Change speaker cable

Posted by: Double Diamond Dave on 18 August 2018

I want to move my system to another room currently using 4.0m lengths of NAC A5 speaker cable, Because of positioning in the new room it is not really an option to do this as i need something far more flexible and shorter so i was hoping to use 2 x 1.0m lengths of TQ BLACK 2 speaker cable

My power amplifier is a NAP 140 are there any issues with this due to a different cable and much shorter length than the recognised 3.5 metre lengths i constantly read about ?

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by Klout10

How far apart will your speakers be with 2 x 1 meter cable? 

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by ChrisSU

Your 140 will not be happy with short cables.  3.5m is the minimum for A5, optimum is longer. If you can find another brand that meets the inductance and capacitance requirements of a Naim amp with shorter lengths, great, but I’m not aware of any, especially at just 1m. 

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by Richard Dane

You have a NAP140.  Don't, whatever you do go shorter than 3.5m of NACA5, and in fact I would still recommend more.  I would certainly be very wary of using anything other than Naim recommended cable on the NAP140.  That amp really does need a certain amount of inductance supplied by the cable, but combined with a low amount of capacitance, otherwise instability can result, which means poor sound and short life.

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by fathings cat

I tried TQ Black, it pretty much strangled my system at the time.....

Gary

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by Double Diamond Dave
Klout10 posted:

How far apart will your speakers be with 2 x 1 meter cable? 

Speakers are Neat Iota which will be desktop mounted 

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by ChrisSU

Maybe you need to get inventive with some hidden cables under the desk. 

Posted on: 18 August 2018 by feeling_zen

Desks provide ample options for dealing with lots of excess cable. If the desk has a cable tray in the back for holding computer cables, long　runs can be layed back and forth in there. A5 may require heating with a blow dryer to get it to make a tight fold for the return.

Desks without such a tray usually have a smooth enough underside to fashion your own cable tray with gaffer tape and velcro straps. All invisible of course.

I've done the latter many times and corrently do the former to handle a 4m slack of similarly inflexible cable.