Absolutely, best upgrade to my still relatively modest system was/is a dedicated consumer unit with separate radials powering each component seperately.
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Just browsing this thread and if I may chip in and perhaps contribute an answer to @anon4489532 vs @Mr.Frog
I find myself in agreement mostly with Mr Frog. No I haven’t listened to SL in my system, the cost in that context would be ridiculous.
I have however attended a Statement demo event at a hotel in Brighton. My partner and I were sat in the worst position at the back of the room, but even in that situation we undoubtedly heard the biggest improvements when SL was introduced to the system. The improvement was much greater than each step up in system component up to and including the ultimate Statement system.
That said, as music lovers first and foremost, it all came across to us as a bit elitist and very little to do with music.
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I suppose that it’s inevitable that when reps are demonstrating hi fi systems that cost 50,000 . . . . 75,000 . . . 100,000 (quid, dollars), the experience seems “elitist.” Because frankly, who can afford such systems? Mostly “the elite” (whatever that means).
I submit that it’s not that it has little to do with music, but that the ratio of how much it has to do with music to how much it has to do with the hardware obviously skews to the latter when one is spending 50, 75, 100K on a system. You’d hardly expect such customers to not be interested in the hardware upon which they are spending that much.
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Like most things, put a load off people in a room and play them music and tell them this is better because of this and that and just about all will agree, as they done want to be the odd one out that cant hear the difference, for me i dont mind being that odd guy and i say things how i find them
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For some, I believe such esoterica is used as a status symbo and for bragging rights on forums. IMO it does start to become rather detached from musicality perhaps illustrated by the unmusical language often used to describe the results.
Just a view, nothing against anyone who is sufficiently well heeled and enjoys these things.
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Indeed, I rarely go to “HiFi” shows these days for that kind of reason. Boring people sat motionless staring into the space between a pair of speakers stroking their chins, whilst some rep assaults their hearing with Brahms 3rd Racket. Not very musical
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How much difference did you hear with the DIN to XLR?
Finally put the SL speaker cables in last weekend and that was a ‘wow’ moment. The SL IC Din to Din wasn’t immediate until I finally gave in to some proper cable dressing and then it suddenly made sense.
I’m always sceptical when it comes to upgrades when the dealer says, ‘give it a try’. The proof as always is in the listening.
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I don’t get it, if the cable is so good why was it named after such a mediocre car like the Chevy Lumina…?
Kuma told me last night that she had tried a 5 meter Lumina at home and the verdict was that there was a sound improvement over the standard NAIM cable but it wasn’t worth the money, whatever that means.
Perhaps she will be kind enough to illuminate her Lumina experience herself.
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If you are comparing the SL to the standard naim cable (nac5), then you should hear a big difference. The standard naim speaker cable is quite dull and heavy sounding and the SL is brighter and has a much more open sound, like most modern cable.
The standard naim speaker cable was designed when the Sbl’s etc were in most naim systems and as we know they are more bright than bass and so the speaker cable suited them.
SL speaker cable would have cost me over $10k US. For well less than 1/10th of that I got WitchHat Phantom and it sounds great, better than NACA5 in any case.
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Hi Dunc,
How would you describe the sound improvement in musical terms?
I told my wife that I was buying a Chord Sarum T 5 pin din-din interconnect (list price approx $3200- I paid less )
Thankfully she was supportive. Also mentioned a quid pro quo - “now I can buy that handbag…”
David
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Same as me, for the money the phantom cable is a bargin and i found it quite like the more expensive naim stuff in presentation
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Sounds like an individual instance of a sound general upgrading/buying policy.
Does the proposed purchase perform better (to your ears) than what you have?
Is that difference worth TO YOU (taking into account opportunity cost and the importance of audio in your life + disposable income, etc) the extra money you’d have to pay out.
Difficult bit here for many - You make a decision.
You live with that decision but other people, with other parameters in the areas above, require you to justify a personal decision - which should have no bearing on their own decision.
You realise you’re not trying to start a cult so you - don’t get too sucked in.
One of my father’s favourite stories about, as he had it, George Bernard Shaw:
He was at a party once and he told this woman that everyone would agree to do anything for money, if the price were high enough.
Surely not, she said.
Oh yes, he said.
Well, I wouldn’t, she said.
Oh yes you would, he said.
For instance,’ he said, would you sleep with me for… for a million pounds?
Well, she said, maybe for a million I would, yes.
Would you do it for ten shillings? said Bernard Shaw.
Certainly not! said the woman What do you take me for? A prostitute?
We’ve established that already, said Bernard Shaw.
We’re just trying to fix your price now!
I apologise for the clunkiness of this version - result of a lazy search and too much reformatting to look for a more elegant/accurate one.
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Adam,
I have already started a cult 20 years ago. Its name is: GET YOURSELF A MUSIC SYSTEM YOU LIKE AND JUST PLAY IT.
Unfortunately, I am still searching for the first member willing to join in…
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JosquinDesPrez … that’s pretty much where I was coming from 
There are some lower end rubbish cables, which can always be improved upon and these aren’t necessarily always the cheap ones.
Then there are cables that are high quality (better than the low end rubbish) and many will sound the same, despite some manufacturers making ludicrous claims as to the benefit of their particular cables and charging an extortionate amount for the privilege … many people may be lured by such false promises and simply think that due to the high price tag (or indeed the actual manufacture of the cable concerned) that the cables MUST be better.
The fact is, it’s probably really difficult to better the majority of good sounding and reasonably priced cables … even by putting a bigger price tag on it, yet some manufacturers do!!!
Even IF this can be achieved, the law of diminishing returns will almost certainly apply … making these superfluous.
Some people who think a particular cable is the “best thing that they have ever heard”, may be right … but it would be interesting to know what they are comparing the esoteric high cost cable against (the low quality one?). In that respect, the super duper massively expensive cable will obviously sound great in comparison … but equally, far less expensive cables probably sound the same, as long as they are quality products.
Just a thought and if you don’t agree, that’s fine. I’m not trying to convince you … if you’re happy to invest in a particular expensive wire. It’s your cash and absolutely your right to spend it how you choose … so no heated debate required.
In my case, using balance cables, negates the need for all this esoteric stuff
Enjoy your music and whatever cable you are comfortable with and above all, keep safe in these worrying times. Expensive cables aren’t the most important thing in life …
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Well boys and girls I have just been playing at swapping out the expensive NAIM cables with the ones that came with the units, first the power lines, next the 5 pin Din to Din from the NDX2 and the 252 (SL, highline and standard) and finally the Din to XLR (SL to standard), what do you think I am going to say, have a guess, the answer to my ears is I couldn’t tell the difference, if it was subtle then it was very subtle. The cables may be nicely constructed with better material used but could I justify the more expensive cables at £4K even at 50% off I don’t think so. My system sounds pretty darned good with the standard cables. The last thing I will try as I have them are the SL speaker cables but as I have the Chord Signature XL cables, which in themselves cost a bit I won’t be upgrading. I think for £4K I might be better investing in a Audioquest Niagara 3000 or Isotek mains conditioner as I do get a very slight mains hum from the speakers when no source is selected and the volume is at max on the 252. Unfortunately I don’t have the luxury of a dedicated mains spur servicing the HiFi / AV kit. Sorry to disappoint some of you on the cables but I’m telling you what I am hearing, in you systems it may be different. It was fun having a play and I have the cables for a little while longer to dabble further. Maybe those of you out there may suggest things I may be doing wrong with the hi line cables and I’ll give it a go but I do t expect it to make any significant improvement. I think in my case the source/ amplification makes a bigger difference to the SQ, certainly better than the SN3 and HiCap DR I had before, and I’m not saying they were bad in the first place.
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Thanks for the update which was surely appreciated. I await your thoughts on the Superlumina vs Chord Signature XL with great anticipation since I also own the latter.
I recently went through an almost similar experience and result. Instead of Naim premium cables, I compared Chord Signature Tuned Aray with the standard Naim cables. I posted a rather comprehensive post on another forum. The differences are subtle and I was forced to do a more methodological test to pick up on the differences. Otherwise, as you have aptly pointed out there is no difference with the cables. Even if there is a difference it would be subtle and difficult to be picked up by the ears.
I will be comparing the Signature XL to NACA5 after this but I need to give my ears a rest after all the hard work earlier.
Just trying the 5m SL speaker cables, my initial thoughts are they sound more detailed / brighter BUT I’m going to get the wife to see what she thinks, it will be a blind test for her though as she doesn’t know the which cable is which so it will be interesting to see which she prefers.