Speaker cable for Supernait 3

Hi - my very first post so pls be gentle :joy:
I just took delivery of a brand new Supernait 3 which will be hooked up to a pair of Harbeth 5+xd. Other kit include a Rega P3, a Jay Audio CDT 2, Denafrips Pontus II and Ifi Zen streamer. I have always used pro audio cables for interconnects, power and speaker cables and so the question is - would it be alright to use a speaker cable like the Canare 4S11 or Belden 5T00UP cable instead of a Naca5? I have on order a pair of Witch Hat Phantoms - which are taking forever to get here because of problems they’re having with their cable suppliers. I ordered in mid Feb and still waiting. I could get a pair of pre-owned Naca5 if absolutely necessary to keep the amp safe but I am not sure if I need to. What do you think? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi, best to stick to spec; just compare the canare and belden to naca5 which is low capacitance high ish inductance.

Hi, I believe that particular Canare cable has 4 conductors. You only need two. It has quite a high capacitance which doesn’t generally suit Naim amps, so it may not be ideal. The Belden is probably fine although it also has fairly high capacitance.
The safe bet would be to get something from the likes of Chord or Tellurium Q which are both well tried and teasted with Naim amps.

Or you listen to your speaker’s manufacturer :wink:

I don’t know the Canare or Belden so cannot comment on them. However, the Kudos KS1 is an excellent cable and works very well with Naim. You can get them made up with Naim plugs at the amp end and Z plugs for the speakers. Signals made mine, and did it very well. Unlike Witch Hat, you get the cables in two or three days.

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Agreed, if I was looking for something other than naca, kudos is where I’d look … if it’s good enough for 808’s ….

+1 for the Kudos KS-1. I was going to pre-order the Witchhat Spectre but seeing the tales on that thread I’m glad I didn’t !

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Old Naim amps would run into difficulty with twisted conductors like 4S11. Newer models like the DRs and your SN3 have no such concerns. Most of the comments these days are whether you will find anything that SOUNDS better than NAC A5 at any price. Go with the Canare until your Witch Hat shows up.

Andrew

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@Mike1159 You might want to read this

You combine pairs of conductors to achieve a higher effective gauge two-conductor cable.

Sure, but why bother, just to use a cable which is far from an ideal spec. in the first place?

Because it is an excellent sounding, flexible, durable, easy to solder and inexpensive cable. NAC A5 is only one of those things.

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I have a Supernait 3 and use Kudos KS-1. I borrowed it and NAC-A5 from my dealer before purchase. They do sound quite different so try if you can.

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NAC A5 is the obvious choice, just make sure you run the left/right cables separately and not together in any sort of trunking.

Supernait 3 and Kudos KS-1 here.
Easy to install and no great hassle to dress and was the best change I’ve made in speaker cable in over 35 years.
Looks thin but has a big surprise. :heart_eyes:

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SN3 and LFD Spiroflex. Love it. Just ordered NAC A5 for the Nait 50 though so will A/B the cables on the SN3.

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Chord Odyssey.

I too have the sn3 and kudos ks1 cables they are brilliant I tried witch hat phantom but they didn’t work in my room.

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I picked up a pair of NAC A5 speaker cables when I bought my NAIT XS 2 and continued on with them with my SN 2 and now NAP 250 DR amp. I have used them with ProAC D2D, Naim Ovator S-400, ATC SCM 7 and ProAC D30RS Speakers and have delivered fabulous music.

You may want to take them home and give them a trial run and see if they work for you.

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Main set on my SN3 is 4.5m pair of NAC A5. I have used Linn K20 on other NAIT’s it’s flexible and cheap if that’s important. Kudos as others have pointed out also a good choice from what I’ve heard of them.

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