I have a Naim system (CDS2/282/supercap/250/sbls) with 5m Naim speaker cable (NAC 4 if I remember correctly). I have just moved to a new house where plastic tubes were put in for speaker cables when the the concrete was cast. I have two questions:
1. I only need ca. 3.5metres of cable? Am i going to see a difference in performance if i shorten the cables?
2. The tubes in the concrete can only take one set of NAC 4 cables due to the fact that the cable is so wide. Does anyone have a suggestion of another cable which would go well if I want to get a second NAP 250 and hence have a second set of speaker cables going through the tubes?

Thanks in advance. I really appreciate your help!!

3.5m should be fine, although length does make a slight difference to the sound the difference between 3.5m and 5m isn't that massive.

If you want to keep the NACA4 I would tend to buy new Naim plugs for all the ends and cut back and re-terminate with a minimum 60W soldering iron, taking note of polarity, directionality etc. Quite a few on here have seen benefits from re-terminating older cables. Personally I'd buy some new NACA5, it really is quite a bit better.

I personally would never use non-Naim speaker cables with a 250 as the cable is effectively part of the output stage, but there are quite a few people on here who do use other cables. If you do wish to try other cables be very careful, high capacitance especially could damage your amp.

Chris,

while from 3.5m up to 20m “anything goes” Naim puts the optimum to “around 5m”. Nevertheless, our systems is far from being the optima. E.g. SBL (yours and mine ones) are hardly bigger than some bookshelf ones and a surplus bass caused by surplus length may come handy. In may case, the recent change from 5m to 7m was a real upgrade.

As for your second problem (what if going active in the future), taken your present system into consideration, you may stick to passive then no need for a second set of speaker cable. Yes, Naim’s speaker had always been designed for active use but in the recent decade or so Naim has changed his attitude and now he says you should upgrade to a better player, preamp, amp and go only for active when reached a very high niveau, sa, series 500.

Then with a second amp you should buy not only an active crossover but a HiCap (or maybe a Supercap...) to feed it and each one needs a level on your Fraims :-). In case of an upgrade you should have not 4-5 but 6-7 black boxes in mind. Good luck to the series 700 :-)

graphoman
PS. I hope between my lines you see the frustration why I did not go active...

quote:

In my case, the recent change from 5m to 7m was a real upgrade.

I can second that TOTALLY...

Even the not-run-in NACA5 at 2x6m is a huge improvement over the 2x4m...unbelievable...

Why is this so, technically?

quote:

Originally posted by Luxen:

Why is this so, technically?

Self-fulfilling prophecy?

quote:

Self-fulfilling prophecy?

No, really.
The sound IS different...

quote:

Originally posted by Luxen:

quote:

In my case, the recent change from 5m to 7m was a real upgrade.

I can second that TOTALLY... Even the not-run-in NACA5 at 2x6m is a huge improvement over the 2x4m...unbelievable...

Are you still running a Nait5i Torsten?

If you are, then the sonic difference in NACA5 cable length you're noticing is all the more remarkable!

How does it compare to, say, adding a Hi-line?

Yep, still this wonderful wonderful amp.

Hmmmm, the improvement is diffferent....
The Hi-line does a "fine-correcting-job"...like icing on a cake, like a sweetener in coffee/tea...Only remarkable in a "subtle", but very nice way...

The 4 metres extra cable immediately showed deeper, fatter and more "outlined" bass and a much wider soundstage...and more "depth" to all, more BAMM...

Speaker cable length seems to be very important with Naim, with longer lengths markedly better, certainly up to 8m or so which is as far as I've gone so far.

In fact, using the right length of A5 seems to be more significant than using.alternative cables.

Interesting that buyers of expensive cables most often buy short lengths for reasons of cost. Wonder what they're missing?

Missing???

The NAIM-sound.

Apart from the fact that NACA4 wasn't as good as NACA5, the age of NACA4 certainly won't be helping the system. NACA5 would help, even with the shorter length, but don't go below 3.5m.

I used to have a 3-m NACA5 on my Nait 3R. When my dealer asked me to try a 6.5m, I couldn't believe the tremendous sound improvement it did. And the Arivas really showed what they're capable of. Well, the cable didn't go back!!

Neither does mine, YEAH!!!!

But again, dear experts, WHY is this so???

Adam, please????

Because of different room layouts over the years I went from 3.5 to 8, and then back to 4 metre lengths of NACA5.

I woud have sworn that the move from 3.5 to 8 metre was a nice improvement! But reducing to 4 metres sounds every bit as fine as the 8 metre length.

I now put the improvement in performance when changing from 3.5 to 8 metre lengths as being down to improved general set up in terms of getting the speakers away from the electronics and so forth.

In other words get the length you need [minimum of 3.5 to maximum of 20 metres] and make sure you get the electronics and speakers well set up - cable dressing, good support shelves, and positioning etc.

I think too much may be made of the cable length issue, based on my own experience ...

George

PS: Equal lengths for each speaker, and preferably terminated with the correct Naim plugs.

George

Dear George,

“I think too much may be made of the cable length issue”

My Ceterum Censeo: every Naim dealer should have a set with a length of ranging from 4 to 10m, for demo purpose. Not a big investation and they could make their client’s life easier.

graphoman

How true is the length of speaker cable?

I now use Cardas Quadlink five series cable for my Naim NAP 140 - Dynaudio Special One Speaker. It is 2m long. Can you suggest me the update (4 or 6 m) that I can see the change. Thank you

Thanks a lot to all who have replied to my question. I do appreciate it. Enough here to suggest I will try to hide the excess 1.5m better.....

Chris

Get NAC A5....it is obviously better than NAC A4...I mean clearly and obviously better.

It won't help with your plastic ducting but it will improve the replay.

Cheers

Jim