a lot over a few weeks. 

Even though the Ovators are new, you should still be able to get a really good idea of whether they are right for you over the course of a week. Are they a finish that you'd be happy to keep if you like them?

Normally for testing I would of course be using my old cables. But since I've decided to burn the buggers in, might as well run both the speakers and the cables in at the same time. Once it starts sounding less 'square' I will start swapping cables.

As to a finish - they arrived in Zebrano Black (which is actually chocolate brown if you ask my wife). The Government decreed she does not like the colour and I must be mad to think it looks good. So to answer the question on the finish - if I like the sound of them, will have to get a different finiash (possibly white, ash or cherry). By the looks of it, I'm doing the dealer a favour of running his speakers in 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Does that mean you are a fan of Half Man, Half Biscuit?

Feeling more like Megadeath at the moment

A short update on the progress....

Ovators started to open up! Finally, after more than 100 hours....

They wil be staying... My wife still thinks they are ugly, but they kinda sound OK And the dealer made an offer one simply cannot refuse....

Experimenting with a positioning started today - they are really sensitive to even small changes. It will keep me entertained for weeks... (Finding a sweet spot for them, that is)

They are well worth the effort IMO. Enjoy!

Thanks - I will

Give them 200 hours before worrying about minor placement tweaks or you might get frustrated...from my experience (of 600's)

Luckily mine (now 400's) were run-in and sound 'just right' in Goldilocks parlance.

G

Good tip - thanks. Will leave them for a while and start tweaking again in a few weeks.

My own recent experience with S-400 is coming to fruition. Moving on from a pair of SL2 & shortly after needing to set up in a bedroom of 2.6m square, not ideal in hindsight.

Initially sitting the speakers into the room using the theory of 1/3's & parking myself about 1/5th from wall behind me (did not want to be so close as to sit 1/3rd into the room). After months of "fine tuning" with regards distances to boundaries & toe etc I honestly was finding the whole experience draining and listening to virtually no music.

Just last weekend I decided to reposition the cabinets across one of the corners, which unusually does not have a right angle but actually a curve. Speakers are not quite symmetric in their positions with relation to the "corner" because of where I can best sit. Well things now sound wonderfully engaging, very open balanced revealing presentation with a fuller, more articulate & pronounced bass. Bass notes are more prominent in the presentation, not detached, with a touch more authority.

Just noticed that I haven't even removed the spike protectors.

Regards

Harry

Interesting to move from SL2 to S400. I'd have expected the former to be better. 

Why?

C.

As Morrissey would say, I dunno. 

I just would. 

Not sure I ever heard the SL2 at their best & certainly never in this same room (although concensus is they would have been a better match).

All I can say is I have been listening to & enjoying music these last few days more than I have for a long time. Bass lines have become especially more articulate in the presentation but in no way detached from the mix or over whelming.

At the end of the day, enjoying the music is all that matters. I was just intrigued. 

Agreed.

The guy who bought my SL2 sold them within a fortnight. He had previously a pair of DBL's and found the SL2's not "big enough" for his listening room. He now has Kudos Titans, I believe, after a short stint with a pair of Neat XL6.

Each to their own.

Regards

Harry

Ovators have now opened up in the mid-range. Vocals, guitars etc already sound impressive.

Bass is still a bit tight.

I will give them another few weeks of running in and will start experimenting with positioning.