Having just bought a CD5 i thought whilst i was fiddling about i would tidy some of the spaggetti round the back of the rack - is there any reason why i should not shorten the mains leads as they are far to long for my needs and end being laid everywhere.

naim CD5, 112/150/fc2, quad 21L

This has been round before and if the search facility is being co-opperative you could try that. Most of the responses I seem to remember where "leasve them as ***(insert diety of choice) intended. We assume that NAIM have done the research so that you don't have to.
Most advice for excesss cables is usually laid out in gentle curves, of coures making sure signal/speaker and mains don't run parrallel etc.
Life was so much simpler when you could wrap all your cables up in some curly plastic or hide them in some conduit. Those days when you could climb trees,drink tap water and use the slide in the local park.


Howard

I did say "most" of the responses..... Should that have been responders?

Howard

Personally IMHO, and all that, of course...
I think that the reason they're the length they are is because that's what length Naim's source supply them at.
I believe that mains should be supplied as efficiently as possible, and that's it.
It's not like interconnects and speaker cables where they form part of the system's signal path.
I would be interested if anybody could identify a degradation due to using shorter mains leads.
But, remember that the mains path is the sum of the house's internal working, the plugboard's cable, the IEC cable up to the equipment, and the equipment's internal cabling, along with all connectors, switches, fuses, etc. embedded along the way. So will chopping a foot of a cable make much difference?

Paul

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So will chopping a foot of a cable make much difference?

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It will if you don't put a plug back on the end...

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Originally posted by BigH47:
Most advice for excesss cables is usually laid out in gentle curves, of coures making sure signal/speaker and mains don't run parrallel etc.

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I would need to dig a basement to be able to do that!

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right, but I'm with prowla on this one - the standard mains cables appear to be a fairly common bought-in component. I shortened six of mine with no audible difference.

Kind regards

cheers guys - out with cutters then and as i had some wattgate iec connectors unused i may as well press them into service.
phill

naim CD5, 112/150/fc2, quad 21L

There was some discussion at the show at Heathrow about this. It transpires that two outfits, one being Siltech, did some research. One by listening, Siltech by measuring. They both came to the conclusion that 1.8m was the optimum length for 50hz mains supplies. I presume it changes for 60hz then!

Damn fine ears those other people have!

Milan

What I find strange is there has been no comment by the Mods on this. I even reported the thread for comment. If the F or A word had is used swift intervention usually occurs.

I have experimented with silicone insulated high temperature flex, as used for stage lanterns, multistrand copper with a silvery coating. 1.5mm sq, costs a couple of quid a metre (and sold by others for much more). I was advised (Midland Audio Exchange) that 1.78m was the optimum length, and I could hear a difference between that and a minumum length (about 12") feeding my Nap200 from the wall socket - however the short lead had soldered connections in the IEC plug, whereas the long one has screw connections. I cannot remember precisely what the difference in sound was, only that the longer lead was better!

Cat amongst the pigeons again??

Phil.

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Originally posted by hifi-dog:
cheers guys - out with cutters then and as i had some wattgate iec connectors unused i may as well press them into service.
phill

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Mr Dog,

Naim have stated that they reckon their connectors sound better than Wattgates.

If you're going to shorten the lead, why not do it at the mains plug end, rather than the box end?

cheers, Martin

E-mail:- MartinPayne (at) Dial.Pipex.com. Put "Naim" in the title.

crikey - i did not know i would stir up so many comments, before i cut the leads i will chop a spare one up and try it first, to see if there are any effects. Thanks for the comments guys,
phill

naim CD5, 112/150/fc2, quad 21L

I have asked around about this question - and, we don't have an opinion but suspect you are better off leaving them as they come. I would certainly agree that the sensible end from which to shorten - would be the plug top not the iec.

Another quick note regarding Adam's response and mine - removing cable was done at the mains plug end.

While I would like to really clean up the tangled octopus wiring from all these power cords, it's a painful thought to cut them.

I really struggle to understand how anything other than shorter must be better can apply (except in a very rare occurance where a longer lead is acting as a mains filter, that just might in some cases be benificial).

However generally the smaller the mains resistance the better. Clearly Naim aren't going to provide 1 foot leads as these are just not going to be practicable for 99% of users, but to suggest the length supplied gives the best possible sound is having the faith of some strange fanatic, get real folks!

Yep - I'm not sure transmission line effects and reflections, standing waves, etc. come into play with a 50 Hz mains cable.

Paul

If you have the wherewithall to buy a dedicated power supply Hcap etc, does this not render the length of cable irrelevant as any failings in the national grid's performance will be negated by the Flatcap, hicap supercap etc.

So tidying up cable length doesn't matter if you can afford a seperate power supply

I can't think of any reason why a longer mains lead should sound better than a shorter one. I thought the lower the mains impedance the better and isn't impedance (I know that's not the same as resistance but I'm getting old!) proportional to the length of the conductor?

I used to know but I've forgotten! Nonetheless, I'd take some persuading that lengthening a mains lead would improve the performance of an audio component.