Thats what i said
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It would be a good idea to check they havent been messed up by a previous owner. As long as the screws arent obviously loose they should be ok, for example the allen headed screws that locate the spring to the frame of the base allow the spring to float/decouple no matter how tight they are.
Presumably the crossovers are in good order, unless being used active.
As an aside, some users used to recommend not screwing the crossover to the cabinet but to let it hang freely with a piece of foam between crossover and cab. Never tried it myself as I use them active, I removed the crossovers and leave the mounting screws and grommets in place to make a seal
Thanks again for the many suggestions which I will work through later today. Not sure how I would check crossover functionality, save for swapping with my IBL c/overs.
I’ll report back soon…
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One other thing worth mentioning
Are the phase plugs ( the cylindrical bit that protrudes from the centre/voice coil of the driver) secure and not sagging.
Some years ago I noticed one of my phase plugs was sagging downward, the adhesive ring was coming loose, Naim kindly sent me a replacement kit (easy to do)
Fair enough Dread.
Well, have I had a journey of discovery evaluating your valuable insights into Allae set-up.
Driver checked for ‘wavy washers’ - Eight present
Driver sealant checked - Peripherally continuous
Driver bolts diagonally torqued - 3.6 Nm
Tweeter suspension plate checked for grommets - Eight present
Tweeter suspension plate diagonally torqued - 0.8 Nm
PIPs checked - 6 present
Plinth bolts torqued - 3.6 Nm
Plinth Posidrive screws torqued - 0.8 Nm
Rattle check of plinth leaf-springs - Yes
Spikes adjusted to create vertical cabinet - Yes
Suspension operation observation - 2 to 3 oscillations
Distance set to back wall - 19.5 cm
Separation - 2.1 m
Polish cabinets (to please the HiFi gods)
Remove crossovers and hang free - Not evaluated (yet)
Assess - no better!!!
So in desperation, I disconnected my Unitiqute 2 from its role as Spotify source in order to feed the Allaes directly (I vaguely recalled a Forum thread that posited Unitiqute and Allae combination is a match made in heaven).
The result is outstanding, suggesting the speakers are working as designed. I am delighted by the sound across all genres of music - clear, open, controlled, no boominess, etc. It is very close to my previous set-up (52, S/cap, 135s, IBLs).
My question is: why does a £500 integrated amp make the Allaes sound better than several £000 of separates???
Confused…
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I am glad that you have got the Allaes working.
They sound just right in my 52/sc/250 olive setup, so in theory should be fine with your separates.
Sorry, I have no immediate suggestions as to what to try next.
Interesting result. When I had Allaes they were great with a Nait 2. Then again they were also great with a 72/hc/250.
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This would indicate to me, that there might be a faulty component within your separates. One other thing to check is the speaker input sockets on the crossovers. As sometimes the solder joints around the sockets can fracture and come loose from excess movement (over time) from the stiff NAC A5 cables connected to them, yielding quite mixed results from the performance if not ‘fully’ bonded…
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Hm, getting harder now. Have you tried moving the balance to just one speaker, and then the other to confirm that the issue is with both channels? Have you also tried different inputs on your 52 - perhaps ones that haven’t been used before.
Also with power off, have you reseated all the cables (Speakers/separates/power) a couple of times each to help clean the connecting terminals.
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My Allae’s have now gone to a new home but over the years I’ve owned two pairs probably spanning >15 years.
Beautiful speakers, sound excellent once setup correctly.
Some of the amps I’ve used with Allaes:-
UQ, Nait2 CB, 110, 140, 250CB, 250 Olive, 250DR, 300
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Given your success with your Unitiqute 2, I would want to try a NAP110 or NAP140 in place of your NAP135s.
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Was the UQ2 connected to the 52 previously? And if so, how?
They are a pretty unfussy speaker ime and easy to drive.
I have been using Allaes since they were current (about 20 years) I use them active with lowly Ixo and 2× Nap 90’s. The combo is most definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
It never ceases to amaze me how much this combo can still reveal as my front end LP12 has continued to evolve.
Prior to the Allaes I had Intros which iirc use the same spec drive units. The magic of the Allaes comes from its pretty unique (I believe) cabinet, suspension, design and implementation.
Anyway glad you got them sorted and now enjoying the results
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One little tweak I’ve done with mine…
I used to live in a flat with concrete floors, all good.
Later I moved to my old cottage with suspended wood floors, they sounded fine but after a while the sound would go “off”. I found the spikes were sinking too far into the wood over time and had to keep re adjusting. I tried various remedy’s, different types of spike shoe (although I havent tried Naim Chips), screws, coins etc.
One day when clearing some overgrowth in the garden I found a couple of slate tiles a perfect size for the bases of the Allaes. Initially I just placed them on the floor and set the Allae spikes on top. Pretty good. Then I thought about decoupling or at least reducing the contact area between the slates and floor, I tried small balls of Blu Tak under the corners of the slate, even better. Now I have 3 conical spike shoes (Quadraspire) arranged in a triangle pointy end up with the slate placed on top.
The sound now is amazingly transparent, dynamic and powerful with the right recording. The best they’ve sounded, better than when I had the concrete floor.
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Thank you for the NAP140 suggestion - ironically, this was my first Naim amp in 1992!
The UQ2 ‘pre-amp out’ directly (phono/din) into ‘aux’ input on 52.
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Dread, Thank you for sharing your experiences of Allaes, particularly various support platforms’ performance. All I need is the cottage with suspended floors and I’ll be in audio bliss!
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I think that means the signal would have gone through 2 pre-amp stages, so by all accounts it could well sound better straight from the UQ.
But it sounds like the Allaes have just replaced a pair of IBLs, and they sounded fine with whatever setup you had before, so I think it might be a red herring regarding the connection between UQ and 52.
Does the issue present itself with the CDi and NAT02 as well?
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