The EU Powerline use Rhodium plated Schuko because naim found it sounded best. I guess they compared to death to find the best one.
How do you know this?
Was this statement made by Naim UK or Focal Naim Germany?
There is an interview with naim from when they released the PL out there.
https://6moons.com/audioreviews/naim2/powerline.html
Roy George, Naim’s chief designer
Is an export PowerLine inferior to a UK PowerLine since it benefits from only one Naim connector, the IEC?
All I can say is that the UK plugs available to us were degrading the performance of the PowerLine and this directed us towards designing our own UK mains plug. The plug we have designed is a big step up from the rest. The plugs we have found for the PowerLine versions for the non-UK markets were selected in listening tests from the well-designed ones available. The selected plugs made the rest-of-world PowerLine leads perform at a similar level to the UK version. It is so difficult to do a fair and unbiased comparison so I wouldn’t be able to say whether the UK or non-UK versions of the PowerLine was better and of course in the end, the customer can’t choose. I would like to think the UK plug is at least slightly better after we have spent so much time and effort on the design, although the big benefit you have in Europe is the lack of fuse directly in the mains plug.
That sounds like a claim made by Focal Naim Germany (which, AFAIK, is a separate group within Vervent).
If Power-Lines sound better with Rhodium-plated plugs, why would Naim only use them in the EU?
Roy George, Naim’s chief designer
Just found the interview:
Is an export PowerLine inferior to a UK PowerLine since it benefits from only one Naim connector, the IEC?
All I can say is that the UK plugs available to us were degrading the performance of the PowerLine and this directed us towards designing our own UK mains plug. The plug we have designed is a big step up from the rest. The plugs we have found for the PowerLine versions for the non-UK markets were selected in listening tests from the well-designed ones available. The selected plugs made the rest-of-world PowerLine leads perform at a similar level to the UK version. It is so difficult to do a fair and unbiased comparison so I wouldn’t be able to say whether the UK or non-UK versions of the PowerLine was better and of course in the end, the customer can’t choose. I would like to think the UK plug is at least slightly better after we have spent so much time and effort on the design, although the big benefit you have in Europe is the lack of fuse directly in the mains plug.
https://6moons.com/audioreviews/naim2/powerline.html
On a brief look, I could not see any mention of Rhodium in the article, but the author did say this:
“…it was quite enlightening to observe how differently Naim approached their first cable assignment from the competition. To them, the connectors seemed the most important part of the job. Perhaps that’s because, even though they use quality conductors of course, they have always and vehemently rallied against the high-end deliriously exotic materials obsession. To learn more, I asked Roy George, Naim’s chief designer in Salisbury, to tell me the story behind their new power cord.”
If you read my post you don’t have to do all that work again.
EU use Rhodium Furutech.
I didn’t see your post until now!
But Roy says:
‘I would like to think the UK plug is at least slightly better…’
And he doesn’t mention Rhodium.
Not sure what you are questioning about rhodium and Naims choice of using it for the major part of the worlds qty of sold Powerlines. Naim chose rhodium connectors for markets outside UK since they thought they sounded the best. They could have chose any other material and connector if they wanted.
Quote Roy Geroge. He also claim there is a BIG benefit not having a fuse in the mains plug as in UK.
The plugs we have found for the PowerLine versions for the non-UK markets were selected in listening tests from the well-designed ones available. The selected plugs made the rest-of-world PowerLine leads perform at a similar level to the UK version …although the big benefit you have in Europe is the lack of fuse directly in the mains plug.
For Schuko Naim use this Furutech connector (in the past also FI-E35).
FI-E38 ® (black)
•α (Alpha) pure-copper rhodium-plated conductors
•Floating Field Damper System*
•Nylon/fiberglass body incorporating carbon particles that absorb vibration and resonance
•Specified for cable diameters from 6mm to 17.0mm
•Dimensions: Body length 56.6mm × 39.6mm diameter x 88.7mm overall length
•Metal cable clamp improves grip and reduces mechanically and electrically induced distortion
•Rating: 16A/250V AC
How does a plug have a sound?
Yes, it is well known that UK Hi-Fi owners are handicapped by the UK system of having a fuse in their power lead plugs.
This is thread about burn in.
Rhodium has a notoriously harsh and long burning in period as a metal used in Hi-Fi systems.
That’s why I’m interested in discussing it here.
It’s a strange science. But I think back to a conversation I had with Jas Gould where burn in was discussed. He told me that Roy George (the legendary Naim designer or Inventor as he preferred to be referred to as) stated that he felt that even a DIN plug takes 6 months to completely plateau burn in wise.
[If this breaches Forum AUP, please delete with my apologies]
I know of one person (who shall remain nameless) who works in the UK hifi industry and deliberately used (unfused) Shuko/EU plugs on all his individual components, plugging them into an extension block that then connected to the wall socket with a fused UK plug. This as a result of becoming frustrated with the same fuse issue Roy George alludes to above.
Mark
Hi Roy
Do you have a view as to whether different metals such as Copper, Silver, Rhodium and Gold have different effects on Hi-Fi sound quality as used in various parts of Hi-Fi systems?
A more simpler version would be the Grahams Hydra lead, where there is only one fuse in the plug for multiple leads. I use and prefer multiple PowerLines plugged directly into a ‘Bussmann fused’ triple switchless Volex wall mounted socket over the hydra affair.
P.S As for burn-in i can only remember my PowerLines improving with age. I have no recollection with the socket however.
Roy George
Would you say that the conductors themselves are less important or is it 50/50?
It is difficult to attribute numbers to the various elements of the PowerLine. The performance of the cable was not much above average when using commonly available IEC connectors but when the high-quality IEC connector and mains plug were fitted, the cable was obviously exceptionally good. The cable needs the good connectors and the connectors need the cable to show the potential of each. This refers back to the idea that the performance of a system, the PowerLine in this case, is determined by its weakest part.
As Naim also told me, the PowerLine’s unique design is the result of hundreds of hours of experimentation, research and listening aimed at identifying and optimizing the critical elements of audio mains cables. Mechanical energy transmission, eddy current propagation and CONDUCTIVITY factors were all identified and numerous steps taken within the design to eliminate any negative influence.
I compared a Graham’s Hydra on my SuperCap and 555PSDR vs Power-Lines direct into wall sockets - and the Power-Lines sounded much better.
Any SQ handicap the extra UK fuses created was much less than the SQ uplift from using Power-Lines.
Yes this was the same conclusion i came to, even with the extra fuse in the triple socket.
Yes - quite a lot of that painstaking work and listening went into designing the UK Power-Line’s wall plug.
But in other markets excellent quality ready-made Furutech plugs were used.
I use a Furutech plug and socket on my 4-way Graham’s Hydra (powering ND5XS2, nDAC and 135s) - but not one that is plated with Rhodium - because I dreaded a months long burn in process.