Newbie, please be gentle……
Have just acquired a Nait 3 and CD3 from a friend who is selling up and moving away.
Neither unit has been used for 10+ years.
Have had a couple of conversations with the excellent Ross at Naim technical support.
Both units power up and do not get hot etc over an extended period.
My ‘problems’……
No interconnect between amp and CD. The suggested cable is more than twice what I paid for the complete system (there are Naim speakers, but they are damaged).
Genuinely, are there suggestions for acceptable cables to check functionality before I go big league on it?
Apologies for ramble, I’m a man of modest means suddenly given the golden ticket!
Welcome to the forum Richard. There’s no need for anything more than the standard Naim grey interconnect here. Secondhand ones can be found quite easily online for around £25-40. That’s all you really need.
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Look on a well know auction site for keywords such as Naim din. You’ll find cables made by chord eg cobra, or Naim ones sometimes incorrectly referred to as snaic. Anything with a 180 degree 5 pin din both ends should be suitable.
Alternatively “designacable” make good quality interconnects using preh din plugs and van damme or similar cable.
See the first picture under the topic below
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Many thanks for your replies.
Looking at the listing descriptions it suggests that the cables supply power as well as signal.
Again…. A bit out of my depth with this, is the suggestion of power transfer an issue as both units have mains power?
The ones that supply power too have 240 degree DIN plugs, the signal only ones have 180. The former are known as Snaics but the term gets used for both by some so check the plugs. Between a CD3 and a Nait you want a 5 pin DIN 180 at each end.
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You want a grey interconnect, with the five pins in a semicircle. I’ve just looked on eBay and there’s one that looks fine, for £49 for a genuine Naim product. It’s described as a Snaic, but it’s not. It’s exactly what you need.
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If both units have supplied plugs, that’s what you need.
Some Naim units now come with a Naim power cable that produces better results and that is something for the future
Naim prefer DIN cables , and as has been said you can pick up second hand cables on eBay , or RCA cables can used.
Many years ago I had a colleague who had a small Aiwa two box unit , he didn’t believe cables could make an impact, so I gave him one that had cost me £50 ( we are back in the 1980s ) . He could believe the difference that the cable produced.
From the thread linked above
It can be complicated as a few Naim cables look similar but this is just an interconnect to connect a source (CD3) with amplifier (Nait 3) with 5 pin DIN at both ends. It just carries signal.
Enjoy, that’s a great system to get your hands on.
.sjb
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Thank you for the excellent responses.
Just a passing thought……
Apart from the obvious quality differences how similar/different is this to a 5 pin MIDI cable?
It’s the same. 180 degrees 5 pin din both ends. A MIDI cable would be fully wired ie all 5 pins connected.
Ah yes, but only the Naim cables will have been through the Salisbury Shaker 
.
ATB, J
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You know, the OP must be thinking we’re a collection of complete nutters…… all this hooplah for a bit of wire!
Oh, wait a minute, it’s medication time ……
ATB, J
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Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom.
I’ve had decent stereo equipment my whole life, but good quality Japanese stuff.
The opportunity to get something in a different league was daunting but just too good to pass up. It’s a bit of a steep learning curve and one I have to be sensible about as I’m a man of modest means. I just don’t have hundreds to throw at it so the advice given has been really appreciated.
Little steps at a time for me I’m afraid……
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Most of us started that way… if you can’t hear the difference, dont sweat it. trust your ears 
… welcome aboard by the way.
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If you have decent RCA leads, they will do, ( heresy)
Actually, they won’t do, as neither the CD3 nor the Nait 3 have RCA sockets.
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Can you say more about what the Naim speakers are?
There may be a name written on the back.
How do they appear to be broken?
If you can take a photo on your phone, you should be able to upload it so that we could see it and perhaps help you decide what to do with the speakers.
To upload it you just make a normal post with your phone on this thread and then touch the icon of a landscape picture that is immediately below your post to the right and that will let you find it on your phone and upload the shot.
Thank you , spot on .
Ian