Speaker cables

TheselbyTheselby
edited April 2014 in Other hi-fi gear
I've currently got NVA LS1 but want to upgrade, thinking about LS6 if I can find some secondhand. However wondering if anyone has tried Tellurium Q speaker cables and especially with NVA amplifiers as I know they recommend you only use NVA cables.

Comments

  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Here we enter deep water, James :-)

    I've used TQ Black, Green, Ultra Black and Graphite with NVA amps. Others here have also used TQ cables with NVA.

    However, please note that doing this will cause rooms full of black, acrid smoke and you will die from asphyxiation :-)
  • DocfosterDocfoster
    edited April 2014
    Crikey. Here we go.

    I went LS3 > LS5 > LS6. All with NVA amps.
    Definite improvements each time. All very good value for money.
    I have not properly compared LS1 Selby, sorry.

    I then picked up a pair of TQ Ultrablacks SH which I preferred to the NVA LS6. One would hope so, the UBs are more expensive. I found the TQ to be smoother and with a deeper bass.
    At the time of comparing LS6 with the UBs I was using an NVA TSS Mk3 power amp. I was fully aware of NVA's instruction that TQ cables are to be avoided with NVA amps and that going against that instruction voids the amp's warranty. However, as NVA had already disowned me and my amp (for personal reasons) the warranty voiding was irrelevant. I took advice from others with similar setups who reported absolutely no problems, so I tried it. And had...absolutely no problems. Obviously I can't recommend that anyone follow my course of action (black acrid smoke etc.,..). But that is the truth of my own experience.
  • ColinColin
    The disowning of NVA users that used or even breathed on TQ was based on no facts from NVA as to why not.
    NVA amps I am told have no Zoble (snubber) network or inductors in there circuit , the thing I do find odd is the large 0.68R wire wound resistors at maybe 7W must be Bifillar wound then.
    So check with NVA first.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    Col. We know what the answer from NVA is.

    I don't think we should suggest James should put himself through that.

    James: ultimately using TQ with NVA is something you will have to make your mind up about. RD has his reasons for saying don't. We have evidence that you can. We took the plunge and nothing bad happened to the amps.

    We can't guarantee your experience won't be different.
  • TheselbyTheselby
    Yeah no problem, I know NVAs stand on cable and I have to say after going from QED crap years ago to LS1 the transformation was huge. I'm now interested in stepping up so ideally thinking LS6 if I can find any, only need 2m lengths so hopefully won't be too expensive either. The LS7 is meant to be very special but a pig to make and therefore expensive, think RD will only make it by request.
  • AlanAlan
    edited April 2014
    RD is uncertain if his amps will remain functional with TQ cables, simple as that. He knows they are fine with NVA cable.

    There is a previously published list of approved speaker cables that NVA amps could tolerate here    , so these exclusions are a newer development which has happened about the same time TQ became so popular. The fact that all the previously approved speaker cables are also no longer approved (according to NVA) may suggest the current production version of the circuit is not so robust as previously. If you value your warranty, you should definately stick to the NVA cables, just as old Naim users were 'advised'  to stick to approved equipment. ;)

    FWIW, I understand TQ to be a low capacitance cable, which used to be the basic benchmark as whether a cable was suitable for use with NVA or not. The suggestion in the site linked to above is to avoid cables with capacitance of over 200pF per metre. However the recent change to "NVA only" could mean that lower capacitance than this is now required.
  • TheselbyTheselby
    I'll just stick with NVA, ideally some LS6 if some comes up at a decent price.
  • uglymusicuglymusic
    RD is uncertain if his amps will remain functional with TQ cables, simple as that. He knows they are fine with NVA cable.

    There is a previously published list of approved speaker cables that NVA amps could tolerate here    , so these exclusions are a newer development which has happened about the same time TQ became so popular. The fact that all the previously approved speaker cables are also no longer approved (according to NVA) may suggest the current production version of the circuit is not so robust as previously. If you value your warranty, you should definately stick to the NVA cables, just as old Naim users were 'advised'  to stick to approved equipment. ;)

    FWIW, I understand TQ to be a low capacitance cable, which used to be the basic benchmark as whether a cable was suitable for use with NVA or not. The suggestion in the site linked to above is to avoid cables with capacitance of over 200pF per metre. However the recent change to "NVA only" could mean that lower capacitance than this is now required.
    You may have a point there, Alan.

    All our gear is a few years old now.
Sign In or Register to comment.