Speaker cable advice for NAP300

Posted by: vinylrocks on 22 February 2017

I recently decided to make some changes in my living room and that means changing the place my system is located. Unfortunately the new placement commands for a longer speaker cable which means I have to buy a new one.  I own a 252/300 combo driving a pair of Neat Momentum 4i floorstanders. Until now I was using a 2m factory terminated pair of Chord Carnival Silver plus bi-wire cable with great results. It's a cheap cable that was given to me for free with the purchase of the speakers. I since have auditioned the Nac A5 at some point and some more expensive cables like the Nordost Frey 2 (2m length) but wasn't convinced the change was for the better in the latter case considering the price. 

The Naim cable seemed very similar to my Chord, with a very tight and coherent musical presentation, but I felt it lacked in the higher frequency delivery, the overall transparency and the micro dynamics compared to more expensive cables. Some of the pricey cables using silver coating sounded more transparent but at the same time gave a more harsh top end which seemed unnatural to my ears. 

I know Naim suggests using the Nac A5, but since technology advances and themselves have a better and more expensive speaker cable now, maybe there's a better (but cheaper than Super Lumina) solution out there.  

Is the concept of length (over 3,5m for Naim amps) still relevant? I think one of the reasons I liked the Chord so much might be that the bi-wire feature means the effective length resembles to a 4m pair. If it does the cost factor does make things more difficult for very expensive cables. 

What speaker cable are you using in your own system? Which brands seem to work best with Naim amps?

Thanks in advance,

John

 

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by Steve O

I switched from Chord Signature to TQ Ultra Blacks and am so happy with the result. The treble is far smoother and there is much more mid range detail. I made the switch before Super Lumina hit the stores but am so happy with the TQ's I have no compulsion to try it.

regards,

Steve O.

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by vinylrocks
Steve O posted:

I switched from Chord Signature to TQ Ultra Blacks and am so happy with the result. The treble is far smoother and there is much more mid range detail. I made the switch before Super Lumina hit the stores but am so happy with the TQ's I have no compulsion to try it.

regards,

Steve O.

Steve I really appreciate your post. The truth is that considering the cost these two are the top contenders in my book. How would you describe the comparison in terms of bass articulation and attack? Was that the old signature or the signature reference? 

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by GraemeH

TQB remains a sensibly priced sensible uplift to NACA5 ime.

G

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by BevC

If you can source it, Chord Epic Supertwin (no longer made) works extremely well. We have a 252/300 into Kudos C30s.

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by vinylrocks

Unfortunately, I don't have a Chord dealer near by so demoing Chord cables and sourcing older products from them is extremely difficult. I must say though that I'm positively biased since I love the low budget Chord cable I use! I know it's still early since I only had a day and a half listening to the NACA5 but I prefer my old Chord! It's more quiet, more detailed and defined, tighter bass, more truthful high hat sounds. Don't get me wrong I can see how people stick with the NACA5, it does nothing wrong and even with today's price is excellent value for money, but there's definitely room for improvement! 

I'm positive that different cables have different and/or better results, I'm just not sure it's always a matter of price though... I've listened to very expensive high quality cables with not so real life presentations. Some times the bass gets too heavy (i.e. Kimber cables) or the highs get too bright (i.e. nordost silver coated lines). And that's not a matter of price rather than a company's manufacturing philosophy. 

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by Timo

How long is the drive to the next Chord dealer? Possibly with Naim gear?? With your set-up (252/300!!) it would be a shame to spoil the system with cables that aren't 100% your cup of tea. Or if you really like your current Chord, take a punt and climb up the Chord ladder??!! Worst-case scenario -- the prominent auction site with a bit of loss. If if the drive is long, your time and fuel might not be much cheaper than the possible loss on a punt.

Posted on: 04 March 2017 by wenger2015

Having in the past heard Naca5, TQ black, TQ Ultra Black, and SL cables,  i would highly recommend the TQ Ultra Blacks with your set up,  they provide everything you require and at a sensible price.

Most dealers will give you a reasonable reduction in cost for a px