Cable quality and performance

Cables are a critical part of any hi-fi system, and in a Naim setup, their quality, type, and positioning can significantly influence performance. This guide explains the importance of mains, signal, and speaker cables, and offers best practices for installation and management.

1. Do Mains Cables Affect Performance?

Yes. The quality of your mains cable can impact the performance of your Naim system. Naim recommends using the supplied mains cable or a high-quality alternative that meets safety and performance standards.

• Avoid cheap or poorly shielded cables, which can introduce noise or be vulnerable to radio frequency interference.
• Ensure a clean power supply by avoiding shared sockets with noisy appliances such as laptop chargers, lamps or heaters.
• Where possible, use a dedicated mains earth spur for your hi-fi system.

2. What Kind of Loudspeaker Cable Should I Use?

Naim recommends using Naim speaker cable, which is specifically designed to match the electrical characteristics of Naim amplifiers.

• Use 3.5mm² stranded copper cable with low capacitance and moderate inductance.
• Avoid high-capacitance cables, which can destabilise Naim amplifiers.
• Maintain a minimum length of 3.5 meters per channel to ensure proper loading. Optimum speaker cable length is between 5 and 10 metres per channel.

3. What Connectors Should My Speaker Cable Have?

Naim speaker plugs are designed for optimal connection and performance:

• Use Naim 4mm speaker plugs, which are engineered to work with Naim’s output sockets.
• These plugs ensure a secure fit and maintain the correct impedance characteristics.
• Ask your Naim specialist retailer for assistance with termination and installation.

4. Cable Dressing and Layout Best Practices

Proper cable management—also known as cable dressing—is essential for minimising interference and preserving signal integrity.

Voltage Awareness

Cables in a Naim system carry different voltage levels:

• Keep low-voltage signal cables away from higher-voltage mains and speaker cables.
• Avoid running cables in parallel—cross them at right angles where necessary.

Physical Placement

• Let signal cables hang freely in space where possible.
• Avoid resting cables against walls, floors, or furniture to reduce the impact of microphonic vibrations.
• Naim interconnects and SNAICs are designed to hang naturally with minimal strain on connectors.

Environmental Considerations

• Avoid routing speaker cables near electrical ring mains (often behind skirting boards).
• Keep cables away from power supplies, transformers, and Wi-Fi routers to reduce interference.

5. Summary of Recommendations