Bottom line is if the cable breaks on a regular basis it’s not fit for purpose, it should be either redesigned or taken off the market.
8 Likes
I never like to diss Naim but tend to agree here. I had one many years ago and it spontaneously fell apart. I’ve never seen broken rings before but it simply shouldn’t happen. The idea of having to have a 50/50 weight division, along with only touching certain parts when inserting, and never letting it touch anything in order to sound its best, makes it too much of a delicate flower. When I had mine, back in the days when I had excellent hearing, I was never convinced it sounded any better than the standard cable when used between my CDS3 and 552. £839, if that’s what it costs now, is a bit of a joke for something so flimsy.
4 Likes
The materials used here are not fit for purpose. Or whoever makes them for naim has quality issues. Either way, this is an expensive item that should not fail in this way.
Take the failed item back to the dealer and get it fixed for free. That way naim will feel some heat/pain and fix it for good.
1 Like
I have taken my HiLine back to my dealer (bless those guys, they’re so understanding, and do a very good job at providing a first class service), to be sent off for repair. I also asked about a same priced equivalent Chord cable and was advised that it maybe more robust but it won’t sound as good. I trust their judgment. The HiLine without question really is a top performing cable. I have no doubt in my mind that i will struggle to find a better performing cable for the same money, but…and that’s the kicker!
Maybe the best solution would be to use a slightly stronger / longer lasting plastic or tweak the mould to increase the thickness of the ribs
I really liked my hi line and the sound signature. Was gutted so have bitten the bullet and ordered a different manufacturers interconnect to eliminate the problem permanently.
1 Like
Perhaps interestingly, the previous owner of my Tellurium interconnect preferred it to the Hiline. They cost £390 new but I only paid £150 secondhand. It may be worth a try. Just plug it in and forget about it. You can get them in a 1m length so there is less to dangle around.
1 Like
I have just come across this topic at a very opportune time, as I am in the process of an interconnect cable audition. I tried Chord Signature but it didn’t suit my taste in my current system. Thanks to a patient dealer, I am now comparing Hi Line and Tellurium Black Diamond, the latter being slightly more expensive than the Naim at about £900. Has anyone any experience with this interconnect?
The stories of woe about the Hi Line are bound to have a bearing on my decision, but for the moment I am going to spend some time seeing what each can do.
2 Likes
Nigel i think i maybe suffering from ‘Stockholm syndrome’.
1 Like
@Stephen_Tate That is me HH is referring to and yes, I found the TQB a blessed relief after a bout of ‘HiLine’ neurosis. I’ve had 3 break on me. I also preferred the sound to the HiLine with the NDX2 252DR. When I had a CDS3 252 I used a HiLine and found it matched well, but with the NDX2 I found it a little ‘hot’ sounding.
I use Morgana now which I’m delighted with.
G
2 Likes
Does one of the plastic rings breaking have any negative impact on performance? I very much doubt it.
It’s hard to tell to be honest. Even broken here it still sounded really good. Trouble is once it starts breaking things can only get worse from then on i suspect. Mine is now back with the dealer. What’s really annoying for me here is how much care is taken with the HiLine and it still breaks no matter what. I start to feel guilty as if it’s my fault and this really shouldn’t be the case.
Yes it’s not good enough tbh. Mine was a brand new replacement for one that also broke in exactly the same way - from weight of the cable. It was fine this time last week as I check the rings regularly. Then I look this morning and one of the rings has fractured. Can I be bothered to go through the whole send it back to Naim process? Probably not and it still sounds the same. It is something Naim need to fix though - if only to reduce the cost to them of constantly repairing or replacing (which, tbf, they do without quibble). I wonder if they could use the same material for the rings as they have on the SLs rather than this brittle plastic.
I was thinking of a 4 to 5 version between my SCDR and Superline but I’ll look elsewhere.
1 Like
With NDX 2 i think the HiLine sounds utterly sublime, now running with the lavender, which sounds forced, shouty and weedy by comparison.
2 Likes
The point to me is that you shouldn’t have to feel the need to check. It should just work, week in week out, year in year out. You wouldn’t think it beyond the wit of man to use plastic that doesn’t break. You’d think that after what must be 15 years Naim would have sorted it out. It’s a bit pathetic really.
4 Likes
Never liked the way the hiline sagged and didn’t hang straight into the input.
I now use Chord Sarum T to connect ndx2 to 52
Better sound and sits properly
David
1 Like
Hello! I’m kind-of new here (reading posts for many years, have been a member before but needed a break from the void - social networking in general).
I find the Hi-line a particularly interesting subject, as I’m currently on the search for a new interconnect - especially as I have a very similar system to you. I know many report similarly with the Hi-line, but, I’ve owned one for 7-8 years and have never been completely convinced; flip-flopping back to the “lavender”, feeling like the “music is back” for a while, only to crave some of the things the Hi-line did and putting it back in again! This culminated, last year, with me returning the Hi-line to Naim for a £168 repair (!), then putting it back in the system and not messing with it… until about three days ago, when finally, something new, TQ and Black arrived.
I find Hi-line a double-edged sword - it does lots of great things, but it also creates a “larger-than-life” effect in my system. I’ve done a lot of listening and found that when I remove my 555PS, the Hi-line is preferable, but when the PS is there, the sound is too much, like watching a TV with the colour saturation turned too high. I suspect, though, that this can be explained by the rest of the audio chain - amp, speakers and speaker cables. I noticed you’re using NAC A5 and I think that might be a huge part of the Hi-line working well for you - I’m using Chord Epic, as A5 really does not sound good in my system. Have you ever tried something other than the A5?
3 Likes
Any decent cable really should last a lifetime no matter how much it costs. At the end of the day it is only a cable let s not forget it.
Honnestly i am quite shocked to read all these issues as i have been also looking for a used hi-line from time to time. I guess i ll just stick with lavender cables for now.
Hi Myx and welcome to the forum.
I feel here that the OP’s thread may have been hi-jacked, but i do also hope that the recent contributions made here have been of some sort of ‘relevant’ help (if not entirely positively educating), and to have brought some interesting discussion, to help them on their quest to find that quality interconnect cable.
I should’ve started a new thread to be honest but wasn’t to know this HiLine discussion would open up in the way it has.
Let’s be clear here that this is in no way to slag off Naim in any way, but to just be brutally honest with our experiences in living with a HiLine. Indeed it appears that we are all mostly in agreement with it’s fantastic performance capabilities, but at the same time all agree on it’s reliability issues also. Despite all of what’s been said i’m still a HiLine man. 
I’m going to bow out while i can. Again my apologies to the OP and good luck for that top performing interconnect cable.
No worries - sorry if I’ve diverted too, then. I did think my long term experience of Hi-line would have been helpful to the original question. Possibly? Hopefully? 
3 Likes
I suggested the same thing further up the thread. It does’t have to ‘SL special metal’. Just not break for those that have suffered like yourself. It’s a £900 ‘cable’.
I got my used RCA/DIN HiLine for a 3rd of new price but jumped at it as they rarely come up 2nd hand in that configuration.