Banana plugs for NACa5

I have a 100W iron saved in my eBay Watch list, which I will buy if required…

Pay to get them soldered correctly and use Chord Ohmic.

They’re crimp on. :-1:t2:
image

2 Likes

Doh no idea my prior NACA5 plugs and then Ohmic i just got the dealer to fit.
Still recall the SQ uplift a small but nice surprise.

I must admit, those crimps are a bit toy town.

But, naim don’t have a problem crimping. In the photo below,

Cable is crimped to the spade connector. :scream_cat:

Spade connectors are used. :scream_cat: :scream_cat:

The other ends of the cable are screwed to the speaker plugs, not soldered. :scream_cat: :scream_cat: :scream_cat:

110b

3 Likes

I now have my pre-loved A5 leads. Needed a good bit of cleaning - :astonished:

Will look at swapping out the 4mm plugs that are on one end, with new Deltrons. The other ends have Naim SA8’s on - which fit my 250 from 1985…!!

More new, as/when/etc… :grin:

Well… Close examination of my A5 leads has shown that it has Naim 4mm plug on both end. The amp end has the covers on and so is obviously the Naim connector (SA8 - ?), but the ‘bare’ plugs on the other ends are identical to those inside the Naim plugs.

My leads are also a bit longer than the Seller said - about 7 metres (each), and not 6,4 metres. What I have done to all the ends, is to extend the amount of web cut back to give a bit more flex.

Now installed and waiting to be listened to. First time to have NACA5 for me…!!! :crazy_face:

So… no soldering is needed - and I will not be buying a 100W iron… :slightly_smiling_face:

3 Likes

Do you mean like this? I’ve wondered what the connectors on my A5 cables are. I bought them second hand too.

1 Like

That sounds like a good result. I’ve often used Naim plugs at the speaker end, with the plastic housing removed. A nice thing is that the cable hangs straight down, so it’s nice and neat. So long as the pins are well soldered, there is no need to change anything.

1 Like

Ah, I just re-read @IanRobertM 's post after yours. The actual Naim pins would make total sense, allowing the cable to hang freely straight down. Ignore my question Ian, sorry!!

1 Like

No, like this:

These ends would benefit by being re-soldered (*), as there are clearly several broken strands visible.
But for testing, they will do for now… :grin:

The Naim plug ends are in much better shape, as the solder joint is protected more.

(* - OK, so I will need that 100W soldering iron, after all…!! Just ordered it…)

2 Likes

Well… installation & testing done… :grin:

$64k Question - Was it worth it…? (changing to NAC A5 from my 1982 vintage NAC A4)

OK, based on present costings, 2 by 7 metres of NAC A5 will cost you £39-00 per metre, which works out at £546-00 - or about 32% of a HiCap (£1599-00)… Or in my case, a lot less than that, as my A5 leads were pre-loved (about 10% of a HiCap…).

Need I explain further…? YES.

I am confident someone will be along shortly to say that I have wasted my time and should have bought Cable X, Y or Z… But given what NAC A5 has just done, to my system, I am happy…
And it was a cheap fix… :crazy_face:

2 Likes

Yes, have those cables re-done with shiny new SA8’s/Deltrons and all will be well, especially with a new iron (tip).

1 Like

I plan to re-use the SA8 ‘plugs’ as shown above. I will just re-make the joints, but still at 90 degrees.

The other ends have the full Naim SA8 set up and being in much better condition, will stay as is.

Shininess will be restored… :crazy_face:

PS. I did note that all the SA8 plugs had lost their springiness and so I addressed that by bending the springs a little. By comparison, my 1982 Deltrons are still quite springy…

1 Like

I used red and black sugru mouldable rubber/glue over each of my uncovered plugs - you mould it and sets with 24 hours- brilliant stuff

1 Like

A bit of Red and Black heat shrink will tidy up the ends, plus will help to prevent any potential incorrect plugging into the speakers

2 Likes

Well, its done… My dodgy NACA5 ends have been re-soldered, using my new 100W iron… :face_with_spiral_eyes:

But - as soldering jobs go, its a significant challenge. Or it was for me.
I am quite happy working on smaller things, with my trusty 30W iron - such as interconnects, even those 5 pin 180 deg DIN plugs :astonished:

This… is in a different league. I guess if you do it more often, you should get better at at…? The problem lies with the NACA5 cable, which sucks up the heat, gets very hot, quickly - and starts melting/burning its insulation. Its also difficult to get the cable strands to stay together and ‘fit’ into the slot in the 4mm plugs.

Hmm… I wonder… maybe my 100W iron is designed for Lead Free solder and so is set to a higher temperature…? Possible. (I was using ‘normal’ Leaded Multicore.)

Any how, its done - and everything still works… :crazy_face:

1 Like

Well done, it does take practice. In my experience my unregulated 80W iron runs a little hot. Its primary use is for working on leaded stained glass windows and it does a fine job of melting the lead strip if you are not too careful. I usually dab the bit on a wet cloth to temper the heat before making each joint.
As you have probably worked out it is all about preparation, cleanliness, speed and a soldering bit at the right temperature, but the big help in my experience comes from mass, the soldering iron bit has to push heat energy into the joint quickly and the best way is to store heat in the mass of a heavy bit!

Anyone who has soldered traditional ‘tin work’, watering cans, metal boxes, etc. with the chunky old copper irons, which you pop into a gas fired stove to heat up will know how quick it works even with all the mass of the tin plate trying to draw the heat away from the joint, the area you want to get hot. No electricity to keep the iron hot just the heat energy stored in the large copper bit.

Ahhh…the good o’l days, …removes rose tinted glasses.

1 Like

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.