Mine appear rather oxidized after decades of faithful service, and I cannot help that a cleaning would produce the same effect as a system upgrade. Thanks in advance!
Plug them in and out a few times?
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Yes, some plugging and unplugging should do the trick, although if oxidisation has been allowed to build up sufficiently over many years without use then some more hands on cleaning could be useful.
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Naim do not recommend using any cleaning agent for DIN or RCA plug/socket connections.
DIN plug contacts are edge type, this means a lot of the pin surface is not used and any surface tarnish is not a concern. They are self cleaning wipe contacts, one or two (only) pull/push (in & out) once or twice a year is all thats needed, that cuts a new contact line.
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If you do want to take things further with the cleaning then Meths or Isoprop should be fine. Naim donāt recommend the use of any fluids that āenhanceā or possibly leave a film or residue.
Isopropyl gets my vote every time, when itās called for of course. Otherwise the natural āin-outā is enough under normal circumstances.
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We know Naim have preferred DIN connections to RCA, but it crossed my mind the other day that the surface area of the conductors in the DIN connectors/sockets must be smaller than equivalents with RCA/PHONO ?
I guess so, but that large surface area may cause problems with multiple contact points, hence one reason why plugs with a smaller and more targeted contact area such as the WBT next Gens, Eichmanns etcā¦ sound better than most regular RCA Phonos?
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Interesting I may have some searches to do!
It was just an assumption on my part that a good connection is likely to be imparted by a larger contact surface area, perhaps along with more/thicker conductors in a cable might be better overall - probably best not to think about it too hard!
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The signal carries very little current and a large surface area is not necessary nor any advantage. Signals inside the box pass through multiple tiny cables and pin like connectors without degradation
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My favorite is āKontakā leaves no residue . And for female Din I use these little brushes I believe they are called interdental ! Also great for cleaning female RCAās and especially female XLRās
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Those are TePe brushes for (usually) cleaning between hard to reach gaps
between teeth.
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Quite!
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Iāve used Kontak several times over the years, along with a general spring clean/dusting of components it always sounds better after the effort involved!
Typically the last bottle I bought managed to tip over and leak all over a worktop until I realised a little too late.
Those interdental brushes are a great idea for Din sockets, thanks!
Forget cleaning your DIN plugs/sockets - itās the 4mm speaker outputs/inputs you need to pay attention to.
The distortion trace on an oscilloscope has to be seen to been believed when these sockets are dirty.
Iāll get some pictures to back up my claim in due coarse.
Cleaning these is a gamble, because the best way is to use a cotton bud soaked with isopropanol & the head is liable to come off, leaving you with a headache!
For those willing to take the risk - insert the cotton bud first dry, using a rotational force, then soak the same bud with isopropanol & repeat the cleaning action. If the head remains on the stick, the filth that comes out may surprise you!
Regards
Neil.
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As ever, thanks so much to the Community for your help.
As I read your advice, I have invested in Zen pipe cleaners, which are reputed not to shed fibers, built to purpose and well-reviewed; DeOxit 5; and isopropyl for dessert.
Does anyone have experience with any of these?
Those TP brushes come in quite large sizes, the largest, grey ones if I remember correctly, could be suitable for a speaker socket and less likely to leave part of itself behind.
I had a bit of cotton bud stuck in my ear for well over a year. It stopped water clearing after a shower giving that blocked feeling for several hours at a time, and worse, led to recurring ear infections. Eventually it worked its way out with some encouragement from drops of olive oil but I stopped using cotton buds in my ears after that.
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Thanks, @NeilS, thatās very useful. My 200 was serviced at Naim last year - can I assume the 4mm outputs were at least checked for cleanliness, if not actually cleaned as part of the service?
Mark
Unfortunately Iām unable to guarantee that it did happen.
Having seen the effects, itās something that I do religiously, but Iām only one of the service team. Not something that we would necessary record on the job sheet though.
Regards
Neil.
I can see a new thread appearing tomorrow containing ānight and dayā or āIām unable to plug my speaker cables back inā
And of course some mucky photosā¦
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