The Uniti is much more tolerant as we discussed in, I believe, another thread (edit: actually right here, above). I think the issue is only that Naim can’t very well say that there is no speaker cable in existence that will do harm - there are some weird cables out there and you cannot know and test them all. But you will be hard pressed to find one that does, at least not without first sounding bad and possibly making the Uniti hot.
Though Unitis often seem small change in the context of this forum, we still shouldn’t forget that they are way more expensive than what most people would consider, and they are still very optimized devices. We also don’t expect that just any liquid propellant will do for cars, and less so for supercars, and I guess it is similar here.
There have been a few people experiencing problems with the current Uniti range using speaker cables that are of an unsuitable spec, so it’s not just the classic power amps that are susceptible. For example:
I agree that the guidance from Naim isn’t entirely clear, but look at it from their point of view. They are a business that sells speaker cable, and theirs is obviously selected to work optimally with their amps. If you want to use a competitors cable, why should Naim test every third party product on the market just to help their competitors to sell more stuff? Surely the onus is on the seller to provide you with a cable that’s suitable for your needs. Naim do at least publish the spec of their cable in order that you can choose other cables that are a reasonable match.
Right I agree with not testing every third party cable but the wording indicates go for it. I am not seeing “don’t using woven or braided cable” which would allow them to not review every third part cable or name company names. So I am left not understanding if there is a problem and if so what to avoid. Witch Hat had cables as does so many vendors but what is in and what is out? I am only caring because I don’t want to burn up the amp. Very frustrating
jh
Litz type cables from the likes of Cardas are about the worst for a Naim amp. Brands such as Chord and Witch Hat are very much aimed at Naim amp users, and will be a safe bet, as will Tellurium Q, Kudos and Linn. If in doubt, check the inductance and capacitance of the cable and compare it with the figures for NACA5, and avoid anything that’s a very different spec.
This is going in circles a bit I agree that the Uniti quick start guide is a insufficient. On the website in the support pages, however, if you search for speaker cables it finds:
Q: What sort of loudspeaker cable should I use?
A: We recommend using Naim NAC A5 speaker cable which can be purchased from your local specialist retailer.
If someone decides to get a different one, it really is up to them. Either talk to a Naim retailer who will sell you A5 or something else - which probably they will have some experience with. Or speak with a cable manufacturer who know about Naim (apparently Kimber don’t). Or do the legwork and choose your own, at your risk. As Chris wrote, at least the specs of A5 are known, which is more than can be said about most other cables.
I know it’s dire with the car analogy, but I still think it applies. The manual tells you a specific motor oil to use. If you use a different one, it’s up to you and your knowledge.
There’s also the FAQ on here re. loudspeaker cables;
Note in particular that “alternative speaker cables cannot be recommended by Naim, however, should you still wish to try them then you should ensure that the cable is low capacitance and of moderate inductance. High capacitance &/or very low inductance cables are to be avoided at all costs and may result in damage to your amplifier.”
I use Mark Grant made 6mm2 Van Damme speaker cables using same “shotgun” parallell design as NACA5 for similar required characteristics. And they are flexible! And cheap compared to a lot out there. Great performance/cost value IMO.
Recently I bought Audience 24U SX. I had first the Naca 5 18 years ago. Then replaced by Apertura tiny, which were more refined to my ears.
I have the Audience since 1 month. They opened recently. The sound is terrific, fast, dynamic, super clean, organic and textured. A revelation!
I use a very similar (looks the same) Van Damme 2.5mm on my Nait-2 (2nd system)
I measured the specs when I first bought it, regret I seem to have not kept a record of the numbers (very not me) but I do recall the inductance was just little lower than NACA5, something like 0.8uH/m, so should be good for Naim’s. And capacitance was fairly low as well, so all good to go.
Only question is how does it rate for SQ compared to NACA5 & the others.
With Uniti Atoms for the European market, two power lines are provided: one with a UK plug and one with an EU plug. The one with a UK plug is a Naim power line lite (and costs about 100 euros separately), the other cable is a more ordinary power cable.
Posted it further up in the thread, not sure it is being read …
But it is true that only forum users have a chance to see this. (And the Uniti “manuals” don’t have the bit about “speak to your retailer” that is mentioned in the Amplification Reference Manual, the Uniti flyer only says that you will need a speaker cable)
Using 8m of Chord Rumor 2 with my CB 160 bolt down, mostly because I needed white flexible cable to go around a door frame, and my dealer happened to have a used pair for a price hard to refuse. Sounds fantastic to me, perhaps the extra length makes a difference. The 3.5m of NACA5 I used before is now on the Unitiqute in the office. Like others have said, just stay away from the truly exotic stuff, and perhaps go for the longest length you can afford whatever you choose, esp with the older amps.
I have also considered replacing the power cable on my Atom. The dealer indicated that with a 1.0 m length, the Audioquest NRG-Z3 performs better, is comparatively cheaper, and would add some more bass. If a greater length was desired, the Chord Shawline was a better choice. Just keep in mind that the audioquest cable is almost impossible to bend. Whether replacing it makes any difference I can’t tell you. I haven’t decided if I want to spend the money for it yet.
Power cable manufacturers normally promote around 2m length for best performance. I haven’t done throughout testing myself but when going from 2m AQ Z3 to a 1m I felt music felt less “analogue” in that 1m sounded bit harder and 2m bit softer in that I preferred 2m. Might very well be imagination only
I have been getting that feeling Will have to borrow SLs from dealer at one point, I didn’t feel like it after so much comparing and choosing and buying Naim stuff over the whole 2020
I have been using the Tellurium Q Black II cables for a few hours now. I’ll be quite honest: when I installed them on Friday evening, I thought: “No, it can’t be that the difference is that big.” I decided to continue my listening session on Saturday, when there is no wine involved
Brief background: I have had my Atom since last summer. Initially, the Atom played with my years old, quite cheap Nubert speakers. It was already clear to me that an upgrade was soon to take place here. So for Christmas I replaced them with the nice GURU Q10 speakers. I am very pleased with them. The sound of the Q10s was a very big upgrade for me. In my opinion, they are a great match for the Atom.
Nevertheless, there were a few small things that I still found a little suboptimal:
The bass was always very punchy and deep, but sometimes it seemed a bit uncontrolled to me.
The highs, on the other hand, were a bit harsh here and there, especially at higher volumes.
Both probably led to me playing with the volume a bit, especially when I played mixed playlists.
Actually, I thought that this could not really be fixed. (Apart from software solutions.) I thought that this was the compromise I had to make with such small speakers in combination with my small room.
Until I swapped my Dynavox speaker cables for the Black II on Friday evening. What can I say? Everything I described above has been sorted out:
The bass definitely seems more controlled somehow.
The highs are now very balanced and no longer too harsh.
Everything seems somehow more clearly open and balanced.
Even the mids, with which I was previously highly satisfied and had nothing to complain about, now seem even more natural. This is especially true for voices.
(Please bear in mind that, unlike many here, I am not yet that experienced and am only at the beginning of my journey. Therefore, everything is very subjective).
I would never have thought that such a difference is possible with just a cable change. I did several A/B tests with the old cable to make sure I wasn’t fooling myself.
Tomorrow the NACA5 will come for comparison. Actually, I can’t imagine that it can get any better. But I have already been wrong once and thought that a cable cannot make a significant difference. I will keep you updated if you like …
Thanks, great write-up! Don’t let yourself be fooled, it’s very subjective for everyone, and why should it not be. Looking forward to the NACA5 report, but keep in mind that by all accounts they need up to 100 hours to become happy.
I agree that the Uniti quick start guide is a insufficient. On the website in the support pages, however, if you search for speaker cables it finds:
And cheap compared to a lot out there. Great performance/cost value IMO.
