@jsbach1685 - I’m a naim lover :-)
At least I love their amps!
- some of their other source components are a little pricey for my budget.
Unfortunately, I have found that posting on the NAIM forum got me the typical "NAIM Follower" responce
- i.e. "Use NAIM cables only"
- so I no longer post anything on there.
I only have the Nait 5i (mkII) integrated amp with the passive pre-amp section and found that it performs way above it’s price point when treated to great cables.
Over the years I have tried many cable combinations, including the DIN connectors, which proved to be the worst method of connecting source components. I now used RCA cables across the board
For speaker cables I have tried commercial products from...
- Van den Hul CS-122 and D-352 for many years, which bettered the NACA5 for dynamics and detail
- I then had the opportunity to try gZero2 and gZero6 speaker cables from KLE Innovations, which blew away the VdH for clarity, dynamics and bass performance
- I have also tried a couple of other well known commercial brands, but the KLI Innovations product bested them.
For Interconnects I have tried cables from Van den Hul, Audioquest and Chord, but I found KLE Innovations gZero20 to provide te best bang for the buck. They no longer sell the gZero 20, but they do have better performing models listed on their web site
For Power Cables I have always used some version of my own DIY cable designs - the latest HELIX geometry has proved to be unbeatable.
I now use my own DIY Helix Cables throughout my system because they offer unparalleled clarity, dynamics and imaging.
I have had several people try my Helix cables with great success on systems ranging from a $350 mini system, to systems in excess of $70,000. The power cables even improve Video performance when used on TV's
Unfortunately I DO NOT make the Helix cables for others, because people have a tendancy to ask for very specific parts/wire, which can be complex to source - but I do share my designs, together with How-to instructions and I will answer any questions that may come up.
Here are the instructions on how to make the Helix cables...
http://image99.net/blog/files/category-002ahelix-interconnect-cable.htmlhttp://image99.net/blog/files/category-002ahelix-power-cable.htmlhttp://image99.net/blog/files/category-002ahelix-speaker-cable.htmlThe speaker cables are a terrific match for the NAIM amps, because they have very low capacitance, which eliminates the possibility of oscilation - a known issue with many high current design amps like NAIM.
On the same site you will see my reviews of many of the KLE Innovations products, so if you are not into DIY then give those a try - they are excellent products, good value and will outperfrom many other higher priced commercially available products in a side by side comparison.
If you have any questions on the Helix or KLEI products just ask
Regards - Steve