I’ve decided to add an n-sub to go with my Allae speakers.
I understand that the best way to connect it is via the speaker terminals.
I’m currently running 2 x 7m runs of NACA5 from my power amp to the speakers, terminated with Naim plugs at both ends.
A couple of questions:
First, what cable would you recommend for connecting the n-sub? I’ve read that there’s no need to use NACA5 between the speakers and the sub. So what would be a good alternative? So far I’ve looked at Chord LeylineX, AudioQuest G2, and Kimber Kable 4PR. Any preferences here, or other suggestions worth considering?
Second, regarding the connection at the speaker terminals (Allae): should I open up the Naim plugs at the speaker end and try to combine the sub wiring with the existing NACA5 onto the same pins, or is it better to use stackable banana plugs? If the latter, are there any particular brands or types you’d recommend?
Finally, any general tips, setup advice, or tweaks to get the best performance out of the n-sub would be very much appreciated.
With regard to the first question it genuinely does not matter what cable is used. Cheap and cheerful is fine. It does not affect the quality of sound.
The cable can be any old thin bellwire - it really doesn’t matter. I used Chord Sarsen, which is more expensive than bellwire, but my dealer had some in stock so I just bought it so I could get the N-Sub up and running and it’s very thin.
It is possible - just - to solder a thin sub cable into the Naim plugs along with NACA5, so that would be a neat option if you can get the soldering done properly. Stackable bananas would be an easier option. One might worry about putting the additional connections into the signal chain, or not, but it will work.
(With some speakers you get dual purpose sockets that accept bananas or spades, so with the main cable using bananas, the sub cable can attach to the same socket using spades. This worked well for me with Kudos speakers, but it’s not an option with your Allaes.)
Quite modest, but I enjoy it…
Roksan Radius 5/ Nima tonarm/ Vertere Sabre cartrige/ Stageline N/ NAC202/ NAPSC/ NAP200 Speakers are allae /sometimes Royd RR3 but they are a bit tough load for the 200…).
Expecting to add a HiCap DR this year.
It shouldn’t do as the amp should only “see” the cable from the amp terminals, not the high level speaker cable coming off the speaker’s terminals to the subwoofer.
Just to add to @Richard.Dane post. The reason it does not matter with a high level connection is very simple when using a powered sub. The cables running to your normal speakers carry signal along with voltage (to drive the passive speakers). The high level connection from your speakers to your active sub also carry that same signal and voltage. The sub though only uses that voltage to increase the gain on it’s own amplifier, it’s not using it to power the sub itself. Therefor your poweramp only “sees” your main speakers, not the sub.
While on this topic, I’ll be collecting my nSub on Monday. I’ve got a low level cable for my Atom (I’ll use the pre-out RCA sockets), and from my dealer a low-level (DIN to RCA) cable for my 552/500 system.
Is this the best way? There were ominous warnings in the manual about using high level connections on bridged amps like the 500, and my dealer seemed to think that the DIN-RCA low level connection was the way to go in this configuration.
The dealer I got the nSub from now has the second one from the system for sale, but I don’t think that I need 2 subs (and if nothing else 2 subs would get a very stern look from my wife)
The main thing with the low level pre-out lead on the 552 is to ensure that it’s slugged with a 100R resistor - that way you won’t push the 552 into instability. The Naim lead is slugged as standard.
Naim say that the high level connection from a NAP500 is possible, as long as you use the correct cable, so I wouldn’t rule it out, just ask Naim exactly what is required.
The need for a slugged low level cable is length dependent. I believe shorter cables are fine without, but most will need longish cables to site the sub in a suitable location.
Given that it’s vital to get the sub location correct, and that this often means moving it around the room quite a bit, I would suggest getting a very cheap long cable to start with. Once the final position is determined, you can either cut it to length or buy a better cable for your permanent installation.
No, it can be on a side wall, or even on a wall behind you, which can sometimes work very well. Best positioning depends so much on the room, how your main speakers interact with the room, where you mainly sit to listen, and takes time and experimentation (don’t forget experimenting with the phase) in my experience.
And you should also be prepared to accept that if you like a sound that majors on being fast, rhythmic and propulsive then any sub, even an n-Sub, may just take away more than it offers. I tried the n-Sub on a number of occasions with my SL2s, and while I enjoyed the extra weight, every time, in every room, I eventually ended up preferring the SL2s overall without the n-Sub.
When I had an N-Sub it worked particularly well in one room with a 282/200, and the best location by far was behind the sofa. Once properly set up it really enhanced the sound in every respect, with no downsides that I could detect. I think the biggest single factor was getting the relative distance to the listener of the sub compared to the main speakers, with the sub needing to be a little closer.
I think I was lucky to be able to get the sub dialled in well, but it took a lot of time to get the location right.
I have since moved to a different room, and here I just couldn’t get the sub to work well at all. Fortunately the room has great acoustics and well behaved bass, so I no longer feel that I need the N-Sub, having found some speakers that have decent bass extension of their own.
Yes, it’s an experiment. I picked up the N-Sub at a great price, so there’s not much to lose, and I should be able to move it on if it doesn’t work out…