My active Afromosia Teak Kans,changed to Fraim Chips under them later on with very good effect.
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Oh how I miss the 80s. Love the photos. Thank you for sharing
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Gorgeous
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You shouldn’t need courage. Those were the golden days. Seeing photos with wallpaper and vintage hifi on those old camera lens warms my heart.
I absolutely loved the 80s. The music, the movies, the vibes… people. lol everything is different now and I don’t like it at all. Obviously hifi got better so there’s that 
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I had the same experience as you with similar amplification (in my case, 72/HICAP/250).
Only when I changed the 72/HICAP for a 52 (with 52 PS) did they cease to be strident and fatiguing.
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I have hope then because if my tube pre is anything it’s very smooth at the top end.
Go for early Kan 1 with Scanspeak tweeter, the same tweeter as in IBL.
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I’ve found a few Kans in not the best of condition but the IBL eludes me.
There is one overseas but I am nervous about international shipping
Had a pair of IBL mk II in walnut ,very nice they were.
Not mine in the picture .
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I always get surprised how small IBLs are. On their own you get the feeling they are bigger 
17Hz ±3dB 
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I’ve had both IBLs and Kan IIs on Kan stands (apparently having the right stand matters but I never had them any other way).
I preferred the Kans - loads of fun energy so, I’d say if you like olive era Naim, they make the better bet. The IBLs were not bad, but side by side, that’s my choice. Also most IBLs are black and my Kans were afromosia so showed less dust. Neither had any bass to speak of but that was good for the neighbours. Both were controlled enough that the weak bass didn’t seem to matter.
I now have Neats however but don’t want to cloud the original question!
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I upgraded my 32.5 to a 72. I still think the 72 is one of the best products Naim ever made, so much so that I bought my dealer’s loaner even though I have no immediate use for it. Notwithstanding that, it didn’t fundamentally change my perception of the Kans.
It’s interesting that you found that it took a preamp upgrade to tame them. My suspicion has always been that it would take a better power amp to really grab them by the scruff and make them behave. Back in the day I occasionally wondered about chopping my 250 in for a pair of 135s.
I often read accounts of how great the Kans sound with a Nait, but I have a hard time imagining that.
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I love the rosewood veneers of this generation of speakers.
Please do comment on Neats compared to your memory of the Kans. It always interests me how modern designs compare to older ones.