Right, off to do some exercise to see if boosting my endorphin levels will help!
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“Are you ever tempted to go completely back to basics?”
Well, in a word no. Dragging a rock through a plastic groove however satisfying ‘the theatre’ of doing this might be, it isn’t for me. And this despite me keeping my 1982 turntable and tiny record collection. (I couldn’t afford many records a the time, and I have bought very few since the mid to late 80’s)
Like most of us here, in recent times I have benefited from exploring emerging methods and technologies for listening to music and for me they have all offered an improvement in my enjoyment of recorded music. Streaming is an obvious example, which involves computer based devices, digital methods of storing music which once set up has made gaining ready access to music, much broader, quicker and easier.
I have now started to turn my attention to my room acoustics and because my stereo is in a shared living space there is only so much that I am prepared to do in treating the room. As a result I have been experimenting with DSP to good effect and my next step will be to develop this further.
So, far from going back to basics, I seek to make things more sophisticated. I might add that reducing the box count does still feature in my plan and this may mean changing brand, but for the time being I cling to my Naim amplification which sits proudly in my Naim HiFi rack front and center of my system. I shall see how things go.
Now, BRING ON THE NEW STUFF!
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I am not tempted to go back to basics, whether that would mean going back to my first hi-fi or my first Linn Naim system. Being able to listen to rips of my CDs or digital downloads, internet radio works well for me. I do listen to vinyl often and whilst enjoying it greatly, do sometimes think, this is a bit of faff. As for future developments, well the 272 replacement is about it I think. Well OK, I might add a power supply for it and get my LP12 serviced now and again.
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You could try a near field listening session to evaluate if what you hear is down to room interaction or if it’s coming out of the speakers that way.
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Did you have the sound where you wanted it to be at some stage, and then changed something, or has it never been quite right?
Least it’s not your organ. 
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For music in my house I strongly believe in real instruments. Piano, guitar, djembe, trombone, french horn et cetera. Its not a place for an organ.
Hifi is peanuts. Its like an emergency patch for the real thing.
I do envy people with an old Nait + LP 12 though!
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This thread is interesting for me on two counts. First, I have an active system that used to power SBLs; and second I’ve been thinking about going back to basics.
My system used to be in room with a wooden floor; well the whole house was wooden actually and it never sounded at its best. Now I’m back in my cottage I have solid floors, odd shaped rooms, too many books and not enough soft furnishings. So I think the rug is a good idea, so might be looking at how your speakers are set on the floor. I would not want to damage your oak flooring through so I won’t recommend carriage bolts through to the joists to set your speakers on (although it worked for me).
I would recommend going for 135s if you could source four. Failing that how about the 300s? I’ve only heard them demoed and not with my speakers but they were impressive.
As for speakers, I was persuaded by my dealer to change my SBLs; I was reluctant but he had a pair of Ovator s600s available. Perhaps I was gullible but they were a vast improvement, particularly with the bass.
Having said all this, I listen to most music via a Unitiqute through Linn Kans, so simplicity may be best.
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Organs are ACE!
I used to own a Hammond, oh the power and the floor rattling bass. Not to mention the twirly ‘Lesley speaker’ psychedelic man!
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I’ve got a battery powered casio 
Actually I’ve got a nice Technics electric piano leaning against the wall in the study which need a better home downstairs.
Would love to have a real piano in the house.
My father loved Hammonds with Lesley speakers, I think he nearly got one from a local social club but it was all too big for the house. I seem to recall him saying they couldn’t give the organs away at one point.
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Hi Elfer - for the uninitiated is that simple to do or does it require lots of equipment?
I don’t think back to Basics and a wind-up gramophone. Back to basics sounds like a phrase used by a someone who wants to use another person’s ideas and values from a previous generation.
Do I feel I want to simplify my life , yes - undoubtedly .
Something I’ve done with my audio and car, whilst longing to do it with my camera . Setting controls on the top and not in the menu.
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The other room was a knock through with the system on a solid tiled floor which now has the engineered oak on top. Back in the original room it’s a suspended floor and that is not the best if volume pushed too high. That said both have the engineered oak flooring and both have sounded harsh.
The SBLs are a royal pain to move around and when they were in the other room I added some Gaia supports which are well regarded - partly for a possible sonic boost but also to protect the floor. I’m not sure I was ever convinced that I preferred the sound with the Gaias rather than spikes (or nowt!) but they were such a faff to fit as you can’t invert SBLs I left them on. They did actually help move the SBLs from room to room with a large towel under the feet and a gentle dragging across the floors as they show on their videos.
I once demoed a 300DR in passive mode and it was very impressive. The new SNAXO would allow me to have a 300DR and a NAP 250 for active - perhaps not ideal but not unheard of with different amps doing HF or LF unlike the old NAXO. Currently more, or at least significant expenditure, is not feasible. 135s would be interesting though!
If I’m absolutely honest I’m not sure the SBLs actually lived up to the expectations all those years ago - they had a distinct loss of bass compared to the Epos ES14s before them - colouration or not I do like bass.
The SBLs are a possible cause - maybe the Gaia feet, perhaps I have them too far apart. They are about as close to a brick wall as NACA5 allows.
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Pretty much, yes:
NAC 282 powered by 2 SNAICs from a Supercap DR
SNAXO 242 powered by serviced Olive HICAP
2 x NAP 250s (olive) one for LF one for HF.
All standard Naim interconnects between Naim components.
NACA5 to the SBLs.
I’m not sure the Supercap DR brought much to the NAC 282 compared to 2 HICAPs - more detail and subtle layering of melodies/vocal struck me at first, less so now.
If I had the appropriate Burndy I’d be trying the Supercap DR on the SNAXO 242, it may be worth trying it with a single SNAIC anyway and putting the olive HICAPs on the 282 (I have another on the CD 3.5 which can come off).
There are so many things that could potentially be the cause including me and recordings that may not be as good as I actually remember!
Actually I wonder why I haven’t measured/analysed sound in the room - I used to do that with a Pioneer AV amp, I’m sure I could get any suitable software up and running, just might need a microphone unless I could use the one that came with the Pioneer.
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REW is excellent software for this purpose - and free! But to be any use you do need a decent measuring microphone. The one REW recommends doesn’t cost the earth (around £110-120 last time I looked, but readily available secondhand for half to three quarters of that, and easily moved on for much the same afterwards if you see no use in keeping it. It is a great tool for setting up speakers, finding best speaker and listening positions, and evaluating any room changes, far faster than listening trials.
If you were contemplating going for room treatment some sellers can guide you in measurements and will take REW measurement files to interpret and make recommendations. (GIK is one, and with a comprehensive range of products)
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I don’t wish to go back to basics as the more I climb the better sound I get. I reached up to NAC 282 and it is my endgame as I ran out of funds to go higher.
FWIW I owned the Arcam Alpha 10 about 25 years ago. Nice laidback and flat sounding amp.
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I would hardly call the OPs opening thread a basic system. My equivalent from that era was Ariston RD 80, Linn LVX/K9/Rotel 840/Heybrook HB1. It was great, would I go back, not likely!