What are the opinions here in the forum on Naim Ariva speakers. Would they be an upgrade to my B&W684 in an office, approx. 16m2 size?
1 Like
Absolutely an upgrade over B&W .
The Arivas are fast and fun,sounds very good on low volume.
2 Likes
And about anything is an upgrade over B&Ws…
3 Likes
That is for sure very true !
You’re exaggerating a bit now
1 Like
They are an upgrade if you like them more than your B&Ws. Only an audition will decide that.
2 Likes
Fist time I see them in white, usually black or cherry. Interesting speakers.
2 Likes
I had a pair in Maple which was popular in those times…
1 Like
Ah yes of course, maple was the new thing! Still also the only Fraim options (ash, maple, cherry) yet this satin-white looks better and contemporary, as would oak and walnut in my opinion.
I remember quite liking them (20 years ago?) as I did the nSats, but couldn’t get either to work well in my room and system at the time. One with not enough bass and one with too much of it, but with an incredible speed and presentation.
I like to think that nowadays we have available what Arivas needed at the time for the bass: Iso Acoustics or Stack Audio isolation feet, rather than the plinth / spikes arrangement .
Oh and the different room and better system I have now of course 
These speakers were generally demoed with a Nait 5i or XS but would likely fare better at the end of 202/200 or SN3.
4 Likes
I agree Maple was not so beautiful and became yellowish with time and sunlight.
1 Like
Yes perhaps after a while, but at introduction the maple speakers and Fraim looked very modern in the early 2000s! Still looks good on the promo pics.
2 Likes
The cabinet in the picture have been painted.
Regards
Neil.
7 Likes
Yes I was, I am sorry. I acknowledge the commercial importance of B&W but I haven’t heard a pair I’d own after the DM6s in the early 80s. It’s just me…
B&w in general has in general a bit of a high bass exaggeration which works wonders for av purposes.
To my ears they are also too ‘clear’. Over the decades B&W moved from a technical, authoritative position to luxury and lifestyle. Too bad. When you need to do this:
to hold position in the audio market, the trust of a normal listener is lost.
There’s more intelligent design, more smart solutions in these:
than in any fancy, huge objet-d’art made to impress the super rich’s friends visiting.
But a Roy George is not born every minute…
Just my opinion of course.
5 Likes
Arivas sounded great at my dealers, not so good here in my 5m x 3m room.
But I had them firing down the length of the room. In the years that have elapsed since I have discovered that speakers tend to sound best in here firing across the width of the room.
Can you hear them in your office?
2 Likes
You are so right Max! 
I still have to sort which is which between length and width of a room…
Do you mean that the length is the longer side? The short one?
In my own experience, close to any speaker sounds better placed against the longer wall firing across the short one.
Is that what you mean? Thanks.
Yes, the longer side. And yes.
Best, C.
Best, M.