Super Lumina.

What’s your system?

PMC5/26.  -   Nap250DR  -  NAC282  -  HiCap  -  Cd5si  -  Project Tube Box  -   Pro-ject Experience Turntable.

My experience with SL is very positive over standard cables like NACA5, is it worth the cost, thats a much harder decision and is individual to each person. If I did not need 14m of cable i am sure i would have SL by now.

That said in context of your system upgrades like a SC on the 282, Fraim (if you dont have it) or a PSU on the CD player i think would be better overall use of spend 

Rob

To echo what MORT2K said above your money is probably better spent elsewhere in your system. Depending on whether your primary source is CD or vinyl I would upgrade the CDP (note: a CD5si cannot be upgraded with a separate PSU) or the turntable, either of which should give you a (much) more significant improvement in sound.

Your sources will be ruthlessly exposed by Superlumina

spend the money on improving your sources

which cables do you use now ?

Superlumina makes sense when the source is in balance with the system.

at least cdx2 or Ndx for your system 

Indeed. Both sources are woefully inadequate for your amplifier and speakers. You’d be far better looking at a used CDS3 and / or something like a Rega 10. 

I would say your amp is plenty good enough to benefit from SL cables, but the money would be a great deal better spent on a source upgrade first. 

As is often the case Analogue indulges in hyperbole.  A cable change will refine (or otherwise) your system, it won’t “ruthlessly expose” anything.   Nonetheless, I would at least think about and demo some different source components as HH sensibly suggests.  

Regards,

Lindsay

Of course it does. But your sources are the bottleneck in such a system.

I can vouch for a Rega RP10

The Strat (Fender) posted:

As is often the case Analogue indulges in hyperbole.  A cable change will refine (or otherwise) your system, it won’t “ruthlessly expose” anything.   ,

 

To be fair, Analogue has spent a large amount of time, effort and money seeking out interconnects that don’t ruthlessly expose the inadequacies of his Chord DaCs

Hmmm superlumina tremendously increases the resolution but the source has to be up to the job

at this source level I would look at Hi line or Vertere DFI

both much lower cost

A hiline would be wasted on a CD5si, in my opinion. The £700 would go a long way towards the cost of a better CD player. The standard ‘free’ lead is more than adequate. 

My dealer has recommended SL speaker cables.  I have a 272, Core, 250DR, Dave DAC, Crystal Cable Reference speaker cables, and Burmester B10 speakers.  Would the SL speaker cables be a good upgrade?

docmark posted:

My dealer has recommended SL speaker cables.  I have a 272, Core, 250DR, Dave DAC, Crystal Cable Reference speaker cables, and Burmester B10 speakers.  Would the SL speaker cables be a good upgrade?

I haven't tried SL SC yet but I do like the SL IC between my 272/250 DR. 

HH - am I not correct in saying you have SL wires in your system and I think I remember you saying SL was the best way to fully exploit your configuration - words to that effect?  Surely you’re £ might have been better invested in say a 2nd hand NDS and 252.   Would only have increased the box count by one over what you have now.  But in the case of the OP I do agree best to invest in the source components although I have no knowledge of his TT.  

Regards,

Lindsay

PS: Okay 2 more boxes

docmark posted:

My dealer has recommended SL speaker cables.  I have a 272, Core, 250DR, Dave DAC, Crystal Cable Reference speaker cables, and Burmester B10 speakers.  Would the SL speaker cables be a good upgrade?

There's only one way to find out [@mention:1566878603953790] ! Borrow a set and have a listen for yourself.

I posted a couple of years ago about my experiences of adding SL IC's and Speaker Cable to my 'lowly' system, it may be of interest to you: https://forums.naimaudio.com/to...a-for-classic-system. Interesting to look back sometimes - back then I was rocking a 2 box system and happy, now Ive got a 4-box system & changed the speakers and am happier still with my system! Guess I did do that good sales job on Mrs H when the time came.

Anyway, I don't know Crystal Cable Reference Speaker Cables so it makes it difficult to say, but SL cables work well with 'Classic' systems. Let us know how you get on.

docmark posted:

My dealer has recommended SL speaker cables.  I have a 272, Core, 250DR, Dave DAC, Crystal Cable Reference speaker cables, and Burmester B10 speakers.  Would the SL speaker cables be a good upgrade?

Yes it might be, but I don't know much about Crystal cables... only by trying could you know.

What I/C do you have between Dave and 272 though?

Hungryhalibut posted:

A hiline would be wasted on a CD5si, in my opinion. The £700 would go a long way towards the cost of a better CD player. The standard ‘free’ lead is more than adequate. 

well I found the Hi-line to sound wonderful even with my lowly TV decoder 

But the Vertere basic D-FI cable is a lot less expensive and for me, essential, I have a few of them for all my systems.

analogmusic posted:

Hmmm superlumina tremendously increases the resolution but the source has to be up to the job

at this source level I would look at Hi line or Vertere DFI

both much lower cost

With respect a cable is a passive device so can’t increase resolution....all it can do is destroy less of the resolution that’s already inherent in the system.  What you therefore hear is an overall increase in the system’s resolution because the better cable is less subtractive. 

Of course, every time you increase resolution you will hear more of your system’s good points and also any errors in your set up.  The major problems in a system come when certain components resolve information and downstream components smear that information.....resulting in information that’s still present, but heard as distortion rather than as additional well resolved detail. This is typically the cause of digital hardness and harshness for example. 

EMI and RFI from bad poor power supplies has the capacity to severely downgrade a systems performance, as do poor quality cables, poor vibration control, polluted mains supplies, poor earths etc. 

Adding superior cables will certainly improve just about any system, but those improvements may well be accompanied by the revelation of faults that will need to be resolved before the sonic benefits of the new cable are fully exploited.  If you’ve spent all your money on cables and can’t afford to rectify the set-up faults they’ve revealed, you’ve essentially wasted your money.

Spending a lot of money on cables is therefore fairly futile if there are several other sources of distortion in your system.....the best use of money in practically any hi-if is spent first on minimising losses caused by the things I mentioned above.  Once you’ve done all that,  seriously expensive ultra low-loss cables may well be revelatory.

Blackmorec posted:

analogmusic posted:

Hmmm superlumina tremendously increases the resolution but the source has to be up to the job

at this source level I would look at Hi line or Vertere DFI

both much lower cost

With respect a cable is a passive device so can’t increase resolution....all it can do is destroy less of the resolution that’s already inherent in the system.  What you therefore hear is an overall increase in the system’s resolution because the better cable is less subtractive. 

Of course, every time you increase resolution you will hear more of your system’s good points and also any errors in your set up.  The major problems in a system come when certain components resolve information and downstream components smear that information.....resulting in information that’s still present, but heard as distortion rather than as additional well resolved detail. This is typically the cause of digital hardness and harshness for example. 

EMI and RFI from bad poor power supplies has the capacity to severely downgrade a systems performance, as do poor quality cables, poor vibration control, polluted mains supplies, poor earths etc. 

Adding superior cables will certainly improve just about any system, but those improvements may well be accompanied by the revelation of faults that will need to be resolved before the sonic benefits of the new cable are fully exploited.  If you’ve spent all your money on cables and can’t afford to rectify the set-up faults they’ve revealed, you’ve essentially wasted your money.

Spending a lot of money on cables is therefore fairly futile if there are several other sources of distortion in your system.....the best use of money in practically any hi-if is spent first on minimising losses caused by the things I mentioned above.  Once you’ve done all that,  seriously expensive ultra low-loss cables may well be revelatory.

Wonderful post.

It justified my outlay, which is why I bought it. I don't know if it justifies your outlay. Only you can know that for certain. A dealer will lend you some. 

Hi Analog - Between the Dave & 272, I’m using SL RCA - RCA cables. from analogue out of the 272 to analogue 2 input of the 272.

I can only add another vote to the consensus that there is an imbalalance in your system that is well worth correcting, at least to some degree, before splashing out on expensive speaker cable. I’m surprised that any Naim dealer hasn’t alerted you to the weaknesses in your source when selling you a 282 and 250DR. In the meantime, to answer your actual question and within the context of your system......NO (IMHO).

Peter

I think we tend to throw the word weakness around too much.  A little while ago I heard a Rega RP3 with transfiguration cartridge, Audio Analogue integrated into Magneplan speakers.  Frankly it was outperforming the  NDS/Statement/Focal set up further down the corridor so budget sources in the right context can do a lot better than a source first disciple will recognise.  But the issue here is if the OP is able to invest in optimising his system then he shouldn’t be thinking about wires.....imo.