A while ago there were a couple of posts re Brik bass swamping everything. I was at the time incompetantly unable to register on the new improved extra cheesy nannyfied forum. Anyroad I had the same problem and am pleased to say it is now solved (at some cost but worth every penny) Move one Ekos,tidied it up a lot. Two 250 a bit better but not as much as expected. Three 82 and problem fixed. Bottom line your Ittock can't cut it at this level.I got a lot of great advice when I got my Briks particularly from a guy called tf (who rally knows his stuff) who wrote me an essay I will forward if wanted. As for Briks they are so good the only place to go is NBL or DBL. My next move is Mana reference and Mana Isobarik stands.

Hi Mark,

Glad to here you've got the beasts under control!Awesome speakers aren't they? If it's not too much trouble I'd love a copy of TF's essay. he threatened to unleash a copy on the world a long time ago but....

Thanks,

dave

Date: May 01, 2000 04:48 AM
Author: tf (stagboy@vixen.demon.co.uk)
Subject: Making the most of (and maintaining) your Briks

Being a Brik owner (and someone who has invested a lot of time and energy in getting them to cream anything else I've listened to) I feel confident in saying that Isobariks are still the finest of Linn's speakers (and that includes the Keltiks). Briks are legendary, they have over the years garnered a lot of fans and several pros I meet use them in preference to speakers costing vastly more (and if they can afford to spend

vastly more (and if they can afford to spend

(sorry dickheadery,as he was saying:--)

Hi Mark,

It appears you're having problems posting Tf's brik tale. If it's easier, why don't you just e-mail a copy direct to me and others.

FWIW-Just noticed there's an attachment button at the bottom of the Message page.

My address: blackdogaudio@triad.rr.com

thanks,

dave

Date: May 01, 2000 04:48 AM
Author: tf (stagboy@vixen.demon.co.uk)
Subject: Making the most of (and maintaining) your Briks

Being a Brik owner (and someone who has invested a lot of time and energy in getting them to cream anything else I've listened to) I feel confident in saying that Isobariks are still the finest of Linn's speakers (and that includes the Keltiks). Briks are legendary, they have over the years garnered a lot of fans and several pros I meet use them in preference to speakers costing vastly more (and if they can afford to spend

Hi Mark and others,

Hope this works.

regards,
Dave
---------------------------------------------
From: <Suevollans@aol.com>
To: <blackdogaudio@triad.rr.com>
Subject: Tf essay
Date: Sunday, September 10, 2000 5:09 PM

Hi I would be grateful if you could post this on the thread as I can't.
Date: May 01, 2000 04:48 AM
Author: tf
Subject: Making the most of (and maintaining) your Briks

Being a Brik owner (and someone who has invested a lot of time and energy in
getting them to cream anything else I've listened to) I feel confident in
saying that Isobariks are still the finest of Linn's speakers (and that
includes the Keltiks). Briks are legendary, they have over the years garnered
a lot of fans and several pros I meet use them in preference to speakers
costing vastly more (and if they can afford to spend £8K-£10K on supports
they can afford more expensive speakers!). They are efficient too --
certainly that NAP180 will be fine with it. Linn Saras are a different
matter, but Briks are actually quite easy to drive with Naim Power amps --
despite the 12 drivers they use in a pair.
I prefer Isobariks *vastly* over all other new Linn speakers and I feel that
Naim's SBLs are just not in the same ballpark either, but it boils down to
how much effort you want to put into them to make the perform at their very
best. The downside is that Briks generate a lot of very low LF energy which
means it needs the use of proper supports.
The three types of official Linn Isobarik stand I have tried hamper the
Isobarik's performance (it's literally like driving with the handbrake on).
While they do a job - of sorts - Linn's stands are ultimately not good enough
and therefore Isobariks benefit from Custom Mana supports moreso than any
other component I know (next to possibly the LP12). Mana's supports are
approx £450 and they are money well spent - even if you got your s/h Briks
for less than that!
If you ever need new speaker drivers, Wilmslow Audio
(http://www.wilmslow-audio.co.uk) supplies replacement Hiquophon (older) and
ScanSpeak (newer) tweeters and bass drivers for the Isobariks. Other users
here recommend Naim specified ScanSpeaks (which have a modded rear panel and
are used in the SBL). They are slightly more expensive, but I have not
bothered since I have fitted new ScanSpeaks now and I like the sound to much
to dick about with another set -- maybe in a decade when these new tweeters
get shagged to bits.
Wilmslow now have a "near replacement" for the midranges too that should in
theory be better than the originals, but theory and practice rarely match up,
but I might try a few at some point). If the foam grilles are a bit rotten
now (they do tend to crumble away with age -- like the original IBL and old
old SBL grilles) you can get new Isobarik foam grilles from Wilmslow too
although I replaced all mine with a wooden frame and stretched some
"Lycra"-like material that Linn supplied over the frame... (The urge to use
"Zebra" and "Leopard" patterned Lycra was almost too great but in the end
Black prevailed!)
Custom Mana supports take the Isobarik into new realms of power and clarity.
They make Isobariks sound Active and they make active Isobariks sound like
what people were hoping for when they made them active in the first place!
Cable choice is always Naim NACA5 (I've tried others -- don't bother looking
its a fool's errand) and if your Briks use the 3-pin XLR sockets, try them
with and without the XLR sleeves... you may like the difference.
I find Briks are best placed right up against a wall, this is at odds with
Linn's suggestion of "a few inches away", but bass boom is too much of a
problem when pulling out (a room issue associated with using Linn supports
I'll grant you -- things operate by different rules when Mana Supports are
under them). Additional levels of Sound Stages under the Brik stands makes
them faster and more responsive. Phase 7 supports (Six Mana Sound Stages and
a Mana Isobarik Stand) under each Speaker will create a soundstage and
responsiveness (aka "speed") that you will not have dreamed possible.
Isobariks almost always don't like being right next to a wall... Close to the
back wall is fine, but side walls are a no no -- solution to this is to hang
curtains at the sides for a thrird (or a quarter of the total length of the
side wall)
If the treble is too harsh (if you have a bright room or if the briks are up
right up against plaster then a single square of tissue over the top tweeters
"softens" the upward impact of the treble before it diffuses off the rear
plaster wall... I recommend the more visually pleasing effect of hanging a
rug or tapestry behind the Briks - just above and slightly behind/below the
top of the Isobarik enclosure.
[Would you like to know more?]
The Mana forum at http://www.mana.co.uk/forum has quite a few users there
that have a lot of experience of using Isobariks on and off Mana supports.
Good choice BTW.
(http://conference.realwebsite.com/Forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=16&Message_ID=53587)