Do you use Naim connectors on both ends of your KS1?
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Naim plugs as shown above at the amp end but well soldered Z plugs at the speaker end here @JimDog
G
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2 x 10m KS-1 here. I requested my supplier (Cymbiosis) for naim plugs at both ends, as my amplifier is a 250DR and speakers are iBLs.
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Yes, 500 and SBLs
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When scanning through this thread its rather impossible to conclude more than each to their own.
Personally I went from a bunch of different well known cables to WH Phantom.
Preferred WH Phantom until I got Kudos KS-1.
Happy I never went to order Spectre.
Guess its all setup/kit dependent.
Currently on 282/250.2/psu/Ovator S400
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It seems I do need to find a way to solder bananas to my KS-1. For now the cable is held to each banana plug by two screws. That’s why the cable was cheaper by Analogue Seduction I suppose… 
So it might end up an expensive exercise if I need to purchase a soldering station and learn how to solder at this age… 
By the way, is solder flux needed first or not? No idea what’s the recommended way of doing this.
There’s a real art to soldering, especially if you want to make a good connection. Even the type of solder is important. My advice (not sure where you are located) take them to someone like AudioT or a good Naim dealer and just pay them to do it for you. It’s well worth the effort.
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I would do that and I would be happy to pay for it, but then again I live in Brussels…
I asked one of my friendly HiFi dealers, but they are only doing crimping of Chord bananas with a special tool. Need to ask around, and then again I don’t know who to trust for getting good quality soldering. Time to ask the Naim importer probably. A pair of Linn K20 that I bought a long time ago doesn’t inspire much confidence…
Hard to get a decent photo, but half of the copper strands are not soldered in the plugs…
Classy bit of work!
There is someone in The Netherlands you can send it to who does an absolute stellar job for a decent price. You will have to provide the Naim / Deltron plugs yourself though and it will cost something in shipping costs back and forth.
Cheers, that sounds promising. Do you remember who it might be? I suppose that doesn’t break any forum rules. Don’t mind even driving all the way if needed
Yes I had several cables soldered there, including Naca5 with Naim and Deltron plugs almost two years ago. Since we both considered that corrosion would have crept in after 15-ish years, he ended up taking 30cm off at both ends of the Naca5 before soldering on the new plugs with the right quality solder. The end result not only looks good but sounds way better than before as well.
You can find him as Johan van der Bij on the Marktplaats web platform, where he has excellent other reviews (I trust this is within forum rules as it has been allowed so far, when not providing a direct link, to mention and recommend cable-makers in the UK and US).
You really don’t want to drive all the way up there, it’s close to the coast of the Waddenzee so NL’s outmost north! Or you might indeed, and also visit an island perhaps, it’s very nice and calm scenery.
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That’s why this forum is so great; I wouldn’t have been able to find out about such a recommendation otherwise!
He is indeed a bit further out from the Belgian border for a quick trip. But I will follow up on the lead in due course. Might even send him my Linn K20 pair for a proper touch up.
In any case I am checking first with another friendly local dealer if they can be bothered to solder Naim plugs and then I will figure out the rest. Cheers!
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Glad I could help @sihctr! (updated post)
Two years ago I searched around how to obtain Deltron plugs, the nickel plated ones, in the Benelux countries, which might perhaps be useful information. Part numbers are from the 579 series:
- colour Black with nickel plating is 579-0100
- colour Red with nickel plating is 579-0500
The ones you see most in the pictures on the forum are from these series. There are three versions of plating (gold, silver, nickel). You need the above part numbers to order the correct plugs via various suppliers. One can generally only order these when you have a business and a VAT number though.
As for the Naim plugs their metal parts look very much like the nickel Deltron items, held together in Naims own three different plastic mouldings. With the straight Unitiqute plugs that is, the original SA8 Naim plugs and the Ovator plugs have a version of these metal parts where the cable exits at a right angle. That similarity in nickel metal parts is probably key to the Naim/Deltron combination.
If you need/want new Naim plugs you could order these through your dealer or via the Benelux distributor Latham Audio. It’s then almost 50 euros for a pair which isn’t exactly cheap.
With other cables it’s all crimped on nowadays. But in a Naim system with Naca5 and Naim/Deltron plugs it’s really worth the effort to have your cables properly soldered from the start. And indeed also touched-up after 10-15 years have gone by, in my opinion.
Good luck!
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Interesting thoughts from my “dealer” (made me giggle after an exchange with @GraemeH about gateway drugs!) who said he didn’t like the KS-1 and preferred the Chord Signature and Epic XLs (Having seen the price I’m not surprised he prefers them! 
). He said he found the KS-1 it bit bright.
Anybody tried any of the lower price range Chord products?
I use Chord Rumour X which I really rate
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I’ve had Chord Odyssey for a long time.
KS1 looks a dead ringer for it, which it’s not if you compare dialectics and wire size, but suspect it’s from the same manufacturer.
I chose it after trying quite a few others around at the time, incl. NACA5. Once I made that decision I’ve never felt the need to try something else.
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I’ve seen this view written here by others. Maybe it’s system dependent, but perhaps folks just associate ‘thin white cable’ with an assumption of brightness.
Expectation bias? We know it comes into play with positive expectation, why not also negative?
G
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I agree entirely the physical size can be a stumbling block but having had old K400 linn cable split before and trying the new K200 I found too bright.
The KS-1 returned the weight when I had to replace it.
KS - 1 doesn’t have a bright signature. 
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A different spin on the question would be recommendations for an improvement on Phantom that is a lot less expensive than Super Lumina
Pity Spectre was exorcised.
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