Shure, will update when it’s here. Having evaluated the Z3 on my 300DR and 272 it seems like it makes a great uplift in sound quality on the 300DR but on the 272 I really seem to enjoy the original one better. It’s like the air and life in the music is sucked out a bit with Z3 on the 272. Really strange but might be my brain playing me tricks. On the 300DR I get a more full bodied experience with greater flow and a more analogue warm experience. Right now the Furutech Empire on the 300DR and original Naim on the 272 is a great match. We’ll see what a Powerline adds to the picture. Before it I have an Isotek EVO 3 Premier C19 to my Supra DC Blocker via a PS Audio AC5, an ISOL-8 power block without any filters etc.
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Yes looking forward to your impressions.
Is it correct that the PowerLine doesn’t contain any shielding? Cannot find anything related on Naims www.
Also, is it really 3x4mm2 wires within? Quite thin for that but maybe due to skipping down on shielding and insulation.
As far as I know, yes. I think the page says what the wire itself does have,
- 4mm2 copper conductors with individual dielectric insulation
- Rubber outer sheath for high levels of inherent mechanical damping
If there was fancy shielding, I suppose it would say so. AFAIK they don’t believe in it. Also:
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Interesting. What is the negative side of shielding according to Naim?
I believe that in some circumstances shielding can act as an antenna, picking up airborne RFI. Also, it often makes the cable stiff and unweildy, which means that it’s harder to dress it properly - something which I find the Powerline makes particularly easy. Maybe not ideal for mechanical isolation which the Powerline is designed for, too.
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But that is what the shielding is there to do, absorb and then take to earth any induced voltage created by RFI or EMI.
Just wanted to sum my testing up. I got Powerline, Audioquest Z3, Furutech The Empire, Wireworld Power Electra 7 going in/out of my 300DR/272 recently. To my ears the cheapest of them all the Z3 stays in the 300DR and the Powerline on the 272. I really like the Z3. I believe it punch well its price and even sound better on my 300DR than the Powerline. It’s something very natural about what it does for me. Deeper still well defined bass. Sweet mids and relaxed yet detailed highs. Wireworld and Empire became to much HIFI for me. Lost the emotions connecting me to the music. They add to the mids and highs in an artificial way and less warmth in the lower mids and bass. It sounds more “analogue/natural” to me. I’ve learned that it’s so easy to think that added details always means better. If all components you add does that then in the end it sounds like crap with listening fatigue after 30 minutes of listening. Not my target with music 
What I have learned is that power cables do change sound by a lot which I indeed was sceptical to at the start of my testing. Specifically on the 300DR which is a real chameleon. It completely changes with what power cord I stick to it. The AQ also fits the Naim IEC best of all where WW was the worst. The award for best looking PC goes to the Empire. Like a jewellery
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I don’t think shielding is much liked by Naim as they find it adversely affects sound quality and ideally it should not be needed. As with everything Naim, it boils down to what somethings sounds like, however, you’d have to ask one of the engineers for a more technical explanation.
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Regarding shielded cables.
From my point of view, one of the biggest mistakes in shielded cable is that both sides are connected to the ground. This is wrong because the shield has the same potential as the ground. If now interferences would occur, they would not “know” where to flow off. Also it would be wrong to connect only one side with the earth, if not a potential balance would be created. This is very easy to do with a small resistor of 1,2,3 or 4 Ohm. Should RF actually leak in, it has a way to flow out through the resistor. If a shield is used, always connect to ground only at the source side via a resistor.
With stripped cable I had started some attempts, both signal and power and immediately discarded. But even with the prefix, which was very susceptible at the time, I never had problems.
However, this should not mean that shielded cable does not serve its purpose under certain circumstances.
“The Power-Line cable itself is custom manufactured with 4mm² cross section copper conductors, individual dielectric insulation and a final rubber outer that provides both high levels of inherent mechanical damping, and the correct stiffness to aid dressing on installation.” From Naim page…
As a last effort for this time around I also trial AQ Monsoon but to my ears it somewhat kills dynamics and airiness in music vs Z3 so the winner to me is AQ Z3. Great cable for its price winning against more expensive alternatives. At least in my setup and my preferences 
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Short note. When I was double checking the hot wire on the power cords I noticed that the Powerline radiates in all directions which no other power cable do. As much radiation all around the IEC plug whereas on say Audioquest or even the original Naim cord there is only radiation on the hot side. Strange…I assume the metal housing picks it up and creates radiation on all directions. Is that good really? Anyway.
This is correct, its just wrong to connect the screen at both ends, but I’m not sure where you get the other theories from.
In my old work in marine electrics screened & armoured cables are common.
Regulations & standards require screens to act as an earthed (grounded) conduit & must not be an integral part of the power earth circuit.
The screen/shield must be connected to earth (ground) at the power input end only, the screen must be disconnected (floating) at the appliance end.
Most of the screened cables I’ve seen used in audio are somewhat non-specific, maybe more for a touch of marketing kidology & added perceived value.
The question is what are we trying to screen, is it 50Hz getting ‘out’, or nonspecific higher frequencies getting ‘in’.
Another question is do we actually need a screen given that a twisted 3 core neutralises most 50Hz & for sure given the very low current (amps) in audio equipment it’s a very small range. So is a screen really needed, Naim don’t believe so it seems.
Whatever, with 50Hz low level fields, most nonspecific screen types will effective in reducing fields to inconsequential levels.
This very low field strength can be contained with metal foil used as a capacitive coupling screen or with a drain wire or an added covering of copper braiding.
Cables specific for electromagnetic (EMI) high amperage fields require braid shields. The ohmic resistance of the shield is important, foil screen resistance is too high & only copper braid is effective.
Cables specific for radio frequency (RFI) will normally have dual layer foil & braid shields.
Worth noting is that a braid only screen becomes wavelength dependent with increased frequency as the holes in the braid allow high frequency ‘leaks’.
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