I spoke to Paul at Grahams. He agrees that a dedicated spur is the No.1 priority.
In his view, the problem with Powerlines and Hydras is that there in no Hydra made of Powerlines - to him, the more connected the supplies for pre/PS/ power are the better.
He suggests plugging my existing 4-way Hydra into one hole in the new twin socket (the one receiving 10mm cable), powering CDS2 PS, XPSDR (for NDX2), Supercap (for 52 and hence Superline) and 250.
He also suggests plugging my existing power block (or any decent one) into the other socket (or perhaps the existing ring main) to power ethernet switch and Nak tape deck. Finally, the Lingo 4 plugs into the existing ring main, as that keeps it electrically as far as poss from the supply to the Naim kit.
If I want to go further after getting the new spur, that means replacing the Hydra. To Paul, that requires a very good cable to a very good powerblock with very good cables to the above 4 Naim boxes. If using Powerlines, which he unsurprisingly rates, that means getting 5 and a flash power block. He is not convinced that I will need to do that after I have the new spur, but that is something to investigate only after I have got used to the new spur with existing cables.
If further chat does lead me back to the many-socket route, it will look just like @james_n 's diagram above - so thanks for that. Even with a one twin-socket option, much of it will follow this.
The electrician came today! And, after much chat, he went away again to different kit from what he brought, and to come back again when he has it all.
He has recently done a hi-fi-driven re-wiring for ‘a famous singer’ costing thousands. However, he strongly advised that in my situation we are much better running multiple lines of 6mm armoured/ shielded cable around the outside of the house from meter box to living room (via a box for Henley and dedicated CU). Once we agreed on that, it makes sense to put 3 high quality and un-switched sockets directly into the wall. That means no need for a power block, though it doesn’t stop me trying one as an A/B comparison.
Of course, once this is done, I may still want to investigate stnadard Naim kettle leads versus Powerlines versus alternatives…
That’s great, sounds like you have a plan. I would have gone for 10mm, but to be honest, it’s splitting hairs, and you should get a good lift on SQ.
Out of interest, is the box for the CU and Henley going inside or outside the house? Also don’t forget that if possible, you want the earth for the new CU to go back to the main Meter
We have results! Switching between sockets is quick and easy and the result is simple - the SQ is better. My auditory memory is not great, but as far as I can tell the previous effect that meant that music was marginally better at 11pm than at 9am and better at 9am than at 6pm is now entirely gone.
Note the row of sockets on the left. Painting to follow.
Improvements can probably all be explained by less hardly-audible mush, so it sounds markedly more dynamic/ punchy/ lively and female vocals (esp any sopranos) sound cleaner and more credible. If you like what switching Cirkus to Karousel or adding XPS2 to NDX2 does to the music, and if your house’s wiring is as uninspiring as mine, then you’ll like what this upgrade does.
We put enough sockets on the wall that I can plug each Naim box in directly. However, the best option seems to be sticking with my 4-way Hydra for all Naim boxes, and keeping the Lingo 4 off the radial completely - it is back in the old ring main.
The overall cost was about the same as one new Powerline - it would have been cheaper but (a) it’s a long way around the house and (b) I live in London.
Following comments on rack order on other threads from @anon4489532 and others, and some helpfully specific advice from the ever-helpful @Richard.Dane, I changed things around. Getting the Supercap on the right looks worse to me because mine has the brown-not-olive-at-all front, but it has made the Superline fractionally quieter.
Until the day comes when my CDS2 becomes irretrievably dead, I have room for no more boxes and can’t see much net benefit from changing anything else. Of course, when that sad day comes, a small CD transport would leave room to swap the 250 for a 500…
So glad it’s worked out for you. Certainly an upgrade that most people should consider as cost-SQ is very good here, and never heard anyone say otherwise (Yet?).
FWIW, it has been suggested that this sort of upgrade benefits Naim much more than some makers, and that CB & Olive benefit more than DRs. I have not tried checking that.
This is the old term before we used Consumer Unit. They used to have rewirable fuses in them, hence the name. If a fuse blew, you simply replaced the broken fuse wire, if you had any.
Hi @DiggyGun My comment was in response to the below advice given by someone on PF
Here, the word “Fusebox” sounded more like a manufacturer of Consumer Units, rather than just another name for one, and so my response was based on not knowing this as a make.
I do recall the original Fusebox (later called Consumer Unit), and had to change the fuse many a time. It was a real pest, so I always had a few 5amp spares (white) ready made up to quickly swap when the lights went out. Thankfully now, just a flick of the switch
