Power Strip

Is it legal today in the UK to wire the mains end of a hydra cable or multiway distribution block into a dedicated radial?

I think you already know the answer to that one! :woozy_face:

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Even if you’re a qualified electrician? :innocent:

I think UK standards require the power cables each be fused, so bypassing the plug AND its protective fuse would be a big no-no.

Many years ago, I used NACA4 in a distribution block as ‘fuse wire’. I suspect this would still be considered illegal.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, here’s some to be going on with.

These seem to be inductor coils, not transformers, like used in crossovers as low-pass filters. Probably serving the same purpose here.

Crazy thread with many experiences and opinions.

I have the powerline on the Nova, on the NAP250DR Audioquest Z3. I can connect both directly to the wall, including the Goldnote PSU with Audioquest.

Do you think a power strip improves the sound quality compared to the direct connection to the wall?

My HMS Energia MK2 power strip has filters and I took them out and I feel like it’s more direct and dynamic without

CleDi

I’ve simplified my setup significantly so I don’t really even need a mains block for the extra sockets any longer but I’ve kept it as I definitely prefer how both my DAC and amp/power amp sound plugged through it compared to directly into the wall. This will vary significantly among people though as it depends on so many things, especially tricky for filtering and amps.

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I recently got a chord M6 (pleased with it) and started with an chord epic mains cable to the wall, power lines to the 500, 552, and 555x2. Not tried the chord signature mains cable in place of epic yet here - but was at a friend this morning (all the 500s but B&W 802d3 whereas I have 808s) where we made the comparison and, regrettably (for the wallet), we were in agreement that the signature was significantly better and in the context of 500 systems well worth the extra £500… :roll_eyes:

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I was helpfully advised here to sort out my wiring before looking at power leads or strips - thanks to all for the help.

I now have 8 new unswitched sockets on the wall, run from dedicated shielded radials from the meter box (with CU and Henley) - it’ll be finished on Tuesday. The electrician was firmly of the view that in my situation I should now be plugging any hi-fi kit into the wall directly and that going via a power-block should bring no benefit.

  1. Is he just wrong? Should I be adding another cable, plug and lead to the chain? Several here suggest YES, but I think I have failed to understand why it can help. Can anyone have another crack at explaining?

  2. For now, I supply CD XPS, XPS2 (for NDX2), Supercap and 250 from one plug via a Hydra from Grahams. They are adamant that I should keep this, not use 4 kettle leads into separate sockets. Does anyone have good reason to disagree?

  3. Does the existence of the Powerline (or Chord Signature et al) change the answer? I am not about to buy separate Powerlines for Supercap, CD PS, XPS and 250 unless eBay offers very cheap ones, but should I be separating the Naim box power cables so that 1 or more can have a Powerline?

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I think you need to experiment here. I’d try the Lingo 4 on a separate socket, the Naim kit on a power strip or Hydra into another socket and the 250 on its own socket.

Out of interest how much cable is there between wall sockets and CU ?

About 11 metres.

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Also, I should have said that I will experiment but expect that best will be plugging the Lingo into the old circuit - nothing to do with the new radial at all. Several have suggested that the less a Lingo has to do with power for my old olives, the better.

More important, you’d be taking the 250 off the Hydra for its own socket, but keeping the other boxes on Hydra?

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Try it both ways with 250 on and off the strip, but I don’t think you’ll get the best result from Naim kit by putting every device on its own radial. Your mileage may vary though !

I feel that James’s advise is very good here. I tried my all permeable options. Result is Pre / Power and turntable power supply better in their own socket. Everything else in the block.

I asked Jason Gould at Naim HQ on Thursday about this. He said wall sockets with dedicated supplies better than blocks but a hydra with Powerlines ( not commercially available) is what the top brass at Naim use. I will post a pic of how the Statement gear was plugged in the Naim dem room

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There was a mains block in the room but unused

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I Spy - is that a Chord C-stream ethernet cable? Fascinating.

Looks more like Shawline. C-Stream is white.

Not the red one, the other ethernet cable😊

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I missed that - That’s for the cheap stuff !

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