Power cables

No - but I am told Naim have and they decided the ones they supply are the best.

I'm prepared to take their word for that - life's too short to spend time auditioning mains cables!

Received wisdom is that a seperate mains spur from the consumer unit would be a better use of a couple of hundred quid.

Jonathan

I was enormously sceptical about this kind of thing but decided to give it a go having read in one of the comics lately that a certain £35 cable tested as good as those nearing a ton.

Anyway, plugged the thing into my CD5 and the difference is STAGGERING. Incredible detail, focus, scale, etc. And as for the noise floor. It was like changing to a different machine. Not that that was what I wanted, as the CD5 was great anyway, but if it can do so much more for £35 then I'm not going to complain.

Having said that at the time I was choosing between Chord Calypso and Chord Cobra II cables into my amp (phonos only at the moment so can't use the Naim cable) and with the 'brighter' of the two it was just a bit too much with the mains cable as well.

BUT I don't have a dedicated spur (yet) and so I'd imagine that's why I see such an enormous improvement. But if that's how much difference I get from a single cable in the system, a dedicated spur isn't going to be far away.

FYI the cable was by Kemp Electronics and is available from http://www.ukd.co.uk - in fact they reprint that review at http://www.ukd.co.uk/revs6.htm#ke

If anyone else has used these I'd be interested to hear, as I was thinking of getting another when I move to a new (Naim) amp soon with it's own IEC socket.

Stephen.

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No - but I am told Naim have and they decided the ones they supply are the best.

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How surprising!!! How stupid too..

Naim interconnects are not the best in the world (just try HMS), same thing for Naim speaker cables.
So I presume there are better AC cables than Naim low quality ones!!

Charles

ps: thank u Steve

"For the wallet" I am not sure because naim cables are coming with the cd players, amps and caps, but "for the system": that is certain!!

Charles

There is no difference for me. The suppied AC cables and the one I use to test from my COMPAQ PC work the same way. There is no difference in sound.

Really?

I really have to try this!!


Charles


ps: Funny , we were registered the same day

Tuan,

You need to try a cable which is shielded (with the shield connected to the earth pin at one end), and I suspect your PC cable isn't.

Stephen.

Really the idea of eeking every last nano bit of info out of your system is frightengly sad, naim supply a mains cable. The cable is a metre long, all the power supplied to your house goes over many many miles, and guess what, its not fancy, its not expensive.

So really what difference is that last metre really making? Common now don't kid yourselves. its metal delivering current, if you spent hundreds of poiunds on it you are going to want to hear a difference, but really do you? eh? really?

We are talking about a bit of fricking wire here, do you really truely hear a difference? could it be measured? Are you just fooling yourself because you got suckered into buying some mains lead at a ridiculus price?

eh?
eh?

eh?

Here's two previous power cord threads.

IMO Richard Van Laar's comments about shielded (he uses Kemp too, I seem to recall) and DIY cords are particularly interesting, in the first thread.

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=67019385&f=48019385&m=7541910065&r=6811972265#6811972265

http://forums.naim-audio.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=67019385&f=48019385&m=3501907775&r=7751977775#7751977775

Gary, Gary, you've been hitting the sauce again last night? I can tell you're up to no good, writing love letters to Nuño and making some of your all time top spelling glitches.

Better power cords needn't be all that expensive, and really the point you're trying to make is the point midfi people would be making about your pretty kit.

Herman

snigger

Gary,

I just want to point out you're in that flower power range of post quantities.

If I ever get to reach 1967 or 1968 I'll just stop, get a tie-dye T, and make out with two or three girls as in the olde days.

But I guess that's what you're doing now.

Just remember this is a once in lifetime experience (and don't forget to water the plants).

Oh, am I OT?

Herman

My two cents: when I worked for an audio magazine I had lots of opportunity to experiment with power leads. some made big differences, and to my ears, sounded better than stock. Others, a waste of time,(or money if you'd bought them). Changing power cords can make a big difference. OTH --- another question to consider is: If the unit was "voiced" or designed with a particular piece of wire, are you hearing what the creators intended, or altering the fundamental sound?
I think I came to naim to get away from that stuff on cables, etc.. Yes, they can make a difference. I understand the logic behind wanting to maximize your audio investment. To each his own. Not with my naim, life IS too short

Herm,

and what happened in 973? Otto the Great died (how could you forget).

cheers, Martin

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Otto, (I) the Great (912 - 973 ad> )
Holy Roman Emperor (936-73; crowned 962).


He subdued his rebellious vassals, defeated a Hungarian invasion at the great victory of Lechfeld (955), and extended his influence into Italy. He deposed Pope John XII, replacing him with Leo VIII, and established bishoprics as a means of controlling his domains.


The Macmillan Encyclopedia 2001, © Market House Books Ltd 2000

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Frankly, Martin, this Otto the Great doesn't sound too great. Lots of beheadings no doubt, but what about having a little fun with the girls?

And then he died!

That's why I'm posting this. Whatever it takes. Hopefully 974 is a little better.

Otherwise I'll just head on up & move on to the year 1000. That must have been a ball.

Herman

I am now six posts away from my birth year, apparently this puts me firmly in the world of geekdom, this is profoundly sad.

And in a bid to get out of it I have bought a camera Yes I have reached ultimate sadness.

I am off for a wank.

garyi

I like the following quote from the US naim website, "electricity does not flow effeciently around sharp corners and bends"

What the ffffffffff.... Why don't these people get out/stay in actually listening to music more?

Charlezz
I did compare Naim cables with others.
When I bougth Nait 5 I borrow a Kimber 4 TC from my dealer.The sounds turn flat
If you want a better perfomance from a Naim amplifier,buy a pair of Naca 5.just then you can feell all the rythm and dynamic

MY sistem : Naim Nait 5 amplifier,Nad c 540 cd player,B&W 601 speakers,Naca5

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I like the following quote from the US naim website, "electricity does not flow effeciently around sharp corners and bends"

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Yeah, it tends to slosh out the cable and get all over the floor.
There is a grain of truth to this, but it is only a concern when you are dealing with stub lengths around 1/4 or so wavelength...
David

Hi NaimDropper:

If this has some truth at the frequencise we're interested in, the right angle connections to the banana plugs would be a poor design. Comments anyone?

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn=

Not to mention al the tidy right angled cabling employed in naim gear.

Load of old bollocks then really.