Cable Dressing

Hi-Fi Corner
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I’ve been searching articles for tips on the above like relaxing burndys etc. I agree that it would really help to have a general tips and tricks article by Naim on this Forum. Given it costs no money I want to have a tidy up but like a lot of people my rack is close to the wall and reconnecting cables is difficult and effectively back to front to the pictures. I tend to turn each unit sideways, take photos and then disconnect cables, then the unit and rack shelf, working downwards. Interested what others do. Reverse when reconnecting. Specific questions

  • what shouldn’t touch what. For example mains cables and burndies. Should everything be off the ground even speaker cable?
  • To that end can one use foam pipe insulation. Do people attach cables to the back of the shelving for example and if so using what plastic clips?
  • Should/can cables be numbered or labelled to ensure correct connection. Examples?
  • Finally I think I saw Richard say not recommended to place units between the two speakers

Thanks!

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The search function should show plenty of threads on cable dressing and stacking order.

Besides the usual advice that you have already mentioned, i.e. keeping everything off the floor and avoiding contact or close proximity between the various cables, I can offer the following tips for removing and re-installing components, interconnects and cables.

When I strip or rebuild a stack of components on Fraim shelves, I make or update notes on connectors and sockets as I go. Sometimes, I add photos as an aide memoire. The notes app and camera on a mobile phone or tablet are sufficient. The same information is useful when configuring inputs and button assignments on the amp, streamer and DAC and in the Naim app. For example, a simple list shows me which inputs on the back of my 282 or 252 are used (or not). When the stack is built, it is difficult to see down the back to check what is connected and where. I also connect all the cables and interconnects as I place each box on its shelf before I install the next shelf in the stack.

To avoid excessive cursing and frustration, I also mark burndy connectors to indicate their orientation. A simple colour mark in crayon on the black plastic ring shows me where the top of the connector is. That makes it much easier to install the cables when the back of the black box is facing away from me and towards the wall.

Without some sort of mark to show the relationship of the burndy to its pins and counterpart connector, they can be a pig to install. This is one of the burndy connectors on a NAP300. The faint white mark shows which way is “up”:

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Your post has just prompted me to look behind my Fraim stacks. The various cables and connectors mostly seem to be far enough away from each other. However, the gremlins must have moved a turntable power cable, which was just touching a burndy between the 555PS and the nDAC. I have fixed (rearranged) it for the time being and will look for some pipe lagging leftovers. It might even make an audible difference.

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Mine have little red stick-on dots to indicate orientation, courtesy of the previous owner. :slight_smile:

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We have found spiders to be very helpful when it comes to cable dressing.

Their webs do stabilise the Snaics and Burndy cables over time, damping out vibration of the free hanging cables.

Patience is required for the full benefit though, as the spiders need a year or so to weave the optimum damping matrix of webs.

Frequent disturbance upsets the delicate balance of webs and pixie dust that brings the best out of our system.

Best regards, BF

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Yes I rather fear that there must an absolute orgy going on amongst the spider community at the back of my racks.

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@IanB61

couple of things I have down over the years following advice on here and from dealer

  • Burndys let hang naturally if possible
  • when to clean system - give them a good squeeze and massage OK I know it sounds daft
  • with source cables for me don’t tighten - put into socket a draw back a little
  • for me Burndy and cable on 252 let hang in a tear U shape - slightly touching
  • try and never let source and Burndys touch
  • good clean once a year
  • my speaker cable does run along the ground and extra cable in S shape not curled

hope of use

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Thanks Antz. Helpful. What do you mean by source cables?

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My dealer is installing two Fraim stacks early next year. It will be a one person fix but is likely to be more than a full day. Perhaps two shorter ones as a compromise?
Regarding cable dressing and to avoid SL cables running all round the room I opted for them to go under the floor. Its wooden with a large rug in the middle and with the cables out of sight it pleases my other half. Its also cheaper for the SL to go in a straight run. The boxes are at the other end of the room from the LSs.
The work involved my dealer and his electrician to route the cables with pipe wrap where the cable exits the floor. I had the electrician suspend the cable on ties fixed to the underside mainly to avoid any chance of touching the GF slab beneath. I had rain there once and didn’t want to take any chance on it happening again.
Fully agree on not placing sources and amps between speakers. Why get up to change a disc on the other side of the room as well?

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He means the cables from source to amp, like NDX2 to 252.

FWIW, I also wrote a summary once, maybe helpful:

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Is folding spare NACA5 like the old Rip Rap firework a good idea? My right speaker has 2 metres of spare cable folded this way.

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Thanks!. Yes I had Nac A5 in the firecracker method. Now got Whichhat Phantom. From memory they said to just coil the excess. At present everything is on the ground. Speaker cable & 3 powerlines. No doubt cables and Burndys will be touching at the back hence the need for a Spring (winter) clean

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The 252’s Burndy caries both power and audio.

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What about the concept of using Velcro cable clips to keep the Powerline supplies away from other cables

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If you organise things carefully you don’t need clips. As you look at the system all the power is on the right, while the signal is on the left. Just do what you reasonably can and then don’t worry about it.

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Agreed. Problem is I have two power sockets to left of rack 2 to the right meaning best I can do is two Powerlines coming from right and one from left so it will inevitably cross over

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Maybe you can route them under the rack somehow. I’m rather pleased I got rid of mine, as they are so unwieldy. With the Hydra I just stuff it under the rack and forget about it.

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I always thought one of the cool things about PowerLine is that you can bend it in any shape to avoid collisions. (Which is what Naim also says on the PL product website)

It’s IMHO unwieldy only in the sense that NACA5 is - you can’t just throw it to the floor. However I, for one, love about both cables that they stay in the shape I tell them to

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Really? You mean the 252 send AC sound signals to the Supercap DR and then back?

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The Supercap powers the 252 through the Burndy. The audio signal travels down the Burndy from the 252 to the Supercap, and then on to the power amp. The Snaic5 carries power for the digital parts of the 252, such as switching and lights.

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Well, I have disconnected and labelled everything today. From top to bottom NDX2, 252, 300PS, Supercap, 555PS and 300. I moved the 300PS higher to try and give the burndys some space from the 300. So before I put it back into the alcove in situ any comments?. I do have some pipe insulation so wonder if it is worth using that anywhere and I do need to do a little light “swinging” to try to loosen up the Burndys a bit more

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