Discovered my Nac a5 is 4cm short of 3.5 metre minimum

Hi-Fi Corner
21

Did you measure from the tips of the plugs on both ends, or from the solder points where the naca cable joins the plugs?

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22

not my kind of pie

23

Just incorporate a small fan near the amp to evacuate the smoke pouring out of it and you should be just fine.

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24

4cm is within tolerance, but 5cm would need to be disposed of instantly.

25

I have not heard about anyone who doesn’t think that 2x3,5 meters of NacA5 sounds leaner and have a less balanced sound than 2x6 meters of NacA5.

I have done the field test so many times myself ,so your numbers don’t say everything.

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26

I found my cables sounded noticeably better when measured in feet and inches.

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27

Heat a section of the shorter cable and stretch it to the same length as the longer one…

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28

Naim used to state 3m anyway so wouldnt worry about it. Dunno when 3.5 became the norm or preference over 3m.

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29

Rumour has it that naim wanted to increase sales of speaker cables. They brought in a marketing consultant who first told them to add “rinse and repeat” to the manual. When naim said “it’s not that kind of product”, the consultant replied with “tell them they need 3.5m instead of 3.0m”. Sales of speaker cables were immediately boosted by one sixth.

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30

In a Naim owners manual from -88,
they said at least 3.5 meters long and of equal length.

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31

If you are still using the 250.2 then it has a zobel network which the older models (pre black classic) lacked meaning it is not of any danger using even shorter lengths than 3.5m. However longer naca5 will sound better according to naim and many others with a sweet spot around 5m and up. Shorter cables in general sound more direct and open and bit more nervous, whereas longer sound more balanced and controlled with a more tuneful bottom end.

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32

A shocking moment which marked the end of the first Nap 250 before Julian invented Nac A4:


All what remains are a few upright stones in a circle near Salisbury.

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33

It’s a fair question for sure and no harm in asking - after all, you don’t want to be damaging your lovely amp.

This might help re-assure you - it’s a post from Julian Vereker in the late 90’s taken from the old Naim forum at that time (this is not the only reference to 3m minimum):

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34

thanks for all the help will choose my preferred mode and do nothing

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Before 1980, there was little talk of cables between amps and speakers. Around 1978/1980 manufacturers were offering esoteric cables, some of which produced poor electrical characteristics. In the beginning Naim and Linn recommended a large 4mm² scindex cable with more than 50 strands. Linn supplied a red cable for the positive and black for the negative to be twisted together; the length was not mentioned, but at the time a minimum of 3m was recommended.

36

Yup, RS56 hook up wire. Good stuff too, and nice and pliable so perfect for using inside the speakers a la Naim.

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