If I read you correct..? is this a newly manufactured HiLine or older one ?
I had one years ago, and as others found it very unreliable - falling apart.
Interested if Naim have solved this issue ? (I too found the cable sounding fantastic, when it was in working order - which was seldom)
Must say there was no problem in getting a free repair or getting another cable, just not a viable way of ownership.
It is a newly manufactured one. It’s fantastic. The music feels really good. I stare at my n-SATs with amazement, they are full of life.
I had my broken Hiline replaced in 8/2022, but I never opened the box and stayed with lavender. When was your cable manufactured and how can I check?
So, you’re saying you replaced a hi- line with a hi-line and the hi-line sounded better 
Like wine…some vintages are better than others.
Perhaps a thread on what years and months are best for Hilines
Do NOT tell @drago about this!
The design of the Hi-line is very responsive to tweaks such as massaging the cable and altering the connection and changing the dressing. These can have a profound effect on performance as I discovered for myself in the early days when doing listening tests at the factory on the early build batches. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending upon whether you like things to be so tweakable - which does of course rather complicate matters when making judgements or comparisons.
For my listening tests, I found a piece of music that highlighted when the Hi-line was at its best and used that as a reference. I would then work on each Hi-line until I could repeat that reference. Those that I just couldn’t get to that level would be returned to the person who built them for inspection and possible re-working. They would then come back for another listening test.
The hi-line would be the fiddlers worst nightmare - one wrong twist and it will fall apart 
Yes. My new HiLine is much better. Bearing in mind, my old HiLine was on its 5th repair. Saying that, my new HiLine just feels ‘lighter’ & better built, and also sounds so much better, straight from the bat.
Maybe Naim have really honed-in on its build process? Either way, i don’t regret buying another one.
I’ve had a couple, they never fell apart and worked fine as far as I’m concerned. I only discovered that I like the lavender more. 
What does Lavender do better in your opinion? 
Ah, I see. When was your’s manufactured? Thanks.
It’s possibly about my general feeling with Naim over the decades - the company started with small power amps and simple preamps. Circuits were minimal, negative feedback as little as possible, all following the principle of simplicity optimized for immediacy.
Naim’s evolution could only follow the path of enlargement and refinement, working to preserve as much spontaneity and joy de jouer as possible.
The so-called lavender, to my ears, perfectly responds to the same principle. It doesn’t aim at being the most revealing, it aims at losing nothing while conveying the most. The HiLine, to me, is a HiFi concept, more of this and more of that but not as immediate and communicating. Since I have long lost interest in audio artifacts, the lavender is perfect for me. And after all, it’s what Julian Vereker thought was ok.
The same for NAC A4, NAC A5. A company cannot stay the same for decades. But when their roots are strong and clearly identifiable, it’s easy to choose to stick with them.
Best, M
I’m not surprised by this at all, unless all Hilines have been made using the same reel of cable, there are likely to be some variations over the years. The “magic” of the Hiline is its mechanical properties, the cable itself is boggo standard and prone to quite wide variation over time.
Someone said there’s 4 or 5 only cable factories, worldwide.
All our cable snake oil are based on raw cable from these.
Sort of putting things in perspective.
Just did a quick Google which produced a list of the top 25, I think someone was wrong
And for $950 you can purchase a list of the top 200 Chinese manufacturers….
For all the fakery that goes on I reckon a trivial number even at that.
It’s a decorating and designer plugs fad.
Cables do sound different as they are a component in themselves but most of it especially pricing is snobbery branding and designer handbags. 
Neotech is one of them producing for many big names. It’s he same for headphones and most electronics made in china so nothing unique to cables. There are a few producing the major part and then there are many small factories most often producing the really bad stuff. Either you purchase off the shelf and re-brand and “skin” it or you let the factories produce according to your specifications. The later is much more expensive and time consuming and eventually translates to higher retail price but most often also results in a better product.
I think someone is either very confused, ill informed or is referring to something else. A single global company such as Prysmian Group has 48 plants in Europe 23 plants in North America.
According to Wikipedia the top cable manufacturers in the world are below and China isn’t even in this list….
| Company | Employees | Revenue in billion USD (approx.) | Year | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Southwire | 7,500 | 5.5[1][2] | 2020 | |
| France | Nexans | 25,000[3] | 6.4[4] | 2020 | |
| South Korea | LS Cable & System | 9,168[5] | 16.1[6] | 2021 | |
| Italy | Prysmian Group | 30,500[7] | 17.1 | 2022 | |
| Japan | Furukawa Electric | 4,192[8] | 4.6[6] | ||
| Japan | Furukawa Co. | 44,853[8] | 3.1[6] | ||
| Egypt | Elsewedy Electric | 14,000 | 1.1 | ||
| Australia | Bambach Wires & Cables | 12,000 | 1.1 |
Now clearly these companies are major global companies, that will produce a range of cables and wires from HT transmission cables to fine small signal cables.
But the diversity and selection is clearly enormous for many applications.
