Naim SBLs any good?

[James the Albarry lover]

I'm looking at getting a pair of Naim SBLs and id like to know people's opinions, I know they're very popular with Naim users but thought I'd come here for some different opinions outside the Naim fan base

[Ian7633]

I've had a couple of pairs of SBL's over the years. The first pair were new so no real issues but I bought a pair a couple of years ago and to be honest I was disappointed. Unless they have been well looked after the gaskets between the woofer and tweeter boxes will need replacing, not too difficult but at around £140 for two foam gaskets, some tiny aluminium plates and a tube of silicone sealant, not cheap. The tweeters are also pretty weak, they can sound rather tinny and scratchy but new ones can be sourced from Scanspeak. They are quite fussy about placement, as close to a rear wall as possible. They need a fair amount of driving but your Albarrys should work well. This all sounds a bit negative but if you have the patience to sort them out they can sound very nice. I hope this helps

[Sherwood]

i never rated them but it depends upon cnditon and price. Frankly, I would be looking at a more modern design

[walpurgis]

I heard them being demonstrated by Naim at shows when they were in production and to be honest, I though they were pretty bad. My mate who was with me and a big Naim fan simply said "oh dear" after hearing them. But who knows, you might like them. :)

[James the Albarry lover]

I've had a couple of pairs of SBL's over the years. The first pair were new so no real issues but I bought a pair a couple of years ago and to be honest I was disappointed. Unless they have been well looked after the gaskets between the woofer and tweeter boxes will need replacing, not too difficult but at around £140 for two foam gaskets, some tiny aluminium plates and a tube of silicone sealant, not cheap. The tweeters are also pretty weak, they can sound rather tinny and scratchy but new ones can be sourced from Scanspeak. They are quite fussy about placement, as close to a rear wall as possible. They need a fair amount of driving but your Albarrys should work well. This all sounds a bit negative but if you have the patience to sort them out they can sound very nice. I hope this helps

Cheers for the info and yes I've read about and seen these gaskets you speak of and the price for those is
a joke and I think I could make my own with a little bit of effort and patience, I thought the Albarrys would be an interesting match but I'm also considering trying out some Naim Olive gear in the near future

[Sherwood]

What is your budget?

[walpurgis]

If you fancy something of similar vintage, try and get a listen to Spendor S100's, they sound lovely. Decent punch too.

[James the Albarry lover]

If you fancy something of similar vintage, try and get a listen to Spendor S100's, they sound lovely. Decent punch too.

Yes at three times the price of a nice pair of SBLs 😂 just being curious as I think Naim SBLs divide opinion quite alot

[Beobloke]

I always rather liked them, personally.

[karma67]

I heard Ian’s when he had them,awful no bass at all

[jandl100]

Naim speakers.
Gosh.
Wouldn't touch 'em with a barge pole!
Put me down as not-a-fan. ;)

[DiveDeepDog]

I've had a couple of pairs, bought black ones cheap to try, then burnt the budget to a minty pair of Walnut beauties.

No other speaker has such fast and controlled bass, true, there's not huge amounts, but the punch is addictive.

I had a go active, but won a foo filled Audio42 passive crossover which I thought was better. There's a thread on Pinkfish about DIY crossover build.

Bit of triggers brush, I changed the tweeters to Scanspeak D2905/7000, they needed some woodwork to fit, but Hiquphon OW1's are a drop in replacement and upgrade.

They like an upgrade, they'll play with a Nait 1, but sang on my Naim/Avondale pre/power:eek:

[hifi_dave]

Known in the trade as ssssssBL because of their bright sibilant presentation. Put them with Naim Olive and you will not need to visit the Dental Hygienist anymore because they will remove the plaque from your teeth right there.:D

[Ian7633]

Known in the trade as ssssssBL because of their bright sibilant presentation. Put them with Naim Olive and you will not need to visit the Dental Hygienist anymore because they will remove the plaque from your teeth right there.:D

I never tried my first pair with the Olive series, I had the Chrome bumper set up then and didn't feel it was tooooooooooooooo bright lol. Know what you mean about that piercing treble though, the second pair were nasty until I swapped the tweeters for a used pair.

[YNWaN]

When I was in retail we used SBL's as our day-to day speakers and I've set them up loads of times and listened to them for many, many hours (all of this was with Chrome and Olive Naim gear, but also amps from other manufacturers). They aren't really bright in the way Dave's description suggests but they certainly can sound a bit hard and edgy. The bass is quick and dry sounding but the problem with the treble is more where the mid and the tweeter meet. It helps if you have a very well behaved source and smooth sounding amplification may help (though not so much in the bass perhaps). What I did find, in my view anyway, was that NacA5 speaker cable was a step too far and result could be very hard and 'clangy'. When partnered sympathetically they can sound quite remarkable - really good rhythm and expression. They can sound bloody awful too ;). Oh, they also seem quite room variable which you don't really know until you install them.

[James the Albarry lover]

I'm not too worried about getting them and hating them as they're quite easy to move on and get your money back, but if this is the case I'll be sure to try or check everything such as positioning, cables and gaskets etc before I make my final verdict 🙂

[southall-1998_mk2]

Heard a pair of mark 2 SBL's a couple months back. They sound good. But do have a rather 'forward' kind of presentation.

Idiosyncratic speakers, so not for everyone.

S.

[AMarsland]

Hi Mark,

I love my SBL's too...

Did the Scanspeak 'upgrade' make an appreciable difference?

How did you get the tweeters out? Mine seem stuck fast...

Anthony

p.s. Loving my Avondale mods. What do you have?