The NAC A5 specs don’t fully help though. What you need is the amp’s ideal comfort zone range. A5 is totally different from SL for example. And being careful of “high” capacitance is a nonsense statement. “High” is not a number. It has no real meaning. As it turns out 100pF/metre is many times higher than A5 but still a comparatively low capacitance. Naim are really worried about some of those 600pF cables out there IIRC, but don’t say.
Still, if a dealer tells you they often use cable X with Naim, and they have decades of Naim experience, I’d trust that.
I have a little bit of bad news for you here; to fully come good NACA5 takes an age of running - we’re talking a few months at least here. I’m not alone in having experienced this. Luckily we’re only talking icing on the cake here - mostly it’s a dimensional thing - depth in particular. However, good for you all the same.
I bought them used. Not sure how old they are though but I would assume at least x months old. It’s great to have my own ears on the naca5. My set is 2x6.5m. I do not find them shrill or lacking depth or that I find them lack detail etc. I do find them very neutral and balanced in my system with focus on flow and presence. I like them a lot. Didn’t expect this really.
What made you not expect it, and instead from your thread theme seem to have a wish to use anything other than whatever Naim recommended? I would have thought the converse!
Richard we normally see things pretty much the same but I struggle with this. I’ve no doubt that different cables make a difference, hence me using a non Naim speaker cable following dealer advice - and I recognise run in but months? I queried the claims that it took 9, or some such months, for a NDS 555 to run in, really? First, as I understand the maker of the claim was affecting other modifications to his system - network switches, music servers - to try and get the same level of performance as his cd555 (that’s a completely different discussion!), well how do you measure this, listen to the same music selection every day and make copious notes including other changes that have taken place.
My approach with new stuff is just to leave the Nat 05 running for a few days, job done!
Yes, I sympathise here. I’ve certainly not come across anything similar before, but if I hadn’t heard it myself and then had it fully corroborated by a couple of people in the industry who had similar experience with NACA5 and of whom I have great respect, then I would have perhaps ignored it, or wondered if it was perhaps something else. It’s one reason why I do wonder whether those who dismiss NACA5 may well be doing so having not given it the time it really needs.
Yes, when I tested different lengths at the factory many years back, I definitely preferred 5m against 3.5m. 10m was even better but by a much smaller margin. I could easily live with 5m per channel.
