Naim NA 402 502 602 Speakers - Any survivals still being used today?

Any good to excellent examples are probably over covered by a big glass cabinet in a museum somewhere.

Tony, not many made and of those most were installed in pro environments, studios etc.. so they're a pretty rare find these days.

I gathered most would be either in poor condition hidden in a barn or garage somewhere but there might be a slight chance, although the very slim, that a pair could still being used by a "discerning" listener. 

I have a pair of 602 speakers (I think - they had Goodmans tweeter and Mordaunt Short bass).  I had to change the tweeters a number of times, finally to Scanspeak because the DM101 (I think that was the model) were no longer available, though I think that I might have one working example.  I also had to replace the dampening panel inside the speakers because that turned to mush.  Finally, I removed the crossovers (which I still have) to go active.

They were good speakers and still sound pretty good.

Also have a pair of piano black IBLs - thinking about rarities...

Beachcomber, how did you get hold of those 602s and do you remember how much they cost you at the time?

I bought them from Russ Andrews (when he was still a HiFi retailer) in Edinburgh - I think about 1975 or 76.  I think I paid about £200.00, possibly £250.00.  Somewhere round that.  I hadn't auditioned them - I was living in Oban, and couldn't get to Edinburgh very often.  I had listened to a bunch of speakers at his shop, and wasn't impressed by anything until I heard a pair of Castle speakers of some sort.  They were excellent - fantastic sound stage.  you were in the music, not just presented with a flat postcard of it.  Russ said that if I liked those I would love the Naims, but he didn't have any in stock.

He also let me listen to Quad ESLs (again, great sound but a little light in the bass) and Isobarics active with three NAP250s.  That I absolutely loved, but it was way over my price range.  I'd just bought a house, with no furniture.  I had a choice between hifi and furniture.  I bought the furniture quite a lot later.  No HiFi, no home.

Beachcomber posted:

Also have a pair of piano black IBLs - thinking about rarities...

Nice. Never seen them in Piano Black. I do like the walnut (I think it was walnut). Black Ash must have accounted for >90% judging by what you see come up 2nd hand.

I don't know how many were made - I'm pretty sure mine aren't the only ones, though I've never heard of any others.  May have been a special request.

In the old days piano black was a special request.  You could take pretty much any finish (although usually black ash) and then they were sent to a friendly local custom car paint shop for the piano black finish. 

The piano black finish always looked lovely but I was less convinced with the sound - back to back, too my ears the regular veneered speakers (i.e. without the piano black paint job on top) sounded better.

There are some speaker finishes that not even Liberace would have approved of. But, there's no accounting for taste. 

You can't beat a nice wood veneer. Unless it's that really orange cherry, or purple mahogany. 

I don't know about a car paint shop - as far as I can make out it is French polish (I can check this some time but I speak as someone who has done French polishing, though with clear or neutral rather than piano black).  And as for taste - it looks superb; much nicer than black ash (which I must admit I have never liked).  I'm not sure why it would sound particularly different - it is still veneered with wood, then the gesso, then the French polish. I have heard some say that the FP stiffens the wood up a little, but I'd be surprised if it makes much difference. 

My Ovators are Rosewood (veneer, of course) and look and sound very good.

Tony2011 posted:

I gathered most would be either in poor condition hidden in a barn or garage somewhere but there might be a slight chance, although the very slim, that a pair could still being used by a"discerning" listener. 

I note you sensibly put that in " "

Naim are not renowned for their speakers, and these early attempts set the ball rolling.

Don Atkinson posted:

Tony2011 posted:

I gathered most would be either in poor condition hidden in a barn or garage somewhere but there might be a slight chance, although the very slim, that a pair could still being used by a"discerning" listener. 

I note you sensibly put that in " "

Naim are not renowned for their speakers, and these early attempts set the ball rolling.

 

Don, that's why I waited all these years for perfection and the arrival of the Ovators!

DBLs were pretty good - certainly one of the best speakers I have ever heard, on the end of a 6-pack.

Beachcomber posted:

DBLs are pretty good - certainly one of the best speakers I have ever heard, on the end of a 6-pack.

Just corrected it for you Mr Beachcomber!

:-)

When I was buying my S600s, I considered trying to get a decent pair of DBLs, having been blown away by them at Audio Excellence in Bristol (as it was then).  Unfortunately SWMBO wouldn't stand for it.  As it was she objects pretty strongly to the Ovators.

Why can't a woman be more like a man?

Returning to the original post - my brother-in-law bought a pair of speakers from Roy George - basically the 602 but in Roy's own design/build lignocrete cabinet.  Same xover and Goodmans/Mordaunt Short drives, different shape box.  Sounded good.  Weighed a ton!

My mistake - it wasn't Roy George he bought it from, it was Ian Kinney (who left Naim to form a company called Audio Vois, but I'm not sure what happened after that).