Tuning naim cases.......

Laxton,

typically there are 4feet which have screws going into the case and also an allen bolt to provide a ground connection. Did you tighten the feet and the allen bolt in combination?

Also, this one has caught me before, I assume that you had to disconnect your boxes to do this so that when you reconnect them you have effectively cleaned the contact pins on the leads too. 2 variables altered at the same time... cleaning the pins has similar beneficial effects.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade though...

regards,

MarkĘ

Mark,

Yes, i adjusted the tightness of the screws+allen bolts during the process.

Maybe it was the cleaning of the plugs......i really do not know. But what's more important is that i am now hearing more at the end of everything. I've done plug cleaning before but the effect is not quite to the same degree as this. Could be a combination of both though.....

Regards
Laxton

Laxton,

fascinating stuff.

However, the cases shouldn't ring. On the wide cases there should be a plastic strip on the back, which should be lifted up against the cast aluminium. It should be touching just enough to damp out the ringing.

For some strange reason, though, the 82 doesn't seem to have a strip. Can anyone explain???

cheers, Martin

martin,

Yes, i wonder why the 82 doesn't have the strip. Is the strip really used to damp vibrations? Can someone confirm this? I did the whole tuning process with the strip on and i managed to get this bell like sound.....

Regards
Laxton

Naim only put the damping strips on full width components with transformers inside.

Kevin.

Kevin,

sounds plausible, except my 52 has a strip!

Martin

While borrowing a 52 w/strip I activated the strips on the (older) 52 as well as my previously un-activated strip equipped cdps and 250. Strip activation sounded better (with this particular combo).

Consequently, Dave Dever (cue Dave D) and I were discussing those strips . Seems like Naim stopped using them (on any gear) quite a few years ago (15 years+/-).

FWIW, I asked dave to send me several to try on my stripless 102. A strip on the 102 degraded performance noticably. (you were right Dave)

hope this helps,

dave

Matrin

quote:

---

sounds plausible, except my 52 has a strip!

---

When the subject of damping strips came up on the old forum I e-mailed Naim to ask why my 102 did not have a strip. They told me only kit with transformers needs one, I guess I was given an incomplete answer, or your 52 had a strip added by someone other than Naim.

Kevin.

I was always under the impression that the cases were not intended to ring. I have mine all damped with a small blob of Blu-Tac stuck on the back of the case in the middle, just at the join between the back panel and the top - this is far more effective than the dampers that are fitted on my 135s as standard. The cases now sound totally dead when struck, undamped my Hicap and 135s would all make quite usable percussion instruments.

In light of what Dave S said regarding his 102 I will now experiment with my 32-5 again, as I though originally damping it improved matters. It was certainly a subtle effect either way.

Tony.

FWIW fellas, the dampers, when added to the 102, killed the system's dynamics. Very dead, mechanical sound though low level detail was improved slightly.

Needless to say, the 102's new damper quickly got removed !

good luck,

dave

I never knew those innocent looking strips were meant to stop vibrations. All along, i had this misconception that it was used as a convenient handle to pull out the inner chassis.

Anyway, has anyone tried "tuning" their cases yet?

Regards
Laxton

I think someone from naim ought to comment.

I have a nait 3 that does not ring - the casework and the fascias touch;

I have a CD3.5 and flatcap which do ring - the casework and the fascias do not touch.

So should case ring or not and either way is this evidence of some manufacturing discrepancy?

cheers

Nigel

Cav,

Lettem ring!

regards,

dave