Nap 200 + Kef Ref 2's - BiWire or not?!?!
Posted by: SimonJ on 18 January 2004
I'm just buying a Nap 200 to put with my AV2 & NAPV175 setup. This setup replaces a non Naim Bi-Amp setup, so I am going to replace my main speaker cables too. So if anyone has got any useful opinions on weather this would be better BiWired or spend say double on single wired cable it would be appreciated. BTW I (Or my better half) have lost the HF/LF links to my Kef speakers somewhere! 
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by Geoff P
Simon
Welcome
Genreal consensus and also usual recommendation of Naim is NOT to biwire with their amps.
I think most agree that single wired NACA5 cable (Naim's own) in a minimum length of 3.5 meters per cable to provide the right "load" at the speaker terminals, as recommended also by Naim is best.
The "straps which you use to connect the sets of speaker terminals together in this case can also benefit from being NACA5 though it is a pain to connect being so thick. However if you are OK with a soldering iron you can crate "F" connections by soldering 2 extra short pieces of NACA5 on right up where it connects to the speakers. This is not a must and using speaker manuafacturer provided metal plates is OK, just not absolutely as good.
Lots of other cables and trials with biwiring have been tried but most come back to the above since it seems to give the best sound.
If you do decide to experiment with other cables make sure they are low capacitance types, to present the amp with the sort of load it likes.
regards
Geoff
Welcome
Genreal consensus and also usual recommendation of Naim is NOT to biwire with their amps.
I think most agree that single wired NACA5 cable (Naim's own) in a minimum length of 3.5 meters per cable to provide the right "load" at the speaker terminals, as recommended also by Naim is best.
The "straps which you use to connect the sets of speaker terminals together in this case can also benefit from being NACA5 though it is a pain to connect being so thick. However if you are OK with a soldering iron you can crate "F" connections by soldering 2 extra short pieces of NACA5 on right up where it connects to the speakers. This is not a must and using speaker manuafacturer provided metal plates is OK, just not absolutely as good.
Lots of other cables and trials with biwiring have been tried but most come back to the above since it seems to give the best sound.
If you do decide to experiment with other cables make sure they are low capacitance types, to present the amp with the sort of load it likes.
regards
Geoff
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by Edouard
Bonjour Simon and welkome to the forum!
My 102/hc/180 is bewired with Qued cables to my KEF Réference 2-2. This was advised by my Naim dealer and it does sound really good, though I haven't experienced otherway.The KEF Référence series are a great match with Naim amp...enjoy it!
Regards
Edouard
My 102/hc/180 is bewired with Qued cables to my KEF Réference 2-2. This was advised by my Naim dealer and it does sound really good, though I haven't experienced otherway.The KEF Référence series are a great match with Naim amp...enjoy it!
Regards
Edouard
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by solid state
Simon - hi and welcome .
I recently changed to single wire (NACA5) from bi-wired Chord Chorus and bi-wired QED Qudos before that - I absolutly agree witht the general consensus that Naims amps sound better this way .
To be honest I wish I hadnt wasted my time fannying about (and saved my money as well) .
I recently changed to single wire (NACA5) from bi-wired Chord Chorus and bi-wired QED Qudos before that - I absolutly agree witht the general consensus that Naims amps sound better this way .
To be honest I wish I hadnt wasted my time fannying about (and saved my money as well) .
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by joe90
NEVER BIWIRE WITH NAIM AMPS
repeat...
NEVER BIWIRE WITH NAIM AMPS
repeat...
Joe90
repeat...
NEVER BIWIRE WITH NAIM AMPS
repeat...
Joe90
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by Edouard
I had single wired my KEF Reference before but the result was poor, this maybe because the cable wasn't the best one, as compare to the Qed.
I guess I could try to single wired the already biwired Qed cable just putting back the speaker manuafacturer provided gold metal plates to each speaker. Is that would work?Then the Naim amp wouldn't be bewired anymore, right? I could then apreciate if the system sounds better.
Is there a technical explanation why the Naim amps shouldn't be bewired? Is that only with the NACA 5's cables?
...I would think it would also depends of the type of speakers connected to the amp and the type of cable being used as well...
Regards
Edouard
I guess I could try to single wired the already biwired Qed cable just putting back the speaker manuafacturer provided gold metal plates to each speaker. Is that would work?Then the Naim amp wouldn't be bewired anymore, right? I could then apreciate if the system sounds better.
Is there a technical explanation why the Naim amps shouldn't be bewired? Is that only with the NACA 5's cables?
...I would think it would also depends of the type of speakers connected to the amp and the type of cable being used as well...
Regards
Edouard
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by Geofiz
Simon,
Bi-wiring of Kef Ref 2's. That is something that I had been doing when my setup consisted of 32.5/HiCap/250 then with 135s using Linn K20 cable and WBT connectors at the time (for about 4 years). The Ref 2's definitely sounded better biwired but then I had my 135's recapped.
Running the recapped 135's with NAC A5 (and Naim termination, then with "Z banana plug")into the Ref 2's was far superior to biwiring.
For a brief period (4 months) I was biamping with the recapped 135's on the highs and 250 on lows, I then switched the order of the amps (4 months). This was fine until I added a 52/SC to the system, replacing the 32.5/HiCap. I then went back to running the Ref 2's only with the 135's and have not looked back as the Ref 2's are now performing at peak of their ability.
Maybe I'll try going active with the combo of the 135's and the 250 (after it gets recapped, may be some time because of the cap problem outlined by Richard Dane).
The long and short of it is that the KEF Ref 2's sound best IMHO single wired using NAC A5 with "Z connectors" as termination and using either a short piece of NAC A5 as a replacement jumper or 6mm solid core copper wire in place of the KEF brass plate jumpers.
The Ref 2's should sound quite good with a NAP 200 I would suspect. Keep us posted on your investigations.
Cheers,
Bi-wiring of Kef Ref 2's. That is something that I had been doing when my setup consisted of 32.5/HiCap/250 then with 135s using Linn K20 cable and WBT connectors at the time (for about 4 years). The Ref 2's definitely sounded better biwired but then I had my 135's recapped.
Running the recapped 135's with NAC A5 (and Naim termination, then with "Z banana plug")into the Ref 2's was far superior to biwiring.
For a brief period (4 months) I was biamping with the recapped 135's on the highs and 250 on lows, I then switched the order of the amps (4 months). This was fine until I added a 52/SC to the system, replacing the 32.5/HiCap. I then went back to running the Ref 2's only with the 135's and have not looked back as the Ref 2's are now performing at peak of their ability.
Maybe I'll try going active with the combo of the 135's and the 250 (after it gets recapped, may be some time because of the cap problem outlined by Richard Dane).
The long and short of it is that the KEF Ref 2's sound best IMHO single wired using NAC A5 with "Z connectors" as termination and using either a short piece of NAC A5 as a replacement jumper or 6mm solid core copper wire in place of the KEF brass plate jumpers.
The Ref 2's should sound quite good with a NAP 200 I would suspect. Keep us posted on your investigations.
Cheers,