I just switched the 50’s from the Belden to the S022N 
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Not listening for the next couple of hours but I already heard a MASSIVE improvement just now during a quick listen!
To be continued later today or this weekend 
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Sounds like my experience
The FI50’s improved things on the S022N but I think that my Hydra, made of standard Naim cables, customized with MonosAudio pure copper connectors (unplated) is still the best of all combinations I tried. The bass is just too uncontrolled with the Furutech in the chain. No matter whether it’s on the 332 or 333. The highs with the 50’s are OK now but a bit artificial. Staging is awesome though and instrumental texture is really beautiful. PRaT could be better and dynamics and bass punch is also not as good as with the Hydra. This is probably because of the warm character of the cable. I think one end of the 50’s still needs more hours of break in so I’ll give it another two weeks or so.
I am starting to think that unshielded cables are the better option to explore with Naim but that’s just a gut feeling.
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Rather interesting findings, in absolute terms I wouldn’t say the S022N has uncontrolled bass, so I wonder if something else is at play? Obviously in relative terms, it doesn’t sound like its working for you. Wonder if there is some room interaction having an impact & another thought is what are all you outlets? (sometimes a mismatch here can cause issues)
With regards to unshielded cables, how do you currently have the shield connected? Could always disconnect both shield ends & see how that compares?
No idea, just the standard outlets of the Plixir BAC. My wall sockets are Sws NCF ones.
It may be a little premature to form conclusions as the FI50 may need more time. I don’t have experience with S022 but have FI50/DPS4.1 and FI28/TCS31. The latter sounds warmer and less open and dynamic.
My thoughts are most Furutech cables have a full and warm sound signature, and to have a more open airy treble and dynamic sound with more controlled and defined bass, I suspect one may need the FI50(R)/DPS4.1…
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Ok, another update on this.
I tried the S022N / FI50 NCF’s combi again on my 332 now that both the new IEC and the cable itself are further broken in. The flappy bass and shut in treble seems to be gone!
I would say the 332 benefits more from a good cable than the 333 in general. I expected the 333 to show the most benefit (source first concept) but the 332 seems to be much more sensitive to a good power cable.
The timbres are very pleasant and instruments have a nice and natural decay. It sounds very lively now and controlled but not dry and over controlled. I also have an Ansuz Mainz Aluminium on demo which has better PRaT, sounds even punchier/sharper and drier but it’s so dry that it lacks emotion and instruments like a piano sound a bit cold and hard.
Only the PRaT of the S022N sounds a tad more relaxed. At the same time this improves long listening a bit, as before it could sound too rushed sometimes. It is definitely not boring sounding.
Ideally a cable in between the Ansuz and the Furutech would be optimal haha. For now now, I think I keep the Furutech on my 332 and a Belden cable with FI28/38(R) on my 333. Very curious to hear from users that have tried both Furutech and Powerline on their Naim gear.
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I haven’t gone so far as to replace the Wattgate plugs on my Naim Powerlines(hybrid approach), but having replaced one on my SuperWiremold Power Strip that powers my 5 powerlines as outlined above. What I haven’t mentioned is how much of a huge difference it has made for me.
I knew it was really good after about 3 days but to my bewilderment its even better now(maybe my ears have adjusted IDK) I would have thought my FI-50 NCF was already broken guess not.
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50’s take very long to break in. I would say at least a month before they settle to about 95% of their performance.
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Sounds about right. I did have it “unplugged” for about a month, maybe that explains it.
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My FI-50 NCF has settled by now. Took about 25-26 days. I assume yours on your Powerline must have settled as well if you played music on a daily basis.
Wonder how and if it has brought the improvements you hoped for. Is it still a “Naim cable” in terms of sound after you replaced it? If so what has mostly improved for you?
I can say that my S022N /Fi50 NCF sounds excellent right now. Still experimenting where it sounds best, on the 332 or 333. So far I thought on the 332 but today I put it on the 333 which also sounds excellent. Will keep it like this for a few days and then switch them back to see which combo is best. I changed the Furutech FI38/28 (R) on the Belden to MonosAudio unplated pure copper connectors and this sounds a lot better. So best combo so far is S022N with 50’s and a Belden with copper connectors. I don’t have another S022N in order to try 2 of them but this will be tried before the end of the year as I will probably buy a S0322N for my Marantz.
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@Hifi_Naim_CNNL glade to hear the S0322N/FI50 combo is sounding better/more inline with what I expected it should sound like. I haven’t had much listening time at all, maybe 3-4 times since I swapped the FI-50’s on the PL’s, I gave them a couple weeks run in before my second listen & I haven’t really noticed much up & down’s in comparison to if I didn’t give them that initial run in time. Improvements were in all the area’s you expect the FI-50’s to improve, clean up the sound with blacker backgrounds & removing another level of harshness, with further improvements to 3D soundstage but the standouts for me was both transparency & natural timbre, which took another big jump. To me they still sounds like powerlines, just am improved version.
Obviously not a fair comparison as I added the PL’s years back with different kit in a different room, that was not to the level I’m currently at but I can say that adding the FI-50 plugs now had more impact on sound then adding the PL’s themselves years back.
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I finally decided to buy a few extra Belden 19363 cables and put the highest in the line unplated pure copper MonosAudio connectors on it. Connected both to the 333 and 332.
For me this is the best combination on cables I have tried so far and also the cheapest. Yes the S022N with 50 connectors is maybe a tad more silent and charming on instruments. But it loses on PRaT and naturalness to the Belden. It is just more hifi. The Belden brings out the Naim sound better and perhaps the pure copper connectors bring an analogue and very natural sound that I haven’t heard from either Ansuz (€2500!), Furutech (€1000) or Audioquest (€1500). The S022N / 50 NCF is very good but I’ll keep it on my Marantz surround receiver as for me the Belden cable just brings more joy and involvement. The cable costs €10 per meter and the MonosAudio connectors about €75 together.
I have tried 2 Powerlines before but this was before a few upgrades in my interconnects that I have done in the past months so can’t compare to the other cables. Maybe in time that’s the only cable that I will still try again as I noticed many powercables improve many aspects but take away some “Naimness” that perhaps it is safest to just stick with Naim for this.
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