I’ve just noticed my HiLine has a broken ring at the source end. It must’ve broke all by itself as i haven’t disturbed it in over 4 years. Can’t say i can hear any downgrade to the sound. There appears to be a lot of them for sale on the used-markets. Shame Naim never got around to modifying the HiLine so they never break like they do. I’m not sending mine off again, this’ll be its fifth fault in 10 years.
I’ve had a few HiLines over the years. The early models I had broke a couple of times, but the later models felt a bit more resilient.
Did Naim alter the construction or material to counter the fragility I wonder?
G
Replaced both my HiLines with Cord Epic X after both having to go back to Naim for repair.
Prefer the sound of the Epic X too to be honest😉
Did you try SuperLumina? Bit pricey for me, i can’t quite let it go…
Here in North America, AVOptions makes an equivalent/better cable than the HiLine which I may try at some point.
@JosquinDesPrez has one IIRC. I also can’t afford the SuperLumina. I think mine may be a later version as I haven’t had any problems with mine. That said I’m afraid to sneeze near it lol
2 Likes
Lots of better options that don’t break…… Veretere Redline for example.
My problem was our cats going behind the hifi and in about the cables. I could never settle thinking they were damaging the HiLine.
G
1 Like
Yes, I have – actually had – an AVO DIN4-DIN5 cable for the Superline/Supercap IC. However, I just returned it to AV Options. Chris West took it in trade for a new custom cable he built for me, to use for my new Boulder phono-stage. That one is a DIN-5 to XLR stereo Y-cable.
I still have the Hiline DIN4-5 I originally used. I will sell that on with my Superline.
I still have a HiLine DIN5-5 for my NDX2, but it’s still sitting in the box after the last repair for broken collars. I’m just using the Naim lavender cable, and that’s good enough for me. I plan to sell that HiLine too. The plastic collars/rings are just too fragile and too easily broken, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want to deal with sending it back for repair, again.
Later this year I might also get a set of AVO DIN-XLR cables for my 300DR. There’s a chance I would get a AVO DIN5-5 for my NDX2, but I don’t really use it often enough to justify the cost.
1 Like
It depends on how lucky you are it seems. Some appear more robust than others.
There are people who have had them, and the supplied replacements, and find they break regularly.
Then there people, like myself, who have had the same HiLine for 11 years and after two home moves and several HiFi moves and rebuilds, and yet the cable is still perfectly fine.
IIRC, on the other thread about it, a correlation between age of the cable or year of manufacture to the problem was never established and no one is any the wiser why some just fall apart and others don’t.
4 Likes
Yup running two cracked rings with a bit of black insulating tape . Not worrying about it .
1 Like
I have two Hilines… owned them for many years… I have broken/slipped the rings twice… one time was clearly my fault … but both times Naim has repaired at no cost to me… great service, quick and as much hassle as posting a letter.
As far as sound, I rather like it… it matches the Naim sound rather well, offering a subtle HF lift… rather than complete neutral transparency, which I otherwise use DNM interconnects for.
2 Likes
Based on reports about Focal-Naim America from members here and my local dealer, I’m not so sure I want to rely on free fixes to HiLines any longer. I hear more and more that things are sort of a mess on this side of the pond. I think my dealer is just about fit to be tied.
2 Likes
Yes, weird eh? I have also had the same HiLine for about 5 years, bought it used, have handled it many times, and never had a broken ring. I even accidentally wacked it while it was plugged in and the rings disconnected from the plug. I snapped it back together and it’s fine.
Very strange.
Based on other’s experiences, I can only assume that something about the manufacturing process is highly inconsistent. If you get a good one, it will be fine. If you don’t it will constantly fall apart no matter how many times you or Naim snap it back together. Considering some people have had a series of bad ones, I don’t know how high that inconsistency might be.
It certainly sounds good, so I’m fairly happy that mine is a good one.
One thing I notice looking at the old pics of them, a big difference between my “good” one and the HiLines plugged in on many systems is that mine juts straight out at 90 degree from the back of the unit to the end of the rings and then starts to curve down succumbing to gravity. Most of the pics I have seen, the cable is starting to curve down (thus putting pressure on the rings) pretty much on the second ring. I don’t think is the cause so much as the symptom. Perhaps the good batches very clearly hold their shape around the plug whereas problem batches droop indicating trouble ahead.
I have a HiLine, which I broke through my own clumsiness. I still remember the crunching sound as I slid the SuperCap back into place, squashing the connector against an adjacent post.
The repair was expensive, and I was extremely cautious afterwards. A couple of years later I noticed that a hairline crack had appeared on one of the rings at the upper (preamp) end. Almost invisible, but opened if you flexed the cable downwards. No idea what caused it, but I regard the downward force from the hanging cable as the prime suspect.
I replaced it last year with the AV Options cryo-treated equivalent. The sonic upgrade was bigger than I expected, but I was content just being rid of the fragility-induced anxiety. I haven’t gotten round to selling the HL, but it works perfectly well, and will be a bargain for someone.
1 Like
Broken hi line for me also and I am very careful in handling all my “stuff”. Resorted to a bit of Araldite to bond the two broken pieces together. No noticeable sound difference for me, just glad I bought it s/h at £250 rather than new at £900. Would I buy another - no, I would check out alternatives.
The first two Hi-Lines i bought used were crack free and continue that way - occassionally the whole air plug unclips away from the din plug itself, but it easily pushes back in.
Recently bought a used Hi-Line with a cracked collar for £135 (complete with all original and undamaged packaging). I added a 40mm long sleeve of heat shrink tube (with slits cut in it with a scalpel to give some flex) and it has given the necessary support /connection of the collars without creating a solid cable entry.
1 Like
A very clever idea fixing the plastic rings with a “slashed” rubber sleeve to enable the decoupling to remain. 10/10 
.
It’s bad that a cable, which is quite expensive, breaks so easily. Yet both the grey/lavender stock cable and the SuperLumina are fine. I’m amazed that Naim have let the HiLine run on for so long…
I’ve had (and still have) a number of Hi-lines a few of which have had a lot of plugging and unplugging, but have never had one break on me.
2 Likes