SL DIN/XLR

Well with the standard DIN-XLR leads it has always been the case that the white banded NAP250 lead could be used as a substitute for one of the NAP135/300/500 leads.  Unfortunately I can't now recall which one it is, the green or the red...

The SL cables for the 300 and 500 are mono, and cannot be used for the 250. The cable for the 250 is stereo: you can use two of these stereo leads with a 300 or 500 but the sound quality will not be as good as if you use the ‘proper’ mono leads. 

Thanks Gents.

Interesting. Two questions from very much not an electrical engineer:

1) if a 250 din~xlr can be connected to one channel of a 300, why not either? The -ve connection is the same in each case and in each case you have a live channel connected to matching live and another live channel to nc;

2) why would that affect sound quality? I suppose there is one superfluous transmission to each channel.

????

You can connect the stereo lead to either channel, but you’d need two whatever. As to why the mono leads sound better - does the body rule the mind, or does the mind rule the body, I dunno. It’s what Naim told me. 

A bit more research on the forum says green band is channel 1 and red band, channel 2. 

Indeed. R for red, R for right. 

Very drole! Pretty sure it doesn’t merit an AB comparison, just mildly curious as to the theory. For manufacturing efficiency, a universal cable would be better so I’m inclined to trust naim’s judgement.

I have two WitchHat Hatpin stereo din to xlr leads.

Would using both of these between 272 and 300DR likely to be better than the standard 300 din to xlr leads?

There is one way to find out. 

Indeed Nigel. Before I do, I’d want to be certain that using the stereo leads rather than mono ones will not damage anything. 

Has anyone tried it?

You can safely use two stereo leads. According to Naim, mono leads will sound better. Maybe it’s because there aren’t any unconnected wires. I’ve no idea how right and left will work though.

Ok thanks.

I still have an itch. Richard D, can naim HQ put me out my misery please - how/why are the stereo and mono cables different? Or is it just that the amplifier feeds are stereo or mono? 

Thanks! 

The stereo leads have L&R channel wires connect at both the DIN 4 and XLP ends.

The Mono leads come as a pair; one has the L channel wires connect at both the DIN 4 and XLP end but the R channel wire is unconnected, the other has the R channel wires connect at both the DIN 4 and XLP end but the L channel wire is unconnected.

The XL input sockets on the 300 and 500 only have the L or the R terminal connected, so if stereo cables are used, one is needed for each channel of the power amp.  In each cable, the terminal in the plug for the 'other' channel just isn't connected to the input of the power amp.

Interesting Huge. Thanks. So both the “mono” and stereo leads have two wires but, in the mono lead one is left unconnected. I wonder why the consensus is that the mono sounds better or why they bother including the unconnected wire in the mono leads?

The mono SL leads have only one wire. That’s the point. 

That’s what I would have thought but Huge seems to have a different view.

Is Huge talking about the new SL cables or the standard 3 core mains cable based DIN-XLR leads ?

Oh, that's true (d'oh!), I was talking about the standard leads.

The mono SLs as you say have only one signal line and one return line each; but the effect of using stereo leads is as described.

Itch scratched - thanks! Love everyone’s willingness to dive down this rabbit hole. I don’t have much tech knowledge but find it fascinating.  

Huge posted:

Oh, that's true (d'oh!), I was talking about the standard leads.

The mono SLs as you say have only one signal line and one return line each; but the effect of using stereo leads is as described.

I’d be interested to hear if anyone has tried two stereo leads on the 300 instead of the mono leads. Somehow, I very much doubt if anyone would bother.

Swapping the mono leads results in momentarily worrying silence... at least with a pair of stereo leads, restacking becomes less stressful... no idea how much impact it has on sound quality...

In the spirit of mild obsession with this topic, I asked Chord about their DIN/XLR cables for 250 and 300. The answer: each one is wired differently. Perhaps that could/should have been preceded by ‘doh’ - feedback I’d have to accept! 

That’s helpful! Thanks Chord......