Has anyone tried Flashback Sales attenuated interconnects in their Naim system between a CD player or streamer source and a Naim preamp or integrated amp ?
With a modem 2 volt source into a Naim preamp the volume can be pretty loud at the 9am position so an attenuated interconnect would enable one to get more useable range in the volume control. Also, volume pots can sometimes have channel imbalance at low volume levels so this would lessen this issue.
I see Flashback Sales offer different levels of attenuation starting at -6 dB and going up from there. They recommended -15db with a cd or streamer source.
I’m assuming the sound quality might be reduced the attenuated interconnect vs their non attenuated cable but by how much ? And would a -15 dB reduction cable sound worse than a -6db reduction cable ?
I’m currently using a Flashback Premier cable din5 to XLR wired for use with the tape input of my 52 preamp into my balanced headphone amp ( Vioelectric v281). The cable seems well made and it certainly sounds good although I don’t have any other similar cables on hand so I haven’t compared to other cables.
So has anyone tried the attenuated cables in their system? How is the sound quality?
I’m also curious about the Flashback Premier regular din5 to din5 interconnect and RCA to din5 interconnect and how they compare with the other interconnects such as the Naim lavender, HiLine, Super Lumina, Chord Sarum T, etc. I’m assuming the higher price interconnects might outperform It but by how much ?
I can’t comment on the Flashback cables, but the best signal attenuator I’ve found was a Chord DAC. Some of them, such as Hugo and Dave, have a variable output which can be dialled down and optimised by ear. Then there’s the Qutest which can be set to 1, 2 or 3V output, so the 1V level should help.
I bought a used 1st generation Hugo for £600 and put it between my NDX and 282, and apart from sounding better, it made the volume control a whole lot easier to use. More expense, of course, but a whole lot cheaper than that Super Lumina interconnect you’re thinking about, and to my ears, a bigger sound quality upgrade.
Before upgrading to Naim I used Arcam amps that had attenuation built in, in the form of being able to adjust the level for each input. I always felt the amp sounded better when working a bit harder, ie. the input level was set below zero allowing the volume pot to be put in a higher position to achieve the same volume. I’ve personally never understood the logic of Naim amps maxing at between the 8 to 9 o’clock mark when there is another 70% or so of volume control that can’t be used.
I believe the Naim preamp design was created when turntables were the main source and the phono cartridges didn’t have the 2 volt output of modern CD players and streamers. One could turn up the volume to the 11 am position with low output moving coil phono cartridges.
I’d like to see the Naim preamps move to a digitally controlled analog volume control like the 272 has.
Hi, I use the flashback attenuation cables between my Arcam CD player and my 42.5 pre amp. Happy with the cables I don’t need to keep changing the volume levels when changing between vinyl and CD. And they sound as good as the standard cables they replaced
I have used attenuated cables in my system before. They were made by RA it was KCAG -12. It sounded really good then I got the boards for the NAC72 which allowed attenuation to be applied or removed and it sounded better. Attenuation was removed from the cable. The player was Naim CD3.5 and Flatcap. All RA cables used for power and a Silencer. Maybe you could get a card for your preamp to allow attenuation.
I have some -15dB premier Flashback cables between my Meridian 506.20 and NAC32.5 and it did the job very well with no discernible loss in SQ.
Like another contributor I have now fitted some cards in the 32.5 which have 3 levels of attenuation that can be set at the cards. 1 o’clock is my new loud setting. I still have the FB cable fitted to the CDP so the volumes of all sources are about the same for a given position of the volume knob.