Poweline(s) on a Nait XS3 and/or ND5 XS2

Hi-Fi Corner
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I am considering an upgrade but don’t with to change Naim boxes, speakers or rack.

While I appreciate my ears alone can discern an improvement (or not), I don’t want to spend half a day bending over the rack making changes, listening, changing, listening and so on without a better than 50% chance of hearing an improvement. I also do not want to waste my dealer’s time or have 1 or more round trips to collect/return (weekend time is precious). Hence this enquiry to try to ascertain if this is potentially a fool’s errand, daft, a waste of money, or more likely than not to have a pleasing outcome.

Speaker cable is already NAC5A. Speakers are Neat Mystique Classic.

Would 2 full Powerlines for my Nait XS3 and/or ND5 XS2 be a waste/counterproductive, bearing in mind that I plan to buy new, benefitting Naim and my dealer? I am OK with the cost if there is likely to be a noticeable benefit, but wanted to ask before starting the process. I may be able to borrow and test at home - I’ve yet to ask.

It feels overkill for the CD5si given the purchase price (new), but is that so?

Or should I upgrade my out-of-the-box interconnects, to include my CD5si? I’d prefer to stick with Naim than enter the maelstrom of choice with other brands. Or might that just reveal source limitations?

My 3 Naim boxes are fed from a bog-standard 4-way “gang” lead coming out of a basic switched socket that are throughout the house. No dedicated mains and no appetite for one, or to engage an electrician. No appetite for a new rack, shelves or isolation ideas currently either.

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no problem to be fixed here - I am very happy with the sound coming out of my Neat speakers - just a modest upgrade itch to scratch, possibly, if there is likely to be more/better to be heard from my existing boxes.

I’ve considered Powerline Lites but anticipate that would lead to a perpetual “what if I’d gone the whole hog” dilemma.

Any thoughts/guidance/experiences gratefully received.

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Forget about powerline lites. And forget about paying full price for new powerlines and the anxiety over borrowing from a dealer and eating into your precious weekend time etc. Just buy a preloved powerline from the bay and test it at home on both of your components at your leisure. If you love it, buy another - if you don’t, resell it at your leisure.

FWIW, I think you will discover an obvious SQ uplift, but only your ears can tell you.

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That may be the best answer to your own questions :slight_smile:

I also have a Nait XS3 and ND5XS2. I am using stock power cables into a Supra MD04 and a Supra LoRad cable into a wall socket.

The Powerline cables are very expensive, for as far as I know. You could first try a higher quality mains block, like the one I mentioned. It made a small but noticeable difference in my situation (non-UK).

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I’m in a very similar position. I have the same 2 boxes but also flatcap xs and cd5xs. I bagged a 2025 powerline for £270 and haven’t yet tried it as I can’t decide where to start!

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How can you tell the Powerline is 2025?

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We upgraded from Chord Co. C Power cables to Powerlines. The improvement was far from subtle. So I think yes you will get a very worthwhile improvement from two Powerlines.

Hovever, for around the same money you could buy a Chord S6 mains block which will give you a much more fundamental improvement. We use an M6 for our system and have two S6’s for TV/Blu Ray and Router/ONT box.

From my own experience I would have no hesitation in going for a Chord S6 mains block rather than upgrading to Powerlines. The improvement in musicality will be obvious, and with a more focussed, immediate sound and improved dynamics. Especially as, like us, you don’t have a dedicated mains.

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It said so on the box. I suppose that could be just when it was boxed.

I didn’t know until it arrived. It was just a fluke.

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While you may have no appetite for dedicated mains, it’s likely to give a greater improvement for less money than Powerlines. The Powerlines won’t be a waste of money but you won’t get the best from them. It’s worth considering that for less money you could buy a Naim DAC for the ND5XS2.

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Ok, so first up, I’ve plugged it into the flatcap xs on the basis that I’m going to listen to a cd I’m familiar with and perhaps it might benefit both the cd5 and the xs3 there.

I think I can hear a difference! Listening to Oscar’s Peterson we get requests, the piano seems clearer and the double bass notes seem more defined and separated. I will leave it there for a few days and then try it somewhere else.

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This will certainly be degrading the sound and no matter what else you decide upon should be addressed ASAP. As I say, the Chord S6 block would be my choice here which would cost around the same as two Powerlines. If you do decide to go the Powrline route rather than an S6 block then you would be best off making your own block with some Crabtree or MK unswitched sockets. Provided you are competent to do so that is, otherwise don’t attempt it for obvious reasons.

As far as dedicated mains goes then yes it is desirable if you can do it but you’ve already said you don’t want to. We can’t easily do it without much disruption which TBH I can’t be faffed with. However we’ve made the ring that the hi-fi is on as quiet as possible and this was really worth doing.

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Anton, I found the Grahams Hydra to be a great vfm solution but I don’t know how it compares to a full set of Powerlines.

You just specify the number of ‘heads’ you require, depending upon how many Naim boxes you have. The Hydra goes into one wall socket.

Somebody else here will be tell you how it works.

Chris

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Many thanks for the helpful comments and suggestions. Exactly what I was hoping for. I’ll contact my dealer this week.

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Stick with the Lites is my advice, nowt wrong with them

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I currently have Powerlines throughout. It took awhile as I bought them second-hand. From your original inquiry:

I’d first do the XS3 (at the same time or before I’d take HH’s advice and have a dedicated circuit installed) then the ND5XS2.

Since you have no appetite for a dedicated circuit (just re-reading your post). I’d still go for the XS3 first as everything plugged into it will benefit. When I went down this road if I’m being honest while there was an improvement adding a Powerline to the ND5XS2 it seemed minimal.

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Whatever else you do please do get rid of that cheap and nasty 4 gang extension block. It will be degrading the sound big time believe me. Even with something like a 4 way Olson block replacing it (or better still home made Crabtree or MK) you will hear a very noticeable uplift in performance. After hearing this you may even decide not to go any further. It’s curious that you make the point that there’s no problem to be fixed and you’re very happy with the sound yet you seem to be itching to spend a considerable sum. Nothing wrong with wanting to improve things of course, most of us feel that way, but I do urge you to pay attention to that block as you may well find you get an improvement that satisfies you, at least for the present, for absolutely minimal expense. Good luck.

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For the money you are proposing you could likely trade the XS3 for a pre-loved SN3. I strongly suspect this would be a more marked improvement…….

Less faff than fitting 2 power cables and properly dressing them. Just slide one box out and another in :grinning_face:

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I would say you have had quite a balanced system and no upgrades needed. The beauty of XS level gears is, great sound yet not as revealing as higher level gears, so less fiddling and easier life which you like to have. Either components don’t justify the cost and benefit of Powerline.

I would just stay with extension lead like a simple, vintage Duraplug and you got quite a good balanced sound. And when you feel liketo , as Svetty said SN3 is quite an improvement and you could build the rest upon it.

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Not my experience at all. A home made block with Crabtree or MK sockets will quickly demonstrate how much something like a Duraplug block is really messing things up - even just on a TV with its own on-board sound.

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Spot on 100% @70sPete
My 3x MK doubles are wired in radial (star) with 2.5mm/2 and 4mm/2 via a Furutech angled plug from the wall.
That and all the Naim & other boxes wired with Supra LoRad make for the best SQ.

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