Hi. Have emailed naim / Richard. Could do morning of Friday 28 June into early afternoon or probably any time on Monday 1 July. Friday evening not possible.
Tim
By the way, should have said that it is perfectly possible to go active with a pair of 200s. John Curtis has done this and loves it (I haven’t heard his system but he is effusive about the results)
Thanks Tim.
I do wonder what a single 500 would sound like compared to active 300s though…
I heard both at Audio show east through i think Kudos 707. I preferred the passive 500 to active 300;s, it just seemed to have a sense of poise…just sounded so right to me. Some others preferred the active system, all a matter of taste.
I feel sure Geoff would be able to answer that one! 
…or Active 500s 
Re: Passive 500 and Active 300s
Sometime ago I ran active SBLs with 2 x NAP250 with a SNAXO/Hicap. I was eventually, after getting it set up with cables and interconnects well dressed etc. very happy with this but when the NAP500 came out I could not help but give it a dem.
At the time I compared the passive 500 against 2 x active 300s. After extended home loans I preferred the passive 500 which is the route I went.
Active SBLs were great but for me there was something about a passive 500 that appealed.
Richard
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I’m sure. Not feeling any itch at the moment - just curiosity but, in any event having splurged this year (and last year), am not interested in anything else for the time being. Did listen to 802d3s this morning in Chester with a friend. Very, very nice indeed. The first B&Ws I could be interested in!
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A big thank you to TimOopNorth and Dunc for allowing me to listen to there active systems yesterday. Tim’s active (black box) 300’s DR into SL2’s and Dunc’s active (Olive) 3x 250’s into Ovator 600’s.
A nicer pair of blokes you’d be hard pressed to find.
Both systems were outstanding and different in there own unique ways and I will definitely be looking into going active as soon as funds permit and the necessary equipment becomes available.
Again a big thanks to Tim and Duncan and also Richard (mod) for being the mediator and middleman.
Very much appreciated.
I also visited the North West Audio show over the weekend and visited a friend in North Wales (not sure if he’s a member of the forum) who has just taken receipt of a new pair of ATC SCM 40’s powered by a 250 and wanted me to pop over to have a listen to them.
So all in all a very adventurous hifi weekend.
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Hi Y,
Let me try and tempt you into some flowery prose:
What was it you heard that has decided you?
Can you compare and contrast the two active systems you heard, were there traits in common?
What did you hear with these systems that you don’t with yours?
Have you heard the SL2 & 600s passively?
Is your thought to still go active with the SBLs, or also change in speaker?
Thx
You’re very welcome 
it was my pleasure to host you! Glad you enjoyed the sounds and good luck with the move to active
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Hi MrUnderhill
I purposely withheld my detailed opinion on the matter as I hadn’t listened to the systems passively and actively.
I’m not going to compare systems but my impression was that they were more controlled, more authoritative, more powerful, more detailed.
There was more music, but as I say without actually comparing them passively and actively I can’t really give any opinion that I could stand by.
I can imagine that the Ovator 600’s particularly benefit from the extra power to drive them unless you had a 500 or two.
Obviously it’s very difficult to tell when I’m not comparing a system using the same speakers and amplification etc but I felt it was worth trying it out for myself with a view to making my own mind up with my own system.
If I try it and I don’t like it then I can always go back to passive and get my money back.
With regards to the SBL’s I’ll be keeping them in my system for the foreseeable future as I’m very happy with them, in fact I stopped off in Birmingham yesterday to pick up another pair of walnut (veneered on four sides) very late serial numbers and in A1 condition that I bought a couple of weeks ago just to keep as spares if my own ever develop any problems.
I could never afford the Ovator 600’s but I would like to compare the SL2’s and the SBL’s side by side.
What I did learn from listening to the three home systems was that the systems were tailored to there owners own personal listening and music tastes and that all three owners were very happy with them which is all that matters in the end.
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Yes.
Thanks for the expansion.
Are you thinking SNAXO or IXO? Which amps?
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Yorkshireman,
I did the SBL/SL2 dem fully expecting to buy the SL2s. I didn’t. Now, I am in a minority but for me the SBL was a little more engaging and lively, they always maintain my interest in the music. The SL2s were good, perhaps a touch smoother and definitely more capable in Hi Fi terms. They have very different set up procedures too but that was not a big issue.
I remember listening to active SBLs years ago in a CDS, 52, 2x250 system. It was rather good.
Interestingly, I too have a spare set. Anyway, sounds like an exciting journey you are on. Enjoy.
Stu
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Snaxo 2-4 with 4x135’s or snaxo 242 with 2x135’s and 1x 180, 250 or 300. I’m not really sure at the moment what the prices are of a 180, 250 or 300 but then there’s more racking, hicap/supercap, speaker cable etc etc etc.
I plan to look into it thoroughly before I do anything but I can say it won’t be happening in the near future but it gives me something to aim for.
For me this was a great way to bring forum members together to help the OP find his system.
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Should be an interesting journey. Look forward to reading all about it.
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Yes. This why I love bake offs, some listening to a well set up system is worth more than pages of prose.
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Was glad to help out and its nice to meet other fellow members, plus its always nice to here other people’s views on your own system.
I get the feeling that active will be the way he is going and having run active sbl’s, i just know martin will love his system even more, as we all know sbl’s love being run active and come alive.
So 4 x 135’s or 135’s and a 250 on the bass, thats the next question to answer.
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