I only separated the top box (with tweeter and mid). I transported the woofer and L frame as an integrated assembly. Reason is I do not have spare gasket and do not wish to redo the silicon seal too. In order to eliminate movement of the woofer box I use cardboard to fill up the gaps between the woofer box and the L frame. And this is a must: instruct the mover not to tilt the assembly when moving it up/down truck etc. ie the assembly always stay upright.
Similarly I have only removed the tweeter/mid box since assembling. It’s a two person job, one to gently lift the box away from the main assembly and the other to reach round and unplug the cables from the back.
Not tackled the bass box since I assembled them with new gaskets but I have new internal foam so its got to be done at some point…
I’m pretty certain Naim no longer have the foam gaskets, so this will be an issue unless your dealer assembled them using the old washing up liquid trick!
I’d be tempted to get some plastics wedges to jam between the two boxes just to relieve any compression when moved.
Yes, done it a few times.
Depending on whether Fairy dishwashing liquid (or similar) was used when applying the silicone to the gasket and LF cabinet, detaching the LF cabinet will be more or less easier.
I bought a pair of wooden wedges, that covered (top and bottom) with a microfibre dusting cloth, l inserted between the two cabinets (one side at a time) and gently lifted up; the silicone will pop off on that side. Same for the other side. Then one wedge per side, at the same time, and you should be able to lift the whole LF cabinet and take out.
Without the dishwashing liquid the process is the same; it will simply need a bit more wedge lifting to detach the silicone.
When reassembling, remember to use it.
There is no internal wiring between the LF cabinet (woofer box) and the HF one (only the external speaker cables from the crossover), so not sure about that question.
When transporting in their original boxes (this is important), nothing else needs to be done for the tweeter and the drivers don’t have (or need) to be in a specific orientation.
So did you/your movers lift each DBL in an upright position and place it upright in a van to move it?
The van I’ve rented does have doors about 135cm tall - and I think DBLs are 120cm tall - so this is a possibility.
Unfortunately the original larger boxes are not available.
Were yours boxed when they were moved?
Can you say why the speaker must not be tilted - is it simply that that will put more weight on one side and make the spikes more likely to penetrate the aluminium?
(As I’ve never seen or handled DBLs it’s not easy to envisage all the details from the description in the manual and photos I’ve seen).
Then I could put a duvet round it and use bungy cords and/or stacks of other boxes to hold it upright.
Yes, I was just referring to the speaker cables leading from the drivers to the PXO.
I have some of the original boxes (only smaller ones), but not the large original boxes.
I have many thick and and large removals boxes in the van to act as padding and packaging, plus numerous thicknesses and sizes of smaller cardboard boxes, bubblewrap, old sheets and duvets, tape, bungy cords, etc.
So I hope to be able to construct a way to cushion all the components using these.
Is there anything I might have overlooked in terms of lacking the original large boxes?
I’ve never moved the DBLs with the bass unit still attached to the L-shape cabinet.
I’d recommend separating them first, then reinstalling and resealing, just for peace of mind.
Note that while you’re installing the bass unit back onto the L-shape cabinet, you can still use the same aluminum plates, just find a new spot for the spike to sit securely.
Naim no longer supplies the original gasket, but you can improvise something similar, I did, and it works well.
You don’t need to secure or fix the tweeters or any other drivers.
It doesn’t really matter if the drivers are facing up or if the box is on its side - just make sure everything is packed securely and safely.
I moved my SBLs like this,
Cardboard between the gaps,
Seals stayed intact,
Ratchet strap, not to tight that it squeezes the box,
Not to loose that it could not bounce up,
A Dolly might also come in handy,
Or a large plate sack truck,
Good luck in your endeavour,
I do not have the boxes any more, neither do I have the gasket nor the aluminium pads.
Yes, I told the movers not to tilt the assembly, always keep them in upright positions when moving them, loading them onto trucks, securing them in the trucks etc, always upright!
The SBL photo is exactly what I meant, use cardboard to fill up all the gaps, especially the back, to add support and rigidity to the woofer box and assembly.
Watching a wonderful live set by Brad Mehldau on YouTube and for the first time I can really see and hear the detail of what all three players are doing.
The sense of scale and depth and realism is impressive, and I haven’t even got anywhere near the business of positioning and spikes and all the other things that will get a lot more out of the DBL’s.
