Power Strip

Good news…I’m pointing to get one for me,first need to audition,my dealer said probably in February he will have.

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I found this topic interesting as I have just refitted my 6-way surge protector strip after reorganising my room. Maybe a mistake but it can be undone.
I will certainly be checking/changing the order of connecting the equipment.

I noted the comments about the Olsen unit and could purchase a 6-way unswitched unit for £103. Based upon their experience, do users think there is a better option than this for less than or a similar price?

On a different tack i notice that PS Audio produce power regeneration units (which are way outside my price range). For those that can afford it, instead of spending hundreds or thousands on devices to remove the humps and bumps out of an existing poor supply is it not better instead to generate a new clean unblemished supply?

I’ve tried a number of power strips including some expensive brands, thankfully on demo or borrowed. I was impressed with the build quality of some, not so with others.
Then followed a few experiments with making my own, this enabled plugs sockets & cables to be assessed.
My current (no pun) has Furutech FI-1363-N1 plug & 3x MK Unswitched Double sockets wired with 2.5mm/2 in radial config
The only expensive item is the Furutech plug, I needed its specific L shape, all the MK sockets & wiring collectively cost less.

One of the best things about the good old Grahams Hydra is that all plugging order angst immediately goes away. Life is just too short.

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There are two new power strips and one will cost significantly more than the other, so … Exactly what separates the two power strips technically I leave unsaid, it is better if it comes directly from “the horse’s mouth” so there will be no misunderstandings.

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With the system you have Meni, I would definitely choose the more expensive power strip of the two, I think you will be amazed at how good it is…

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Surely there is still a possibility of plugging them in to the boxes in a different order? And one of those orders sounding better?

With a 1-5 Hydra there are 120 possible combinations. Surely one of those could sound better?

Can someone explain in simple terms what is the point of power conditioners: Naim power supplies to source, pre-amp and power amp surely mean that irrespective of the source of the power the Naim power supplies provide huge reserves of “clean” power

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If you have “dirty mains”, that is, noise pollution on the power, a conditioner will remove this noise, resulting in a lower noise floor that will improve clarity and detail. Noise on the mains isn’t audible, but is detrimental to the sound reproduction - removing it will improve the situation.

Ideally you would measure the noise on the mains to determine whether there is a problem, and if so, consider a conditioner to reduce or remove the noise (again, by measuring the power out of the conditioner) to see whether it helps. Some conditioners apparently perform better with Naim than others, as overall dynamics can be affected. I use Isotek, which has improved the sound quality on my systems, as I had pretty noisy mains.

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Thanks Mike. Clear and comprehensible

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I think the main issue is that people buy conditioners to generically “make it all better like”. It’s a bit like taking medicine when you don’t know what it’s for and don’t know if you’re sick.

There’s nothing wrong with them per se but specific problems should bd dealt with with specific solutions. DC offset: get an isolating transformer or DC blocker. Over voltage: get a variac. EM noise, get a supressor. Really buggered mains: maybe consider a full regen box.

Of course people have fitted conditioners blindly and reported good results. Largely these fall into three categories:

  • They lucked out and had an undiagnosed problem that the conditioner addressed.
  • Expectation bias. It cost a lot so the brain makes damn sure you hear an improvement.
  • It fixes nothing but subjectively the listener enjoys the distortion the conditioner itself induces. A bit like how we find tube amps pushed hard warm and nice. Less correct but pleasing nonetheless.
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… cat. 4 (my experience with trying several conditioners up to £3-4k) - invariably audible and, for me, invariably stifling music making it sound more sterile/clean(?) but dull and lacking vigour, presence and colour. This is not just with Naim.

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Aside from hearing it, what’s the best way to test the mains to specifically address issues, if any?

I think the mains specific technical issues management is a separate thing and diagnosing it correctly might be often the most difficult part. For example a while ago I had some strange new noise through the system which I really struggled to pin down for some time - turned out to be a small power supply that had gone wrong but still working i.e. not immediately obvious…

With a qualified electrician that understands the requirements for audio.

Your bog standard sparky will probably not have a clue what DC offset is. A good local dealer can often hook you up with someone. Their time is likely to cost far less than an exotic conditioner.

Basics like wrong polarity, under or over voltage can be done with a $20 mains tester. Just plug in and look at the screen. Anything more complex likely needs an oscillascope and skill and reading it.

But here’s the crux of the matter. If the system sounds right, do you want/need to go looking for problems that might not exist?

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That kinda sums up my experience too.

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Testing the mains by a qualified electrician is a good thing. Provided you have access to one. A challenge is that the quality of the mains fluctuates during the day. And between days. Ideally you want to test during the worst part of the day, typically between 7 to 8 PM on a working day.

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To choose between those two I need first to get advise with my bank manager :kissing_heart: :kissing_heart:

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I did the same, additionally replaced the standard wall socket with the Furutech wall socket.
I highly recommend it to anyone who uses an audiophile power strip or more expensive cables.
Replacing the socket clearly shows the differences between audiophile power strips and normal computer power strips - highlighting the disadvantages of the latter.

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Meni,
It’s only 2,500 pounds. I’m Shure he will agree :wink:

Very cheap, I’ll buy two … :grinning: :grinning:one for my microwave

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