There are many discussions on power supply but it isn’t clear if the addition of a mains block is a full on upgrade or whether they are only used if you don’t have enough wall sockets or to cover up problems with your mains supply.
Of course, I’m looking for affordable upgrades but the mains block just changed the sound with no obvious benefit.
Does anyone think a mains block actually upgraded their system?
I use Titan mains block, combined with a number of thier leads in to source and power compents of mu system
so far I have found the best upgrade to be on source - Lingo 4 and NDX, my Pre and AMP have seperate PSU
Titan IMO are very well made and good VFM, their standard Styx source cable is very good
Mains block does need a power cable also, but is still worth while IMO
Thanks, looks like you have a great system but I only have 3 boxes to plug in.
Would the block be an improvement over just using the wall sockets for 3 boxes?
I looked at the Titan Eros on line but it also has a digital display and some posts seem to think this would degrade SQ. What do you think?
I dont know how/why, but the Ansuz mains block (C2) and C2 cables absolutely made a pretty significant improvement to my system. They are the first ac block or cables that I’ve really HEARD in my home. Here in the States, with modern home wiring, my power is quite ‘clean.’ Never a trafo hum, and never anything noticeable from home appliances, etc.
I was going to say the same as Antz, by coincidence I too have a Titan and Styx , there is an improvement . They are worth the money.
Not perhaps a vast increase but a noticeable improvement in clarity and definition.
Cables and power chords do have a noticeable improvement, though the entire question and debate about chords, cables and frames/fraims sometimes feels like angels dancing on a pinhead
Last year I tried a MusicWorks G3 block. I wasn’t expecting anything as my 272 and 300 were connected direct to the wall. But plugging them into the block was a big improvement. There was a lot more detail to the sound yet it hung together really well and was simply more musical. It’s counterintuitive as you are adding more wires and connections, but it does work.
There are of course blocks and blocks. This one has no lights, switches or filtering, just a simple ring and star earth. I’d suggest you get one to try. Also make sure you have dedicated mains first - I imagine you do.
I have an old Misicworks Megablock. I shouldn’t need it but I’m glad I have it. The change it brought about was somewhat akin to putting my system on a Fraim. Cleaner presentation, is the best way I can describe it. Actually it’s difficult to describe but it is an improvement to my ears. And not a small one.
When we had our house rewired I asked the sparkie to run a 20mm dedicated spur from the new consumer unit to the under stairs alcove in which the system lives. I asked for six unswitched MK plugs and a 100A house fuse. Some time after the work was completed and the sparkie had disappeared, I discovered that two of my sockets were on the dedicated spur and the remaining four had been put on the ring. My ever helpful dealer got me a Megablock on trial.
I have followed the discussions of the more recent Musicworks products in here, and their competitors. It’s very tempting. Although my old dinosaur (it must be over 5 years old by now!) is still delivering just fine.
IMOthe biggest improvement is on source, first tried the Styx on NDX and good improvement as was the Styx on Lingo 4, added the Electra on to NDX massive upgrade, in my view as good as adding a PSU, may be not 555 but not far short from the demos o have done
The Ekos is as good as the power lines have Ekos on 300 and power line on HCDR for my pre fix
Demo is best but IMO Titan are superb
Not sure about cable used but the room has a dedicated supply and the system is plugged into 2 MK twin sockets.
Best result was with the CDS3/XPS in one socket and the 252/Supercap and 250 sharing a socket. Common earths??
It was a trial with a Musicworks G3 Ultra that proved disappointing. It was suggested in other threads that it was as good as a box upgrade but it was just different rather than better.
Sorry Antz I am off the pace with my replies.
The Titan Eros wiring looks more comprehensive than the G3 ultra. In theory any mains block should only be detrimental but there may be some positive input from closely connecting the boxes in a loop.
Do you have to use a mains block or can you use wall sockets for each unit?
If I had to use a block the G3 would have been OK but for the money I was expecting a definite improvement.
The Titan Eros looks like it has better quality Cable and is fully star wired so this might add a step forward.
Looking at the Audioquest it looks like great value if I checked the right product (+/- $400 USD). But their recommendation for sockets don’t cover much HiFi and it seems complicated for compatibility with Naim boxes.
I ended up back at the original question. Can a mains block always work as an upgrade? If it’s an improvement shouldn’t there be no room for doubt?
I don’t need the extra sockets so possibly I am better off saving to replace my 250 for a 300. Especially driving Isobariks.
Has anyone trialed the Titian Eros and. musicWorks Ultra G3?
One would THINK (always dangerous) that if the tech is just a ‘very good star-earth layout’ that there is only so much benefit to derive; not sure you’ll hear an improvement but you can probably get your dealer to loan you one for the ultimate husband-and-wife-blind-listening test session 
My wife loves those ha ha.
Well your original question wasn’t “always.” I scrolled up and read it. But . . . Always? There is no always I’m quite positive.
My personal experience – I’m on my 4th ac block since 2011. And for ac cables have gone from Naim standard issue, to PowerLines, to Ansuz A2 to Ansuz C2. The current Ansuz C2 block and cables are the only ones that I’ve really immediately heard. I’m not trying to sell them to anyone; it’s just MY empirical evidence. Maybe because my US-standards modern-era home wiring is pretty good to start with? I doubt its purely psycho-acoustic, as I took in these C2 products on trial, and was to the point of selling off the A2 and just sticking with a generic star-earth block because I didn’t hear so much. But I heard a nice improvement with the C2.
“YMMV” is the rule.
Hi Bart. You are right of course. It’s so long since I read my question I had forgotten what it was.
With top quality home wiring the addition of extra equipment (plugs/sockets/the box and internal wiring plus many additional connections) should only degrade the supply.
Did you have a full set of wall sockets available and moved to the Anzus simply because it was an improvement?
I only have 2 sockets available behind the Fraim, so needed from the start SOMETHING. Started with basic blocks (from a well-respected audio hardware provider). Tried this Ansuz on “advice” from my dealer. And it worked - for me! He knows me pretty well; he doesn’t recommend silly products, but it’s “try it in your home on your system” because, again, there is no “always” for “everyone.”
I have the Eros Titan. A wonderful powerblock for the money.
I could have bought the Musicworks, but no European plugs for it. ( no shukko plugs). Only UK.
Is this a proper dedicated supply on its own consumer unit, supplying only the HiFi? If not, I would do that first, then think about mains blocks.
It’s not on a separate CU so that could be a good idea.
But if I get the supply right with enough wall sockets would the mains block be a further improvement?
Have you tried plugging the Naim boxes into wall sockets then comparing the SQ with them plugged into the Titan?