Super Lumina DIN-XLR

The XLR was the last of the SL cables that I installed in my system which completed the 'full loom'.  I don't know whether the benefit I heard was just the XLR SL and/or the synergy that came from the full loom effect but I liked what I heard. At the time I was running a 250.2 so had the single XLR. When I later upgraded the 250.2 to a 300DR it meant either reverting to the standard XLR or doubling the investment on the twin XLR SLs. On the basis of what I had heard the single XLR deliver I didn't hesitate for a moment and the twin XLR SL had to be part of the power amp upgrade. In other words, go for it.  

If you can afford it, then do it... there is a certain synergy with a full loom that is difficult to describe,  but it just works.

Just do it - works well.

I tried the Din/XLr on a 250DR, not a small upgrade ????

Another for just do it. You'll welcome what it brings to your system.

Joppe, I use a 252,Supercapdr and a 300dr the full S/L is something rather special I originally starting with the S/L interconnect and speaker cables when I had a 250dr completing the full loom a few months after upgrading to a 300dr.

I would say that the effect of the addition of the Din/XLR cables is the hardest to describe but it just made the system sound more complete well worth it in my opinion.

I have mostly sl in my system....and it really does make such a difference. The biggest gain was replacing a hi line with a din to din between nds and 552 .... I am shortly installing Vertere between 552 and 500.... I will feed back...my findings.

Thanks for all the reassuring feedback! Seems like a nobrainer! Will have to have a chat with my dealer...

A technical question, I understand it comes in two lengths 1.5 or 1m. I have always found the standard din-xlr short compared to the burndies and not realy help with cables dressing, and assume 1.5m would fit best for a two stack rack. What are your experiances?

Hi Joppe. Just to add an alternative view amongst all the above unanimous positive comments...

I have recently changed my Naim set up to what I have now. All from new so only a few months old (see my profile) and retained my SL speaker cable from a previous full loom (speaker cable and din-din).

My new set up requires din-xlr but my dealer suggested to just try the stock cable first. However impatience got the better of me so after only a few weeks I borrowed a well run in SL din-xlr. After few more weeks I had to admit that I wasn’t detecting any significant difference from using the stock cable. Now there could be a few factors here including the fact that my system is still running in, but the good news is that it still sounds fantastic with the stock interconnect. Note also that when I switched back to my my nacA5 speaker cable I really noticed a difference, with the music losing the impact and detail brought by the SL speaker cable. 

The din-xlr has gone back and I am now ready to see if I really do miss it (the true test I think?). But in the meantime I am enjoying a weeks holiday away from such distractions.

Hope my ramblings have not confused you but as ever best advice is to listen and make up your own mind.

The DIN/XLR didn't work for me. I gradually added the rest of the complete Super Lumina loom to my 500 active system, and it has been, and is, superb. Adding the DIN/XLRs seemed to take the system back a step, and I still wasn't happy after five months. I began to listen to my system a lot less. All very odd, but in the end I sold the DIN/XLRs and went back to the supplied interconnects and everything sounds stunning again.

Mike Kent posted:

The DIN/XLR didn't work for me. I gradually added the rest of the complete Super Lumina loom to my 500 active system, and it has been, and is, superb. Adding the DIN/XLRs seemed to take the system back a step, and I still wasn't happy after five months. I began to listen to my system a lot less. All very odd, but in the end I sold the DIN/XLRs and went back to the supplied interconnects and everything sounds stunning again.

I found the exact same as Mike with the S/L DIN-XLR but instead of moving to the supplied leads, I moved to Chord Sarum Super Array  and was very happy with these until it came time to change earlier this year- I went ATC active.

I do however, agree with Joppe (OP) on the Urika to preamp connection, I too have phono to  DIN S/L here, and very happy with it.

I also have DIN-DIN S/L between my CD player and my pre - again, quite happy with what I hear.

But when it came to my NDS to pre connection, the DIN-DIN S/L got thrown out (not literally) in favour of a  Chord Music  interconnect.  The music seemed to come alive through the Music, compared to the S/L.  I know this was a contentious statement when I voiced it a year or so ago, but I stick to my opinion.

I read time and again that folk who have gone 'full loom' with S/L are very pleased with their investment, but my experience is different; I still believe there are horses for courses and the 'one size fits all'  full loom S/L approach is not necessarily the audio nirvana some would have me believe it is. 

So, Joppe, keep experimenting with different cables in different places and be led by your shell-likes  (ears)    

I found the DIN-XLR to be ultimately very worthwhile - as I run Active I needed three sets of them so I needed to be sure.

But I also found that they took a very long while to run-in on my system and sounded thin and 'reedy'/congested until they opened-out (over many weeks) and are now fantastic. Truth of it is that it really took the best part of a year as I heard them continuing to get better and better and then after 18 months they were sublime. In the first few weeks I could not have said that of them. I'd heard on trial a well run-in set from my Dealer and they showed me what they could do and it was obvious they were the way to go - if I'd not heard that pair I would not have had patience and confidence to let them run-in.

If you have not already done it I'd suggest SL Speaker cable as a good precursor upgrade to the DIN-XLR, as its run-in signature seems to be opposite and a lot quicker. Opposite meaning a bit dull and over-full at first, then tightening-up quickly. A week or two has SL Speaker leads run-in past their worst excess - a view has it that more current flow speeds the run-in, in which case DIN-XLR has the least current and SL Speaker leads the most.

Eventually it will be great and you will be pleased, but be prepared for initial run-in bumps.

DB.

Thanks for the all the feedback! And sorry for my slow response (time for hifi and forums have been limited the last week).

A summary based on the feedback so far, it seem that for the majority the cable have worked flawlessly simply not much too question; for DB it took substantial running in to come together but finally did; Perol and MK have tried it but reverted back to the original and are happy with that; and finally Rjstaines who also disliked the SL Din-XLR and opted for a Chord Sarum SA.

DB, you mention the SL speaker cable as an option, I have heard it in my system but before service/DR and with my previous speakers, and I must say it is the best I speaker cable I have heard in any Naim system and clearly better than my NACA5 in mine. So tempting to have a new demo, but since last time I heard it I have bought a pair of Chord Epic Reference (s/h), which I also find quite a step up from NACA5. So I imagine the step is "half closed", next "problem" is that the SC is even pricier given i need 8-9m.

Anyone with experience of Epic Ref. vs. SL SC? Or of Chord DIN-XLRs or SL DIN-XLR with Epic Ref. SC? 

I tried the Chord Sarum Super Aray DIN/XLR and it sounded rather 'disjointed' - is the only word that springs to mind. But I was trying it with a SL IC and SL speaker cables already in place and I believe that mixing SL and Chord is not a good idea. I now have SL DIN/XLR and, as it was completing a full SL loom, unsurprisingly it sounds effortless and simply, 'right'.

Thanks Nigelb, so no long runing in process for you?

There was definitely a run in period for the SL DIN/XLR but it sounded 'right' out of the box but it was an ex-dem model so had a few hors under its belt. It just got better over time but tricky to quantify the improvement or timescale.

IMHO however, I would work towards either Chord full loom (Sarum, T or Music if you can afford it) or SL full loom and not mix the two brands in the same system. That is just based on my experience with mixing the DIN/XLR brand. I also felt I never got the best out of my Chord Sarum Aray IC when I had it with a WH DIN/XLR and SL speaker cables. It is that elusive thing we all call 'synergy' I guess.