Thanks. I don’t have space for 3x300s (already at two stacks of six and cannot fit a third stack in) and going 3x250 would free up a shelf for the second 555ps for my nd555 as well as save a few quid . I have seen a couple of people say the 3x250 option is better than single 500. One is Peter Swain at Cymbiosis on a Facebook thread last week. I did hear comparison of passive 606s and 707s with active (both 1x300 v 2x300) and the active was much better to my ears. I haven’t heard a comparison of active with lesser amp v passive with higher amp
I need to spend some time with 808s - not really heard them much (only at last year’s acoustica show where they were powered 3x300) but I have some other priorities for the next year or two
I have had SBL’s for 15+ years and can’t think of changing them. Admittedly, they are placed close to a solid wall, but there is a certain attachment a je ne sais quoi that means I’m going to be a ‘lifer’. I just love the sound. I had them when I ran a Classic system with an LP12 and, although the classic kit is long gone (as, sadly, is the LP12), they still sing when fed by my Uniti Star fed either by a new RP3 or my Uniti Serve.
Whenever I have a mad moment and think of maybe changing the SBLs I remind myself that I am the idiot who sold a NAT01 to finance the purchase of the soon-to-be ex wife’s car. Should have kept the tuner and bought her a bus pass until she buggered off!
The sad fact is, SBLs can seriously underperform in a modern plasterboard wall room.
And it’s pointless going to SL2s because they’re boundary speakers too.
SBLs don’t hold a lot of trade-in value so it would be well worth keeping them in storage.
May regret selling them after the next house move.
40 square meters of room size should be enough area to accommodate a speaker that needs some distance from a wall. This will probably work out very expensive, and is where a good dealer will come in very handy!
@drago Used Naim Allaes, pulled away from the wall a little. They will love having 135s up them! They are less perfect than SBLs but arguably more fun. I have had both. Allae owner now.
I’m very interested in this thread, but in this post most of all. I’m now stuck with my SBLs in an upstairs room with stud walling, and a suspended floor with thick carpet. The bass is thinner than I’d like, for all the reasons others have flagged, but not consistently so, and at times for the right album, cd or radio broadcast I think it’s spot on.
But I am thinking about going active rather than replacing the speakers because I still love the SBLs and so I’d be Very grateful if you’d try and quantify (?) just what a difference going made for you. I know others have talked on other threads about altering the balance between HF and LF on the snaxo. I don’t know if that’s advisable or not but views on that are very welcome.
I have exactly the same impression. Bass is overall thinner, but there is some music, where it is perfect (these might be songs others are struggling witch bass overload).
Digital there is even a bit more bass. This might be explained by DAC- XPS (olive) combination, which is bass friendly.
Everytime when I thought about next updates I kept the bass in mind. When electronics get better the bass is more defined, which is felt a bit thinner (less defined = a bit fatter).
Therefore I am also 8bterested in the active setup. Thought it is the same here and getting thinner.
As I’ve been listening with the active XO these last few days, instruments overall are presented in a bolder fashion. So expect “peripheral” elements (if you will) of the musical proceedings to jump out a bit, and in a more confident, stable, and intelligible way. A “richer” experience comes to mind as well, including “the bass”.
Going active is not going to sort out the lack off bass, but at the same it wont make it worse.
The main benefit from going active on sbl’s, is getting a better xovers, which helps massively, also if you are say running a lower powered amp in the naim range, running 2 off these helps slacken the load as they now share it, so its like have a much more powerful amp.
The down side to active, is the cost, and all the cables etc.
Thank you all for the replies. It’s really kind of you. I’m actually using olive 82/SC/135s fettled by Witch Hat, so going active would either be with a 250 or other 135s, and the alternative would be different speakers (which I’m loathe to do), or a sub(s) but there will come a point where extra bass will be too much for the room. I also know the SBLs have more to give as I’ve heard them do it even in this setting.
The impossible question I’d like to pose is whether going active added say 5% to the perceived weight of the bass, or 10%, or whatever. I do appreciate it’s not the right question to ask. Ideally an audition of the 3 options would be best, but I want to stick with fettled olive series gear, and covid restrictions don’t help.
As I write this I’m listening to a John Lee Hooker live CD, and I’m loving the sound and the energy but I could do with maybe another 30% on the base line…
With your set up i would make sure you are using naim speaker naca 5 cable, as its more bass heavy.
Adding a 250 to run both bass units would be ok, but as you have a 135’s, it would be nice to run another pair.
The problem you have is trying active to see if it is going to work for you, or make it a bit better, so you can live with it, is going to cost.
Amp
Snaxo
Power supply for snaxo
Extra pair of speaker cables
Mains cable, etc
Plus shelves
Quite an outlay and with no guarantee it will do what you hope for, as myself having been there, all be it already running active and just moved rooms, i could never get the bass back, and its horrible knowing how it once sounded and now does not.
I feel your only way is to find new speakers that work, you have a great amp to power them, and its guaranteed to get the result you want, i know its a horrible thought, finding speaker, but i feel its the best way and probably the easiest way to home demo as well
Thanks Dunc, and that’s exactly it. I’m trying to get a view on the impact of going active from the expert group in this community or I need a speaker that does what the SBLs do, is a boundary design (so not reflex), and has extra bass but not too much. I don’t think the subs are really the solution unless turned right down. The idea of a new speaker doesn’t just worry me because you never really know them until you’ve spent hours and hours with them, but the SBLs are like family. If only I could wring more from them…
I have played around with a few active configurations with a couple of pairs of SBLs (both Mk1, one pair with Mk2 drivers).
I’ve used a CB Naxo, a SNAXO 2-4 and a SNAXO 242.
Originally I went active with a NAC282, SNAXO242 and 2xNAP200s (replacing a single NAP200). It made the music somewhat ‘richer’ but I wouldn’t say it increased the bass. I then tried a single bolt down NAP250 and this sounded better- more foot tapping ensued.
After a while I moved to two CB NAP250s, again I wouldn’t say I noticed a lot more bass. It sounded ‘better’; it was easier to hear stuff, separate instruments, hear fingers sliding on frets etc.
So I’m not sure that going active is going to greatly increase your bass.
However… within the SNAXO unit there are a couple of pots allowing you to tune the relative levels of treble and bass, so it might be possible to drive the bass harder through using this. There’s an image of the IXO up above that shows the adjustment on the rear of the unit- the SNAXO 2/4 would have the same basic facility but inside the unit.
Frankly though… I’d ask someone with more experience than me!
Thanks to you for your thoughts, and to Dunc again. It’s a very first world problem I know. I’m going over to the best jokes thread to take my mind off it!
. I have seen a couple of people say the 3x250 option is better than single 500. One is Peter Swain at Cymbiosis on a Facebook thread last week. I did hear comparison of passive 606s and 707s with active (both 1x300 v 2x300) and the active was much better to my ears. I haven’t heard a comparison of active with lesser amp v passive with higher amp
