Power conditioning is a bit like saying “take medicine”. Okay, but what medicine and for what illness? Would you take random medicine for an undiagnosed ailment?
There isn’t really a problem with power conditioning itself, but everything has side effects so you choose a solution to address specific problems whereby the solution to the problem has more benefits than drawbacks.
So first, before taking magic beans to cure a general feeling that you might be sick, diagnose the problem and target a solution. Main power may have a variety of problems - or none at all depending on the property and the circuit. Before committing to an expensive solution, it makes sense to determine what problem you actually have and then address that with a targeted solution.
I’m certainly not against power conditioning, but take a “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” stance. If there is a specific problem like spikes or variable frequency, or offset, etc. then absolutely a device specific to that is far better than suffering the effects of poor mains. But if you don’t know if you have a problem or what it is, then selecting a random conditioner - now matter how good it is - runs a serious risk that it doesn’t address the problem.
This is why for every post about how a conditioner worked wonders, there are also posts saying the same one did nothing or made things worse. This speaks to the risk of not matching a specific problem to a specific solution.
I understand you require more outlets than the TP60 (6 outlets) can provide. FWIW the e-TP609 NCF-N1 is the best cost-effective unfiltered distributor from Furutech worth considering if you can swing 6 outlets before it goes to ridiculous money. I have one arriving later this week, ordered specifically for Naim amps. I have sufficient outlets if I use integrated amps but the Naim amps are three boxes so I need to spend the money, bummer.
I can vouch for the Shunyata Everest 8000 (and Sigma-X power cables) and state that connecting my components, including my 300Dr sounded better with it rather than without. A huge uplift and I am not exaggerating.
Yes and people are not necessarily right or wrong either. The context of the system means everything in terms of whether any change is beneficial, detrimental, or neither.
A bit like posts where someone says, “I highly recommend these speakers. You won’t be disappointed.” Well, they absolutely might be.
With power conditioners, it is extremely difficult for the average person to accurately diagnose a root cause. Probably isolating audible symptoms and likely root causes is the best that most can do. I don’t believe 99% of dealers are qualified to diagnose with accuracy specific mains issues either. So, considering the cost of conditioners is similar to other hifi boxes, borrowing at home or at least ensuring a return policy is recommended. I know Furutech mandate that authorized dealers must loan out products with zero obligation. Given the cost of the Shunyata, I would certainly want to try it with my system on my mains first.
Power conditioners are accessories meant to enhance the sound, there’s no need to diagnose anything, people should just try them in their systems and decide. The argument of “why fix it if it ain’t broken” seems to be applied only to power conditioners, when the same could be said about any accessory. Mains are dirty, that’s the “sickness”, you either address it or you don’t.
Making a complete “loom” (a full system of matching cables, power conditioners, acoustic treatments) of Synergistic Research products is done to maximize their "Synergy " by compounding the sonic benefits rather than colliding with different design philosophies. Using these products holistically prevents overlapping electromagnetic fields from different brands from degrading the sound quality. Using matching technologies prevents the tonal imbalances that occur when mixing.
Taake, Glad the Shunyata Research is working for you! The President of Synergistic Research stated that with the addition of the PowerCell 8 SX will probably be one of the most significant improvements I have experienced so far by using their products.
I think you pretty much know if you have a ‘clean’ mains system or not. Any unexplained variability in performance or the fact that you are stuck with a standard household ring-main running your Hifi is more than likely going to cause you some issues but isn’t this is why you buy the best power supplies you can?
Over the years I’ve tried a few different power conditioning and/or noise suppression devices on my system and in each case I’ve found it to affect the dynamics and immediacy of notes that I really can’t live with. I buy Naim stuff primarily for the dynamic and immediacy, so why would I want to affect that? However, I guess that one man’s ‘dullness’ can be another man’s ‘calmness’, so I can’t really judge. Like everything in Hifi you have to try it and decide for yourself.
I would certainly give shunyata a go in a naim system.
I know they are expensive but, naim uses big dirty transformers in all its stuff, not only will it stop nasty dirty mains getting in, it will also stop them dirty transformers from polluting back down the power cable and into each other box you have in your hifi.
They dont work like every other power conditioner, with cokes, coils, etc, that can harm dynamics. They have a different way to do it completely and it doesn’t harm the dynamics at all.
So certainly worth trying i would say, or as a minimum go for a balanced power, this wont give you the feed back into other gear protection, but will 100% get rid of pollution on the incoming mains, and does it all without any filters, so guaranteed not to do anything to the sound, apart from make it loads more quite. Its why studios use it, plus its much cheaper. But you may find the shunyata power conditioner is better in a naim system due to its back filtering protection over just balanced, due to all them noisy big transformers.
You can only try, but agree a free home demo is the way to go.
Mains could be dirty, but power conditioning also tend to kill the dynamic, more like a trade off.
Besides our first hand experience, it’s also interesting to see Paul McGowan of PS Audio, who produced the famous Power Plant said about power conditioning.
Now that’s the part to think about – Naim systems are designed and voiced to work without power conditioning – not dogma, not right or wrong, but way to get the best out of Naim systems.
If I like the sound of power conditioning, I would rather go to system like Accuphase that already having a high damping factor, and given they also produced own power conditioning devices their systems are voiced that way.
None of the units that Naim have tested over the years have improved performance, and pretty much all have impaired it in some way or other, some alarmingly so. Note that many impaired performance just by being plugged into a wall socket in the same room, but with no kit directly plugged into them, something that almost scuppered a demo I did in Sweden one time until I finally found the culprit - a big high-priced mains conditioner of some repute that looked like a power amp and was hidden behind some kit and still plugged in; once unplugged the performance of the Naim system soared. I’ve written lots on this over the years so, probably best to do a search.
FWIW, I would sometimes discuss the subject with Roy over lunch in the Naim canteen. He was not averse to the idea of mains conditioners, indeed he thought that if one could be made to work without impairing sound performance then he’d be all for it. Hence why we were always keen to get the latest “hot” models in for a listen. I asked him what would be the ideal. He replied that a mains regenerator would be great, however it would need to to be huge, likely the size of a house or barn as a minimum, in order to minimise “impedence” (I thinks that’s what he said it was - it was at least 20 years ago now, so apologies if I got that wrong), so not very practical…
I sometimes feel folks are creating issues where there are none.
I have never tried power conditioning, never felt the need to. Well designed components should be able to deal with normal mains. I’ve never heard interference, a ‘high noise floor’ (other than on vinyl) or other induced noise that made me think even for a moment that I had to spend cash on it. If you do, great. Your money. Perhaps none of my systems over the last 40 years have been revealing enough. Perhaps my hearing is so bad that I wouldn’t even know there was a problem. Saved me a lot of money .
Me, as with so many things in this hobby, I certainly think audiophile angst and obsession play a part. I love that expression! But I am not you, don’t have your system and don’t live in your house to the best of my knowledge.
In the US, A/V Options has a deep cryo power strip that works well with Naim. I use two in my system. They sell cables and connectors for older Naim kit as well. Chris West at A/V Options is more knowledgeable about Naim than anyone else in the US. Highly recommended.
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