Spaghetti junction

Hi guys…

Just a quick one, how do I clean this lot up?
Which cables can I group together and cable tie…
Slightly embarrassed about the mess :joy:

You should consider entering your work in this contest:

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I’m gonna group them and tidy, but slightly paranoid because everything I read clearly states the hiline, burndys sound better if not touching anything etc etc…

I’m presuming group the powers and keep the signals and data’s separate?

From an EMI point of view the worst thing you can do it bundle them all together.

Really ?

I thought it would be fine with the powers?

I’m already to go :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Tidy can look messy. Don’t bundle them all together just to look good. Essentially:

  • All cables should ideally hang free without touching rack, floor, or wall.
  • All cables should be as stress-less as possible, in particular the burndies. I.e., do not twist them forcefully so that they fit into the sockets. It helps to try out what you do NOT want: hold the cable at both ends and then twist one end; you notice the cable becoming rigid, you want to avoid this. Instead, hold them loosely at both ends, orienting the plugs so that they would fit the sockets. Swing them gently for a while and let them naturally find their shape. Takes a bit of practice in particular with burndys, but be sensitive and you can feel it. (Don’t let anyone watch you). If correct, they will slide into the sockets without having to force them.
  • Keep interconnects and power cords separate. They should not run close together in parallel for more than a few centimeters max. Though crossing by 90 degrees is OK if you must.
  • Ideally don’t let any cables touch another.
  • The snaic and burndy between 252 and SC should run close together but without touching. If you let them hang freely, they do so anyway because they are the same length and their sockets are next to each other. Some say that they may or should touch in one point; the natural one to do this would be at the SC end because the sockets are arranged vertically, so the snaic passes by the burndy. If you don’t force anything, they should naturally be very close at a point a few cm away from the SC, so let them touch there or not.
  • If not all can be achieved naturally, pieces of pipe insulation foam as a workaround can keep cables apart in some points where they would otherwise touch anything. A ring of insulation can also keep snaic and burndy close (however, the 2 cm or so distance that they naturally have is not an issue). If an interconnect is too long, a very loose loop or knot can shorten it.
  • The standard Naim DIN interconnects have a locking collar, don’t use it. Insert plug, lock collar to seat, unlock again, and pull back out very slightly. (To reduce mechanical coupling of units). Do lock snaic and burndy, bad things happen if pulled out accidentally when units are on.

I guess that’s about it. The result will most likely look messy, but will be mechanically and electrically sound.

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Thanks so much for the advice!

If now got to switch it all of to apply those rules

cheers

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Don’t forget to come back with the “after” photo of course!

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Im on it

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I see now the HiLine, obviously there is no locking collar on that one, it has the mechanical decoupling built-in, so to speak.

HiLine, pushed all the way in, then a light pull back till you hit a bite so it’s got a few mm gap between connectors.
If that’s a WiFI access point on the floor (round white device) I’d be inclined to move it away from the rack a bit if you can, ideally you want them to be high up in the room if possible, on top a cupboard etc.
Coming together though with the tidy up!

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What order should the boxes be in?
Before I go any further…

Brains and braun?
Bottom to top
Nap 300 ps
Supercap
Nap 300
252
Ndx

Is this right??

Soz to be such a noooob

Good point. Ideally two racks, with brawn on the right (as the transformers in most PSes are on the right, so this keeps them even farther away). In one rack, PSes at the bottom, sources at the top.

Most people seem to say the pre at the top, some vigorously so :wink: However there are also proponents of NDX at the top, and experienced dealers who do it this way. (I wonder if it makes a difference if there is a turntable on a wall bracket above - may want to maximize distance between the motor and the pre in this case, so might be an argument for NDX at the top).

I’m unsure about the order of the PSes. Main consideration is probably the cabling, but I have two racks and never tried what’s best with with one.
Given the snaic and burndy lengths, I suppose “don’t touch floor” may be impossible anyways (?)

No worries, first of all, if all of this really makes a difference there really should be a cable dressing guide by Naim for common setups. Second, I was the same noob a few months ago, I just spent too much time on the forum reading and thinking about these things. So it’s only fair if I try to give some of it back to the forum where I can.

Good luck with that :joy:

I think your stacking order is correct. No need for two stacks, unless you have money, space and plans for expansion.

Thanks mate
I shouldn’t be a noob but things have moved on so much!!

The first Naim system I bought was a
NAC 112
NAP 150
CD5
And B&W CDM7s In 2001… sold them about 10 years ago and had the lot stolen by a parcel company delivery driver !

Only just getting back into it! And boy it’s been missed…

I got hooked listening to a 52 in Billy Vee whilst buying the 112/150
never forget that demo… music had never given me goosebumps before :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

Then you are way ahead of me :slight_smile: My only Naim was a CD5i for 10 years, you know what happened recently :slight_smile:

Recently?

What I mentioned in the in-ear headphone thread the other night. The whole pile of boxes in one go :wink: