Naim standard grey interconnect is damn good
Posted by: 56wilson on 31 January 2016
Have tried a lot of different chord interconnects such as Crimson, Cadenza, Chorus 2 and Chorus Reference - all very good sounding cables in my system. Also tried Anthem 2 and Signet but they killed the PRaT and was to my taste way to laid-back sounding although very impressing in HiFi terms.
So recently I tried the grey standard interconnect for the first time. WOW it sounds damn good. Not as much punch in the bass as the chord cables but extremely musical and way better PRaT. I difinitely prefered it to the chord cables I've tried. But of course a lot of you already share that opinion.
I'm using chord odyssey 4 (single wire 2-2 shotgunned) for my speakers and have been very pleased with it - I prefer odyssey 4 over the epic twin. But now I have to try the NAC A5 to see if it can outcompete my odyssey 4.
If NDX, 282 and 250DR qualify as 'mid-range gear' and SL speaker cables and Chord Sarum Tuned Aray IC qualify as 'high-end cables' then I beg to differ. More soul, certainly nothing missing and definitely more enjoyable IMHO, in my system, with my lugs.
I speak from (my) direct experience rather than conjecture.
Shame. Those focal Utopias are crying out for some TQ James!
I'm new to Naim systems just got my ND5XS + NaitXS a week ago. I did have the experience with the hi line at my dealer. I liked the grey standard line but do feel the difference the hi line can do. But the TQ? Just curious since I was told that Naim products only works great with Naim products. And is the TQ really that good? I'm using the grey interconnect and NACA5 right now still waiting for my system to break in.
Chris Dolan posted:Does a Hi-Line still count as a high-end cable and what constitutes "mid-range" gear?
High-end and mid-range are subjective, their meaning shifting as manufacturers upgrade their lines. One man's high-end is another man's floor. Or something.
I tend to think of the preamp as an extension of the source. If the interconnect improves this union in musically meaningful ways - which the HiLine does and the SL even more so - then it's worth pursuing no matter where you might be on an shifting and arbitrary scale. I have no doubts about the musical contribution of an SL between a CDX and an SN2.
I got a Hiline when they first came out. After swapping the lavender in and out with the Hiline for a few months, I ended up giving the Hiline to a friend to use with his CD5 as I preferred the lavender-which is good enough to be used all the way to the top of the line equipment. I have not heard the SL, but in terms of bang for the buck, the lavender may be the best VFM product in the Naim catalog.
I convinced another friend who had a few Hilines in a 552/500 based system, to try the lavender again....except this time to actually listen, instead of casually replacing it and just assuming the replacements were better. He ended up selling his Hiline and using the lavender-until a Sarum TA arrived which handily dispatched both of them.
no naim source, so i have to use rca interconnects; in this case, what is most similar to that original lavender stock cable sound - tq? chord? atlas? etc.
that is, if i mean to take these -
- do they qualify as a substitute for standard naim interconnects?
Sharik,
why the need for a substitute? Why not just use the Naim interconnect? AFAIK it can still be ordered in RCA to DIN configuration.
Otherwise, closest is probably the old Chord Chrysalis - you may still be able to find some NOS out there.
wenger2015 posted:Agree with Finkfan, once you have heard TQ...it is a wow moment..
Well, not for everyone... A guy I know has put TQ Black between SN and Harbeth SHL5, and yes, lots of detail and speed and clarity, but there was no wow factor for me. I was rather more struck by the effect Vertere cables did on my system. Much more natural, more of everything and not a iota of PR&T removed.
(But I have already written about this, with no discernible effect..)
I'm not sure about Vertere cables. I avoid anything tin plated. Even mains cables. To my ears they tend to have a harsh edge to them.
Not heard the Vertere cables though to be fair
Richard Dane posted:Why not just use the Naim interconnect? AFAIK it can still be ordered in RCA to DIN configuration.
the lavender with rca's ?
Yes, it certainly used to be available to order in some markets as RCA-DIN and DIN-RCA configurations. Whether it still is, I couldn't say for sure, as it has been more than a few years since I was involved in Naim sales. I believe there used to be a gentleman's agreement only to offer it in markets where Chord didn't export (and hence where Chord's Chrysalis wasn't available), but I guess things have moved on and since then. Best talk with your Naim dealer.
If it helps, i have just bought from Naim via a Dealer an RCA-DIN Naim interconnect for £105.00. Big improvement over my Chord Cobra RCA-RCA that i was using between the 2Qute and Nac 202.
Very modestly priced too!
James
Just replaced the lavender interconnect on my NDAC / XS2 with a solid silver one from Custom HiFi in Leeds - a significant improvement in detail, bass depth/control & natural tone of voices/instruments. In price terms, that's probably slightly 'higher end' than the amp if not the DAC/XPS, but definitely worth it.
Richard Dane posted:Yes, it certainly used to be available to order in some markets as RCA-DIN and DIN-RCA configurations. Whether it still is, I couldn't say for sure, as it has been more than a few years since I was involved in Naim sales. I believe there used to be a gentleman's agreement only to offer it in markets where Chord didn't export (and hence where Chord's Chrysalis wasn't available), but I guess things have moved on and since then. Best talk with your Naim dealer.
Chord Chrysalis purported to be the closest to Naim Lavender as I mentioned previously.
I had a Chord Chrysalis lead made up to connect my i-Pod a few years ago.
A couple of years later they supplied me with a Chord Crimson lead for my R to R; Chrysalis no longer being available. So I guess there is no breach of the agreement if Naim supply a Lavender lead.
Installed the TQ Black Diamond din interconnect today...DAC to Pre-amp
Usual cable for last 4/5 yrs is Hi-Line...listened with this for a while first, then installed the original Lavender....not shabby, lost a little detail and the bass was much less defined....
Reinstalled the Hi-Line....yep, more detail...bass much tighter....definitely a step (back) up (as one may expect)...
Installed (new) TQ Black Diamond...lot more detail, more music, very natural vocals, bass improvement over Hi-Line...overall more of everything, however not in forced way..
Will run the TQ for an extended period to burn in, then re-compare with Hi-Line...initial impression of the TQ is goood...
Have a good Sunday
It'll just keep getting better my friend! Enjoy!