Which Hifi firm have you created?
Itās a hard one to prescribe to. The logic is sound (no pun intended) but also it sells more fraim stacks so I have reservations until I have heard it first hand.
Plus in isolation any of these tweeks are only so beneficial even when they are, but there is an aggregate effect that can be attained. I think room optimization, where possible, would be one of the first things that would have a significantly noticeable effectā¦but that is often difficult unless there is a dedicated room.
Some tweeks seem to make some sense, others are assuredly snake oil. But it is part of the hobby and whatever gives folks enjoyment is what they should do; horses for courses.
Cheekeh monkeh.
Enjoying Taylor Swiftās Folklore on the Atom HE. It sounds very very nice, even more holographic since I moved the speakers a few centimeters further from the back wall. Letās hope my wife does not notice and the kids donāt bump into the loudspeakers tomorrow. Like I need to make sure not to bump into their toys (as you can see from the picture below).
BR,
Richard
Another thing that comes to mind is the idea that you would need 10M of NAC speaker cable for a Naim amp to sound optimal, since Naim power amps donāt have the same inductance circuit on outputs as other manufacturers do. This is an unusual implementation, and the laws of physics would normally dictate that the shortest signal path is the best.
Long cables have various downsides:
- They work like an antenna and pick up noise
- They lower the damping factor which can negatively affect control in the bass frequencies
- They have a higher resistance
- They are unnecessarily expensive
- They clutter the room
Itās a design choice that is not really logical, but in the Naim 'verse itās a considered a smart and elegant solution because it removes a component from the amplifier that would otherwise be needed. I think the main benefit is for Naim to sell a lot more NAC cableā¦
I think thatās just misplaced cynicism. Julian designed Naim amps this way long before Naimās own speaker cable came along.
Ok no problem i will gladly retract that part from my comment.
What have you decided to build?
Just trying to work out which would suit better, the Ellam Flex 2w, on the way to the 3 way once room allows. Those for my main system. Or starting simpler, with the bass module for the SBA 741, to augment my Iotas that the TV runs through, but which are about 1m from the rear wall, and have zero bass as a result.
The Ellam Flex would be in a small room, XS3 driving them, have also considered the SBA 761 floorstanders as likely an easier drive, but I suspect they might be too much for the room.
Iām kinda ok with woodworking, and spent years maintaining old '80s Audis and motorbikes, so suspect I could do a tolerable job on the cabinets and crossover construction, but it would be almost a first making domestically acceptable furniture. My last attempt, a hand cut, mortise and tenon jointed butcher block (I subbed out the butcher block top;) ) kitchen unit turned out borderlineā¦ but did sell on the bay for Ā£50 after we used it for 5 years. The look on the guyās partnerās face when they turned up to collect it was worth substantially more than the Ā£50
Like many others who commented on the kits, it is a risky investment the first time. I will probably mock up cabinets first before pulling the trigger (been looking at UK suppliers of Baltic birch, not so straightforward). I think it will come down to the fact the Ellam Flex looks great (well, Troelsās handiwork does!) and the drivers are a distinct upgrade over what look like Peerless drivers in my current Neat Motives.
Can I assume this applies only to separates and not all-in-ones like the Atom? Iām referring to the cable length ā¦
I believe that the post 5i NAITs and all-in-ones are a bit more tolerant where users wish to use shorter lengths or cables other than NACA5. However, AFAIK, in principle itās similar, and Naim would likely still recommend the use of low capacitance, moderately high inductance cabling, preferably NACA5 of at least 3.5m.
Hmmm. Then maybe thatās something I need to āfixā next. Thanks for the info.
Lovely set up that.
This raises an interesting point for a Naim newbie. Browsing the Forums (I really need a hobby) there are never ending discussions about which cable is best - all very subjective. Ignoring interconnects, my (somewhat unconventional) setup ends with a 250DR driving some Wilson Benesch ACT Ones via 3m of Atlas Mavros Grun. It sounds fabulous and the 250 is having no trouble - it barely runs warm. Are the collective really suggesting that 5m of NACA5 would be an upgrade?
Iām now going to hide behind the sofa as the āadviceā warps inā¦
Really nice. I came to the same conclusion after demoing different speakers. The Kanta 2s are very engaging - and they look great! Enjoy!
The fraim rack is very alive and certainly works with naim boxes, but this also can have a negative on non naim boxes.
If you go up close to a fraim rack and clap or talk loud you can hear it resonate, itās very clear to hear, this is the opposite to my last all wooden rack, that was dead in comparison.
I certainly found the fraim rack helped to make things sound better, faster more alive etc, but I have also had to take to measures to calm these effects when using different gear on the fraim.
But as always this all depends on what system you have as in how reveling it all is, as at many points in my hifi journey, my system has been not very reveling and maybe this is bliss as once you reach a point, then everything matters, unlike before when it did nothing.
The inductance and capacitance of your Atlas cable is a rather poor match for a Naim power amp. In your situation I would ask your Naim dealer if you can borrow some NACA5 to try, then you will have your answer.
Pleased to see you are using expensive speakers successfully with your Nova.
Despite Naim & several reviews claiming the Nova can do justice to speakers more expensive than itself, the perception on these forums appears to be that the Nova is out of its depth with large, expensive speakers.
Missing my dealers official Naim Uniti demo evening 3years ago, I have never heard my Nova with anything other than my small ProAcs. However I have no doubt it can be successfully partnered with more exotic speakers than mine &, before some decry this view, I am also certain that speakers such as the Kanta 2s will sound even better with Naim separates, but at a large cost hike from the Nova (when taking into account its streaming/internet radio abilities etc).
Enjoy your system & the music!