Naim SBLs

ok, thanks Stephen. Will save your note

and a second set of speaker cables too!

Bruce

The chap in Devon does foam grilles for SBLs. I’ve got some, They are very nice and half the price of other vendors.

I know someone at naim HQ, whose opinion I value and trust, still uses SBL’s in his system.

Having enjoyed my iBL’s for so long with every naim system variation I have been through, I do wonder if SBL’s would be for me?

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Don’t be in too much of a hurry to disassemble them if you have the boxes. If so then lay them on their backs in the boxes (needs two people). I would put some packing between the treble box and the mid box - bit of corrugated cardboard box will do.

And drive gently. hopefully you‘ll get away with the seals remaining intact, I moved mine 60 miles in the Audi. They were absolutely fine…and, two years later, still are!!!

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Yes, I have the boxes etc. Just missing one piece of the packing.

Which piece? Perhaps you cam make something up from spare cardboard or failing that, newspaper is wonderful stuff, whether just scrunched up, or formed into papier mache.

Thanks richard. The piece with the square hole to hold the speaker 's top unit in place. It would have to be the most complex bit. The Wi-Fi shop did not harboring the first place.

Geoff, do you have a good solid brick or stone wall available?

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Not that you can have :laughing:

Yes I do. Currently I am out for a long walk, will reply with more details later.

Thank you.

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I would trying forming something from lots of scrunched up newspaper - brilliant stuff!

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You actually buy a newspaper? Or do you, like us, get the weekly freebie from Waitrose… :grin:

We use it for lining the Hedgehog Feeding Box! We like to think that we are providing the hedgehogs with lifestyle advice, along with the noms…

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@Debs

Long Walk / Clean Car / Shower / Food + Drink / Computer needs system updates >> here.

I’m finally ‘back in the room’ - needing knowledge. :+1:

My building is Victorian - walls are very solid and thick, room is 6.25m long x 4.5m wide, 3.5m high.

The wall opposite the sofa is divided into 3 - back wall alcove/forward wall fireplace/ back wall alcove.

The central forward wall fireplace is about 2.5m wide and the iBL’s are situated backing onto this wall.

They are as close to this wall as possible, allowing for cable connections. Being the ‘fireplace’ I am certain that this wall is about as solid as possible!

Since setting up here, soundstage in particular has increased, and with my new system additions this past year, everything is sounding great. So hopefully speaker position is near optimal - from my experience it certainly seems to be.

I’m wondering if SBL’s are better iBLs - like a 500 is a better 250 or 300 ?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks, Geoff

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IBLs are a darn sight easier to set up than SBLs, and tend to be more tolerant to room acoustics due to their speed and the being economically undemanding on the lower frequencies, i think this is why some people favour them, but the real challenge here is finding a nice pair of SBLs that are worth the faff of buying in the first place, then the hassle of restoring, and the frollocks of setting up nicely. There’s a lot of very neglected SBLs around these days, many probably too far gone, need to be careful what you buy.

Having said that, a 6.25 x 4.5 meter solid walled room is an ideal natural environment for SBLs, and it would be a lost opportunity and an act of sheer madness not to pursue a tasty pair of sibbles that has been discarded and abandoned and in need of adopting to a good loving home… :crying_cat_face:

This should be something to go on the show us your pets thread when you’re ready :+1:

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Thanks for the comprehensive reply @Debs, that is very helpful and interesting. My room height is high so with SBL’s I would imagine them coping better? :thinking:

The iBL’s do sound really great and as you say fast, with a tuneful rather than thumping bass. Surprisingly during some Blu-Ray playback the bass is quite remarkable! On CD instruments just tend to sound ‘right’ with nothing distracting from the performance.

Yes, getting a ‘mint’ pair of SBL’s would be tough find for Indiana Jones!

What did you have before your SBL’s?

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Another pair of SBLs (bought new in 1993) :joy:

I come though the 80s with [ stand-mounted ] Rogers LS1 & LS7.

Progressed to (1989) Mordaunt-Short 100gold [ stand-mounted ] which are presently getting enjoyed in the 2nd system.

In the early 90s demo’ed a range of speakers, including a pair of IBLs for a weekend.
I liked what the IBLs do, but for my main system not rounded enough IMO.

It would be a noble project to find a pair of SBLs just for the experience in your room, they don’t cost a lot to buy, even if they are to need a rebuild kit, new tweets and x-overs.
Also you don’t have to part with the IBLs along the way :grinning:

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Perhaps I will make it my pet project. :grin:

There is plenty of room for them here, and I always take care of what I have, and I like spending time on the things that are important to me.

Plus I have some DIY skills so I am tempted… :wink:

Wow, that is few loudspeakers! What happened with the first pair of SBL’s?

Correct again @Debs, would probably hold on to the iBL’s anyway, rather than trade or sell them. Too much direct linkage to naim (the brochure), for me to part with them.

I might need to use my photoshop skills to put something in the pets thread… :cat2:

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Had one very complicated and bad financial year,
had to sell the entire naim audio system, CDS, 72 Hicap 250 SBLs.

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@Debs Sorry to hear that, I went through something similar when I downsized to the SN2.

The LP12 was the first to go :sob:

Ah well, things have changed for the better now, and rebuilding the system has been fun :grin:

Oh, I forgot to mention that I don’t have email notifications set up for this website, so I am considering adding them, so I don’t miss stuff when offline. :banana: :banana: :banana:

Thanks for the help.

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