Production of Super Lumina speaker cables on hold?

Posted by: joeribt on 21 October 2016

I just received my pair of SL speaker cables only to find out they sit too loose in their sockets, to such an extent that they are about to fall out. My dealer tells me the production is on hold after Naim noticed the problem as well. Would this mean they have changed the make of the plugs? What are your experiences with the plugs?

Certainly an issue of poor quality control, given the stated level of these cables. To me this comes after I also returned a faulty and brand new N-272 the other week...

Posted on: 24 October 2016 by nigelb
joeribt posted:
nigelb posted:

I was an early adopter of SL speaker leads and mine are the same as Harry's - difficult to insert and equally difficult to remove (a good thing I would suggest). The design and diameter of the latest iteration of SL speaker lead plugs must be rather different.

Bit of a boo boo by Naim if the new plugs are not intended to be so loose, and something that would have been easy to check before production and despatch. Which makes me think maybe the new plugs are supposed to be this way although it appears that some sets have been accepted back by dealers for return to HQ.

Very strange.

I don't think they were intended this way as they fall out of Naim's own amps! This is something that Naim should have avoided, especially since these are high-end cables with a high-end price.

Naim will have certainly tested the new banana plugs now used on the SL speaker cables. Indeed they would have certainly gone through some listening trials also. So all I can think is the bananas now used in production are different to the tested bananas (or are of a different spec.) to be so loose in the sockets. What we don't know is if the loose banana problem affects all, or just some, of the new SL cables.

Either way this appears to be a c**k up and I would have thought Naim would be all over it to get the situation resolved. As you have pointed out, these cables ain't cheap. I hope you get it sorted soon because these, as you probably know, are wonderful cables (when they are not falling out of sockets anyway). Certainly one of the most significant upgrades I have made to my system in recent years.

Posted on: 24 October 2016 by Richard Dane

As Nigel implies above, from a discussion I had yesterday with Steve Hopkins, Naim do seem to be "all over it to get the situation resolved" - if you are having an issue then advice from HQ is as I've posted earlier on this thread, to contact your supplying dealer ASAP who will then take the necessary steps to sort things out.

Posted on: 27 October 2016 by Pcd
Richard, called into my dealer today to discuss the problem he in turn
contacted Naim a new pair will be supplied shortly excellent service indeed.

Been using Naim since 1983 and this is the first time I've ever had a
problem with a Naim product very reassuring to have this level of service.
Posted on: 27 October 2016 by Allante93
Adam Zielinski posted:

Mine are OK - both sets.

"There and back again – NACA5 to SuperLumina and back to NACA5"

Are you sure Adam!

Allante93!

Posted on: 27 October 2016 by Richard Dane

PCD, good to hear.

Posted on: 27 October 2016 by Adam Zielinski
Allante93 posted:
Adam Zielinski posted:

Mine are OK - both sets.

"There and back again – NACA5 to SuperLumina and back to NACA5"

Are you sure Adam!

Allante93!

Positive

Now I use one set of SLs and one set of NACA5. The second set of SLs (extended home demo) went back to the dealer. Not because of its banana plugs though

Posted on: 15 November 2016 by Philippe

Just got my SL cables back from Naim after correction of the loose connections and what a difference it makes. If you were wondering whether loose connections made a difference sound wise, well it does a lot.

Posted on: 15 November 2016 by Sloop John B

I have to hand it to you guys, you are extremely understanding. Naim is lucky to have such customers. 

Frankly I don't think I'd be as understanding, sometimes I wonder is it some form of Stockholm syndrome. 

SJB