Help setting up a system (Clueless)

Hi, thanks for allowing me to join the community.

I literally know nothing about Naim HiFi but have recently inherited an few bits from a family member. I was going to donate it to a charity shop but was told they would not these type of electricals, then a friend has told me that it is a very good amp and CD player and worth keeping.

The problem is I have no idea how it all connects together, there are 2 leads, both have 5 pins either end but the spacing/pitch is different on each cable, there is also a little plug thing with 4 pins.

Any help on how to connect this up would be massively appreciated as I would love to get this up and running to see how it sounds. I have mission speakers and can see where they connect but that’s about it.

I have uploaded a couple of photos of the amp and leads, many thanks for any help.

J


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Hi and welcome,

I’m not expert in them but they’re good 5 series components and I’m sure someone will be along to help. Also I think the manuals are on the Naim website, @Richard.Dane might help there.

Regards,

Lindsay

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Hi, there are manuals online but the flatcap and nait5 connect as below if required.

However I susoect the flatcap was used as a power supply for the cd3 in your picture as the nait5 shows all link plugs fitted.
So leave the nait 5 alone.

Instead connect the flatcap to the cd3.5 as below.

The output from the cd now goes to the cd input on the nait5. Speakers plugged in and you should be good to go.

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It’s a Flatcap 2, so connection diagram is here. This is for connecting to the CD5;

If you also wish to use the Flatcap on the NAIT 5, as per Bruss’s first connection diagram, you will need a SNAIC4 and an additional SNAIC5.

By the way, the SNAIC5 in your picture does not look in very good condition. As it carries DC power as well as signal I would be reluctant to plug it in like that just in case it causes damage. Get it checked by your Naim dealer (and fixed) or else buy another. Whatever you do, make sure you ONLY EVER buy genuine NAIM SNAICs.

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Even the few of us here who have ventured to The Dark Side over some Naim cables would vigorously endorse Richard’s comments. You have excellent kit, but a dodgy SNAIC could well stop you hearing the quality or even damage things badly.

If you want to keep cost down or are not near a Naim dealer, and are in any doubt at all about that cable, a s/h purchase from eBay or elsewhere may be a good option.

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If you are interested in what an external power supply does with Naim look up the stereophile review of the Naim cd3.5.

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Hi Lindsay and thanks

Many thanks Bruss

That’s brilliant thanks Richard

Thanks Nick

Thanks Bruss, very interesting stuff

Thanks for all the replys and help.

I have ordered a new SNAIC but in the meantime checked out the connections of the existing one, 1 blue wire needed resoldering back on to the pin and I have then tested all the pins with a multi-meter and all seems good so hooked it up as per picture attached. (I’m too impatient)

Everything seems to be working apart from the left channel volume is lower than the right. I have tried reversing the cable and have the green stripe to the cd side of the setup and I have also tried setting the balance with the remote as per the manual.

Could there be an obvious reason for this or perhaps one of the units requires repair?Interestingly if I connect a tuner via an ‘rca to 5 pin’ the sound is balanced.

Thanks again for the help it’s very much appreciated.

If you enjoy the sound coming from your new kit then something to mention is that Naim will service all their kit (with a few exceptions) and that depending on the age of your ‘new’ kit you are likely to experience a decided improvement in sound.

I think the recommendation is anything over 10 years old would benefit.

An email to Naim with the serial numbers may provide a previous servicing date - they have done this for me in the past.

Happy listening.

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If the tuner is balanced, connect the cd player to the tuner input you have used. If it is now not balanced then the cd player is the problem.

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Thanks Alanm1

A few of us here would have been asking for a tip off as to exactly which shop, had that not been the case!

(Your friend is right, it’s decent gear).

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Thanks bruss

The Tuner is balanced in the CD port and the Tuner port. The CD is unbalanced in both ports. However the Tuner is not connected to the flatcap as the CD is as it only has RCA output.

Haha apparently so. It does sound fantastic apart from the L/R volume imbalance, but hopefully will have that sorted soon.

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That sounds like a cd problem then. I don’t have a Naim cd so can’t comment further, but the Nait5 is working correctly.

Edit. It could be that the connecting din cable is suspect. I would try that first.

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Try removing the flatcap from the cd player, too, just in case…

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