Odd question perhaps, but having recently got my SBLs out of storage (and thoroughly enjoying them passively) via NAC 282/NAP 250/2xHI-CAP, I was elated to find my old chrome bumper NAXO today while tidying up the storage unit.
Now much has been said about the logic for using NACA4/5 cable with Naim power amps, I just wonder if anyone has any idea if this applies equally to active systems, and if so whether or not is more important when considering mid/bass drivers vs tweeters, as I have a funny feeling it might me counteruntuitive.
The rationale is simply that the passive SBL crossovers are fed ny NACA5, but I have some similar length non-Naim cables which are more accessible.
So - would I be more likely to cause problems with the LF or HF drivers if not using NACA5 active?
I have a friend that has done all this - Passive to Active - mixed NAC A4/5 - liked that way Active over the Passive - then eventually upgraded the A4 to A5 for all speaker runs Active to even better results.
Try it and see. Minimum lengths are 5m for NAP 250.
Thanks DB - so it’s 5m for the NAP 250s - don’t think I was ever advised this by the dealer many moons ago when I got the SBLs, though have seen 3.5m mentioned quite frequently as a general minimum length.
Thinking about it the NACA5 I’m currently using may be a shade under 3.5m. I’ve got a pair of 5m or 7m A5 somehwere as well as a pair of A4 of at least 5m, though resoldering is needed for a few connections.
I guess I’m wondering in some ways if the Naim speaker cables are regarded as being part of the amp’s output stage whether or not this applies more to high or low frequencies or pretty much across the range of audio signals - knowing less than I’d like about electronic circuitry it’s something I couldn;t hazard a guess about.
Having 20m of cables in my current (probably temporary) system location would involve lots of cable folding or redundant runs
I can’t honestly remember if I used to have them active with a mixture of A4/A5 or all A5!
As I have an old chrome bumper NAXO, I’m perhaps more reluctant to mix cable types from the same amp even though it would supply a single SBL. I think I’d feel more comfortable mixing cable types on separate amps with each amp supplying LF or HF but I’d naturally need a current SNAXO for that I believe.
