Naim Audio AXESS Owners manual

W O R L D C L A S S H I F I

O W N E R S M A N U A L

Speakers: SL2, allæ, Ariva, axent, axess, n-SATS, n-CENT, n-SUB.

with amplifiers and loudspeakers are used.

Warning: an apparatus with CL ASS I construction shall be

Where the mains plug or an appliance coupler is used as the

the mains plug from the mains outlet.

The following label is attached to all mains powered

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the

These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection

This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio

frequency and, if not installed and used in accordance

with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to

this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or

television reception, which can be determined by turning

from that to which the receiver is connected.

technician for help.

W A R N I N G

THIS APPARATUS

MUST BE EARTHED

Contents

Section

3

3

Ariva

2 Connections

It is important for both safety and performance that

the standard cables supplied are not modified.

2.1 Interconnect Cables

If options are available with your equipment and installation,

DIN interconnect sockets should be used in preference to RCA

Phono sockets. One end of each Naim interconnect cable is

marked with a band to establish its correct orientation. The band

denotes the end that connects to the signal source.

Interconnect plugs and sockets should be kept clean and free

from corrosion. The easiest way to clean them is to switch off

the equipment, pull the plugs out of their sockets, and push

them back in again. Contact cleaners and “enhancers” should

not be used as the film they tend to deposit may degrade the

sound.

2.2 Loudspeaker Cables

Loudspeaker cables are vitally important and your dealer should

make them up to suit your installation. The cables should

each be at least 3.5 metres long and of equal length. The

recommended maximum is normally 20 metres although longer

cables may be viable with some Naim amplifiers. Contact your

dealer or Naim Audio for advice.

Many Naim amplifiers are designed only to work with Naim

loudspeaker cable and using alternatives may degrade the

performance or even damage the amplifier. Naim loudspeaker

cable is directional and should be oriented so that the printed

arrow points towards the speakers. The amplifier/loudspeaker

connectors supplied are designed to make a robust electro-

mechanical connection and to comply with European safety

regulations. They should be used in preference to alternatives.

3 Mains Power Connection

Where fused plugs are used 13 amp fuses should be

fitted. Fuses of a lower rating will fail after a period

of use. Do not wire voltage dependent resistors or

noise suppressors into mains plugs. They degrade the

mains supply and the sound.

1 Equipment Installation

Normally your Naim Audio equipment will have been installed by the dealer who sold

it to you - even if you live outside their immediate vicinity. In any event however

your dealer is responsible for making sure that the system performs as it should.

Information given here is not intended to reduce this responsibility in any way.

Introduction

This manual covers the SL2, allæ, Ariva, axent, axess, n-SATS and n-CENT

3.1 Mains Plug Wiring

In some territories a mains plug may need to be

fitted to the supplied mains lead. As the colours of

the wires in the mains lead may not correspond with

the coloured markings identifying the terminals in the

plug proceed as follows:

The wire which is coloured

must be

connected to the terminal in the plug which is marked by the

letter

or by the safety earth symbol or coloured

or

YELLOW

.

The wire which is coloured

must be connected to the

terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter

or

coloured

.

The wire which is coloured

must be connected to the

terminal in the plug which is marked with the letter

or coloured

.

3.2 Non-rewirable Mains Plugs

If a non-rewirable plug is cut from a mains lead (for whatever

purpose) the plug

be disposed of in a way to render it

totally useless. Considerable shock hazard exists if the cut-off

plug is inserted into a mains outlet.

3.3 Mains Circuits and Cables

A hi-fi system usually shares a mains circuit with other

household equipment some of which can cause distortion of the

mains waveform. This distortion can in turn lead to a mechanical

hum from power amplifier and power supply transformers.

Naim transformers are large in size with heavy gauge windings,

making them relatively sensitive to such distortion, and it may

be necessary to take account of transformer hum when siting

your equipment.

Transformer hum is not transmitted through the speakers and

has no effect on the performance of the system; however, a

separate mains circuit may reduce it. Such a circuit (ideally with

a 30 or 45 Amp rating) will also improve system performance.

Advice on the installation of a separate mains circuit should be

sought from a qualified electrician.

Do not substitute alternative mains leads and plugs to

those supplied. They are selected to offer the best possible

performance.

4 General Installation

Naim equipment is designed to offer the finest

performance possible avoiding compromise wherever

practical. This can lead to circumstances that may

be unfamiliar. The notes that follow contain advice

specifically related to Naim equipment as well as

more general warnings about the use of domestic

audio products. Please read them carefully.

4.1 Siting The Equipment

In order to reduce the risk of hum audible from the

loudspeakers, power supplies and power amplifiers should be

located a reasonable distance away from other equipment. The

maximum separation distance for connected equipment is that

allowed by the standard interconnect lead.

Some Naim equipment is extremely heavy. Check the weight of

the equipment prior to lifting and if necessary use more than

one person so that it can be moved safely. Ensure that your

equipment rack or table can easily support the weight and is

stable.

Some speakers and stands are intended to be used with floor

spikes fitted. Care should be taken when siting and moving them

to avoid personal injury or damage to cables and surfaces. Floor

protectors are available from your local dealer or distributor to

protect non carpeted floors.

4.2 Switching On

Source components and power supplies should be switched on

before the power amplifiers. Always switch amplifiers off and

wait a minute before connecting or disconnecting any leads.

Always use the power switch on the product rather than a mains

outlet switch.

A “thump” may be heard from the loudspeakers as power

amplifiers are switched on. This is normal, will not cause any

loudspeaker damage and does not point to any fault or problem.

A mild “pop” may also be heard shortly after power amplifiers

are switched off.

4.3 Running In

Naim equipment takes a considerable time to run in before

it performs at its best. The duration varies, but under some

conditions the sound may continue to improve for over a month.

Better and more consistent performance will be achieved if

the system is left switched on for long periods. It is worth

remembering however that equipment left connected to the

mains can be damaged by lightning.

4.4 Radio Interference

In some circumstances, depending on where you live and the

earthing arrangements in your home, you may experience

radio frequency interference. Controls on broadcasting in some

territories allow very high levels of radio frequency radiation

and both the choice and exact siting of equipment may be

critical. Susceptibility to radio frequency interference is related

to the wide internal bandwidth necessary for high sound quality.

Systems incorporating moving coil phono preamplifiers and

active crossovers are more likely to suffer. A radio frequency

filter kit is available for some Naim equipment but sound quality

will be progressively compromised as more elements of the

kit are fitted. In situations of extreme radio interference Naim

equipment may be unsuitable.

4.5 Non-standard Cables

Use of non-standard speaker cables or interconnects may

invalidate your guarantee.

4.6 Lightning Precautions

Your Naim hi-fi system can be damaged by lightning. Power

amplifiers are particularly at risk and should be turned off and

disconnected from the mains when there is risk of lightning

strike. For complete protection all mains plugs and any aerial

cables should be disconnected when not in use.

4.7 Liquid Precautions

Equipment must not be exposed to dripping or splashing and no

objects filled with liquid, such as vases, should be placed on the

equipment.

4.8 Equipment Fuses

Mains powered Naim Audio equipment is fitted with a mains

input fuse on the rear panel adjacent to the mains input socket.

Replace it if necessary only with the spare fuse supplied or

with identical fuses. Repeated failure of this fuse points to an

equipment or system fault that should be investigated by your

dealer or at the factory by Naim itself.

4.9 Problems?

Consumer protection varies from country to country. In

most territories a dealer must be prepared to take back

any equipment he has sold if it cannot be made to work

satisfactorily. A problem may be due to a fault in the system or

its installation so it is essential to make full use of your dealer’s

diagnostic skills. Please contact your local distributor, or Naim

Audio directly, if any difficulties cannot be resolved.

Some Naim equipment is made in special versions for

different territories and this makes it impracticable to arrange

international guarantees. Please establish the local guarantee

arrangements with your dealer. Contact Naim Audio directly for

help and advice if necessary.

4.10 Repairs and Updates

It is essential that repairs and updates are only carried out

by an authorised Naim dealer or at the factory by Naim itself.

Many components are custom made, tested or matched and

appropriate replacements are often unobtainable from other

sources.

Direct contact to Naim for service or update information should

be made initially through the Service Department:

Tel:

Email:

[e-mail]

Please quote the product serial number (found on its rear panel)

in all correspondence.

Introduction

3

SL2

5 Introduction and Positioning

Naim loudspeakers are precision acoustic instruments that will only achieve optimal

performance if installed and set up carefully. Please read these instructions before

unpacking, installing and using the loudspeakers. Please also retain the packaging

for future use.

The performance of any loudspeaker will be influenced by the room and position in which it is

located. Even small changes of loudspeaker position can significantly influence the sound. Choose

a site where the loudspeakers can be located between 1.2m and 4m apart (4ft and 13ft), clear of

room corners, and where each loudspeaker is between 10cm and 45cm (4” and 18”) away from a

solid rear wall. The distance between the speakers and the rear wall is the aspect of positioning most

likely to require adjustment as you become familiar with the characteristics of the loudspeakers in

your room.

The

is not magnetically shielded and should be kept well away from CRT displays. Should a

display suffer picture distortion caused by the proximity of an

contact your dealer or installer for

advice.

Loudspeakers, like many hi-fi components, will take time to stabilise and “run-in” and can be

expected to improve with use even over a period of weeks. For this reason it is prudent not to finalise

positioning until the system has been operating for at least one week.

5.1 Unpacking SL2

To minimise the risk of accident and damage,

components

should be removed from the packaging one speaker at a time

and in the following order. Components referred to in the

following paragraphs can be identified through Diagram 5.3.

Remove the central packing piece and

Tweeter Suspension

Assembly.

Separate the two and place the

Tweeter Suspension

Assembly

to one side.

Remove the card shield containing the

Place the

to

one side. Also remove the card packing piece that protects the

curved top of the

Carefully lift the

out of the carton and place it to

one side. Take care not to damage either the drive unit or the

aluminium plate on the underside of the cabinet.

Now lift the

together with its foam end-caps

out of the carton. Stand it on the floor,

lowermost, and

remove the top foam end-cap. Turn the cabinet upside down

being careful not to damage the aluminium plate. Finally remove

the sprung foam end-cap by pulling its sides outward and lifting

it over the plinth.

5.2 Assembling and Installing SL2

Stage 1

With each

upside down the floor spikes can be

fitted. Screw a spike and lock-nut into each threaded hole in the

plinth. If the loudspeakers are to stand on a thick carpet, leave a

generous length of spike protruding past the lock-nut. If they are

to stand on thinly carpeted or plain floor, the spike length should

be reduced. In either case, best results will be achieved when

the spike length is set to the minimum required for the spike

lock-nuts to sit just above the carpet pile.

Stage 2

Take each Tweeter Suspension Assembly in turn and offer it up to

the

Tweeter Mounting Points

on the rear of each Plinth. Attach

it using the bolts and allen key supplied. The Tweeter Suspension

Assembly should be fixed as close to vertical as possible. Use

the back of the Lower Cabinet as a guide.

Now move each

with the

Tweeter Suspension

Assembly

attached into the appropriate position. Take care not

to place them so close to the wall that the rear spikes foul any

carpet gripper that may be fitted. Also leave some space for final

adjustment of the

Tweeter Suspension Assembly

and for the

connecting cables.

Adjust the spikes so that the cabinets are upright (a small

spirit level will help) and do not rock. Tighten the lock-nuts with

an appropriate spanner. Check again, once the lock-nuts are

tightened, that the cabinets do not rock on the spikes.

With thick carpet and underlay it can be difficult to ensure

that the spikes are resting on the floor. Small slits cut into the carpet

once the loudspeaker position is finalised will help.

If you intend to install the SL2 on a non-carpeted floor the

spikes should be used in conjunction with Naim Floor Protectors

(see Diagram 5.4) and set up so that just the tip extends beyond

the lock nut. Your retailer or distributor will be able to supply Floor

Protectors.

Stage 3

The pack containing this manual also contains

and

Fit a

and a

to the three

holes in the aluminium top surface of each

There are two holes at the front and one at the back. Spare

and

are included in the pack. The

should be a

loose fit in the holes. See Diagram 5.5

Now take each

in turn and carefully lower it

onto the appropriate

locating the

in the

corresponding holes on its underside. At the same time as

each

is lowered onto each

the

tweeters must be inserted through the apertures of the

The loose fit of the

allows some adjustment of

the alignment of the two cabinets. See Diagram 5.6

SL2

5.5 SL2 Assembly

Tweeter Suspension

Assembly

Tweeter Suspension

Assembly

Tweeter Mounting

5.3 SL2 Components

The metal bar across

the rear underside of the

SL2 that attaches the Lower

Cabinet to the Plinth is

intended to be slightly loose.

5.4 Floor Protectors

touch the

The card spacing jig packed with this

manual can be used to support the bottom edge of the

as

it is fitted. Seen from the side, the

should continue the

curved form of the front of the

5.7 Connection

If the loudspeakers are to be used with Naim amplification, Naim

loudspeaker cable will produce the best results and is necessary

with some amplifiers. Cable lengths to both loudspeakers should

be equal and be between 3.5 metres and 20 metres (11.5ft and

66ft). Your local retailer will be able to make up cables of the

appropriate length.

If the

is to be used in an active system, speaker cables with

their custom Naim plugs should be connected to the appropriate

input sockets on the back of the

Tweeter Suspension Arm

(HF) and

(LF). Ensure that each positive plug

- identified by a rib on the side of the cable and a tag marked

“pos” on the side of the connector body - is inserted to the red

input sockets.

If the

is to be used in a passive system, the

must be mounted to the back of each

Screws and decoupling grommets are supplied in the

pack that contains the passive crossovers. Tighten the screws

so that the screw heads just touch the decoupling grommets

without compressing them.

The output cables from the

must be

connected to the input sockets on the back of the speaker,

the longer cable to the sockets on the back of each

Tweeter

and the shorter cable to the sockets

on each

The cables should be dressed such

that they do not touch any other

component and such

that the output plugs align naturally with input sockets. Stress

in the cables will interfere with the decoupling between

components.

Finally the amplifier output speaker cables, with their custom

Naim plugs, should be connected to the input sockets on the

back of the

Ensure that each positive

plug - identified by a rib on the side of the cable and a tag

marked “pos” on the side of the connector body - is inserted to

the red input sockets.

SL2

It is vitally important for correct operation of SL2 that the

are located properly on the

that the

are in place and that the two cabinets only touch via the

spacers.

The alignment of the Tweeter within the Upper Cabinets can

be adjusted via either the two bolts connecting the Tweeter

Suspension Assembly to the Plinth or the four screws that attach

the

Tweeter Adjustment Panel

around the front face of the

Tweeter. If the four adjustment panel bolts are loosened they

should be re-tightened as securely as possible. As well as being

adjusted to sit centrally when viewed from the front, and flush

with the front panel, the Tweeter must oscillate freely without

touching any part of either cabinet.

Finally fit a

to each

by aligning it with the top of the

before pushing it gently against the fixing tape

on the

The lower edge of the

should not

Tweeter

Adjustment Panel

SL2 Specification

30Hz - 20kHz

88dB/1W/1m

150 Watts (music programme)

6Ω (nominal)

1027 x 282 x 310mm

Weight (unpacked):

25.4kg

Cherry, Maple, Black

5.6 SL2 Assembly