What do naim users use for filtering AC, usb, network noise?
I tried plugging in my unitiqute to a shunyata hydra - and the sound degraded.
With the dac v1, the shunyata hydra seems to work better.
So for naim amps is it best to plug in directly to the wall than a power conditioner? Or do specific conditioners work well with naim?
Can noise filtering be done at the cable level? If so, is the powerline the only option? But the powerline in usa, does not come with the uk plug which seems to hold the magic in the powerline.
I use a av options cryo 12 cable on my nap100 - but not sure if it is doing anything. I feel that the liquid feel with the basic naim tibia might be missing with the av options cable.
Unless you have specific mains issues you are best just plugging it in to the wall without any filtering. Dedicated mains is another thing altogether and is very much recommended - there are existing threads on this. The PowerLine has no filtering.
I think you will find most don’t use power filters or conditioners, some are reputed to downgrade or soften some aspects of SQ, that certainly true when I was interested in experimenting. All I have is a DC blocker, but DC is not noise.
AC cables such as Powerline & any other type do not have filters, some power strip extension cords might, but usually they have the same effects as listed above for power filters.
Unless your AC is actually noisy, I would not do anything.
Network noise is another matter & it can be dependant on what you have on the network.
In my case I have all my network SMPS’s powered by & isolated by a UPS that includes an isolation transformer & C&D mode filter, in addition the SMPS’s all have ferrite clamps on AC & DC sides, the ferrite is very specific to SMPS frequency.
Network ethernet cable’s have another spec ferrite on the end points of each branch
Good day MrM, my whole system detail is in my forum profile
The UPS is an APC CS350, I’m not sure what you want to know about it in particular but its primary function is protecting the Synology NAS in the case of a power failure & to shut it down in a controlled manner.
I also use it to power the BT wireless hub & telephone, this prevents sudden loss of phone connection with both landline & wireless hub connected cell phone, its nice that this all enables lots of time to end calls & to save & shut down any computer work.
I said in the other post it powers all the SMPS’s & isolates them & their switching ‘noise’ as inside the UPS the mains power first goes thru a C&D mode filter followed by an isolating transformer, this offers a degree of isolation or blocking of noise (depending on frequency)
Additionally I have ferrite bead clamps on both AC & DC sides of the SMPS’s, I’ve selected a specific ferrite mix that is most effective around normal SMPS switching frequency. The ferrite adds further suppression to the general noise that might be around the AC side, also helps reduce noise into items such as the Cisco switch & NAS & therefore the actual music playing endpoints.
Hope this helps, if you need more, just ask, but its not ‘our’ thread.
Thanks for feedback, I was thinking out loud here as I was pondering adding in a UPS as there’s one lying dormant at work I can find a use for on similar duties.
I also use an APC 1500 UPS as our mains was unstable for a number of years. When I compared it to a Surge protection bar, I could not hear a difference in sound so I have continued to use the UPS.
I’ve used an APC Line-R for years. It’s important to check, or so I’ve read, that the output is a sine wave. Apparently many UPS’ output a square wave which supposedly is fine for computers, but not for audio.
Re APC UPS sine wave, the lower cost APC’s are a stepped wave (see pic) & the NAS SMPS is quite happy with that. Keep in mind the UPS is only connected to provide power in a power cut (outage) to a running (read/write) NAS & to enable a soft managed shut down, during normal running it passes thru mains power & a sine wave
Also the audio has actually stopped in a power cut, the UPS does not power any of that, so no streamer & no amp = no sound.
P.S. The Line-R is not a UPS, it’s a voltage regulator, I.e. it will fix irregularities / fluctuations in your mains voltage. Since it’s for the PC and not audiophile market it’s quite affordable (and probably does a better job).
I’d say my main curiosity is graceful shutdown of kit as opposed to purifying or somehow conditioning the mains, I’d expect that is best handled by other device types.
I have all my LAN kit in one location which includes a cable modem, a router, a switch, a wired Wi-Fi access point and a wired controller for lighting.
I know the router can have issues if it’s not shutdown properly so I guess it’s mainly to protect that device and ensure a graceful shutdown and restart as needed.
The kit I’ve got sitting in a cupboard at work is an APC one, It’s a data centre rackmount one, no idea what the model is but I’d expect that to be mainly about providing battery power and graceful shutdown in a mains power outage.
That lab now has a centralised redundant battery based system and worse case a generator.
Interesting topic anyway!
A lot of the filters don’t get along well with Naim or perhaps the other way around. Two that work, at least in my system, are the Computer Audio Design Ground Control, which I bought and the Shunyata Typhon.
