Are there any official instructions on how to terminate Nac A5 with supplied Naim speaker plugs? Naim says, that it is very important to use supplied speaker plugs, but I can’t find official instructions on how to solder them.
Don‘t recommend dealer, they do not know how to do it correctly, at least in our country.
Naim are going to recommend dealers do it … fairly obvious
But if you use the search function (on the old forum) there is information there…from Richard Dane and others
As usual…it’s down to good preparation and cleaning of the parts. And a simple jig to hold the pins as you do the work.
There is only one way to solder cable connections & any trained service electrician / auto electrician / electronics / technician will know how. Instructions are not needed.
If your dealer is not able to do this (& thats a shame on them) ask them to recommend, or you yourself search for a service repair shop of the type listed above, they will have a large soldering iron of aprx 100W & use multi-core electrical solder. Personally (as its where I come from) I advise to look for an auto electrical service shop as they are used to working with cables of the size that is NACA5, whereas an electronics shop is not.
Thanks. So I’ll search for trained service electrician and give him instructions from archived forums (if I find them).
As for my dealer, I had in mind that I do not trust him, because I know, that soldering would be performed by a man with absolutely no knowledge of electricity and soldering. And after such service I never know if it was done correctly or not. And I’m sure, I would be the first person in our country ordering Nac A5 soldering :). So they are not the right persons to trust.
I had very bad situations with my dealer, and I understood that the only purpose they have is to take money from client.
This is the thread on the old forum:
https://forums.naimaudio.com/topic.php?oid=1566878606552864&coid=159503632588889
It used to include some good photos of properly soldered plugs, but these seem to have vanished. Perhaps @Richard.Dane could look into this, as it would be useful if they were visible?
Thank you, Chris.
Unfortunately there are no solder iron wattage or solder type recommendations in this forum link.
I use as 100 watt & 60/40 rosin multi-core for copper cable termination. Other lead % mixes work OK as do lead free, provided they are flux cored & specific for electrical connections & the soldering iron is powerful enough.
Using a made-up jig as has been said above is vital in my view. An internet search I did revealed some guidance from dealers, with some pictures.
Do remember to ensure the terminations for the amplifier-end Naim plugs are correct if you are using these (?).
Agree regarding the wooden jig which I made from an off cut of 2 by 2 inch timber and held this in a desk vice. I simply drilled a couple of holes in the timber and pushed the plugs for soldering into this. As with an earlier reply I use a 100 watt soldering iron and ensure that the plugs are perfectly clean. Having said this a good dealer should do this for you.
At the my SL interconnects were pre-soldered!
And if your going to be sarcastic then don’t expect a lot of help …it’s sensible advice…why not listen to it
@anon23139555 – May I respectfully say I don’t detect sarcasm here. It appears English isn’t Luc’s 1st language and this is a path of action for him. Like me, a soldering iron isn’t always a friend!
Hi, instructions and images can be viewed here on hifigear’s website.
I’m not convinced the Hifi Gear soldering is that great.
You should be aiming for something like this (taken from the old forum)
Some images of good NACA5 soldering, courtesy of Peter Swain, here;
Best to use a plank of wood, drill a couple of suitable 4mm holes to hold the plugs in position, and use some kind of restraint (rubber band or other) to hold the NACA5 in position. Form the exposed copper ends so they perfectly fit inside the slot on the back end of the plugs. Then solder, ensuring heat is applied to plug and copper together. High heat is best for this to heat up the area quickly before the heat travels further down the copper and starts to melt the outer sheath of the cable. Be careful not to let solder run down the side of the plug - it will then jam the plug inside the plastic housing. Then trim off any excess with side cutters. The plugs should fit easily inside the plastic housing and should have a little bit of movement when manipulated.
It takes bit of practice so try out first with bit of old cable until you feel confident you can do a good job. Good luck.
That is certainly the standard to aim for and sadly 90% of A5 soldering I’ve seen doesn’t come close.
One thing I learnt is don’t twist the strands before trying to get them in the slot, they only just fit as it is.
I‘m not sarcastic :). I was planning to do exactly what I wrote – to bring Naca5 cable to electrician with instructions.
Like HappyListener said English is not my first language, and I do a lot of errors, sorry for that. But I‘m learning.
Thank you all for very detailed information!
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