Thank’s for the reply
So, is an Airlink all that is needed to isolate a hifi system from the rest of the mains ring such that a dedicated radial isn’t then required? That would certainly be good to know as it would save all that electrical work (my dedicated hifi room is also on the opposite side of the house to the CU in the garage).
P.S. Any reason for picking that particular model?
If you are thinking of having a balanced power supply (BPS) for your music system, then for safety reasons it is best to consult your friendly qualified electrician first.
The BPS changes the effective voltage of the power cables coming out of it, which means that either the whole hifi needs to be on the BPS or none of it. Half measures are best avoided.
Oversimplifying matters a bit, normal mains in the UK has:
Live wire = Brown colour = Circa +/-240V
Neutral wire = Blue colour = 0V
Earth wire = Green & Yellow colour = 0V
These are correct for input to the BPS.
However, the output from the BPS is different
“Live” = Brown = +/-120V
“Neutral” = Blue = -/+120V
“Earth” = Green & Yellow = 0V
Hence it is important that the output from the BPS is its own, isolated, dedicated radial.
The use of BPS is well understood and indeed standard practice in several commercial sectors such as hospitals, many recording studios etc., where a “clean” supply is needed. BPS is less common in a domestic environment so best to check with a qualified electrician first. The wiring and isolation is not difficult but it is slightly different.
I hope this helps
Best regards, BF
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That was my issue, but in the end I let the electrician do what they are used to doing every day - running cables. That’s not to say he wasn’t a little miffed at a stiff 10mm cable. We went up the wall by the garage, through the loft, then back down the other side, then around the corner slightly to my living room. ~35 meters of SWA cable used.
If you ask your electrician to ensure there is enough of a cable in the garage (as per photo supplied earlier by Bluesfan) to later add an Airlink BSP, then you will always have the option for the future.
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That’s pretty much what I was thinking would be necessary.
Just so I’m clear, are you saying I couldn’t just plug the Airlink into a mains ring socket and then run all of the hifi off it, as I would need a dedicated radial as well?
From what I recall, they do supply a plug in device, but bear in mind that they can hum themselves, so best out of the way.
Thanks, that makes sense.
Agree with your sparky. Different opinions on here but you only do this once so separate 10mm cable per twin socket and if you have the space a seperate cable into twin socket per power supply. You can always use one if you prefer but at least you have the choice. I find the multi spur option gives the most open soundstage. There are specialist twin sockets available (I use Russ Andrew’s super sockets) that are better than MK in my opinion. The older MKs were great but current are cheap and tacky IMO. I’m sure your local dealer would be open to you auditioning alternative twin electrical wall sockets 
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The BPS5120MP is not the sort of device that would enhance the appearance of anyone’s room. It is an industrial piece of equipment that should be hard wired into a building’s mains circuits.
If you would like to use a BPS in your music room, then Airlink makes a few smaller devices such as the BPS1500 which is equipped with a standard IEC mains socket on its input. Something like a Naim Powerline (or similar) could be used to connect it to your mains wall socket.
When deciding what to use for our system, I asked the (very helpful) Engineering Director of Airlink about BPS sizes. He recommended adding up the VA sizes of all the hifi power supply transformers, then doubling it to size the BPS. With a Supercap, a pair of 135s, a 555PS and some smaller bits, our total came to about 1500VA, so a 3kVA BPS would be okay as a minimum. Allowing for a bit of future upgraditis, we went for the 5kVA model instead.
Hence, you may need to consider the total size of your system’s power supply transformers when sizing your BPS, especially if you want to use a smaller one in your music room.
I have seen a number of posts over the years, warning people not to use a BPS in their music room in case the BPS itself hums. Our experience is that we have never heard our 5kVA BPS hum and I have listened out for it on numerous occasions.
Hope this helps, BF
Thanks. I can put it out of sight in my dedicated music room, so that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Unless it hums!
The sizing info is very useful. Thanks.
Trim the cores to 10mm perhaps - not sure if this would really affect the current / sound given the reduction in circumference is only for say 10mm in length……
For the record all my amps and power supplies hum. I turned them on one by one and they made a full ensemble!
Celebrate the hum. My listening room is used for hifi and TV. If either are off then there is a slight hum from listening position but I expect this from 4 toroidal transformers from 2 x 135s, XPS2 and Supercap 2. ND5XS2 no hum. And no hum from 555PS. Older gear therefore hums.
Not a problem for me as such at the moment.
I think it’s one of those things that if it starts to annoy you then the problem in your mind gets worse.
It’s a problem if you focus on it. But there is always noise in my listening room.
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I got myself a Puritan 156. Then there was silence 
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It doesn’t bother me that much.
In fact it’s all part of the Naim experience, is it not?
My dedicated mains is all about SQ. Honestly not bothered about the hum
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Transformer hum do saturate them and make them perform less optimal. Lots to read about “saturated transformer”.
Am I right in thinking that if you run a turntable like an LP12 as well as a Naim system then you are best having the LP12 on a separate spur/circuit? If so then you would require two separate spur/circuits from the mains.
I have 4 135’s, classic Supercap 2, Olive Supercap and CHC 555 and I don’t get any hum on an ordinary household circuit that covers part of the house, I guess I’ve just been lucky and must have a fairly clean power supply into the house.
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I am running non Naim gear on ring main such as Lingo, NAS drive, phono stage. Naim stuff is on radial off main consumer unit. Nothing fancy, just 4mm cables 2 double unswitched sockets.
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It’s something I need to get done, just getting around to it with buying all the necessary bits and the upheaval.
If I was starting from scratch then I would have separate circuit for other non Naim gear, separate circuit for TV and AV equipment as well. Once doing upheaval I would even put fridge on separate circuit as mine although 12 months old is an interference.
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