Naim A5 speaker cable or Chord Carnival

[NJB]

I am setting up old hifi. I am missing speaker cables and a mate has some that he no longer uses. I have 2 sets to choose from. First are some fearsome Naim A5 solids which are hard to work with but have a very organized sound with clarity and well defined bass. My head says that these are very expensive cables and should be the best. However, the other set are Chord Carnival silvers and totally different, much more mid stage although with some music they do lack the same level of bass control and can sound a bit treble biased. If you had to pick one set, which would you choose. I can only have one of the sets and will have to live with the decision.

I have an Arcam CD73 into a Naim NAC62 and Naim NAP90 into Epos ES14S

 

[NJB]

Sorry, should have added that the Carnivals sound more involving, with a more immersive sound although that can get muddled at times. Stuck to know what to choose especially as the A5 are reputed to be designed for use with Naim amplifiers, but that could be a marketing ploy.

 

[stevebrock]

Have you heard both cables in your system set up at home? Let your ears decide! However the Silver Carnival is a great cable for the money!

 

[RobinKidderminster]

If you have these comments as personal experience and not those of reviewers then I would think your excellent ears will inform your judgement with far more authority than I could ever muster. To coin a phrase from Dragons - I'm out!

Cheers

 

[NJB]

Thanks for the comments. These are my experiences this afternoon but I am interested in what others think is the best long term option. Laid back, effortless but a bit clinical or in your face but a bit loose around the edges?

 

[stevebrock]

Without being patronising, you've listened to both cables, both have there positives & negatives.... You are never going to get a perfect cable! However long term the Chord would be my preference.

 

[Singslinger]

Naim recommends that users of their older amps stick to NAC A5 as other cables could damage the amps.

Unless you're sure that the Chord Carnival has the equivalent electrical properties as NAC A5 (inductance and capacitance) I would just use the Naim cable to be on the safe side. It's also necessary to use at least 3.5m per side, with 5.5m being optimal.

PS Newer Naim amps can be used safely with other brands of speaker cable. Sorry, but I'm not sure which year onwards qualifies as "new''.

 

[drummerman]

I am setting up old hifi. I am missing speaker cables and a mate has some that he no longer uses. I have 2 sets to choose from. First are some fearsome Naim A5 solids which are hard to work with but have a very organized sound with clarity and well defined bass. My head says that these are very expensive cables and should be the best. However, the other set are Chord Carnival silvers and totally different, much more mid stage although with some music they do lack the same level of bass control and can sound a bit treble biased. If you had to pick one set, which would you choose. I can only have one of the sets and will have to live with the decision.

I have an Arcam CD73 into a Naim NAC62 and Naim NAP90 into Epos ES14S

I would always choose 'neutral' over anything that has certain traits, which, in time, will probably annoy you, especially if you can already hear them.

Naim.

 

[chebby]

Naim recommends that users of their older amps stick to NAC A5 as other cables could damage the amps.

Over the years Naim have recommended twisted RS 56 strand, Naim NACA4 (today's Liinn K20 is very similar) and now Naim NACA5.

So long as the cable is a standard figure-of-eight/dumbell cross section and of reasonable gauge, copper construction (like QED 79 strand or similar) you will be ok. Use at least 3.5 metres per side and have banana plugs soldered on. (Use the Naim connectors at the amp end if you still have them*.)

*An accidental short is simply out of the question with older Naim amps as they didn't believe in using any protection circuitry. (Mad b###ers!) The Naim connectors help to eliminate the chances of accidental shorting so long as you always disconnect from the amp end first. (Apparently they left out protection circuitry for sound quality reasons!)

 

[NJB]

Thanks for all the advice. I have gone with the Naim cable. The chord does not have the same punch, separation and effortless sound. I always loved my Naim equipment because it was such an expansive system that I could listen to all day and the midrange on the chord was just a bit too dominant and the whole sound was trebly.