Olive 102/180

A NAP180 is just fine on a pair of ES14s.  I have run my late pair off of a NAP110 and also a NAP140, and it worked well, and my late 160 was better yet, so I reckon a 180 is also a good match.  I recommend you buy some drinking straws (before they're banned) of different sizes and cut them down to length and use them on the ports.  Fully open the bass can be a bit too much and also a bit wayward, but with the foam bungs things can sound a bit too constricted.  The straws are a nice compromise.  Try different sizes though to see what you prefer. 

Bob & Richard,

I have had a NAP160 in my first life, along with a pair of what's-their-number Magneplanars, and have heard a friend's 180 for some time. Assuming they are father and son, I have always found them the most sober, dry and composed of the Naim amps I've heard (all, bar the Statement?).

So I am a little surprised at reading of the suggestion to tame the ES14s's bass a bit. They really must have a ton of it! I humbly wonder if I closed box design wouldn't be better with a 'lively' preamp and a lean power amp....

I had the Epos ES14's with a UQ2 and then a 150 and with those two amps and in my room they didn't have too much bass at all infact I even added a sub. Richard's tip with the straws is the collective wisdom of many, many owners and is good advice.

The ES14's were designed and tuned I believe for a Nap 250 and when under powered and with less grip the drivers can be a bit loose equalling loose bass notes hence the use of port bungs and even straws to fine tune the bass.

I think you are on the right lines in being wary of back to the wall designs with those chimney breasts. In which case I think you will have better results from speakers that suit a bit of space. As for which......?

C.

Alba1320 posted:

Bob the Builder posted:

I had the Epos ES14's with a UQ2 and then a 150 and with those two amps and in my room they didn't have too much bass at all infact I even added a sub. Richard's tip with the straws is the collective wisdom of many, many owners and is good advice.

The ES14's were designed and tuned I believe for a Nap 250 and when under powered and with less grip the drivers can be a bit loose equalling loose bass notes hence the use of port bungs and even straws to fine tune the bass.

 

IRC, Robin Marshall used a 32.5/Hi-Cap/250.

Also, from an interview with the man himself, in 2008:

"One big problem with the ES14 was that people refused to use it in the way I intended. They always wanted to believe that it was a vented box, which it wasn’t. It could certainly be seriously boomy and ill-controlled when used as one..."

That of course does beg the question why put a vent in!

Once I get the 102/180 next weekend I will connect them up to my Dynaudio Contours it will  be very interesting to hear the difference between them and my 282/300.  

Bob the Builder posted:

Once I get the 102/180 next weekend I will connect them up to my Dynaudio Contours it will  be very interesting to hear the difference between them and my 282/300.  

I ran a pair of Epos Epic 5s with 102/180/napsc & third party psu.  Satisfying bass and to me more natural & open sound than the Keilidhs they replaced.  There was a pair under £300 for auction and a pair elsewhere for £200 last I looked  and absolute bargains at either price.

I have Epos 14's and love em. Started with a 102/180 many years ago and they were great. I now have an 82/250 and they are still great. With my 180 and room at the time, I ran them to best effect bung-less. In my current room they are best a little further from the wall and with those poly-mesh bath scrubbies instead of the foam bungs. I like them toed-in and tilted slightly up on their proper stands. One of these days I may try and change the caps but they still sound great!

Thanks for all replies any other speakers apart from ES14's to go wih my 102/180?

.............erm, maybe the Epic 5 

Bob the Builder posted:

Thanks for all replies any other speakers apart from ES14's to go wih my 102/180?

and the Epic 5'S 

For a similar budget to the ES14s, if you want something a little more sophisticated and cultured, an excellent all-rounder, as competent with classical as with anything else, then you could consider the Spendor SP2/2.  It's a classic, and a slightly updated version is still offered new by Spendor.

For a bit less you could consider the Dean Alto, early Diesis Solitaire or Heybrook HB2, all three great sounding speakers in their day.  

Or, for something a bit more left-field, a KEF R102 with Kube.  The latter is an interesting one and can sound really good, particularly in tricky places thanks to the flexibility afforded by the Kube (a kind of semi-active EQ device). 

Interesting one from Richard regarding the KEF R102/Kube combination I wouldn't mind trying something smallish and fast  with a well integrated sub.  Strangley my better half prefers the look of floor standers to speakers on stands when we went to pick up the Dynaudio Contour s 3.4's I thought she would throw a fit because they are big but she was fine and then when I tried some Royd Edens on Heybrook open frame stands she didn't like them.

Well I'm picking up the 102/180 on Saturday morning so for reference I will drop it straight into my existing set up with the Dynaudios to get a feeling of what it can or can'ty do.

Can't wait I love new toys.

Bob the Builder posted:

Well I'm picking up the 102/180 on Saturday morning so for reference I will drop it straight into my existing set up with the Dynaudios to get a feeling of what it can or can'ty do.

Can't wait I love new toys.

Well I picked up my 102/180 and after paying just £570 for both of these immaculate 2001 very late Olive boxes together the seller also gifted me a CD5 because it doesn't power up anymore!!!  Hopefully an easy fix I have checked the fuse at the back of CD5 next to the mains inlet and it has blown but there is no spare so I must wait until a new one arrives from Tom Tom next week before trying that.

Anyway back to the 102/180's the seller had the original receipts from Audio T and is the only owner using them only very, very sparingly and never loud as a second system at his work address in the grounds of Christ's Hospital School.

I have opened them up and no phono boards but the internals are absolutely immaculate.  I have slotted them straight into my existing system 

LP12 >> TC/Napsc >> 102/180 >> Nac A5 >> Dynaudio Contour S 3.4

and they sound absolutely superb admittedly I have not turned them up yet but the difference between them and my 282/300 is not a million miles I have to say.

Good stuff, looks quite a find. 

C. 

Nice to know

both the 102 and 202 get no love on this forum but I never understood why 

my introduction to Naim was with a 202 in fact 

I think you will find that the 102 does have quite a decent reputation on this and other forums especially with a napsc and seperate psu but like you I don't understand the negativity regarding the 202 I enjoyed mine for well over a year and at £6 -£700 used represents a real bargain and whilst the 282 is obviously better I remember feeling a bit cheated when I traded up from 202 to 282 because after reading this forum I was expecting earth shattering changes when in fact they were quite subtle.

I had a SuperCap on my 202 for a couple of weeks and although it was a bit much it wasn't a million miles away from the 282 in fact my other half preferred it.  I remember before I joined the forum reading about members who had added a SuperCap to the 102 with very good results and obviously though we are not allowed to discuss such things in detail there are alos those on other forums who have pimped the 102 into monster pre amp.

Loved my one-time NAC202/ NAP200, and from what you have written here it's looking good for you with their forerunners.

Yes thanks Christopher I'm listening to Mi Soul internet radio station via the Liv Zen/Chord 2Qute and again only low volume but it is sounding very, very good indeed.

I managed to give the 102/180 a bit of a work out last night and at volume the difference between it and the 282/300 although still not huge was more apparent but the Olive set up still held its own and is really lively, paired with easier speakers I'm hoping for good things.

When I got my 72 paired with a TT, I immediately understood what 'flat earth' was about. Olive is much more like that and it gives a different - good perspective on music. I like the synergy between Olive and Vinyl. A little less details, but who cares if the music is conveyed properly?

Bob, I seem to remember from previous posts that you don't trust dealers and consider them guys trying to rip-off people by exuberant margins - I could be wrong here - sorry if so. But wouldnt it be an idea to hire a dealer / expert by the hour to setup or review things? I feel that if the difference is relative small between the (unserviced) 102/180 and 282 / 300 that a second opinion might be worthwile.

My unserviced 82 was leagues ahead of a serviced 102 with 30 minutes of it being on.  And that was with a 140.

No not my very first experience of Olive I have had a 250 and a Nat 01 before but it is my first pre/power Olive.

ARDBEG10Y I can't remember specifically calling dealers rip off merchants so you would have to remind me of the exact contexts. 

I think you are misunderstanding me I am not in any way saying that the 102/180 is better than my 282/300 I am just very, very surprised that something that cost me ten times less (albeit used) than my 282/300 can sound this good. I am listening to Sade's Love Deluxe at the moment and the sound coming out of this Olive 102/180 is truly exceptional  I could happily live with this amp, It is driving these big Dynaudios without breaking into a sweat and yes perhaps I do prefer the Olive sound over the Black Boxes.

Bob the Builder posted:

ARDBEG10Y I can't remember specifically calling dealers rip off merchants so you would have to remind me of the exact contexts. 

 

Bob, noted and as written - it was an impression which I've adjusted now.