Jon,
I've been following and posting on hi-fi forums for at least a decade -- yes, I'm a nerd -- and I can't think of anyone besides you who's running SBLs in a non-Naim system, let alone by a Sony AV amp.
That you sold your Naim electronics but kept the second most Naimiest of Naim components (IBLs being the Naimiest) all these years has me baffled. As Mark pointed out, I, too, just can't see the SBLs playing to the Sony's strengths. Does not compute. Error! Error! If I were Nomad I'd be in a million pieces.
As you've often said, you're after simple, non-legacy (whatever that is) hi-fi that integrates with a computer, so the affordable option would seem to be a pair of ADM 9.1s. If you need more bass get the spud.
Joe
Hi Joe
Welcome to all the multi-forum PFM members...lol
I didn't plan to put Sony with SBL's, it just kinda happened; as you would know the Sony was bought for add on A/V purposes to the Naim system in total, but after some time and out of curiosity, having a damn good listen to it, I found it out did the Naim electronics in overall musical results. And so over time the Naim kit was sold off, as it almost always ended up powered up but languishing, as I simply preferred the music making abilities of the Sony kit, and that plus it's flexibility and VFM just sealed the fate of the Naim kit, leaving only the SBL's and some Mana to remain. (Confesses to owning Mana... ssssshhh.)
In terms of PRaT, the SBL's play to the Sonys strengths, very much so, - with the afore mentioned caveat of hard driving rock music perhaps - but not in terms of absolute detail/resolution, timbral and tonal balance, spatial perspectives, mix and match abilities for music/movies etc. And hence a desire to change.
I take your point about other users either not, or seldom using SBL's outside of a Naim system. That it would never be a 'Sony' says a hell of a lot more about brand prejudices than it does about sound IME. A friend who works at the local Naim dealership heard it and was amazed - he also felt that if it had say a Krell badge, it would have fetched circa A$15k, not the A$6k it retailed at, due to the 'badge', and based on build quality let alone the outstanding sound quality. If I told you it was a Tact Millenium/Lyngdorf, and you heard it, I've no doubt you'd believe me, without seeing the badge on the front.
But this is not about brand perceptions, it is about getting an optimum amp/speaker match. Part of the reason I've held on to the SBL's for so long, is monetary. It's a fact of life that when you buy something new and expensive, its always marketed as the best, the most exclusive etc, as was the SBL when I bought and paid A$7,300.00 new for them. Of course when the new all singing all dancing SL2 came along with slightly modified drivers/crossover and a new cabinet boasting slightly improved sound for a new price of A$15,000.00 the writing was on the wall for the SBL.
Now, having once been described as one of the best loudspeakers in the world by Martin Colloms in his review of them, they are now just seemingly so much second hand, outdated junk in the eyes of many when it comes to selling time.
We are just starting to see the first signs of possible economic recovery, and I hope to get a good price for them should I decide to sell, if I find a speaker that I like that gives me most of the benefits and addresses the shortcomings of the SBL at a sensible price.
Having said that, there is no way I am going to part with the SBLs for a pittance. I would rather keep them and use them for rear channel speakers if it came to that. So uncertainty about what to replace them with, how much it will cost, and resale of the SBLs for a good price is responsible for the protracted time in resolving the last piece of system matching.
In my opinion, I regard 'legacy' hifi as kit that is designed to play music exclusively, and doesn't take into account the variety of modern 21st century media. In that context, my kit is not legacy, but it is multi-boxed, racked, with passive speakers etc. Ideally speaking I'd like to go with some sort of active floor standing speakers, utilising some of my present sources for SACD etc, as well as a computer for source. But to sell the sources and amp that I have, all relatively new, at undoubted loss, and to refinance new active kit and source is a prohibitive financial excercise.
However, when things get old, and out of date, then that will be the time I will try to move into something that will lessen the box count, wiring, racks etc, whilst providing as good or better sound quality and flexibility. But it is difficult, as going active means having to ditch a superb amp that I already own, and I wont be doing that until it is past its use by date, and I can afford something full bandwidth in an active floor standing speaker. And even then, multi-box systems do have some advantages in that you can add on as you go, rather than having to buy everything at once, which again adds to the financial hurdle of the integrated active route.
So I know where I ideally want to be, but the route appears to have a few hills and valleys in it nonetheless. As an last comment and example, whilst I do like B&W 804's and 803D which I have heard, they neatly straddle price wise, some B&O Beolab 9's, which are an active three way, with inbuilt bass equalisation settings for position in room, plus the proprietary acoustic lens technology; these would easily be a competitor for the likes of 804/803's - but again it means selling off my present amp etc, well before it's use by date which for the monetary reasons I've mentioned, I'm loathe to do at this time. And yeah, hell, despite the boxes etc, I'm way, way happy with it. Easily the best amp I've ever owned, and one of the very best I've ever heard, period.
Now, all I need are the right speakers...*sigh*
Cheers
Jon...
