Naim Ariva Speakers Info Anyone?
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 16 Registered: Aug-07 | Hi, My dealer has a pair of Naim Ariva Speakers for sale - they aren't made anymore. RRP was $4400, hes selling for $3000. How do these speakers compare to other brands around? Has What HiFi done a review of these in the past? Perhaps the What HiFi team could share their experience with these speakers? It would be going into a Naim System. Naim CD5x/FlatCap2x with a Nait 5i-2. I currently have Paradigm Monitor 7v5 speakers. The Naim speakers for sale are about 1 to 1.5 yrs old. Hardly used. What does everyone think? Also Neat Speakers aren't available in NZ. I was wondering what the Rega Floorstanding ones at this price would be? Thanks, Jonno |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7708 Registered: Feb-05 | You've come to the right place my friend. We have a couple of folks who have recently been steered to the Ariva's for their Naim gear. Let me start the ball rolling by saying that IMO you won't find a better speaker at their humble price for your gear. I just love the Ariva. Full bass, refined high end, and to die for midrange...snap 'em up while you can...if I were flush I'd beat you to it...lol! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 1833 Registered: Jun-07 | Yup, I totally agree with Art's statement. Don't get me wrong, the Monitor 7's are a great budget speaker, but the Ariva's will musically blow them out of the water IMO. Also, your synergy rating will sky rocket my friend. Grab them up!!! |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2991 Registered: May-05 | There's no substitute for Arivas in a Naim 5 series system. Everything else should be a back up plan IMO. Naim's 5 series was voiced with the Ariva, and the 5 series systems were designed to be used with the Ariva. If you love the Naim sound, you'll be enamoured with wha your system will sound like. While the Paradigm Monitor 7s are a great budget speaker, especially in the right system, they're no Ariva by any means, and aren't the best match for Naim either. Need we say more? Snatch 'em up before someone else does. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 2992 Registered: May-05 | Also, a regular here reviewed them - https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/489973.html Here's another related thread - https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/501116.html |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 229 Registered: Nov-07 | My Arivas are at the end of my Nait 5i2/CD5i2 and I'm happier than the proverbial pig in mud. Everything that was missing from my Klipsch, B&W and two pair of Focals is now delivered with the Arivas. You truly owe it to yourself to hear them on the end of your kit and let your ears be the judge. Oh hell, just buy them before someone else does.  |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 17 Registered: Aug-07 | Wow very positive reviews... opps I posted this at another forum hence the What HiFi Statement. Thanks all. Are rega worth listening too? |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 10747 Registered: Dec-04 | Sure they are. But I would have the Ariva's in my room before I listened to Rega anywhere else. The Ariva's use specific speaker leads as well, which MUST be used for the perfect setup, as the wiring is an integral part of the output circuit. Trust us, put them in your room. |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 234 Registered: Nov-07 | Jonathan, The Rega R5, R7 & R9 are all excellent speakers and they get better as you move up the line. When I demoed the R5 & R7 (never listened to R9) I was feeling good about the R7. This was actually the speaker I demoed my kit with and fell in love with Naim. After listening to the Ariva vs R7 I almost immediatley knew the Ariva would be the one going home with me. Mine are not quite broken in or placed properly and I'm still thrilled with the results so far. I will tell you exactly as I was told, the Ariva should be first on your list and then everyhting else secondary. Ad like Nuck said, "Trust Us" |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 18 Registered: Aug-07 | Thanks Ed and everyone for your replys. I think Im going to have to ring the dealer and have a good listen. Incase "upgraditis" was to set in, would the Ariva be good enough if running the Naim seperates thru it? Hopefully the dealer has the Rega 7 instock - mind you it would be a lot more expensive as the Ariva is discounted. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7732 Registered: Feb-05 | Buy the Ariva...not sure how else we can put this... R7's are a great speaker and IMO every bit as good as the Ariva...but not with Naim gear. At least hold the Ariva with cash and then listen to the R7's...just don't lose the Ariva or you will likely be sorry. |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 209 Registered: Apr-08 | DO NOT HESITATE!! Get them while you can. I love mine more than any other bit of kit Ive ever owned. And yes they work wonderfully at the end of a Naim separates kit. I love them with my olive 102/180! Here is a recent pic. I just put some marble slabs under them to see what that brings to the party. Jury is still out.  |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 235 Registered: Nov-07 | Patrick, I'm thinking of doing the same thing simply for the ease in possibly leveling my plinths. Definitely let us know how you make out. |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 10750 Registered: Dec-04 | JC, buy them! |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7734 Registered: Feb-05 | When I used stone I noticed that the sound was more detailed but in the end was too much of a good thing. Good luck with it Patrick.... Jonathan, have you purchased the Ariva's yet...? |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 213 Registered: Apr-08 | After about 3 hours of solid listening, I am still on the fence. It surely tightened up the bass but also everything else as well. The music was far less relaxed and easy. The bass in particular lost any boom it might have had, and it was more directly slamming me in the chest. But the upper mids and treble were gripping the music with an iron hand. I was surprised that bases had such an effect on the overall presentation. Im not sure if I like the marble or not. Jury still out. But I my first impressions are leaning towards getting rid of them. FYI, I am not trying to "increase" the bass. The Ariva has plenty. I was simply wanting to place them as close to the wall as possible to see what that bears. Also, curious if my floor is less than ideal, and if something can improve that. Sorry for the hijack |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 214 Registered: Apr-08 | oh, besides them performing like mofos. They are sexy as hell. GET THEM NOW! Does this convince you?  |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7740 Registered: Feb-05 | I'm convinced, you can send them this way Patrick...I'm waiting! |
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Bronze Member Username: SoundgameRichmond Hill, Ontario Canada Post Number: 76 Registered: Jun-08 | Patrick, those are sweet shots and lovely monitors. I love all the wood you've got going. Would just love to hear your setup. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 1451 Registered: May-06 | Patrick, try placing wooden tile from a Jenga game between the speaker and the marble. One under each spike if you are using spikes. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 19 Registered: Aug-07 | Just been to the local dealer to have a listen to the Ariva's. Wow huge improvements over the Paradigm Monitor 7v5's in bass, detail, timing, over all enjoyment. A lot more depth to the music and soundstage goes back further. Bass is a lot deeper, treble toned down and not harsh in anyway. The Paradigm's are a lot more In-Your-Face, the Naims more laided back yet with fast tempo. Only thing I preferred about the Paradigms was the slight boost or colouration in the treble they have. The Ariva's will make bright recordings listenable again, where the Paradigms made them sound sometimes bright. Now Im home again though, the Paradigms certianally seem good value for their price I paid for them, but are no Ariva's.... |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 1874 Registered: Jun-07 | Jonathan- your experience with the Paradigm speakers are a lot different in sound compared to my experience. To each, their own. But I will definitely agree with you they are no Ariva's indeed. You going to buy them?lol |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7800 Registered: Feb-05 | Let's hope that he's already bought them. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 20 Registered: Aug-07 | Just brought them :-) wow they sound even better at home then they did the demo room! Geez the spike base part takes an age to do! Think I need to put spikes in deeper tomorrow, but they are sounding great at the moment anyway. Nick K, were yours the Monitor 7v5's? With the white dome bass driver? I know the other Monitor 7's were different. I had a quick listen to the Monitors before changing to the Ariva's: The bass is so much tighter now! It didn't help the Monitors were only 2.5 feet from wall but still. The treble is so sweet on the Ariva's even with Bon Jovi playing lol. Thanks all for your recommendation :-) |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 236 Registered: Nov-07 | Congrats. I know you will only fall deeper in love in due time. Truly a great speaker when matched with Naim gear. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 7805 Registered: Feb-05 | Good job Jonathan...! |
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Gold Member Username: Nickelbut10Post Number: 1886 Registered: Jun-07 | Jonathan- I have the new V6 Monitor 7's strictly just for HT duty in the HT system. IMO they are much improved over the V5's. I also have heard the V4's more times than I can count. The V5's Paradigm quickly replaced with the V6's. Still white woofer though. To my ears they are warm, laid back, and still have that signature Paradigm sound. Very very good on a budget again, the Monitor series is. However...they are no Ariva, that is for damn sure. Musically the Ariva is much better. The only thing Paradigm make that I would put up against the Ariva's would be their Signature line. Still, the deal you got on the Ariva's is killer, and is a MUCH better match than pretty much any speaker I can think of for your system. Naim gear, really needs Naim gear to shine. Ask the NAIM experts. Very nice setup Jon. Congrats. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3205 Registered: Sep-04 | Jonathan, For best results, place the Arivas a bit closer to the wall than your Paradigms. Not up against the wall, just a bit closer. You can do this to 'tune' the bass. Some people like it quite full and some like it quite dry. Also, do not toe in the speakers at all at first. If, by moving the speakers closer to or further from the wall, the soundstage remains too diffuse (or vague), then toe them in in increments of just a couple of mm - literally almost so you can't tell they're toed-in! Suddenly the soundstage and image will snap into focus without stranglong the bass. If you like you can try toeing in heavily and you'll notice the bass get strangled, heavy and ploddy with a very sharp image in the middle. This is not how to setup Naim speakers! Once you've found the best location, settle the spikes in the shoes so they don't rock at all and are perfectly level. Place the speakers back on top and enjoy! Do not fiddle. Just enjoy. Forget about them and the system and just enjoy. In answer to your upgrade query, they will reflect changes and won't be surpassed until all your electronics have been replaced - i.e. minimum CDX2/202/200 territory. At that point you could consider better speakers. Patrick, I think your Arivas are too close to the wall, in part because your right hand one is next to that wall unit and the left one is close to a corner. Even bringing them out to the edge of the carpeted bit will open up the midrange and give you better spread. |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 215 Registered: Apr-08 | Frank, I completely agree. But i am in the process of moving back to Portland!!! Ill miss Bend but you know.... "Its a great place to visit but I wouldn't want......" At least I have a Naim dealer now! So, I am suspending all fiddling until I am in my new house. |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 238 Registered: Nov-07 | Patrick, What was your final decision of the marble/granite platforms under the plinths? |
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Silver Member Username: PcstocktonPost Number: 216 Registered: Apr-08 | ed, They are staying. As I got used to the new presentation, I realized I love the sound. What Art mentioned is true "too much of a good thing"... but to quote Nomeansno, "Too much is not enough" |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 239 Registered: Nov-07 | Good to hear. Like I said I may try some just to help with leveling plinths on my f**ked up carpet. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 21 Registered: Aug-07 | Quote: Jonathan, For best results, place the Arivas a bit closer to the wall than your Paradigms. Not up against the wall, just a bit closer. You can do this to 'tune' the bass. Some people like it quite full and some like it quite dry. Also, do not toe in the speakers at all at first. If, by moving the speakers closer to or further from the wall, the soundstage remains too diffuse (or vague), then toe them in in increments of just a couple of mm - literally almost so you can't tell they're toed-in! Suddenly the soundstage and image will snap into focus without stranglong the bass. If you like you can try toeing in heavily and you'll notice the bass get strangled, heavy and ploddy with a very sharp image in the middle. This is not how to setup Naim speakers! :-) Once you've found the best location, settle the spikes in the shoes so they don't rock at all and are perfectly level. Place the speakers back on top and enjoy! Do not fiddle. Just enjoy. Forget about them and the system and just enjoy. In answer to your upgrade query, :-) they will reflect changes and won't be surpassed until all your electronics have been replaced - i.e. minimum CDX2/202/200 territory. At that point you could consider better speakers. Wow thanks for that detailed post! I currently have them about 21cm (8-9 inches) from the wall. Am thinking they need to be a little bit closer. The Ariva's sure do image great firing straight out at you, compared to the Paradigms which were sharply angled inwards maybe even 45 degrees. It doesn't matter either where you sit to get good imaging. I think I will try you suggestion though and very slightly toe them to see how it changes/improves imaging. The Paradigms toed in imaged as well as the Ariva's did, BUT you had to be sitting exactly in the right place with the Paradigms. Good to know the Ariva's will still be great speakers if I upgrade electronics . One thing with the Ariva's iv noticed is that they really do get better with good electronics. I almost feel my source/amp isn't good enough for them after hearing the dealers gear thru them! One last thing - how far apart do you recommend? Iv found that they image better closer together then normal? A Naim Hi-Line made a huge improvement when I borrowed it for a couple of days.... if only...! |
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Platinum Member Username: NuckPost Number: 10801 Registered: Dec-04 | JC, the width depends on the depth of your room and listening distance. Although the Ariva's sound field is wider than most, keeping a rough triangulation between speakers and listener is a good place to start, then play with the depth of your favorite listening chair. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 22 Registered: Aug-07 | UPDATE Iv had my Ariva's for a bout 3months now, and they are going great. Im after a bit of advice on fine-tuning the speaker positioning. Currently my Ariva's are set up as follows: They are currently 1.70 meters apart, 21cm from the wall and I sit 3 meters back from them (sometimes 3.5 meters). My room is a really bad shape. The right speaker is only about 60cm from a corner, while the left speaker has a glass sliding door behind it as opposed to a wall... Anyway, I could place them further apart and sit closer. Would this give me a wider soundstage? Iv experimented a bit, but don't want to lose the imaging either. The bass seems pretty good this distance from the wall. It would be interesting to see how others have their Ariva's positioned :-) |
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Silver Member Username: Scorpio1PA USA Post Number: 254 Registered: Nov-07 | Jonathan, My Arivas are 8 & 1/2 ft apart sitting 8 inches from my back wall with no toe in. They are also a little over 2 ft from the side walls. I sit about 7 & 1/2 ft away in an almost perfect triangle. My floor is concrete covered in carpet and my room is horrid, but the soundstage, presence, imaging and weight I was after is all here now. Like Frank mentioned, once I had them set I have not fiddled with them since. Now if I make some changes in the room as far as getting rid of stuff I will revisit the positioning. If they sound good, just sit back and enjoy your music. Your old CD's will sound like new music. |
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Gold Member Username: Mike3Wylie, Tx USA Post Number: 1624 Registered: May-06 | JC, if you looked up speaker placement in a search engine and followed that to a tee then you might want to check into improving your room acoustics with treatments. The glass door behind the one speaker is a problem with harsh reflections for instance. |
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Gold Member Username: Stu_pittIrvington, New York USA Post Number: 3117 Registered: May-05 | Mike, Naim speakers aren't like most speakers in regards to placement. I'd follow Frank Abela's recommendations to the T. |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3439 Registered: Sep-04 | Jonathan, Naim speakers like to be further apart than you'd imagine. Ideally, you want to create an equilateral triangle so if you're 3m away from them, they want to be close to 3m apart with little or no toe-in. Proximity to the rear wall adjusts the amount of bass you get. Arivas are a little less dependant on this than other Naim speakers because of their extra bass unit. You can prove this to yourself quite easily. Sit in your usual listening position playing some music at the usual level so it's engaging but not loud. Now move off your couch keeping your head at about the ame level and move forward until you're about the same distance from the speakers as they are apart. As you do so, listen to the change in presentation. You should find that midrange (vocals) becomes a little less congested, or has more room to breathe. You should also find that the soundstage has better space and scale, as well as being less confused - particularly obvious with classical orchestral but also obvious with vocal driven rock. At least, that's my experience with Naim speakers. With your current layout they should definitely not be toed in - that would only congest the midrange, slow the bass and possibly sharpen the treble too much. With them at the full equilateral triangle position, they may require a very tiny amount of toe-in (millimetres) just to snap vocals to the middle without losing the spaciousness of the soundstage and the looseness of the bass line. Hope this helps. |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 23 Registered: Aug-07 | Thanks alot Frank, as usual your comments are very helpful. Iv moved my speakers to about 2.20 meters apart, and now sit about 2.5 meters from the speakers. The sound was improved by a surprising amount! Soundstage wider as you said, and even imaged better sitting closer (even though are widing apart). I feel occasionally the Ariva's are under-powered with my Nait 5i-2. I had the "Gladiator" soundtrack cranked up to 11oclock on the amp today. Its a quiet yet very dynamic cd (esp The Battle). I got the feeling the Ariva's were hungry for a few more watts. Sometimes with vocals even at 9/10 o'clock on the amp I think a few micro dynamics are missed that I got with my Paradigm Monitor 7's (94db sensitivity and very dynamic). Any word on when Naims new intergrated is out??? :-) |
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Bronze Member Username: Kiwi_jonnoPost Number: 24 Registered: Aug-07 | Thanks alot Frank, as usual your comments are very helpful. Iv moved my speakers to about 2.20 meters apart, and now sit about 2.5 meters from the speakers. The sound was improved by a surprising amount! Soundstage wider as you said, and even imaged better sitting closer (even though are widing apart). I feel occasionally the Ariva's are under-powered with my Nait 5i-2. I had the "Gladiator" soundtrack cranked up to 11oclock on the amp today. Its a quiet yet very dynamic cd (esp The Battle). I got the feeling the Ariva's were hungry for a few more watts. Sometimes with vocals even at 9/10 o'clock on the amp I think a few micro dynamics are missed that I got with my Paradigm Monitor 7's (94db sensitivity and very dynamic). Any word on when Naims new intergrated is out??? :-) |
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Gold Member Username: Frank_abelaBerkshire UK Post Number: 3445 Registered: Sep-04 | Jonathan, Beware - the evil green Naim monster is getting its claws into you and the message it whispers in your ear is 'upgrade...upgrade...'. The new Nait XS is in the process of being rolled out to dealers as I write, so in theory it's already out, just a matter of a short while until every dealer has one. The stories I'm hearing about it are very positive... |
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