Just checking… I’ve bought some NAC A5, probably fairly old. I presume though that it’s just as good as new? Assuming I cut off a bit and get it re-terminated. (I’ve found the existing posts about soldering terminations so comfortable with getting that sorted.)
The amplifier end I have got the Naim dual banana plugs for. But something I have not successfully found in search is a solid recommendation on banana plugs for the speaker end. And I can’t find an obvious link to Naim-supplied plugs. My existing Chord Shawline was terminated with Chord Ohmics. Is that a suitable choice?
Mmm ok thanks. Enough just to give them a clean? I (I clean up old woodworking machines from time to time, so I’ve got things like very fine grade steel wool, meths etc to do it.) Or should they be replaced.
I would imagine so, but no harm in snipping and reterminating. If the soldering finish / quality appears good then I’d keep them unless you can get them redone to the same or better standard.
Yup, I would check the soldering and the bit of cabling closer to the plugs to see whether it looks OK or not. However, it can often be a good idea to just cut off the old connectors, cut back a little bit on the cable and then solder on new SA8 connectors.
When choosing plugs for the speaker ends, have a think about what will work best for the layout of the sockets.
If the sockets are gold, nickel or silver plated, consider using similar plugs to match.
If the sockets are biwire, consider getting an F-connector arrangement soldered instead of using the cheap solid metal links often supplied. Also consider the best type of plug for cable dressing: a right angled plug such as Naim’s can help, especially if the terminals are high up, by allowing the cables to hang straight down, as can spades if the sockets allow.
Thanks; that was good advice. I got hold of an old set of Naim SA8 plugs and used the bananas from each for the speakers, plus a bit of NAC A5 as a bridge.
The plastic around the NAC A5 is really good isn’t it? Very resistant to all the heat you need to pump in to solder the joints.
