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Shahinian Obelisk Mk1 vs Mk2

i have been playing with my Obs 1s and i think i am beginning to understand a little more what they need to work in my system/room. I have had to re-arrange a few things in my office in this process -- it wasn't too bad in the end. Positioning relative to boundaries seems critical -- its easy to make treble splashy or bass boomy in the wrong positions. These were bought 2nd hand -- i dont know whether warm-up comes into it at all...

Dare i say, i am beginning to enjoy them now i hear what they are about!!! Not as 'romantic' as i was used to with Naim speakers -- but nevertheless somewhat clearer.

Thanks for your input guys...

enjoy/ken
 
Razor sharp clarity for sure, tending towards slightly clinical and a tad 'cold' compared to the warmth i was used to from my old Naim speakers. The stark clarity does take some time to get used to, but i am beginning to appreciate it more and more as i go through my recordings.

Using a NAC52 -- regret selling my NAC552 -- i would have liked to know how the 552 would get on with these speakers.

I can definitely sense that they prefer to breathe in a bigger room -- too bad -- but, truth be told, they don't sound at all bad even in my rather restricted office after some effort rearranging things to suit these speakers.

I had bought these speakers intending to move them on if they didnt work (and go back to my nSats) -- but i think they are keepers. I am even entertaining the thought of upgrading to Obs Mk2 -- if only out of curiosity. If it were not for this Covid business, i would have considered borrowing a pair from a dealer.

Thanks guys for your input in this thread. I am struggling not to be happy with these speakers!!!

enjoy/ken
 
@Ken C , glad you're happy with them. I'm in a similar predicament; smallish room, biggish speakers but the (controlled) bass is awesome. I need to get something on the walls to make the room softer. Enjoy!
 
Ken C said:
Razor sharp clarity for sure, tending towards slightly clinical and a tad 'cold' compared to the warmth i was used to from my old Naim speakers. The stark clarity does take some time to get used to, but i am beginning to appreciate it more and more as i go through my recordings.

Using a NAC52 -- regret selling my NAC552 -- i would have liked to know how the 552 would get on with these speakers.

I can definitely sense that they prefer to breathe in a bigger room -- too bad -- but, truth be told, they don't sound at all bad even in my rather restricted office after some effort rearranging things to suit these speakers.

I had bought these speakers intending to move them on if they didnt work (and go back to my nSats) -- but i think they are keepers. I am even entertaining the thought of upgrading to Obs Mk2 -- if only out of curiosity. If it were not for this Covid business, i would have considered borrowing a pair from a dealer.

Thanks guys for your input in this thread. I am struggling not to be happy with these speakers!!!

enjoy/ken
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Hi Ken, just catching up with this thread. I was in a similar position to yourself many years ago, tried Obs 1 and loved them, but always felt they were a ‘bit much’ for my listening room and sold them on and bought Arcs mk1 and have never looked back. Have trialled all sorts of speaker subsequent to the Arcs (well, it’s good to keep abreast!) but have stuck with them. There wonderful. Might be a good choice for your small room. Just a thought. Cheers.
 
i have been using these since late last year and i can report that i am quite happy with them. i will not be selling them anytime soon. It took some re-org of the listening toom to get them to work -- but now i have done it -- they seem to have settled in and are working quite well now..
enjoy/ken
 
Ken C said:
i have been using these since late last year and i can report that i am quite happy with them. i will not be selling them anytime soon. It took some re-org of the listening toom to get them to work -- but now i have done it -- they seem to have settled in and are working quite well now..
enjoy/ken
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Forgotten about this thread! I’ve also changed over lockdown from the Arcs to Obs mk2 and love them also! They do take some time to settle in though.
 
Darth Vader said:
Neither did I with an amp that could drive them properly. The very first thing that I noticed with the older pre obs2 and a beefy amp was the clarity of a triangle - it sparkled like the real thing and the bass deeeep and tight. Initially I used a pair of NAP135s and the result was not in the same league and you'd think you had a different and lesser speaker. I think thats why some on pfm sometimes say that they preferred the Arc over the Obs as their amps couldn't cope with the demands of the latter.

The Obs hover around 2 Ohm in the treble region and some amps struggle with such a low load. Then add to this its where the ear is at its most sensitive so any distortion here will be noticeable.

One other thing there were multiple iterations over the decades of the Obs pre Ob2 so peoples observations will differ depending on the configuration of earlier Obs.

Cheers,

DV
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Hi DV,
Are the measurements you quote for the Obs 2 your own or are they published somewhere?
 
Linus said:
Hi DV,
Are the measurements you quote for the Obs 2 your own or are they published somewhere?
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They were my own. However as sods law will have it the graphs and readings went along with the old computers to the tip as at that time I no longer had any use for them.

I might if I get the inclination plot those curves again if the FG1 continues to give a pure sine wave. Its like me rather old! Its easy to do but takes time and I have to move all the kit down 3 floors to the speakers hence my reluctance.

DV
 
peterm said:
I had the same problem (but worse?) a few years ago using Olive NAP250 with Obs 1s.

Turned out the regulator boards in the 250 were "protecting" the amps by limiting current delivery into low impedances at high frequencies, since Obs are about 2 ohms throughout the treble above the crossover point the regulator boards were, in my case (probably an extreme case of incompatibility between amp & speakers) preventing any dynamic signals reaching the tweeters!.
An NAP180 with unregulated power supply coped much better. Be wary of replacing a 250 with a 250DR unless you get to audition it first.
See John Curtis's post 13 above.

Some of the comments from a thread on this subject 3 years ago\;-

https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/shahinian-obelisks-with-naim-amps.204027/page-3
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I’d agree with these findings, I had a NAP250 and Arcs back them it was the case back in 1996 when working at an Islington based hi fi company that the NAP160 or 180 where better amps to use due to load. Although I held out and bought a HX1.2 mk 2 when it first hit the shores. I had a NAC82 for my 21st birthday in 1993 that’s scary.
 
Sorry, any thread on Obelisks definitely needs a picture:

51283295653_28bce1ca45_c.jpg


The Mk 1s went through quite an evolution over the years & so it is difficult to be absolutely categorical about how they sound. Mine are later Mk1 and I wouldn't change them for the Mk2s I heard - the balance is subtly different to mine & not one that I preferred - OK they may have more resolution but I didn't find them as enjoyable - however everyones opinions are equally valid

I think I'm on safer ground in saying that a 250 in any iteration is not up to driving Mk1s at realistic volumes & yes that was the combination I started off with - the HX1.2 Mk2 I have now is an entirely different proposition especially with an L300 on the front end. My dealer, a well known Shahinian advocate would demonstrate the Obelisks with a Naim 180. I can't comment on whether this remains the case with the Mk2
 
A 180 doesn’t quite fit with Obs but is a great match with Arcs. With Obs the Dynavectors rule (and Plinius).
 
Darth Vader said:
From when I had mine 10 years ago (where has that time gone?):-

"Overall i'd say obs2 are quite a different speaker from the 1's. More open, more exciting, more real, more detailed, a much much better treble, a touch brighter, a bit faster etc.. much closer to the music. More kind of SBL-ish compared to obs 1. but still effortlessly natural and musical."

Cheers,

DV
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Despite being very competent with setting the SBLs up I found them at best rivalling Royds
 
Darth Vader said:
Neither did I with an amp that could drive them properly. The very first thing that I noticed with the older pre obs2 and a beefy amp was the clarity of a triangle - it sparkled like the real thing and the bass deeeep and tight. Initially I used a pair of NAP135s and the result was not in the same league and you'd think you had a different and lesser speaker. I think thats why some on pfm sometimes say that they preferred the Arc over the Obs as their amps couldn't cope with the demands of the latter.

The Obs hover around 2 Ohm in the treble region and some amps struggle with such a low load. Then add to this its where the ear is at its most sensitive so any distortion here will be noticeable.

One other thing there were multiple iterations over the decades of the Obs pre Ob2 so peoples observations will differ depending on the configuration of earlier Obs.

Cheers,

DV
Click to expand...
The 135 where never up to the job even the nap 500 was questionable the hx1.2 thrashed all the Naim amps sold move back in 2000
 
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