@Mr.M
@anon23154165
FWIW, I just received this morning the Hi-line IC for the SN2/ND5XS2 combo. Frankly, I think it’s an improvement over the stock DIN. Not sure if this cable benefits from burn in/settling time but gee whiz, what a delicate touch so far!
1 Like
Great news!
Yes they are an improvement on the stock IC that ships with the black boxes. Important to only pull on the large silver part closest to the pins, as the pins are free moving they can take a little alignment to fit!
Once you have them pushed fully in to the DIN socket, pull back on the connector gently till it resists and has moved back away from the socket by a few mm.
Importantly, the Hi-Line doesn’t like being looped on itself and will sound flatter if it is, so make sure it’s not crossing on itself from source to amp.
Enjoy the uplift, glad you got it sorted.
2 Likes
Yes, thanks. Kind of apprehensive to back them out a few mm as you suggested because I’m aware of the fragility of these cables. The original I had received was DOA and was immediately returned and replaced. I guess that was my introduction to the Hi-line…Now that I have this one properly attached with a nice free-hanging loop I may just leave well enough alone until I find the courage to back the plugs out a bit. Thanks again for your pertinent advice!
Brgds.
Yes it’ll be fine!
Let it settle in, if it’s a brand new one it will mellow a bit over time.
Just make sure you don’t try out the Super Lumina equivalent or you’ll be saving for that one before you know it 
My understanding is that over the years they have changed the plastics on the strain rings so the newer ones tend to be somewhat more robust but out of the box they do feel as if they are about to fall apart in your hand which is by design of course but can be un-nerving if you’ve never owned one!
If you do find yourself looking for and purchasing one used then the older ones can be prone to strained or brittle plastics and the older ones used a different plastics formulation which was harder and more brittle as a result. They can be repaired easily enough and Naim will do that for you. I think how easy that is depends on where you are in the world of course, I live under 1hr from Naim HQ in Salisbury UK so stuff like that is straightforwards in my case, less so if you live in the middle of the US or New Zealand for example!
Time to settle it all in and enjoy some music, next step HiCap I guess @anon64018693?
2 Likes
Don’t try the SL interconnect unless you can afford it.
3 Likes
I tried not to mention it, no really I did!!
I made the mistake of trying one out, I didn’t want to be impressed, I thought it would just be ok and I’d put it to one side and move on. It is damn impressive vs Hi-Line and remains on my list for the coming year!
In my case I’ve taken a side step to take a bigger step up in letting my HiCap go to acquire an NDX2 in the short term so will focus on adding PSU’s first but I will do the cabling after that for sure. I’m not sure my system will shine with Super Lumina speaker cables but I’ll give them a try and if I like the changes I’ll go that route eventually too.
On a sidenote I have been toying with a move to some Focal Kanta 1 standmount speakers. I heard those on an identical system to the one I now have and enjoyed their performance. Not a cheap problem to have though that one alas!
1 Like
I think you are doing it all in the right order, so enjoy the journey.
There’s always Ethernet switches and leads too, and Powerlines (definitely worth it).
Indeed so @Mike_S, done all those things!
You hands down have the best view, can’t be sorting that out my end any time soon!
1 Like
Haha… yeah, I’m a photographer and spending 2-3k on one lens is easy but when it comes to music hardware 2-3k seems a lot more!!! When out for a shoot I’m probably carrying the value of a nice new car. And, right there is how I convinced myself the ND5 is peanuts and if it were a lens I wouldn’t have even given it a second thought… Don’t need to test my resolve too much more with the HiCap and SL interconnect (even if it is still less than a lens)
Less than a lens = go on
Cost of a camera = Think about it a bit… then go on
Costs more than a camera = Time to save.
2 Likes
You’re on a well trodden path here @anon23154165 and in very good company, not least carrying on the journey I started with the ND5.
I’d say the SN2 + HiCap + ND5 system you’ll have is a really good 3 box setup and gives you plenty of options to both improve it and evolve it over time.
I made an economic choice to move to a SN3, it’s been interesting settling that in from new, not a massive difference from the signature of the SN2 but there are refinements and welcome ones at that.
I’d certainly look at cabling in your setup as well as adding in the HiCap which will without question improve the system overall and I found it a worthy addition, looking forward to adding one back in again as soon as funds allow!
1 Like
Going to be sorting out ethernet cables and the switch next. after that, probably the HiCap and then cabling to replace. I’ve always been tempted to up the Tellurium Q Black speaker cables to Black Diamond but after dealing with rest. As it happens, the space generated when the Audiolab m-Dac + goes is the same size space as the HiCap 
Not sure on your space and layout but what you put the kit on is important as well of course. However you’re able to set it up avoid putting boxes directly on top of boxes and if you can’t space the components out vertically then do so horizontally. They like space around them typically.
No experience of those speaker cables personally, I’ve only ever used NAC A5 on my systems, never had a reason not to really, may go with a Super Lumina setup eventually but no rush!
1 Like
It may take a little juggling but I do have a couple of options on spacing. Either above or side. I even have some nice 2" thick beech left that I could make a nice custom heavy stand from… which would be a nice project in itself.
I’ll probably demo the HiCap from Lintone Audio when the time comes… and we’re allowed out again!
@Mr.M Thanks, will do. Yes, next step is HiCap. Need to find a deal on new or slightly used demo. In the meantime, sounding good so far. Always found that listening at night is more involving so will give it a run through some test tracks tonight and see how it goes over the few weeks. Modest system, but musical enjoyment is there for sure.
@Mike_S I’ll make it a point to not listen or even consider SLs…Gotta stop the madness at some point. Will be playing the EuroLottery this evening anyway…
3 Likes
@Mr.M Do you know what the build year was for the HiCap DR you had? Was it a HiCap that was later upgraded to DR and were both SNAICS (5 & 4) with it or just the 5 pin.
Also, how delicate are the HiLines. A little cautious over that due to how fragile they seem to be.
The ND5 is warming up very nicely now! Just planning those two upgrades. Whether to pick up and Ex-Demo, or your old one and then factor in the service at 10 year point. Cheers.
I presume the NDX2 & SN3 are coming along nicely!
The HiCap DR I had was built in 2014 and I bought it early in 2015 as an ex demo unit with mimimal use, I then owned it till very recently and only let it go to make the NDX2 affordable!
That one of mine is with the same dealer you got the ND5 from so no harm making him an offer, it was built at Factory with DR, not sure what service interval Naim would recommend on a HiCap but it’s usually in the 10-15 years cycle for most things as a guide.
Hi-Line’s are usually absolutely fine but if you happen to buy a used one it’s a bit harder to determine their age and certainly a new or more recent one will tend to have more robust plastics on the connectors, if you put the connector under strain the rings can pop apart but will click back together relarively easily, the older the plastics the more brittle they become and the more likely the ring clips will snap off requiring a repair. Naim will repair them via a dealer which is still a FOC service from memory.
You can always check the packaging on a Hi-Line if you buy one as an indication of age.
1 Like
For some reason I had it in my mind that the servicing was £450 but, it would seem that is the DR upgrade and that the servicing is around £200-£300 mark. With that being the case the one at the dealer would still be a good option even after taking that into account etc. If I were to go for a HiLine, I would probably try to get a good deal on one first before going new but we’ll see. Cheers
yes even factoring for servicing it’s cost effective and that one of mine is immaculate.
Hi-Line’s do come up used fairly often and around 50% of new price is about average. Always worth checking on rotation of demo stock too.
1 Like
Ok… my HiLine has arrived (and fitted)… just waiting on the HiCap DR to arrive a little later today.
I had initially planned to do some A/B testing. A being the lavender cable and B being the Hi-Line.
Listening to some Agnes Obel, Ane Brun and Bishop Briggs with “A” and paying close attention so as to spot any difference in presentation etc.
Replaced “A” with “B” and started playing the same selection. After it was finished I took “A” again… opened the HiLine box, put the lavender cable in it and put the box in the cupboard.
I can’t repeat the first words that came out of my mouth. It started with Holly…
I’ve always found the CM6S2’s to provide good sound stage that wasn’t overly affected by seating position. Provided the tweeters were at least at ear level or below. But wow, it felt like the room had suddenly gained an extra metre or two in width and suddenly there was a lot more front to back separation… it felt as if the music was washing over you and you were amongst it. I was expecting the difference to be so obvious.
I’m a lover of detail, again the B&W speakers are great for that but when I had the Audiolab M-Dac+ with the Supernait 2 and CM6S2 the combination seemed a little bright at times. The ND5 improved on that brightness but, as well as presenting more detail the HiLine also seems to give a bit more substance in terms of low and mid tones. Solid even with better space around instruments etc.
Very happy with the changes and, to some extent, guarded about what and how much the HiCap DR will add. It’s got a lot to compete with here in regards to what the HiLine gave. Time will tell!
1 Like