S U P E R L U M I N A - Is this the biggest improvement ever?

Posted by: Martin.L on 08 November 2015

I naively used to assume that the NAC A5 are perfect...

 

Just got the speaker cables and could not believe that cables could make this difference.

 

Clearly these cables need a good warm up and run-in before they are going to approach their optimum sound and I have been told that it takes one week for them to really start to disappear behind the music. Yet from the off with only day’s warm up this upgrade delivered a more musical result than the majority of others. 

 

The system now creates an effect of a non-electronic device, the end result gives the overall feel of a much more realistic space. The wider and deeper soundstage has very consistent perspectives.

 

These luminas changed the system, it became a variety of moods expressed in tones that are almost endless, they depend actually upon the great working together of all the tonal attributes– color, quality, pitch, and loudness.

 

The heavy tones assert their will with a more insistent energy; the long tones upon which we linger make a deeper and more lasting impression; while the light and short tones in contrast become points of mere passing and transition.

 

The contrasts between piano and forte – loudness that brings the tones so near that they may seem threatening in their insistence; softness that makes them seem far away and dreamlike.

 

The treble is delicate - sweet and clear. Voices are strongly holographic, female singers do not screech and are outstandingly articulate. 

 

The energy it managed to extract from the albums was nothing short of astounding.

 

It also preserved the ability to put the music before the sound...

 

It makes you want to keep on listening! can't get to sleep.

 

What a great project.

 

Good job naim,

 

Martin

Posted on: 13 November 2015 by Allante93

Did anyone answer this question posted by Aric:  I'm still confused, Please Explain! 

 

Can the SL IC be configured to replace a SNAIC? If not, then I guess anyone using a HC to power their pre has an answer on whether to consider the SL. At least I would, the limiting factor would be the SNAIC's ability to pass the musical signal along to the HC, so why go to a SL between the p/s and the amp? 

 

Example: Help with the SL full loom with active,  Source (CD555 to Pre),  Pre to 552PS, Pre to Snaxo
 

Snaxo to SuperCap, Snaxo to 500's. 

 

Underlined = SL interconnect 

 

Is there an SL Burndy between Snaxo and SuperCap?

 

Aric's question is there an SL interconnect between 552 and 555PS? 

Posted on: 13 November 2015 by Allante93

Ok, I think I got it, Not necessary, the purpose of the 555PS is only to power the 552, Like wise the purpose of the SuperCap is to power the Snaxo, but what about the Burndy with all those pins? 

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by FangfossFlyer

I finally have a home loan of 2 x 9m runs of SL speaker cable.

 

I will let you know what I think.

 

Richard

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Chris Dolan
Originally Posted by FangfossFlyer:

I finally have a home loan of 2 x 9m runs of SL speaker cable.

Can't wait  Will the diffenrence be worth £5,400? 

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Innocent Bystander

Maybe this is nearing the end of the song J.N. stared:

 

"...and the wise men don't know how it feels..."

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by J.N.
Originally Posted by Innocent Bystander:

Maybe this is nearing the end of the song J.N. stared:

 

"...and the wise men don't know how it feels..."

Gerald Bostock lives!

 

Nicely 'topped and tailed' IB.

 

John.

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Innocent Bystander
Originally Posted by J.N.:
Originally Posted by Innocent Bystander:

Maybe this is nearing the end of the song J.N. stared:

 

"...and the wise men don't know how it feels..."

Gerald Bostock lives!

 

Nicely 'topped and tailed' IB.

 

John.

All credit to you J.N. for starting! One of my perennial favorites!

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Steve J
Originally Posted by FangfossFlyer:

I finally have a home loan of 2 x 9m runs of SL speaker cable.

 

I will let you know what I think.

 

Richard

You'll have to weigh up the difference compared with other upgrades that you want with the cost of such long runs Richard. 

 

Good luck.

 

Steve

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Darke Bear
Originally Posted by FangfossFlyer:

I finally have a home loan of 2 x 9m runs of SL speaker cable.

I will let you know what I think.

It should be a revelation with the NAP500.

 

DB.

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Allante93

Originally Posted by Jonas Olofsson:

 

 

"I'm using Chord Sarum STA in my 500 system. It's better then SL, but you could always play the "different" card and choose SL instead of STA. 

 

Not the same story with Chord Music"

 

Anybody else heard This Chord Music besides Tony and Jonas?

 

The Audio Beat

Sound and Vision 2015. Hot Product

 

 

"As big and musically important as the differences between the various network cables had been, as dramatic as the increase in dynamic range and rhythmic authority were with the power cords, the difference between the Sarum Super ARAY and the Chord Music interconnects was by far the largest and fundamentally most important difference demonstrated. This wasn’t a change; it was a transformation."

 

Wow, could this be a new paradigm in Analog Interconnects!  Or just Hype! 

 

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Innocent Bystander

A coil of wire carrying ac electric current, sufficiently close to a coil of wire in another circuit can induce an ac current in that other wire. With good enough electromagnetic coupling , such as where the coils are on a metal core, and with an unequal number of coils, the voltage in the second coil relative to the first can is proportional to the relative number of coils - it can induce a higher or lower voltage than that in the first. That is the basis of electrical transformers, those devices in most equipment electrical supplies.

 

So yes, indeed, a cable has the potential to play a part in a transformer, and so contribute to transformation.

 

For  a cable interconnect can make such a difference to sound quality as to be considered a transformation seems somewhat dubious, unless the comparison is with, for example, a cable of very high resistance, capaciatance or inductance, way beyond those likely in a pair of copper conductors.

 

perhaps Naim has been made redundant, and all that is needed is the most basic of source, amp and speakers, and transforming cables will produce the sound quality desired, provided they are expensive enough...

 

Or not.

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Mike-B
Originally Posted by Innocent Bystander:

A coil of wire carrying ac electric current, sufficiently close to a coil of wire in another circuit can induce an ac current in that other wire. 

........  related point of interest ........ its not only with coils or only with AC

A straight run of cable will induce across into another circuit during a current flow change with a DC pulse or DC magnetic field collapse.

When I was teaching auto-electrics a party trick was to have an engine running with a long HT lead from the ignition coil to distributor,  raise it up so to form a single loop with about 1m of the cable up & down sections of the loop touching or close to each other,  cut the cable at the top of the loop & the engine keeps running.  

This was a real problem particularly with 6 & more cylinder engines years ago when the individual spark plug HT leads were run in a conduit, cross circuit induction can cause a cylinder that's in a charging cycle to fire......... big pops & bangs & bits of metal all over the road.   

Posted on: 14 November 2015 by Allante93

Originally Posted by Tonym:

 

November 11, 2015 3:54 PM

Don't mess about with these Super Luminas and Chord Super Tuned Arays, they're just so passe.

 

Prepare to replace them all with the new...ChordMusic Cable! Yippee!!!..

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by rjstaines

Just done the leap of faith thing that I'm old enough to know better than to do (but young enough not to care??).

 

I've broken one of my own rules... the one about 'listen to it before you buy it'.

 

I've ordered a SL phono-to-din to replace the Linn Silver Urika to 552 cable currently in use.

 

But I've let myself off without a rollocking because I'm basing this purchase on two dependable facts:

The first is that others on the forum have done this and like what they hear.

The second is that I love what the din-din SL has done with my NDS-552,

and the third is that I'm loving what the SL speaker cable is doing between my 500 & 802 diamonds.

 

Hey, a bloke has to take a risk* every now and then...  * a leap of faith ?

 

Must admit, was worried about how much running in would be practical - I left the interconnects & the speaker cables running 24/7 for a full week before sitting down to listen.  But playing an LP12 for a week ???

Well, my dealer has agreed to run it in before he comes to install it - he's going to do what I can hear you gentlemen (& ladies?) saying to me... connect a CD player & run continuously, then move it to the Urika.

 

Looking forward to being able to write something about the change over in a few weeks.

Roger   

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by Harry

While the run in process can be jagged - but not to all, the post bedding down result is in little doubt. I don't have to test without the ability to return the goods, but as leaps of faith go this is quite a safe one. Hopefully.

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by Steve J
Originally Posted by rjstaines:

Just done the leap of faith thing that I'm old enough to know better than to do (but young enough not to care??).

 

I've broken one of my own rules... the one about 'listen to it before you buy it'.

 

I've ordered a SL phono-to-din to replace the Linn Silver Urika to 552 cable currently in use.

 

But I've let myself off without a rollocking because I'm basing this purchase on two dependable facts:

The first is that others on the forum have done this and like what they hear.

The second is that I love what the din-din SL has done with my NDS-552,

and the third is that I'm loving what the SL speaker cable is doing between my 500 & 802 diamonds.

 

Hey, a bloke has to take a risk* every now and then...  * a leap of faith ?

 

Must admit, was worried about how much running in would be practical - I left the interconnects & the speaker cables running 24/7 for a full week before sitting down to listen.  But playing an LP12 for a week ???

Well, my dealer has agreed to run it in before he comes to install it - he's going to do what I can hear you gentlemen (& ladies?) saying to me... connect a CD player & run continuously, then move it to the Urika.

 

Looking forward to being able to write something about the change over in a few weeks.

Roger   

I'm sure you've made a valued judgement Roger and the IC will be a successful upgrade. I have to say the run in process with an SL RCA-Din IC was much less fraught compared with the SL speaker cables.

 

Are you going to consider the new D3s?

 

Enjoy

 

Steve.

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by FangfossFlyer

And so far the SL speaker cables in to my 802 Diamonds is a big...

Currently playing Garry More "After Hours" .... loud!

 

Richard

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by Iron Cobra

Richard,

 

so you took the plunge then?

 

Roger,

 

I replaced silvers with RCA/DIN. It took about 25 hours of playing before the sound totally opened up. It was really up and down over the run in

 

Kevin 

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by FangfossFlyer

Hi Iron Cobra,

 

Not taken the plunge as they are just on home loan from David.... but I impressed.

 

Will report back properly sometime.

 

Richard

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by Chris Dolan
Originally Posted by Jonas Olofsson:
Not the same story with Chord Music

I'm going to have to take a trip to Cymbiosis next weekend to find out 

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by rjstaines
Originally Posted by Steve J:
 

I'm sure you've made a valued judgement Roger and the IC will be a successful upgrade. I have to say the run in process with an SL RCA-Din IC was much less fraught compared with the SL speaker cables.

 

Are you going to consider the new D3s?

 

Enjoy

 

Steve.

Thanks, that's good to hear, Steve.

 

The new D3's... I've not heard them properly and won't take the time to do so for a while. Speakers are a definite 'audition thoroughly' upgrade, and the price of the D3's puts them out of reach until recent purchases are cleared from my credit cards (note- plural).

 

I recently posted the fact that I was not impressed with the new B&W design and the supposition that the engineering dept seemed to have the drawing the wrong way around (the rear pointing forward and the flat bit at the back instead of the front). And I wasn't very complimentary about the grey dome on the white body, so I'm going to hold off on the D3's for the foreseeable future.  (although I did add that I may live to regret being rude about them)      What about yourself?

 

Roger

Posted on: 15 November 2015 by Darke Bear
Originally Posted by FangfossFlyer:

Not taken the plunge as they are just on home loan from David.... but I impressed.

But remember - you liked your system before with NAC A5 ...so you can go back to that.

Repeat that a number of times as a mantra is one approach.

 

The other is: Sod-it, it makes my NAP500 sound like a different, better, more powerful amp and I will spend the ridiculously high price and have it.

 

We await your decision - and logic of justification, either way!

 

DB.

Posted on: 16 November 2015 by FangfossFlyer

I have a pair of 9m SL speaker cables on loan from the Sound Org (York) and have been enjoying them all weekend, thanks David.

 

Which in effect sums up my findings… enjoyment!

 

It was not that my system was broken before as I have built it up over the decades with the help of David to deliver what I look for in my hi-fi. I consider it as excellent for me, the best I have ever heard and I am really delighted with it. So much so that over the last few years I have reached a stage where I do not want to upset this, add the latest upgrade tweak, fashion trends or move in a different direction.

 

After saying that I was tempted to hear the SL cables at the SORG which I did a month or so ago and there was something I instantly liked hence the home loan.

 

After a weekend of music I can definitely say I like the SL cables as they bring something more in terms of presentation, impact, realism, engagement and enjoyment compare to the excellent NACA5. I say excellent NACA5 as the home loan showed how good NACA5 is and what excellent value for money it offers!

 

In terms of SL value for money then if I only needed a 3m or possibly 5m run then I would say it was great value and I would be placing an order but at 9m that is serious spend for me especially as I am really happy with my current set up.

 

So I am doing what I always do: playing my system to just enjoy the groove (not listen to Hi-Fi things) and then when I return the cable next weekend to see if I really miss them.

 

At present I suspect I will miss them but whether I miss them enough, prepared to take the plunge and buy a 9m run at over £5k when I have my NAP booked in for a service and DR upgrade next year  I am not sure that I can justify it.

 

Using my brain the 9m is not value for money and there is more to life than Hi-Fi but my soul says something different!

 

Richard

Posted on: 16 November 2015 by Darke Bear
Originally Posted by FangfossFlyer:
Using my brain the 9m is not value for money and there is more to life than Hi-Fi but my soul says something different.

The Soul is a problem when it comes down to saving money.

 

NAC A5 is OK.... It really is OK.

 

DB.

Posted on: 16 November 2015 by Steve J

A sensible approach Richard. 9m of cable is just overkill expense-wise and I'm sure I'd make the same decision in your shoes. Short of rearranging your system to accommodate shorter lengths of speaker cable you're stumped. However you will gain improvement spending the money on your DR upgrade and service for the 500.

 

We must get together again soon.

 

ATB

 

Steve