500 v 2x300 active?

Ha Ha - if I decide to give my nbl’s another go, perhaps I should make you an offer on the sub!!

Peter

I was about to ask if you used it just for movies, as I didn’t think the 808s likely to be lacking there :grin:

First spin of the lp12 now going on (jazz at the pawn shop) and sounding pretty good mmmmm nice :grin:

Walnut

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That looks rather nice.

Thank you :blush: looking much more like it

The NBL’s are certainly very capable at delivering lots of bass but, they are position and room dependent. In their current location and position (the 4th room I’ve had them in), I have never heard my NBL’s sound better.

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Question from teenager “how long do I have to put up with this music?” Answer “until you go to university” :grimacing:

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You are right the 808 deliver sufficient bass by playing movies, but I have my Naim AV2 connected to the sub, when playing 5.1 movie content. It‘s more for the sound effects of the movies :blush:. When I watch music DVDs or Blue Rays the sub is muted

Tim, i shouldn’t worry what others like, as in peter swan etc, its all about what you like, and now you have started the process, i am sure you will find out.
One bit i did read is that you mentioned going to 3 racks and getting rid off the fraim, well i feel that would be a down grade, what with all your naim gear, i have certainly tried it.
Its still very early days yet and very easy to get carried away, as once again i know all about that, but keep true to yourself and you can’t go far wrong

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Wee thread drift here, Tim … when my twin daughters were heading off to Uni, I bought each of them an iPod and pre-loaded them with some of my music, just to get them going.

A few weeks later, Sarah tells me that one of her new flatmates had complimented her on the great taste she had in music.

In the first place, I was amazed that she had conveyed this to me, and, moreover, was rather chuffed that that I had impressed a 17 year old, no easy feat. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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There is another point regarding Active v Passive. When Active was considered the Naim ‘holy grail’ the 300 and 500 were in the future so the top Naim Amp was the 250 or 2x135. Against that background going active on SBLs with 2x250 and NBLs and DBLs with 3x250 or 6x135 was the only way forward and a significant upgrade.

I think the debate now is a reflection of how times have changed.

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They are both wed to Spotify via their phones and not at all interested in anything other than their own sounds. I have tried but they went their own way in their mid teens - before that we did have music on in the car (mostly dermot o’Leary’s Saturday radio 2 set CDs) that we all enjoyed

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Yep - just trying to keep an open mind and not back myself into a corner. Part of me wants to stick with active, but another part wants the least number of cables possible!

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The debate has changed, but Naim refused to take part in it for a couple of years, while people like Peter Swain and Geoff Coleman pushed them to reconsider. So maybe it’s coming back a bit now - with Kudos, linn, ATC and others developing it in recent years

There is always a way to spend more money, but as i mentioned before, is it better to spend more money on amps, snaxo, supercap, cables, shelves, etc, or invest that money into a better pair off speakers, and or single amp? As its far harder to try and inpove something to a new higher level, than it is to just buy the next level up.
Especially nowadays as things have gotten much better and the once huge difference is now more like the difference a different speaker cable might bring.
Maybe manufacturers are once again looking at active, but is it for financial reasons more than gains? Only the buyer can decide.

But it is good fun to try and see

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Music update - allowed the teenager to choose. On the plus side, the church organ sounds great :blush: but on the down side it’s not even November yet so why does she want Christmas carols on :man_facepalming:

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I must admit, i also tried to stick with active, as a long term owner off sbl’s, in both passive and active.
Then room move, sbl’s no longer worked, SL2’s tried, no good, ovator s600 active, far to big for room.
So in the end went back to passive with the 500dr and fact 12’s, and must say i haven’t missed it, certainly like the far more simple set up, cables etc, that this brings.

Not saying i would never go active again, but it would mean a much different set up to what i have now, and the gains would have to be large, and at this level, them gains aren’t really easily achievable.

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Well, Dunc, what I am currently listening to is precisely a jump from two power amps and two supporting boxes with SL2s to a single amp on a superior pair of speakers. Even at trade in prices the value of the potentially spare 300, snaxo, supercap, four shelves and a run of naca5 gets surprisingly close* to the cost of the 808s

*my definition of “close” may be rather different from others’ :crazy_face:

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Having read this passive vs active debate leads me to believe, subject to a home demo, that Kudos Titans are the speaker to go for as they are the only non-Naim speakers to allow passive or active within Naim amplification. So at least you have the choice.

Tim, this obviously allows you the ability to start passive and later go active if you wish. I heard the 808s passive with a 500 and later active with Statement pre and 3 x 500s at a Kudos Active day at Signals. I also heard the 707s passive and active with 300s (IIRC). To me the active configuration was superior, but if I had only heard the passive options I would still have been mightily impressed.

I also heard 707s passive with 500 and active with 2 x 300s (all DRs of course) at the Audio Show East a few years ago. Here the difference was smaller and opinion was split over which was best (certainly between @Gazza and I who was sitting next to me). But whenever I have heard the Titans passive, I have been very impressed. So to start passive is not a huge disadvantage, I would say, and if you remain happy with passive, why go to the expense and hassle of going active. Of course only your ears can answer this.

The bigger questions for you is, are the 808s too big/unacceptable domestically and can a single passive 300 drive them sufficiently to allow them to show what they are capable of, until the need and funds are in place to allow 3 x 250 active (as I assume there would not be space/funds for 3 x 300 or 3x 500 active).

If the 808s are too big/unacceptable and/or the single 300 is not enough to properly drive the 808s, then do you consider 707s? You could of course go straight to active with the 707s and put your pair of 300s (IIUC) great use.

I realise you need to assess the demo 808s first with a single 300, but nice to explore options going forward if the 808s/single 300 don’t pan out.

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Well thats a great summary Nigel…as you say if you like them passive, you have many options going forward.