Finally finishing my set up

[admin_exported]

OK so i finally got a call telling me my speakers had arrived... so im getting them tomorrow.

I also bought a CA DacMagic today and my NAD 326BEE has been waiting for about a month in my attic, so now all i need is interconnects and speaker cables to finish it all off..

Anyone got suggestions for interconnects and cables?

Can someone out there tell me the best way to connect my DAC to the PC with my songs on it... i have ripped all of my albums in apple lossless and upon opening the opening of the CA product i saw that there was a USB cable that i presume can fill the place where people have suggested to use an airport express. i presume that people use AE to be able to use their hifi in a different room to their compuer.... but as a student i my hifi will be very close to my PC..... anyway thankyou for all replies in advance.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah, USB is the way to go. I got a 5m Belkin USB for 5-6 quid and it works great. If you don't need the length, the 0.5m that comes with the DacMagic works fine too.

Interconnects: go for Chord Crimson, you can get on fleebay for ~25, great cable. If you have the budget the get even better cables, then I suggest Chord Chameleon Silver Plus.

Chord Silverscreen will do just fine for speaker cables.ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

thankyou for your reply ill be looking at prices now ready for tomorrow... i dont recon i can wait to buy second hand, ive left it too late and have been busy at the end of the year and now i just want to listen to my hifi!

 

[Anonymous]

I use an Airport Express, wireless, perfect sound, and the same cost as a long good quality cable.

I would also use optical rather than USB for quality IMO

 

[Anonymous]

Ok then, i will stick with the USB for now and maybe upgrade later, How long are speaker cables on average? i have an average sized bedroom, that fits a double bed do you think that about 2m of cable for both sides will do the job?

Also i will have my PC-> DAC via USB........DAC->AMP? (via interconnect?)............AMP->SPEAKERS via Speaker Cable?

Is this all the cables i need to finally hear something from my hifi?

 

[up the music]

There's nothing better than a tape measure for working out how much cable you'll need. Failing that a piece of string of known length or you can go pull down your washing line and lay that along the proposed route. Measure the required length of washing line or string against a ruler.

Remember to add an extra metre for unforseen contingencues and factor some extra if you're likely to move house for next year or take your system home over the summer.
I'd reckon a 2m cable as too short for most purposes but if the speakers are shelf or wall mounted maybe 2m will suffice.

It's never too late to buy cables online. There's a fair chance they'll be playing music 2 days after placing your order.

I'll try to anticipate the next questions.
Purists would say that the cables should be of equal length, but a difference of a few metres seems to make no differemce.

Decent banana plugs are good for convenience but aren't necessary.

Enjoy the new system.

 

[Anonymous]

all right then, ill try to haggle for about 8m (4m) either side...... and then just go with the reccomended chord crimson interconnect,

this will be a stupid question to most, but do i only need the two cables? one for left and right, someone i know has 4 cables (2 to each speaker) which is confusing me..

 

[Anonymous]

anyone? i know this isnt your usual cable debate! haha

 

[Anonymous]

Don't rule out the atlas equater mk II interconnect. I got one a couple of weeks ago, its detailed, punchy and clear while not sounding too bright, just beautifully controlled. Recommended by WHF and definately recommended by me, especially if you have a system that errs on the bright side...

 

[idc]

Manchesto:

all right then, ill try to haggle for about 8m (4m) either side...... and then just go with the reccomended chord crimson interconnect,

this will be a stupid question to most, but do i only need the two cables? one for left and right, someone i know has 4 cables (2 to each speaker) which is confusing me..

Hi Manchesto. You need two speaker cables per speaker, four in total. On the back of your amp there will be four speaker connections which should be marked left and right. Then there will be red and black connections (or black and white or red and white etc). On the back of the speaker there will be two similar connections. Choose which speaker you want to be left and which one is right. Then left to left and right to right. Which ever colour you connect the amp end to, connect it to the same colour at the speaker end.

 

[Anonymous]

oh ok thankyou for clearing that up, one more thing im confise about.... you say i will be buying 2 cables for each speaker and 4 in total... so if i bought cable costing £5 per m and i wanted 4m length... that would be £5x4m= £20 a cable meaning the 4 would=£80?

 

[Anonymous]

Speaker cable ordinarily come as a twin, so you will need 1 length per speaker, one side of the twin connects to the black terminal and the other part of the twin to the red terminal these are called left and right right on the amp. unless of course you bi-wire.....

 

[idc]

Manchesto:

oh ok thankyou for clearing that up, one more thing im confise about.... you say i will be buying 2 cables for each speaker and 4 in total... so if i bought cable costing £5 per m and i wanted 4m length... that would be £5x4m= £20 a cable meaning the 4 would=£80?

Just check how the cable is being sold. I would usually assume that £5 per m cable meant per twin run to one speaker, so for a 2 m length that would be £10 per speaker, £20 in total.

 

[Anonymous]

ah thankyou for helping me... i know its basic stuff but i didnt know, i bought 2x4m of ChordC silver and got a QED qunex 3 interconnect...

has anyone got a qed qunex 3? superfi reccomended it as it was down from 50 to 19 and it was cheaper than the chord interconnect i was going to get, so i thought id save money and get a higher quality cable.... i know its personal opinion, but i havent heard any other interconnect and was wondering if i made a smart buy or a foolish one?

 

[Anonymous]

You don't NEED 4 sets of cables, you need only 2 : one pair (+ and -) on each side. Running 2 sets on each speaker is bi-wiring and unless you make a concious decision to do so, it you don't need it.

EDIT: sorry didnt see the last post, you've gotten the cable already - well done!

 

[Anonymous]

Manchesto:ah thankyou for helping me... i know its basic stuff but i didnt know, i bought 2x4m of ChordC silver and got a QED qunex 3 interconnect...

has anyone got a qed qunex 3? superfi reccomended it as it was down from 50 to 19 and it was cheaper than the chord interconnect i was going to get, so i thought id save money and get a higher quality cable.... i know its personal opinion, but i havent heard any other interconnect and was wondering if i made a smart buy or a foolish one?

No that is a fine coax cable that has been well regarded in several reviews and good value........

 

[Anonymous]

thankyou, i dint end up getting bi wire... dont worry

as for the interconnect.... is this what i need to connect my DacMagic to my Amp? if so which inputs do i use to connect them in the amp.. i dont have a CD player to wire in so can i connect it there? i have an NAD326BEE with MP,CD,TUNER,DISC,AUX,VIDEO and MAIN.... also if i wanted to connect my xbox to the dacmagic and play it through my hifi do i just put the component audio cables to my DAC?

 

[Anonymous]

Manchesto:as for the interconnect.... is this what i need to connect my DacMagic to my Amp? if so which inputs do i use to connect them in the amp.. i dont have a CD player to wire in so can i connect it there? i have an NAD326BEE with MP,CD,TUNER,DISC,AUX,VIDEO and MAIN....

Yes the interconnect is used to connect the DacM. to your amp. Any of these inputs will do, use CD, MP, Tuner... It won't make any difference.

Manchesto:if i wanted to connect my xbox to the dacmagic and play it through my hifi do i just put the component audio cables to my DAC?

You should be able to connect the audio cables from your component straight into the back of your amp, just another one of your inputs. That's what I do for my Wii. Although I do not have direct experience of the X-box, I have to admit.

 

[Anonymous]

what direction do i run the interconnect? arrows from amp to dacmagic or the other way round?

also ive noticed that i got sold 4 red and 4 black bannana plugs and i am not bi wiring? so why have i got so many

 

[Anonymous]

lol i just realised i need 4 bannana plugs because it goes into the back of the speaker and back of the amp haha