Opinion varies…
Some say Naim cables sound better with the plugs pushed firmly in but the locking collars disengaged. Some have even hacked the collars off their cables, but I would say that’s a bit extreme (not to say ruining any resale value!).
Others say they sound just fine with the collars done up. Personally, I lock mine but I’ve never got round to the micromanagement level of tweakery required to try it any other way.
Try it both ways and see if you hear a difference!
Mark
Thanks. Sound fine to me pushed in.
We had family staying in our house when we were on holiday, they shifted the hifi rack though and the cable was only loosely connected when we returned. I immediately noticed it in the first seconds of the spinning disc. That is also a consideration.
Oh I’m running a cd5i through a nait3. Definately more engaging than my chord into the rca of the CD player. So previously was your din connections locked, before they moved the kit?
Ok wow interesting. I wonder why that is?
It sounds better.
Some more expensive DIN plugs have no locking ring at all, including Naim’s HiLine and Super Lumina. The advice of my dealer and others is to push the plug all the way in, then gently back it off a tiny bit. Just another bit of Naim’s obsession with mechanical decoupling, which is also seen in the design of those expensive DIN plugs, Powerline mains plugs, wobbly IEC sockets, and circuit boards suspended from springs inside their higher end products.
Holy Bolly!! You guys know some crazy stuff. My intuition would be to lock it tight up. Would this “ backing it off slightly “ be applicable at the source, cd and amp or just at the source?
With the standard lead you just plug it in, don’t lock it, and it will sort itself out. With Super Lumina it’s a case of pushing it right in and then pulling it out about 1mm.
Thanks. Very enlightening.
Crazy indeed, but even I am not quite crazy enough to test which end of which lead needs this ‘loose’ connection. I just do them all like that.
I’ve done it. Yes It does.
It is about 5 years ago now that I decided to get a decent amp. I was walking in the city and saw a hifidealer. Had a few spare minutes so I entered the shop. A polite guy asked me if he could help me. I said that I was looking for a better amp which could drive my speakers (b&w cm1’s) in a large living room and that my father had technics in the eighties. He said that technics was quite the opposite of what they sell. He explained while walking me along all the amps that some brands try to invent a technical solution for a challenge (e.g. Technics), but that other brands (Naim) stick to good selection of components and combine them to a level of magic. I do remember what he explained about din connections that they were old fashioned but still used by Naim since it ensures a good grounding. He also explained something about the swing door of the cd-player, but I can’t remember precisely.
Anyhow, I was sold to Naim and love the peculiarities. They work.
Hence it´s all about ensuring the best contact between pins and sockets any effect with locking the collar or leaving it disengaged might depend on how old and worn the sockets on component side are. The more firmly the pliers still grip the pins, the stronger and better the contact, even without additional fixing.
Still, I feel more secure when the cables are properly fixed, especially when it comes to the 4 or 5 pin SNAIC cable. I’m even thinking about ordering a conversion to the newer twist lock variant of the sockets during the next device revision of my CBs.
Yes, that´s one of the technical pros for DIN.
DIN provides a single ground for both channels (a good thing), the pins are self-cleaning, and there’s a good impedance match between plug and socket.
Thank you. These little tips are very helpful.
The FAQ is worth a read;
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