Naim Super Lumina, Chord Signature Reference or Tellurium Q Ultra Black?

Morning M37. As many will know I’m a TQ fan. I have compared the Ultra blacks to SL cables on my SN1 and preferred the TQs smooth but detailed presentation. To my ears the SL wires were a little forward and harsh on some recordings. It may have been that they were new and needed more time to settle down though. If plan on upgrading your system at some point you may want to keep in mind that TQ don’t make din to xlr cables between pre and power so you can’t have a ‘full loom’. TQ and SL don’t mix at all. I haven’t tried the chord wires. 

Morning FINKFAN. Thanks for sharing. Perhaps a silly comparison, but when I used NACA5 I also found them a little forward and harsh on some recordings. I use TQ Ultra Black RCA interconnects and they are truly wonderful so there is the temptation to try the speaker cable. Hifi critics also seem to be unanimous.
However, I also like Chord my Epic Reference that I use in my second system. ... it's tricky.

If you like the interconnect you’ll love the speaker cable and the two obviously work perfectly together. 

If you are going to stick to TQ Ultra Black interconnect than go for a TQ speaker cable.

A pairing of a TQ interconnect and SL speaker cables is not the happiest one (although each one is great, they just don’t make a good pair).

Completely agree with Adam and it’s probably why the SL wire didn’t work for me, as I use a Black Diamond din. 

Finkfan posted:

Completely agree with Adam and it’s probably why the SL wire didn’t work for me, as I use a Black Diamond din. 

Indeed - tried the same combo and just could not get on with it. So I removed the TQ Din-Din and order was restored

I have edited and removed some posts on this thread.  Finkfan, you know very well why.  Please respect Naim's position here - Naim have been told in no uncertain terms by the principal of the company in question that neither they, nor their products  should be mentioned on the forum (and that includes mention on your profile), and Naim have agreed. So, I won't ask you again. Thank you.

well it's always worth considering this carefully, from the FAQ page. 

"Apart from Naim's own upgrade cable - Super Lumina - alternative speaker cables cannot be  recommended by Naim, however, should you still wish to try them then you should ensure that the cable is low capacitance and of moderate inductance.  High capacitance cables are to be avoided at all costs and may result in damage to your amplifier."

Opinions are very subjective, and it boils down to engineering.

Does the cable have the capacitance and inductance that is within spec?

if not, or if not known, why mess around and why not just stay within the manufacturer recommendations?

It's really very clearly worded, Naim cannot recommend any other speaker cable.

Sorry again Richard. 

Yes, clearly worded, and I guess the majority still use NACA5.

M37

You have posed a very difficult question!

Without the ability to hear for yourself either in a dealers or, more importantly, at home, you are truly rolling the dice and any feedback here could be valuable for you.

Earlier posts here have indicated compatibility problems between SL and TQ which points clearly in the direction that if you want to retain your TQ cable, SL should be avoided.

Re Chord Signature, I had this for a few years.  It replaced NACA5 which I really struggled with - I think the combination of nbl speakers and the acoustics of my living room created a difficult environment which resulted in a sound which was forward and lean.  The signature provided a much better balanced sound for me.  I have also read that quite a few folks found that Signature speaker cable reduced PrAT, some saying even sucked the life out of the sound!  That was certainly not my experience but you should be aware that this cable has provoked different reactions from forum members.  I'm not sure if there is a difference between base Sig and Ref Sig which could have a bearing on your considerations.  If you are near London, I can lend you a set of Sig cables.  If not, you would really be taking a gamble buying blind.

Conclusion: without any opportunity to audition the cables and if you are sticking with your current interconnect TQ's, the safe option would be TQ speaker cable.

Peter

I had Chord Signatures before going for SL. The Chords were good although I prefer the transparency of the SLs which are also more domestically sensitive in that they don’t look like hopepipes running across the floor

Ravenswwod10's comments are a perfect example of the fine tuning which I reckon speaker cables can make to your system.  When I was running with nbl speakers, the transparency Raven refers to would probably have pushed them into a slightly harsh, forward sound on many albums.  With different speakers, in a different room, this difference could make your speakers sing compared with the slightly softer sounding Sig cables.  That's why I'd suggest speaker cable selection is such a difficult decision without home audition.

Peter

northpole posted:

M37

You have posed a very difficult question!

Without the ability to hear for yourself either in a dealers or, more importantly, at home, you are truly rolling the dice and any feedback here could be valuable for you.

Earlier posts here have indicated compatibility problems between SL and TQ which points clearly in the direction that if you want to retain your TQ cable, SL should be avoided.

Re Chord Signature, I had this for a few years.  It replaced NACA5 which I really struggled with - I think the combination of nbl speakers and the acoustics of my living room created a difficult environment which resulted in a sound which was forward and lean.  The signature provided a much better balanced sound for me.  I have also read that quite a few folks found that Signature speaker cable reduced PrAT, some saying even sucked the life out of the sound!  That was certainly not my experience but you should be aware that this cable has provoked different reactions from forum members.  I'm not sure if there is a difference between base Sig and Ref Sig which could have a bearing on your considerations.  If you are near London, I can lend you a set of Sig cables.  If not, you would really be taking a gamble buying blind.

Conclusion: without any opportunity to audition the cables and if you are sticking with your current interconnect TQ's, the safe option would be TQ speaker cable.

Peter

 

Peter, I had the same experience when I compared the Chord to the NACA5 although it's the Epic Twin and not the Signature. I have read about folks saying that the Epic Twin sounds dull and dead when it is compared to the NAC A5 but that is certainly not my experience.

On the other Expensive Cable thread, someone has compared the NAC A5 to the Super Lumina. From the described differences, the Super Lumina sounds like the Chord Epic Twin although it isn't.