In my system, which consists of a Naim Uniti Nova and Sonus Faber Electa Amator III, I tried reversing the AC mains power phase of the Naim. The result was surprising: I noticed an increase in bass and a higher, more centered soundstage. I have to thank the dealer who suggested I try this. Has anyone else had the same experience with the mains power phase?
Regards,
Giorgio
Giorgio,
I assume you are on Continental Europe and that you are referring to the polarity of the Shucko plug, which can of course be easily reversed without realising. The mains leads also tend to be wired one way and sometimes the other way, so a polarity test is always a good idea (an induction pen is a handy bit of kit for the tool box) to make sure it’s correct as it makes a substantive difference. Naim’s old distributor in Germany, Musicline, used to test all their Shucko mains leads and mark the hot pin with a white dot.
Hi Richard, thank you. Actually, I might have expressed myself poorly: I did use a phase detector pen for my test. I initially had the Naim perfectly in phase, but then I intentionally reversed it to see what would happen. Surprisingly, in my system, it sounds significantly better when it is out of phase!
Could be your outlet is wired backwards
Seems more likely.
It’s possible. When polarity is reversed you can change the sound a bit - I’ve heard effects like the sound appearing a bit airier and “spacious” but also less cohesive and direct, but could imagine it might well be different with different bits of kit and even in different mains setups. There’s also the question of earthing which is not always a given on the Continent, so lots of variables at play.
Exactly, Richard, there are so many variables at play! That is precisely why I wanted to share this: since it costs nothing and takes only a few seconds to flip the plug, I highly recommend everyone give it a try. You might be surprised by what your specific kit and mains setup can do. Trust your ears!
Reversing the power plug on my nait 50 leads to a hum. The other way no hum at all. Sound is the same. So better phase on the right side. At least for me.