Are there alternative good quality speaker cables to Naim specific that can be made up with bananas? And could these be just 2-3m in length because the recommended 5m plus in order to meet the best impedance will be untidy for me.
Probably 100 different ones. Youāll now get as many answers as there are non NACA5 users out there.
I use a non Naim cable. It works great. But donāt let that sway you (I wonāt even mention which one though it is in my profile). I think your dealer can tell you whether they stock good alternatives or not.
What amplifier ? I ask because the modern integrated amps are not so fussy about cables.
Its the total length inductance you are looking for (not impedance) & Iām not aware of a cable that will give you a minimum of 3.5uH over 2 metres.
I suspect some of the TQ cable range might be a good choice if the construction form is a guide especially so those with the wide spacing between conductors. We canāt be sure however as TQ are famous for not publishing specs. Outside of that, I donāt think you will find 3.5uH over that length
DNM Resolution is also a very good electrical match for Naim amplifiers (and Morecroft does publish the specifications!).
Like Mike I donāt think you find the preferred inductance in a cable less than 3.5m in length. Extra cable can always be folded away zig-zag style.
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Agreed the DNM āResolutionā is a good alternative
Inductance 1.03uH/m
Capacitance 17pF/m
Resistance 0.013ohms/m
The L & C is very close to NACA5 specās
Its also relatively cheap as its sold as a 4 core & the user has to separate off each 2 core pair. And at around Ā£25 per 4 core metre its Ā£12.50/m for the 2 core stereo pair.
When you say NAC, I presume you meant NAP?! What amp are you using?
Hi all, thanks for your responses. My amp is the nap150 with nac112. I am hoping to use kef ls50 speakers at 3.5m separation. I have a budget of <Ā£100 for the cable and ends. Any advice on brand and spec appreciated.
I think it was NAC(A), as in alternatives to NACA5.
Aaaah, yes!
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Chord odyssey is my choice.
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With Ā£100 I doubt you will find anything with the āidealā inductance other than DNM Resolution, absolutely a good cable for Naim no matter what budget. plus the right inductance. You will find it at about Ā£25 per metre, & as its a 4 core it is designed to be split into 2 stereo pairs with its easily removable central web. So Ā£75 will by 3 metres & then when split into 2 stereo pairs you get 2 x 3m stereo pairs for Ā£75
I use DNM Resolution with a 272/555DR + 300DR, so yes itās up to the mark quality wise as well.
How about the Belden 8477 ?
I heard it for a brief while in my setup and liked itā¦
regards
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In that case you should make sure that the cable is a good match by checking the inductance and capacitance specs. Naimās NACA5 at a minimum length of 3.5m is the standard recommendation. A good, much cheaper alternative is Linn K20, which has the same spec, and is essentially the same as Naimās earlier NACA4. Do get some proper Naim plugs soldered onto the amp end, though.
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How about Witch Hat N2? Compatible with Naim. A 3.5m pair costs Ā£105.
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DNM Reason
Witch Hat N2
Linn K20
ā¦ in that order.
In each case youāll need a pait of 3.5m leads to work with a NAP150 (same for any olibe or chrome bumper Naim power amp).
Iāve installed the Witch Hat N2s on a new SN2 just in order to address the inductance issue. Frankly, they seem to be perfectly adequate. I can probably criticize other elements in the chain but for now the speaker cables sound quite neutral.
Witch hat donāt know the inductance of their N2 speaker cable. As the wires are next to each other I assume it will be a lot less so would need longer runs?
Iām using Witch Hat N2 cables 5m in length on a Nait XS2 to Spendor A7ās. Works for me. However, Iāve not used NACA5 before so Iām not able to compare.
All great advice. Sounds like the DNM is the best match so will go for that. Finally please could someone advise which banana plug? I would prefer to solder them on but most appear to be screwed. Or doesnāt it matter? Thanks