Sorry for the interruption, I work in a department of 6 nationalities, we all use deepl translate. It’s extremely accurate.
Welcome
Martin
It certainly sounds different but I’m not sure that translates to “not as good as”. Several years ago, i compared active and passive versions of 19s and 40s with the passives driven by Naim amps. The 19/250DR comparison was particularly interesting. I really liked the physicality and presence the actives brought to the party but someone listening with me preferred the passives just as strongly. With the 40s, though, I didn’t think there was a contest until at least a 300DR was used, but I still missed the stereo imaging and projection of the actives.
OK I’m an ATC junkie and for others with different tastes in music and music reproduction perhaps they’re less suitable, but auditioning is surely the way to find out, at least where that’s possible.
Roger
Don’t think so and don’t think all Focal speakers sound the same anyway. I’ve not enjoyed, for example, the Sopras I’ve heard, but some years ago at the Acoustica Show the top Focals fronted a full Statement system and they did sound very impressive in a big space. At the other end of the scale, I persuaded my brother to treat himself to an Atom and there was a deal on at the time, so he ended up with Focal Arias. That little setup sounded pretty good to me and excellent value for money and he was very happy with it.
Roger
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I get that. However, there’s a HUGE difference between acknowledging that not all speakers from a brand suit all components from another, and just slagging the brand off per se.
It’s the latter that I’m talking about.
Thank you
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It’s the same with my INTRO on another system.
Many years ago, before ever considering commercial speakers my father and I built HFN/RR - Fris Daline speakers. Compact, 12 x 6 x 36 inches, boundary placed, “transmission line”. I’m not really sure why they got put away, possibly relatively unstable with young children around.
Why is that of any relevance? An internet search will show that Focal/JML Labs made two Daline models, but with a rear facing port.
Perhaps in the archive there is enough information to revise the design, front facing port, revoice for boundary placement?
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My preferred Naim loudspeakers are:
-sound/price ranking: top of the top = Intro
-fun level: SBL
-“absolute Top Spitzenklasse” as they say in some german revues : DBL.
As Fish sings in “Blind Curve”: “Please come back to me” and after that the song takes off!
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S400s spotted close to Verulamium.
Great first post.
Welcome.
.sjb
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They have already done enough damage to the Naim brand haven’t they?
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I have often wondered if there was ever what we might call an SBL variant was ever explored at the factory, with the form of an IBL, only bigger, so as to fit SBL size woofers, the idea being to overcome dealer/user incompetence in assembling separate boxes.
I suppose we will never know.
But how different our Naim speaker world might have been with a speaker that was simply spiked hard against the skirting board, and very much more widely liked than just by the hair shirt cognoscenti.
It’s the ‘great what if?’ and probably totally pointless. But what if?
What you’re asking for sounds a lot like the Naim Ariva.
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Fair point but I meant the speaker to have a PAR too. To the best of my knowledge, the Ariva didn’t.
Maybe the NBL comes even closer: The SBL’s design principles without the on-site assembly.
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The Naim Allae was really good and easy to set up and had only two boxes,like the Intro and the Credo.
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Once you have learnedtofly, your able to ignore it.
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Why? Naim is responsible for that. Focal didn’t kidnapped Naim. As we say here, Naim “ s’est tiré une balle dans le pied”. ( shot his own leg).
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I don’t live where you live, So from my part of the planet, since Focal have been involved with Naim the brand name here has all but disappeared. As far as servicing, it’s almost shooting yourself in the foot to buy a new Naim box.
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What is a PAR?