NBL

I remember it being said that a NAP250 wasn't really man enough for NBLs. I use 2x NAP135, which is OK, but a NAP500 would offer greater control. I suspect that a SuperNait might be marginal, but all that said, when my NAP135s went for service last year, I used a Nait Mk1 just to fill in and that's less than 15W/channel. It was fine for low volume listening. 

I went from 250 to 500 but the 250 was fine with them, the 500 is much better but only after I'd reordered the stacks as the 500ps has a rather magnetic personality shall we say. 

A SN might be pushing it but the impedence curve of the NBLs is nice and even if a little close to 4 Ohms. If it runs into trouble it's more likely to be quality rather than quantity.

Be prepared for more boxes if you go this route resistance would be futile.

Oh and they like to be hard against a solid wall.5.5cm was better than 5 or 6+ in my room, I could hear the emotion enter and leave Roy Harper's voice on January Man when I adjusted the position (without spikes until the location is found, then put the transit bolts back while fitting the spikes).

Steve,

the SN is not getting the best out of yor SBLs, let alone NBLs. It will work, but I am sure it will not be an improvement on what you have. Sorry to sound negative, perhaps you can take your amp and have a listen to them?

Stu

What the Yeti said about the 240 and the 500.

Thanks guys, just what I thought to be honest and it's probably saved me making an expensive mistake! 

They do look so beautiful though.....

I always wanted some NBLs, but they are just too big. Only about 250 pairs were made, and suddenly two become available. For £1,700 or so they are an amazing bargain. I certainly wouldn't use them with a Supernait though. 

I found 1 x 250 not really able to power them. I don't think a Super Nait will really be up to the job.

I tried a 300 which was great but, in the end, I went active with 3 x 250's which really sing!

Nap 250 sounds good but not ideal, Nap 300 probably better suited, I am very happy with 3 Nap 250s active however, it is a  major improvement  with my NBLs.

Depends on the room, NBLs wil be fine with a SuperNait2. NBLs have greater clarity and freedom than SBLs (which are brilliant). NBL's have a slightly softer sound which may suit in a small room. 

I went from SBL nap250 to NBL nap 250 some years ago and It was a huge step in performance. Later on I went active 3*250, Huge step forward...

I think you will be happy noticing what NBL can do even with a SN. The NBL is a very good looking speaker as well and maybe in the future you will upgrade with some more black boxes and then they will really show they can do!

NBL's are ruthless.  

I owned NBLs, ran them active with 6x135's and a passive 500.  They require the very best source and amplification (500 series).  Anything less and you will not pleased with the sound.  

I have heard the NBLs just once, at Stereotypes in Portland, OR, at the end of a very competent and well assembled '200' series setup. Now I know that many consider this unfit to the task, but before C. Esq. starts embarking on a trip that will cost him money and much patience for a proper assemblage, I quote here two extracts from a 2000 review of the NBLs on Stereophile, which confirms in full the very odd impression I had of those otherwise important-looking designs:

John Atkinson will discuss the measurements in much more detail in his Sidebar, but my simple farfield, in-room averaging technique revealed some obvious traits that were directly reflected in the perceived sound balance. In my room (14' by 18' by 8.5', solid brick walls, suspended floor and ceiling), the NBL's bass (ie, below 500Hz) was unusually smooth, even, and well-extended, with an average sensitivity of around 89dB/W/m. But it was also a little on the light side, which might be more obvious in larger, more absorbent spaces. The most obvious acoustic characteristic was that the 600Hz-1.2kHz octave was 3-4dB stronger than the lower frequencies and was therefore bound to sound exposed. The presence band (1.5-4kHz) was depressed by a couple of dB, while the treble proper peaked a little at around 5kHz. The net result was an overall in-room balance that held within fine ±5dB limits across the band, but that was lean in the bass, and decidedly forward and rather uneven in the mid and treble.

And:

However, it wasn't all superlatives. There was no avoiding the NBL's somewhat cold and clinical overall character, which was certainly a function of its bright, forward balance. Indeed, during the opening bars of Talvin Singh's Traveller, I wondered whether the bass drivers had been inadvertently disconnected. And then the bass came in, with considerable power, crispness, and gravitas, and none of the thickening and blurring of conventional speakers. This freedom from boom, resonance, and box coloration gives an exceptionally clean, agile, and articulate performance throughout the bass register, with very subtle texture and tonality, even if it does sound just a little undernourished.

and

In terms of strict tonal neutrality, the NBL undoubtedly deserved criticism. A direct consequence of its leanness and forwardness was a lack of warmth, most obviously noticeable on orchestral recordings; cellos sounded rather short of body and richness. The upper-mid emphasis tended to exaggerate fine detail, but could add a touch of "shout," and distort the stereo perspectives by bringing forward some instruments and voices. High-level replay was a trifle wearing with some material—overcompressed modern pop/rock material, for example.

This is exactly what I heard. Be aware, before you spend money.

Best

M

I have nibbles and must confess the previous post rings true in respect of bass.  I suspect room acoustics play quite a role with how they sound and my square living room is perhaps not optimal for them.  I ran them for a few years with a 300 with much pleasure.  I countered the slightly forward sound characteristics with chord signature cable instead of the naca5 which to my mind presented too many moments of harshness.  Probably as much to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of the lps or cds, but in the real world, these are constraints we have to work with otherwise we'll be listening to a few select perfectly produced albums!!  When I upgraded interconnects to hi-lines there was a major improvement in subtle details - they are a tremendously revealing speaker.  I'm now running them with a 500 and I must note that this has made the bass come more to the party, with an overall fuller sound.  I suspect they are a bit of a pig to drive successfully - I think they were originally designed to be actively driven; and, unless room acoustics play a major part in demands on power amps, I seriously doubt you'd be able to do justice to your system with anything less than a 300.  They're quirky, but I've had mine for several years and, tempting as more contemporary speakers may be to try out, I suspect I'll be hanging on to mine for some time yet - there's something just great about them that I love.

Peter

'Speakers are a b**** there's no escaping it!'  I'm still searching for my speakers,  after I blew a driver in my Guru's I bought a pair 'cheap' Dynaudios X32's to fill the gap and they have done a job but they swing from sounding truly excellent to not so truly excellent.  There is nothing quite like the sound of an underachieving speaker to piss you off or the fact that you just dont play certain LP's, so I would offer cautious advice to the OP if you are happy with those SBL's and they don't piss you off sometimes be wary of swapping them.  Does the speaker that sounds good powered by a 200 or a 500 sounds good at low and loud levels and has deep extended bass and crisp, sparkly highs and lovely warm mids all of the time with both analogue and digital recordings really exist or is it the Holy Grail of HiFi.  

Given the criteria you cite, Bob, I think a pairof SBLs might do you, for the dubbiest of dub sounds.

Chris

Well, the pair on the fishy place are sold, so let's see if it was the OP wot dunnit. 

When I was running mine with the 282/hi/250 positioning to <5mm had a great effect on their comunication abilities and cable dressing had to be spot on or you'd hear something wasn't right. With the 500DR I can get away with a hiline touching a burndy. My room has a bay window facing a chimeny breast but averages out at a touch over 4m a side, It's hard to find a speaker that will go as low in this room without causing problems in the bass I'd find it hard to overlook but the NBLs manage it. 

Hungryhalibut posted:

Well, the pair on the fishy place are sold, so let's see if it was the OP wot dunnit. 

Wasn't me Guv, honest.

After mostly words of caution here I decided against buying them. Plus I'm enjoying my SBL's so much I'd hate to buy a 'better' speaker only to miss what I have. 

northpole posted:

 ...I suspect I'll be hanging on to mine for some time yet - there's something just great about them that I love.

Peter

Me too. They seem to work well for me with just a pair of NAP135s.

carruthers esq. posted:

I'm enjoying my SBL's so much I'd hate to buy a 'better' speaker only to miss what I have. 

Wise boy.

M