Connecting Two Lengths of A5, and some other questions...

There's a limited number of ways to join a cable; plugs, clamps, or soldering. Sounds like in your case plugs are the practical way to go. There are the standard Naim male plugs, but do Naim sell or approve a female equivalent?

soldering is the best, and then some good insulating tape

If you wish to provide sockets in the skirting you can so this with some blank socket plates and then drill them to take a pair of Deltron 4mm speaker sockets each - just make sure you get the spacing exact for the Naim speaker plugs.  It does mean one extra break in the cables but with good soldering this should minimise any losses.

Appreciate the feedback folks... Thanks!

My only comment, with a wonderfully open, dynamic, revealing and exciting 272 + 250 system... would be  Don't...   don't mess around with cable joints of any kind. The system deserves, and will reward you with, uninterrupted cable runs.  It may sound expensive but this is one of those things you don't really want to be skimping on (do you?)

You do occasionally get long runs of A5 come up for sale - meanwhile I'd be going for a cheaper cable of the right length (a Chord model?) until you can change it for the real thing (be that A5 or S/L).

That's my thoughts... mind you, I don't own a soldering iron   

Having extended NACA5 by soldering (the best method) be assured that there is no audible sonic effect. Just make sure you use a powerful iron and, if you haven't done such soldering before, experiment on a small offcut.

I like the comment of Roger - but also Tony's. They are exactly the opposite but both true.

I've been soldering my speakerplugs and it is great to do. Instead of spending serious money on hardware, you actually do something for fun on a Saturdayafternoon or so.

Have a powerful iron indeed, otherwise the solder doesnt get in well - it cools down too fast.

Power amplifier speaker terminals are soldered to the motherboard. Banana plugs to go into them are soldered onto the NACA5. Then on the other end...more soldered joints. And once inside the speakers...

I am a pretty good solderer and have terminated countless speaker cables. In ten years as a dealer must run into..well lots

Ages ago, I soldered my speaker cable (trusty RS braided) directly from the output stage of my NAP 120 and into the crossovers of my Spendor BC1s. Result?

Made it difficult to move the hifi. No sonic difference that I could hear.

My belief is that good soldered joints are pretty much fine.

I've soldered quite a few speaker wires and plugs over the years the main thing is to have a sufficiently powerful soldering iron.

Pcd posted:

I've soldered quite a few speaker wires and plugs over the years the main thing is to have a sufficiently powerful soldering iron.

....and to ensure both ends to be soldered are held steady. You want to ensure that once you got a good joint with the solder flowing nicely you don't undo all your good work by allowing the joint to move whilst cooling 

Any soldering with speaker cable like NACA5 should be done against something like a length of plank and then the cable secured down against the plank.  That way you'll have the cable secure and both hands free to work.