Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions we have been frequently asked over the years. This section will be updated as we encounter further questions.


NACA5 loudspeaker cable is not user-friendly

Well, we wouldn't claim that it's easy to use, but in many ways it is neater when installed - and more importantly sounds better - than other cables.When formed around corners and placed hard against skirting boards, it stays in place and doesn't tangle or twist like more flexible cables.

Naim always used to promote the need for rigid fixing of loudspeakers. Why then are Naim speakers designed in such a way that a certain amount of flexing of some components is possible?

One of the principles behind the design of all our loudspeakers involves shifting unwanted system resonances outside of the audio bandwidth, thus reducing their effect upon the music signal. This is achieved by allowing key components to move at controlled rates and so isolate them from external vibration sources. Rigid fixing of loudspeakers can couple them to the energy stored within floor or wall surfaces, which is then reflected back into the system. Our approach combines a careful balance of rigidity and flexibility, so key components move predictably.

Why does Naim not agree with bi-wiring and tri-wiring passive loudspeakers?

It's true that we are not great fans of multi-wiring passive loudspeakers in accordance with current vogue. Our belief is that if the crossover has been correctly designed, a single run of cable between amplifier and loudspeaker offers the best sound, as well as making it easier for the amplifier to drive safely. Obviously, if the speaker crossover has been deliberately designed to sound better when bi- or   tri-wired, then it quite possibly will; but that's not to say that it wouldn't sound better overall if it were designed for single wiring in the first place, as our speakers are.

Didn't Naim used to say that unipivot tone-arms could never work?

It's true that we said this on a couple of occasions before we found a way to make one properly and realised that what we had been told by other manufacturers was not necessarily the whole story. A properly designed unipivot arm has many qualities that place it above conventional gimbal bearing arms, such as reduced torsional stress placed upon the cartridge as it tracks records that are not perfectly flat.

Why are signals routed from the preamplifier through the SuperCap, HiCap or FlatCap to the power amp, rather than directly from the preamp to the power amp?

The absolute earth reference for the system is the reference for the preamp, which is the SUperCap, HiCap or FlatCap earth. The signal is routed from the preampto the power supply using the same interconnect that takes the power feed from the power supply to the preamp. It also connects the two earths together. This minimises differential voltages caused by interfering electric or magnetic fields being generated between the power feed, signal and earth, so maintaining the correct relationship between signal and earth inside the power supply. The power amp is connected to the properly referenced signal at the power supply output.

How can there be no interaction between power feeds and audio signals when running both through the same SNAIC interconnect?

The DC power feeds passing through the SNAIC contain virtually no AC components. Since only AC can be coupled to adjacent conductors in the cable, the power feeds cannot interfere with the audio signal. The supplies also have minimal source impedance (less than 0.1 Ohm) and this prevents supply modulation by the very small signal currents.

Naim tuners seem to need quite high signal levels. Surely tuners of this quality should work with even very small levels of signal?

Our tuners are designed to offer the best possible sound quality from a broadcast signal, not to pull in very weak or distant stations. They require a very high quality signal to achieve this (Garbage in, garbage out . . .) and weak stations cannot be resolved to an acceptable quality level.
It is also important to remember that a strong signal may not automatically ensure optimum sound quality: even a strong signal can be spoiled by interference from other signals, affecting the sound and in some cases causing the tuner to drift. So, a good, directional aerial that rejects interference is virtually a prerequisite.