Mains Cables...do they really have to be Naim?

Naim’s mains cables, as with every other naim cable are used by naim development engineers to voice a Naim product, thereby ensuring that every Naim component sounds authentically Naim. So if you like the Naim sound (and as you’re on this forum I assume you do) I would definitely recommend you stay with Naim cables. Changing to any other cable is like introducing a filter or tone control and will move the sound away from the reference sound naim engineers envisagesd. . .
Mains filtering has a horrible affect on high current amplifiers like Naim’s, effectively strangling the sound. In my MHO these should be avoided at all costs. . .
Perhaps you could place a cosmetic shield (card perhaps) behind the rack to hide the cables and thereby maintain matronal harmony. . .

Could be true but everyone have different speakers so it really doesn’t matter how Naim tuned it with their power cables if you don’t use everything identical to those golden ears at Naim. What speakers do Naim use these days for subjective listening tests?

Again, thank you for your answers! Peter, would you say that Graham’s Hydra can be considered as belonging to Naim’s cables? Apparently they’re made to suit Naim products…

I believe the Hydra is made from Naim cables… :slightly_smiling_face:

:scream: :star_struck:

I take your point, however if you have an all naim set up to the speakers and like it, why introduce 3rd party cables that can change the ‘Naim’ sound… For me it doesn’t make sense, unless of course you prefer a different sound. Which is fine too.
I understand that since the Naim have stopped making their own speakers, Naim development engineers use the cost appropriate Focal speakers to develop new products. This makes sense as apparently all recent Focal speakers are voiced to compliment the naim sound. In my own system I use Sopra No2 driven by a NAP300DR, which frankly just sounds amazing. . .

Sorry I can’t help you there, I have no experience or knowledge of Graham’s Hydra. I’m sure they’re a great cable, however my advice is the same, only try other cables if you want different sound to what the development engineers at Naim signed off on.

On my system I have 1 x NAIM powerline on my SC, the rest of my leads are Titan which are made in Northern Ireland and are very good - the manins block is also very good

I have always found best on source first and then if budget allows on the rest of your system

@peter - The full ‘lowdown’ from Graham’s, re their Hydra, can be read on their website.

This confirms my understanding - that the Graham’s Hydra is made from Naim (standard) mains leads.

Interesting, so presumably Naim supply them the components, so I wonder if they also approve them officially or otherwise.

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Grahams HiFi are a really good HiFi shop. I used to visit them often when I lived in North London. The cables they show on their website appear to be based on the original Naim cables rather than the Power-Line or Power-Line lite and are multiple cables to an MK plug. Interesting. . .
The Star wiring they mention is key. In my system mains is supplied via a Naim Power-Line going to a ‘Star’ wired NYX block from Titan Audio. Plugged into the NYX are two Power-Lines and a Power-Line Lite going on to various bits of Naim kit. . .The key advantage with this block is that each socket is wired independently (rather than buzz bars) and there’s absolutely no filtering between the incoming mains supply and the equipment. . .

By that argument, presumably anyone who has a Naim component developed before the Powerlines were used for that voicing would be better not using Powerlines. Ditto SuperLumina cables…

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I believe eg chord offer 1m lengths as standard, not sure about shorter than that. I heard longer (2m?) shawline vs. 1m signatures and clearly preferred the shorter Signatures. So at least length is not the only parameter in play here…

Hmmm some people have really drunk the Koolaid.

Cables make a difference. And PowerLines are very good. But “voiced” power leads? Their engineering is all about reducing undue mechanical or electrical interference. If one does it better than another, it sounds better. It’s not in the signal path. There is no “voicing”.

I use PiwerLines in most (but not all) places because they are easy to work with and are mid priced.

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what about cable extension, is that ok ?

No really, Naim just found a way improve the sound whilst still retaining the ‘Naim’ sonic signature. . .

“This confirms my understanding - that the Graham’s Hydra is made from Naim (standard) mains leads.”

Not exactly. . . The Hydra cables resemble Naim’s 1st generation power cables, rather than the current Power-Line and Power-Line Lite.
I believe the Power-Line Lite was launched in 2017 for all Naim equipment other than the 500 series and the Statement which are supplied with the ‘full fat’ Power-Line as standard. And the Power-Line (an amazing cable) pre dates the ‘Lite’ version by some years. . .

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I use an MCRU mains block that is fed by a Powerline Lite. The rest of the kit is also using Powerline Lite cables.

The difference over standard and various other kettle leads was nothing short of astonishing. I did the testing with my missus who was blind to which cable was being used at the time.

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I have some bad news…for me at least. I got an answer from Graham’s. They say that 1) Hydra is made only for Naim products (and I have a Turntable and a non-naim pre-Phono too) , 2) that in post-Brexit time it’s very difficult shipping to Europe. About the EU plug they said nothing. I’m still very confused about point 1: why on earth two Naim Schuko wires shouldn’t fit to other gears??

There is no issue with using the Hydra with other products other than Naim.