Mains extension blocks

And thats the conundrum, “what if”
Pondering of mains cables & extension blocks - all potential system changes in fact - in reality the cause is most likely that “what if” question & it does become a compelling itch.
What to do with an individual (unique) set up in a house & its audio system can never have a one fix all solution.
In my case I refuse to have untidy cables visible & after numbers of years scratching that itch elected to make my own & to make them fit into my domestic space.
I will admit to still having the occasional tweak with cables; I’ve tried full fat PowerLines & as nice as they are they just don’t fit into my set up & no way am I prepared to cut & shorten, I have PowerLine Lite’s but (sorry to say) I have them tied in a shortening bundle. I’ve recently changed out my Supra LoRad’s because of forum induced itching that said they spoil the music.
Over the years I have found good quality cables & terminations do make a difference, but there is no “night & day” solution once you have good quality & well made, the changes are at best subtle.
The big problem is that “what if” itch.

3 Likes

I agree with you Mike in that ‘everyone’s mileage may vary’ but, for me, my “what if’s” went away once I had sussed out how to properly execute Naim NAC A5 cables (usingSA8 plugs) and just use their own power cables as is, the music soon took over after that.

2 Likes

The “what if” itch will return, you can never be free.

2 Likes

I will then of course upgrade.:sunglasses:

Obviously upgrade denial syndrome, chronic & insidious.

for the nd5xs2 very soon probably…

1 Like

Thanks Stephen - all descriptions of what people have done to their systems, and why, and how it worked out are interesting.
I’ve ordered a Wireworld Matrix 2 block and a 6m kettle lead to get my ‘other stuff’ away, and free up the 2 switched sockets behind my rack.

1 Like

Is that tied together in a large loose granny knot?! Could they be wired together into a Hydra instead?

e.g. you could trade your current system plus all the lovely old Naim kit you have in storage (which is pining for some leccy!) - and get a dream system that will whisk you away into another dimension of sound…

Absolutely not, a loose granny knot, how dare you - they are carefully dressed correctly in a shortening loop & cable tied.
Hydra is the spawn of the devil, besides which its impossible to fit two cables into a PowerLine Lite 13A plug, the moulding is made specifically for just one 0.75mm 3 core.

1 Like

Exactly. Some people still believe that connecting 6 cables together and channeling all the mains through a single piece of 0.45mm diameter wire is good for the sound. I do wonder what they’re listening to.

I do wonder what they’re listening to.
[/quote]

Morrisey? :wink:

1 Like

I have a MCRU 6-way with a Powerline Lite as the input. I did a comparison with 2.5mm mains lead but the PLL blitzed it.,
A full fat Powerline would be my next upgrade. :blush:

I suspect the Count is talking about the single fuse wire being the restriction.

LOL I think you may be right :scream:

No difference i can see from using a hydra to an extension block as that will also have a fuse in its mains plug. In fact you have to go through an extra fuse using the block.

In my day the in thing was to replace the mains fuse with a chopped off section of 6 inch nail… tbh I can see the logic in doing this.

John Zorn Filmworks III

Do you mean that the PLL beat the normal Naim mains lead as an input to a MCRU mains block?

all our systems run thru tiny bits of fusable wire

1 Like