Hi folk. I am about to stir a hornets nest. but I think my Hilink cable is holding my system back.
I have a hilink between a Ndac and a nac 282
my system consists of cd5xs ndac xp5xs 282 running two hicap nap 200 and neat speaker.
since installing the hilink I am finding I have lost some Detail. for instance on fleetwood mac.
Tusk I can on longer here the man saying where are the tenders honey at the begining of the song
I am wondering how much more I am missing out on. Is the hilink all it is Cracket up to be
I take it you mean a Hiline?
yes mate sorry
I have Dyslexia sorry
The Hi-Line needs care in installation to sound its best. When I worked at the factory every now and then Iād be asked to check and listen to batches of Hi-lines. Finding the best most consistent way to dress the cable, install the plugs and then listen was the key to getting it right. Any Hi-Lines I thought werenāt ādoing itā for me I would then try again up to three times more. If after re-dressing and re-connecting three times, the Hi-Line was still underperforming, it would be put in a reject batch to go back to the Hi-line build dept. for investigation and possible rebuild.
Make sure the cable itself is nice and unstressed with a gentle U curve when installed. Taking each plug in each hand and orientating the plugs to the angle of the pin layout in the sockets and then gently swinging the cable back and forth to ensure that the plug orientation lacks any stress on the cable, works best for me. The plugs should be plugged in then pulled back a mm or two from the socket. Ensure the cable is not jammed up on other cables or on the back wall. If thereās no other option but to touch another cable then make sure itās perpendicular to it and again, not stressed against the other cable.
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Many things could be the issue here. Are any of the boxes in need of a service as this could fit with the symptoms you describe?
Not everyone agrees that the Hiline is an improvement on the standard wire. If after doing all the things that Richard suggests you still donāt like it, just go back to the standard.
By the way, which is the song with the speaking at the beginning?
I have also found some variation in the sound with how the Hi-Line is plugged in. However, get things right and there is a marked improvement over the standard cable. Mind you, having said that, my Hi-Line was sent off to Naim for repair, as it had developed a buzzing noise over time. When it returned, I found that it sounded better than it ever did, even before it developed this buzzing noise. Iām happy to say that itās been consistent ever since, so maybe itās worth taking yours to the dealer and have them assess it or just ask to send it off anyway, for peace of mind.
thank for advice Richard
there is not much room at the back of my racks, so I have a Rats nest of cables. so my
Hi-line touches two cables and unfortunately all so Touches the floor. there is not much I can do
about it. my kit is new or as been serviced
Try tying a loose knot in the Hiline so it can be arranged so it touches nothing. This is really important in getting it working properly.
Hi Hurgryhalibut
the song is of Fleetwood mac,s tusk off the cd fleetwood greatest hits.
thanks for your advice
If it helps, I canāt hear any talking at the beginning either. But itās got me listening to the record. Iād forgotten how good it is. In googling whether there was recorded speech I discovered that Tusk is Mick Fleetwoodās slang name for penis. One lives and learns.
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thanks stephen
I think i will send it off to Naim and see if the Hi-line as a fault
OK, it sounds like it wonāt be optimum. Can you try sorting out the rats nest - proper cable dressing should give you a worthwhile performance boost all-round.
I would certainly have it installed correctly (as per Richard suggests above) before doing anything else. I took it for granted that your Hi-Line was already in a continuous unimpeded loop before I replied. My Hi-Line did actually develop a fault but I was pleasantly surprised upon itās return. I was just merely suggesting that if your Hi-Line was sounding āoffā no matter what you did? - in which caseā¦
Is this advisable with the SL interconnect too?
Before I got my extra level of Fraim I tied knots in my SL din to XLR leads, which sounded better like that rather than touching the floor. Itās not a tight knot but a loose loop in the shape of a knot, which avoids cable ties and the like. It was actually suggested by Dark Beare, who has, as Iām sure you know, tried out lots of things like this.
Thanks Nigel. Iāll give it a go. I have a 1.5m SL interconnect and itās really difficult to dress it without it touching the floor (albeit with pipe insulation in between the cable and the carpet).
Believe it or not. l have Twenty-Nine cables Behind my racks Ten of which are power Leads.
there is not much I can do about the Rats nest. and my wife hates cables LOL
I will try using the loose knot method on my Hi-line and see how I get on
thanks ever one for your advice
may well be I am pushing 60 years. so it all Down hill for now no. LOL