I suspect most of us with this “hobby” have similar issues with what I think of as “domestic harmony”?
In my case it’s slightly exasperated by the fact we live in an open plan bungalow with bedrooms directly off the living room. Mrs L finds it difficult to get away from what she describes as “the noise”!
We are currently in an ongoing discussion about building an extension which would either be a acoustically separate bedroom/sitting room or my man cave/hifi room. But that’s a whole other thread!!!
21st century problems & trivial considering the world at large but it keeps me sane (ish)
All the best
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Hi Richard Yes I had all power supplies in the kitchen cables running through the wall to the source components. Julian had all amps and power supplies in a small cupboard and fed cables through to his music room.
Honestly I think it all sounded better on
fraim but at that time it did the trick and certainly in terms of hiding cables in worked a treat:)
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You’re well aware, that this will give you so much peace… and a lovely noise emanating all the same!
My Fraim is in another room well sort of behind a dividing wall see below.
Cables route though a large hole behind the cabinet next to the right SL2, keeps things neat and Vicki happy.
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Hi Lerxxst,
Unfortunately my advice is going to sound rather blunt but there are several things that I notice immediately that will have a detrimental affect on sound quality.
Firstly your speakers, especially the woofers are playing into an acoustic impedance that is basically a very poorly shaped horn. With the wall on one side and the cabinet on the other, the speaker’s polar response will be completely altered and instead of being almost omnidirectional and making use of the back wall, they will produce a very narrow, very concentrated beam, so the speakers will sound very unbalanced tonally.
Then there’s the cabinet itself. Naim, but indeed any high resolution electronics are extremely sensitive to their support structure, which needs to deal with both external and internally generated vibration. I’m afraid that all you’ll get with that Ikea rack is uncontrolled resonance, which you’ll hear as colouration and distortion.
Coiling cables is an absolute no-no. The coiled cable will produce magnetic fields which will affect not only the signal within the cable but also signals in adjacent cables.
Power cables are mixed with signal cables….they need to be separated or cross each other at right-angles
There also seems to be little separation between high current amps and power supplies and low current devices carrying very sensitive unamplified signal. Naim does not perform well when low power devices are placed in the EMI soup surrounding high current transformers and the like
An active Naim system has the ability to produce very beautiful and engaging music but it needs to be optimally set up to do so. Your problem I believe is that your system is top class but I’m afraid your set-up simply isn’t and you’re hearing the impact.
You have the classic dilemma of having one of the finest systems around while lacking or limiting the means to house it properly
If that was my system I’d do the following:
Service the SBLs and any electronics older that 12 years
Get rid of the SNAXO, its power supply and all 4 of the 135s
Buy a 250
Get rid of the Ikea rack and replace it with either a single Fraim or something similar with open sides
Set up the much simplified system with good cable rooting ie separate power and signal cables and no coils and with nothing preventing the SBLs from using the back walls
My bet is that the simplified system will perform exactly like a Naim should and provide oodles of pleasure and intense musical involvement
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Superb.
The sensitivity of an active system is amongst the reasons I chose to NOT activate my SBLs. Look forward to how things progress as you get the kit serviced.
M
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Much of Blackmorec’s feedback is truth to be heeded.
I would leave the pair of 135s at the minimum with your 52 if in passive SBL mode, over a 250 anytime.
Cheers
Lerxxt. These things spring to mind:
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How long since the 135s were serviced? If over 8 years or so, the regulators have probably started oscillating. I’ve had this in my active system. One of my three 250s went south, and while it sounded OK, it was also flat.
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If it hasn’t been serviced, then perhaps get SNAXO done too. They are bit ‘borderline’ at the best of times and can also start oscillating.
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For whatever reason the SNAXO takes a while to come on song…or for you to get used to the sound.
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Make sure that you are using Naim’s standard cable between the SNAXO and 135s. Again its all a bit close to oscillation and the standard cable works well so if it ain’t broke.
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Don’t lose too much sleep about vibration isolation and all that. Frankly, having big ole’ lumps of hifi in the room will make more difference to the sound than induced electronic distortion.
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If it makes you feel better, here’s a picture of JV’s hifi. Notice the attention to detail on isolation!
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Seeing that picture of JV’s system makes me think that we’re all going way over the top with set-up details! After all, if the man himself didn’t appear too concerned…
Of course it has to be remembered that this picture was taken many years ago, and back then the question of isolation was mainly confined to putting your turntable on a light rigid table. In the years since a whole industry has grown up around isolation products.
It does make one wonder though - if it all sounded OK in those days then perhaps we’ve all become a little too obsessive? Or is it just progress?
Progress for us all, Pete.
JV was passionate about great audio manufacture to his ears as a luminary; his team over decades have refined his initial ideals and ideas and morphed Naim to where it is today. What’s past in terms of “plug and play” set-up then doesn’t at all mean it is applicable to today, when things have advanced much with knowledge and experience through the decades. Roy George’s work on addressing microphony over this amount of time has literally changed how Naim equipment and the Fraim would be designed and it’s trickled down to the entire design team today. Gary Crocker’s work with Steve Sells on the Statement very clearly demonstrates this direction and the sound from their continued efforts is for all of us aficionados and customers to judge. Microphony is a serious challenge for all audio equipment.
There would be no anti-vibration isolation products in the industry - I believe still growing right now - without demand driven by clear audible improvements when microphony is addressed.
If we heeded only the past, we will never be where we are today. Everything in our set-up either adds to or detracts from the sound. We need to be obsessed to whatever the degree agreeable to each of us - and this will differ greatly - to optimise our systems for music - or stick with a blue-tooth speaker. No right or wrong, just choices and preferences as long as it makes us happy.
We wouldn’t be here discussing a full active set-up’s “ailments” if we followed JV’s set up from the lovely photograph… As Naim’s founder, he would have had way much more on his plate at that time, than to optimally set-up his system at home carefully the way we have and are as customers. Different priorities entirely.
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Thank you MartinM for the lovely photograph of JV. The Japanese are as crazy and enthused with hi fi as the rest of us are.
Just because JV didn’t do it doesn’t in any way mean his system wouldn’t have benefitted from it.
I imagine his system did indeed sound OK, as in average. In those days Naim generally sounded better than its competitors and for JV that was probably enough. But I’ve been to many shows where Naim was demonstrating where the sound had me grinding my teeth.
In Germany I had a really great Linn & Naim dealer who would periodically visit my house for a reset. On one visit he rebuilt the Linn , which sounded very good, then asked if I’d like to try something that he’d first install without my presence.
Half an hour later he invited me back into the room for a listen and the system was literally transformed….far more detail, extended bass and considerably sweeter and more natural. I remember telling him that whatever it was, I’d have one, at which point he laughed.
What had he done?
Shimmed all the components with slips of paper to make sure there was equal pressure on all 4 feet.
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Thanks and well said. Puts in all back into perspective.
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Yes indeed.I’m sure most of us have experienced this kind of thing. In a way we wish it didn’t make a difference and it could all be simple and ‘plug and play’. But as audiophiles we are a cursed breed - we recognise that it does make a difference!
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Holy sonic macromony… I want such a dealer please!
LOL… I’ll be damned… still am… will always be. Cheers
For a really simple and fantastic active ‘system’ … ATC Active speakers take a lot of beating. No need for numerous boxes and cables everywhere. You can still keep your Naim sources and preamps and save a fortune by selling those numerous ‘boxes’ and cables.
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A quick update on the Active SBLs.
Not had much chance to listen properly for a while - too busy riding the Ducati in the sun 
I’ve got hold of the servicing documents for the 135s & they were done by Naim in 2018 so that’s two less to be done.
I’ve decided to service the SNAXO & Supercap with Darran at the end of April - whilst I’m away so less time lost!
After much cable messing it is all sounding much better. Definitely getting back to boogie.
The Fraim/SimRak discussion has been had. It was brief. Very brief. Basically NO.
So I’m stuck with the IKEA, unless I build an extension 
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Happy to hear, great on you, Lerxxst.
Active set-ups require a fastidiousness to detail, nearly to the point of being OCD anal, but it will pay off handsomely.
I wish you an excellent set-up and some seriously astounding SQ the way your active SBL set-up should be.
Cheers
Thanks @PhilP I’ll look at the cables again when the SC & SNAXO come back from service.
As far as the advice for appeasing the wife - sorry I’ll ignore that.
Since we met in 1981 she has NEVER been interested in any of that stuff. Allergic to flowers, doesn’t wear jewellery, buys all her clothes from charity shops. She’s not the Queen in our house - that’s the Cat. She is though my Princess. Although I’m certainly not a King (personally can’t stand royalty), but I do like to think I’m a gentleman - and gentlemen always ask permission.
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