I know this is an often asked question and I’ve read old topics but the opinions are very diverse and I got confused.
I’m using SN2 amp have only Chord digital/analogue interconnects and Chord Epic Twin 3m speaker cables.
Could you share what benefits NAC A5 could have over the Epic Twin and vice versa? I read that NAC A5 is very stiff, has midbass bump and is not so refined as Chord Epic Twin. However my Monitor Audio Gold 200 5G speakers are very refined and sometimes I want a bit more rawness without loosing soundstage, detail and bass. What are your thoughts?
I forgot to mention the traits, yes. It may be my room but I think the Epic Twins tend to be a bit boomy and bloated on the lowest ends. I want bass weight and organic sound but in a controlled and solid way with punch and good attack. I would choose less booming but more midbass probably where drums and bass guitars are. On some records the voices might be a bit metallic in my system too. I won’t define them as bright just not so natural and life-like. For example Mariah Carey’s voice is sometimes metallic and sterile.
This was what I don’t like so much. However I like the great amount of detail, information, soundstage size the Epics bring. I don’t know if the NAC A5 would have at least the same amount of detail and soundstage.
Perhaps not quite answering the OPs question, but…
I’ve just changed out my old QED speaker cable for chord epic X and interconnects are now chord epics too. So a full chord epic loom I guess.
And yes bright they are. But there is detail I did not know was in many recordings ( vinyl especially).
Bass is there, but takes time to arrive via burn in. But so far I’m impressed.
corsuse, for some reason I disliked the original Signature in my system when I tested it many years ago, but quite liked the Signature Reference 8-10 years later… Now ref. is replace with XL which I have not heard. Personally I ended up with Epic Reference which I quite like (and prefer vs the NACA5 I still have around).
I’m experimenting with speaker cables for my Exposure 3010S2 monoblocks/Monitor Audio Gold GX300s, and so far NACA5 is . . . awful. Linn K20 is noticeably better, as is TQ Black 2. The A5 midbass bump is absurd, and it sounds muffled relative to the Linn or the TQ.
Overall I think I hear more preferences toward the Chord Epic/Signature lines than NAC A5. I might start looking for Signature Reference/XL offers. I have heard Signature has more tamed bass than Epic and more balanced sound with great detail.
I chose Epic Twin over NAC A5 in my first Naim System, then Epic Reference in preference to SuperLumina when I upgraded. I just find the Chord cables resolve everything a little better, more detailed and dynamic. I didn’t dislike NAC A5, and thought it offered good value for money. The same could not be said for SuperLumina speaker cable, although I chose the SuperLumina interconnect over Chord Sarum! Funny old world, eh?!
I moved away from chord odyssey 4 (shotgun) to nac5A, it’s the same condukter as epic but with out the shild.
The chord cable is to bright, it has a good soundstage bud voices mis bone and emotion, the nac5A has a better tonal balance, the soundstage i not as large as chord but it plays out in the room, bas is a little beefy but intertening, mids is spot on in my opinion, higs is a little wooly but it’s acceptebol as it simply plays Music that make me smile.
, my bright and detailed are to different things but can see people may get confused 
