Mk 2 would probably be better. Look up the differences. Main thing is the tweeter change to soften the hi treble/fatigue some experienced.
I think that NBL´s are very good, but DBL´s are in another league.
The trouble with NBL is the side mounted bass speakers,making them hard to get right.
I think that Ovator 600 are easier to get right, and I find their timing and speed to be very good, their BMR
covering 380hz to 35000 hz removing mid and high frequency crossover discontinuity.
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I have found Linn Kan to sound better on Linn Kan II stands than on wall brackets.
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Same here. Sold my Sound Org brackets just a couple of months ago as part of a clear out. Brackets still sound good though @Blackstar so dont be put off, and some folks prefer them anyway.
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Oh Sorry, i actually meant DBLs. I guess they would be fantastic
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Yes, sold my mk2 Kans years ago but kept the stands. Thinking that I may try the Kralks on the wall stands (they’re roughly the same dimensions as Kans) purely for aesthetic reasons!
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Roberto,
as you know I am a fan of Naim speakers but the NBLs are a weird design. I heard a pair years ago in Portland, OR, driven by a 202/200 system with accessories, and was left speechless by their forward, excessive upper midrange. In comparison, Allaes are discreet and balanced. I thought it was my ears until I read this review on Stereophile:
which confirmed my impressions.
But yes, DBLs are a different matter. I heard a pair in Salisbury, at Naim, years ago, driven by a Nait 2. But this perhaps speaks more of the Nait than of the DBLs…
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Hi 
…
I’m a little surprised,.who buys a pair of Linn Kan without the original stand.?
Linn Kan does not function optimally without these original stands…
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Can’t remember who I sold them to! It was at least 23-25 years ago. Happy to keep the stands though as they suit a good range of similar sized loudspeaker’s 
The Kralk BC1’s I’ve used them with lately really show this speaker off well.
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I sold mine to a guy in China. He didn’t want the stands - I don’t recall why…maybe he already had some.
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I think the bottom end is slightly lower in reality to the Kans, and from an aesthetic they look soo cute. Sorry if thats a non hi fi think to say but they do.
They are also less fussy with placement.
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Yep, with you.
I never got on with the Kans. Just didn’t do anything for me. My ears.
When I first heard the IBL’s I was blown away with the clarity and superb mid and high end. Really inpressed. At the time I felt they were too bass light though and I didn’t buy any (one of my most stupid decisions in life).
I gave the SBL’s a listen thinking they may well be perfect - IBL’s with bass. They should have been logically, but surprisingly I just didn’t get the same mid/high buzz that I got with the IBL’s. It’s a strange world !
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I have Kans, IBLs, SBLs and NBLs but in different systems and rooms. I get on perfectly with any and all of them and forget any weaknesses. IBLs powered from a 250 are the most enjoyable overall for speed with rock music but NBLs with 135s add bass in spades and are preferable for scale in classical music.
All are keepers and in their own ways are unbeatable. The only challengers are DBLs and the huge Kudos but I have other plans for my budget.
FF
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This is completely wrong…!!
Linn Kan requires an incredibly careful installation if they are to “sing optimally”.
These speakers are not something you “set up in a week” 
.
Why sorry? Aesthetics should rule as much as sonics. Indeed, IBLs are possibly among the cutest speaker systems ever built, and perhaps the best implementation of the ‘small woofer/tweeter’ concept ever… Having had Kan Is, Kan IIs and HP3ESRs and having heard lots of LS3/5As, for my money IBLs all day long too.
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Correct that’s exactly what I was saying.
can you compare the 135s to an XS2? I always wanted a pair of 135s but I couldnt run them off my 72 and I wasnt prepared to spend way more for an 82 or 52.
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Ok so I’ve learned something today. I didn’t know you couldn’t run 135s with 72/Hicap.
I can’t compare with the XS2 as I’ve never owned it but I have had the Nait 5i.
BUT I can confidently say the following- The NAP 135s should deliver a far more convincing sound on every front. If you have a XS2 for reference I don’t even know where to begin but you will love your hifi with the 135s. They are amazing.
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