Hi all. I was wondering if there are some gold rules to follow when you begin your adventure with audio. One rule should be always to test few different speakers cables. I have try with my SU and electra 1028be few. Tellurium w black 2 2x3m, Naca5 2x2m, and 2x5m and now chord odyssey 4 2x1,4m. I know that all people have different ‘ear’ and for some different cables are better in some way, also when they listen specific music gender. But when I have connected last week chord odyssey 4, my SU just exploded with dynamic, bass and high tones. All got so much better in any sense. Amazing. So, just advise for some who are hesitating to try new cables, do it. Better sooner 
best regards
2 Likes
Hello @deRodriguez, for sure one needs to try and listen for themselves. Used NACA5 for many years but the overall stiffness was difficult to deal with … Chord Epic does the trick for me now …
1 Like
I use Chord Epic X speaker cable with my Moon 340i amp and it’s excellent. When I owned Naim amps I used NACA4 and then NACA5. The one time I tried a different cable many years ago it was a disaster. Personally I wouldn’t use anything other than Naim cables within the context of a Naim system as I believe that is the way to achieve optimum musical performance from your Naim set-up.
1 Like
Hi,
With my speakers I prefer Chord Odyssey over Naca.
Regards,
Lindsay
1 Like
It’s not a good idea to use biwire cables with Naim amplifiers. It’s also not a good idea to use cables that are only 1.4m long. Adding the two together is a very bad idea.
2 Likes
I used Chord Rumour 2 for years with an all-Naim system because I didn’t bother about cables or even SQ in those days.
Then I bought some Chord Epic and that was better.
Now I use NACA5, which is better still.
NACA5 is the logical starting point for a Naim system. One of the challenges is that the soldering of the plugs is critical for good performance, and increasingly dealers are unwilling to do it, or unable to do it well. Other cables that can easily be bought terminated, and delivered in a couple of days, have a big advantage here. It would of course be possible for Naim to supply factory terminated pairs of cables, which would deal nicely with the problem, but only if prices were sensible, which sadly they probably wouldn’t be.
Witch Hat Phantoms are a popular alternative round these parts. Enough have provided positive reports (me included, they’re great) and their flexibility makes them much easier to use than the NACA5.
It may not be to every dealer’s desire to do it, and I’m sure for many they have their own pet cables they would rather sell, but I’m sure there’s no shortage of good Naim dealers who would be able to provide exactly the length you require and also solder on some suitable plugs, as well as deliver them to you within a matter of days.
3 Likes
I admire your confidence….
2 Likes
Yes I would think it’s worth ringing around to find a well seasoned dealer who can make up NAC A5 competently. Or one could simply make them up themselves - it took me over 20 years to master them to my complete satisfaction 
1 Like
The practical issue here is that if your own dealer doesn’t do the soldering - which I’ve never paid for - and you have to ring round, you are likely to have to pay quite a lot for the soldering. It’s a less attractive proposition that ordering on line from a company such as Futureshop, who can usually send what you want, terminated and with free postage, within 48 hours. I’m not saying anything against A5 - it’s a fine cable - but you’ve often got to really want it in order to make the effort.
I would have thought that any Naim dealer would supply correctly and expertly terminated NACA5 within a couple of days no problem at all. At least that’s what I would have thought based on past experience. If that is no longer the case then I despair - what are things coming to?
1 Like
Why exactly it’s not good idea?
Naim amps don’t respond well to biwiring, and generally benefit from longer cables. The SuperUniti is less sensitive than the separate power amps, but is unlikely to respond well. It’s all about the load that’s presented to the amplifier and the way Naim amps are designed.
1 Like
I got Audio T in Brighton to solder mine who have a reputation as Naim specialists .
Only cost me £10 on a used pair of Naca5. Naim plugs at amp end and the pins at speaker end.
Mind you the guy who soldered them was a rookie, but I’m not gonna get too hung up over that.
It pales into insignificance when you think about whats going on at the moment.
The ‘search’ function is your friend here.
Bruce
I perceive part of the ‘problem’ as being that Naim, many years ago, were extremely fussy about who they would appoint as their official dealers. There were comparatively few Naim dealers as presumably many dealers simply didn’t make the grade. This kept up the quality control at the point of sale. Nowadays there are very many more Naim dealers than there used to be. This could be a result of there being very many more capable dealers than there were in the past or that Naim have become somewhat less fussy about who sells their equipment. I would suggest that the latter is probably the case.
1 Like
At first I thought you are asking for advice with this thread but I then realise you have actually listened to the cables and are actually sharing your experience.
I used to have both Naca5 and Chord Epic for several years. The Chord is my pick for sound quality, overall smoother and more illuminated treble with a fuller and deeper bass in comparison to Naca5.
I now use Chord Signature XL after the Epic was traded in. Naca5 was left in the store room for several years but it’s now connected in the 2nd system which doesn’t get much use.
Having had a very bad experience with an otherwise excellent, established Naim dealer who made the most terrible mess of soldering NACA5 for me, I would suggest that Naim should be ensuring that their skills are up to scratch if they sell cable off the reel, as Naim intend when they supply the plugs.
This opens the door to the competition such as Chord and QED who supply their dealers with crimping systems, bypassing the need for soldering altogether.