I was really hoping it wouldn’t make a difference, but unfortunately for me it did. So £1,000 for the block, £300 for the sparkly base and whatever for another PowerLine later…
If I were you, given you’ve tried the G3, I’d just get a dedicated CU, ensuring the earth from it is taken back to the meter rather than piggybacking off the main CU, and stick with the socket arrangement you’ve got. There’s no point spending the best part of £2,000 if a couple of hundred will do the trick.
The dedicated CU is a good idea and the new tip on earthing is helpful too.
At some stage I’ll have to trial FR’s block as well just in case I am missing an affordable improvement.
I probably misunderstood the intention of this post, which I didn’t translated positively.
Then, your response to Nigel:
Where you plug in your power amp also seems to be a point of discussion. If the key is common grounding then it might be best to plug the power amp into the mains block. Of course, its easy to try this one and find out what works best for your system and home.
You asked if it’s better to connect to the wall or powerblock. I answered, as Nigel, that most found it better to connect the amp to the wall, and all other components in the powerblock.
I thought the G3 was more expensive. I checked . So no 3 times more expensive. The Titan costs 700 euros.
The improvement was bigger with a high quality power cord.
Sorry I might also not always explain myself in the best way.
Your posts and Nigel’s have been very helpful and pulling some ideas together such as trying things out whenever you can and the power amp suggestion are good sense.
I had seen a mix of views on one thread on whether Power amps are best in the wall or in a block. I just thought I had better give Nigel a reason why I might try both options.
I think I might have also been trying to raise the question about grounding to see if anyone knew whether this is a reason why a mains block might be an improvement when the extra complexity should be a problem.
Clearly grounding (star earthing) is part of the G3’s contribution to an improved SQ, but not all, as the splitting of the power amp from the G3 (plugged direct not the wall) was beneficial in my set up.
Due to the variation in findings in various contributor’s arrangements in my G3 thread, even though there seemed to be a consensus in favour out the G3, it would imply that each domestic setting (house wiring arrangements, dedicated CU, earthing arrangements, the siting of black boxes, supports/racks, rooms, speakers….and so on) has a unique influence.
There is no standard answer. You just need to put in some time and experimentation. But that surely is the fun of this so-called hobby of ours!
BTW, although I have found the G3 and PowerLines to be an excellent combination, other power blocks and power cables are available from all good hifi stores (and t’internet).
I have a PS Audio Dectet powerboard, one of the attractions was it has 10 outputs. It made a big difference (even noticed an improvement when I used headphones on the TV) . After that I put a Nordost Red Power cable on Dectet, improvement again. It was like you didn’t realise how dirty your car windscreen is until you give it a clean. The music just had more energy and the dynamics improved.
I’m curious am I the only one here that uses Shunyata Research? I have Hydra D6 power block with SR Alpha EF Power cord to the wall “, same cord from SN2 to the power block, and Delta NR power cord from HCDR to the power block. Sounds great dead quiet no humming nothing, totally black background
Hi AJK, I switched from a quality mains block (not one of the current expensive models around now) to a Hydra a few years ago from Grahams Hi Fi in London, cost me £170 (four boxes). They used the standard Naim power cable at the time. It made a significant improvement to the sound despite the mains block also being star earthed. I can only think that’s because with the Hydra the star earthing is much better as all the leads are exactly the same length at the point of the star earth, while in the mains block the length varied a bit because of the different sockets before the point that the earth leads were combined.
The Hydra is plugged into one socket with a switch, while the mains block connects directly to the mains wires by-passing the switch, but the Hydra still sounds significantly better despite that and it cost less.
Best wishes
Amer
By SR I meant Shunyata Research, not Synergistic Research… I should have been clearer
Ah sorry, i was thinking of Synergetic Research.
On the research part, you can find some members talking about Shunyata.
Darkebear
Hi DB,
you are definitely not the only one thinking this way. Caelin Gabriel, owner of the US company Shunyata Research, feels strongly about some distance between the power amplifier and the rest of the system. He even suggests a different spur for it, which isn’t your point (at least I think it isn’t).
There are a few examples of “scientific” proof with cables. That an electron doesn’t know if it’s in an expensive cable or not !!
Shunyata Research, an audio application cable company were recently openly endorsed by the medical boffins.
That has more logic.
Generally, the strips with C&D mode filters, effectively, tend to reduce the dynamics of the sound, softening it. That’s why, before deciding to change the strips, I did some in-depth research, which led me to discover that IsoTek and Shunyata Research are two of the few manufacturers whose strips with C&D mode mode filters, among the most expensive too, fulfill what they promise without suppressing dynamics on the sound. In my case, as I point out, they have only improved, very significantly, things, even, on the HT, the LED UHD TV screen definition.
2
I’ve been using Shunyata Research products for years, with great success. For an expensive 500 series setup I’d be looking at a Shunyata Triton v3. With a Shunyata Sigma EF power cord. Power is all Shunyata does and they nail it. If you have a dealer see if you can get a home trial. Also a PS Audio P20… or two P10 the PSA units are active power regenerators. Like a little personal power station. Also Synergistic Research does some very innovative things also worth a home trial
HappyListener
Thanks for the reply Mr.Happy… The cabinet has doors which are usually closed, and the back is also closed but of course I leave the doors open when playing music. I have a total of 16.5 inches depth or in that funny metric scale 419mm, I have about 304mm above and about 100mm on either side. The Rega Elicit R is 325mm deep the Naim is actually little shallower at 314mm… Cables I use are:
Power Cord for the amp is a Shunyata Research Delta EF for the Amp. Stock wallwart on my Chord Qutest. Speaker cables are DH Labs Q10 Signature . This is a rather straight forward 2×12 awg and 2×14 awg pure silver-coated Continuous CrystalTM copper as a four conductor multiple gauge array, all Teflon dialectic. I picked this because I needed to kind of hide it under my carpet, and it was the largest gauge wire I could sneak around in front of the fireplace; cable is terminated as a shotgun making it an effective 10 gauge. Interconnect are Audience AU24 SX from Dac to Amp, Digital Coax is a Black Cat Audio Digit from my modified Sonos ZP90 to the Chord Dac also a Shunyata Venom 14 for the Sonos. Additionally I have a Shunyata Venon HC on my REL T7i and a REL BaseLine Blue for the line level connection to amp. Everything is plugged into an AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power line conditioner, which uses an AudioQuest Hurricane HC to the wall…
I want to share my opinion on the unity series.
For me, there has been a considerable improvement over the sound quality. I see the experience as a package and the musical feeling is at the top. I simply got more presence and much more natural behavior of all instruments. Some people find that the middle register has taken over … I disagree. The base is always present when it really exists. The separation is at the highest level.
You are allowed to correct my English as it is a direct translation on Google.
My system:
Naim Uniti Nova
Naim Allae
Chord Epic Reference 2x3 m
Shunyata research python powercord
Greeting
Vladimir / Sweden
AS YOU SEE I HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH FOR YOU
Apparently @anon31965999 and @Vlanibet use Shunyata Research. And maybe @HappyListener
Having got the big “upgrade” by coming off the ring and making the initial outlay, I suspect that improvements, if they can be had, will be less. Possibly not significant. But I think I will give it a try. Just out of curiosity.
Unlike the NDS, the ND555 seems to respond audibly to most changes elsewhere in the system. NAS, HDD, server, all make a difference now. They didn’t used to. Coupled with the feedback in here, and given that my dealer has been making zero lately, it might be a win win when they reopen.
Helen and I don’t mind snuggling up for an A/B. She loves the system nearly as much as she loves her music and is always up for a bit of potential improvement. She also listens differently to me and prefers a different balance to me. So if if we both like something, it’s done very well and is a strong contender.
The ansuz mains blocks are not only BLOCKS WITH 8 SOCKETS, BUT has some active components inside. More as you buy the more expensive units. And because it is Ansuz mecanical decoupling is also important. Does it work, many of us think so. Is it worth the price that is another issue. I can still remember when I changed from the first generation mainz8D to the current d2. The music was simply louder not just a bit, but so much that we had to turn down the volume to compare the 2 blocks. Ansuz has the almost hysterical expensive models, but even the entry level models should make a difference, but much depends on the system and maybe also the quality or lack of quality of the mains itself.
Earthing meand OUT
I did have ethernet, fuses, powercords, cones, but made a bad decision letting go of the ethernet in blind favour of a Wireworld Ethernet.
I thought Opus was asking about Synergetic Research owners. But in fact it was Shunyata Research.
I have been using Ansuz for some time and it works.
Hi Amer. The Hydra sounds like another good recommendation and there seem to be several well regarded mains blocks available. The Hydra also looks great value for money.
Did you need the extra sockets or did you add a Hydra just to improve SQ?
Hi AJK, in was to improve SQ, the distribution blocks I have provide enough sockets, I’d just read so much on the forum from experienced members about how the Hydra was so gave it a go. I knew from changing power leads in the past what a difference they made and as I can’t stretch to a dedicated power supply this was worth a try.
Best wishes
Amer
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