Not necessarily defective, but if they’re the wrong capacitance to suit the Nova, there can be issues. Thanks for the ticket number - i’ll get onto Support now.
When they installed them they said they would seem long for the room because they were following Naim guidance, I would like like to think as a Naim dealer they would have considered this?
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Length wise, it certainly sounds so, which is encouraging! They may, however, have a favourite cable brand they like to use, which may not always be the best partner for Naim.
If you can find back which brand and type of cable they used, that could help to determine whether this could play a role. But simply unplugging the cables for a while and see what happens is the easiest test. It’s best to rule out all possible factors ofcourse.
Again, can someone explain how the impedance of the cables and speakers affects the power use when in standby please?
I’m only thinking about a few simple tests at this time to see what may have an influence, not the possible causes behind them. We’ve had a few overheating Nova’s on the forums and some were caused by specific circumstances such as speaker cables used, so it’s good to rule that out.
Apart from a few of these (simpler) tests Naim support is probably the best source for more in-depth information, so if they get back to you do keep us updated about your progress. 
Just heard back from Support - are you in the US, as that seems to be a US ticket-number?
Regardless, this is advice from UK support team here in Salisbury:
"Definitely check the speaker cables ……. we’ve seen a few issues like this with twisted cables from QED, Chord and others.
Also, ensuring server mode is switched off is key – when in server mode the unit won’t go into deep sleep, as it continually needs to index and connect to drives.
Either way – if there is an issue with the Nova we can have a look and repair FoC – don’t worry if it’s out of warranty as the issue was raised from new."
I can also confirm that my Nova was getting very hot when I had the Audioquest 4 cables I’d been using for years with my old amp and B&W 805Ns. Switching to NAC A5s solved the issue.
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This might help, although the all-in-ones are a bit more tolerant than the classic power amps, it’s still advisable to stick with low capacitance and moderate inductance cables:
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I use a pair of Tellurium Q Black II 2m with my Nova and it rarely gets hotter than room temperature, it sounds great too.
Just to give alternative options to the more expensive NACA 3.5M+ suggestion that we see more often.
I think any recommendations made need to be grounded in the acceptable design of the cables given that it can make a quite significant difference in how the Naim product performs and can as is highlighted by the OP create confusion between what a dealer is telling them and what they accept in good faith and what Naim as the manufacturer advise.
What will be safe and work to an acceptable level is defined by the electrical properties of the cable with some clearly identified as not being recommended and in some case unsafe for extended use, particularly those of a braided construction.
I’ll admit I’ve had similar contentions with my Naim dealer in the UK (a Platinum Reseller no less) who is forever promoting the benefits of alternative cables, one in particular of course. I’ve asked him to provide the electrical characteristics of the cable but the best I ever got out of him was that they sounded “so much better” and were cheaper (meaning better margins)
It does pay to do some homework and make some independent choices and not rely entirely on the good will and desire for profit of the dealer who in most cases is not exclusively providing products from Naim alone.
In the spirit of disclosure, I use Naim NAC A5 and have done in all the Naim based systems I’ve used over the years, it’s possible I could find improvements elsewhere but you know for sure that those cables were part of the design process of the product you are using and should the worse happen then no one will fault you for your choice of speaker cables.
In the case of @Stuart_of_Skelf I hope he can validate the root cause and hopefully confirm if it is the speaker cables or the amp itself that is at fault, having used primarily NAC A5 I’ve never had any heat or performance issues associated with those cables in my system, the comments from others of certain cables causing overheating or performance issues does make sense and is worth confirming at the least to ensure suitable compatibility with the amp in question.
Hi Stuart, as French Rooster had mentioned I had the same issue last year. I couldn’t believe how hot the unit was running 96. - 101f. I sent the unit back to Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. They checked it out then sent it to the local NAIM service centre, it was a six week turn around
( COVID) protocols/shutdown to blame for long wait. Turns out it was one of the main boards causing the issue and was replaced under warranty.
No I am usually in UK (not at the moment). I am just outside York.
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@Naim.Marketing I will check these at home, the cables, server mode etc. The cables are made with the supplied plugs for the Nova, I believe they are approximately 5m in length. I should be able to test them or get manufacturer’s data on cables. I am assuming as you are in partnership there’s nothing in the Focal 926 speakers that will be detrimental to the amp?
Thanks.
I went back to the original email from Bay Bloor Radio, it looks like they replaced what they described as the “ Streaming Board”
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Aria 926 are fine with Nova - no issues there (sound great!)
Do you have a USB stick permanently plugged into one of USB slots? I understand that even if you go into Standby, the Nova keeps this powered up. I certainly found that my Nova ran hot in Standby when I left USB stick in but as soon as I removed it when not needed, the problem resolved
Yes server mode or a drive plugged in to a USB port will keep things on when in standby so worth checking, speaker cable thing is a red herring
It’s not, it’s a known issue concerning certain types of cable, for instance from Audioquest:
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