I needed a few more sockets for the network kit in my office, so I took my own advice and ordered a 6 way distribution block from Olson. A bit overkill, but it’s a nicely engineered bit of kit with decent high clamping force sockets and made in the UK too. I’ll open it up tomorrow to have a look at the internals before wiring it up with a spare RA PowerMax cable.
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I have a single metal clad unswitched MK socket which I fitted with an IEC in-line plug so that I could plug in a Chord C Power cable (no longer available) to power my router/EE8 switch. Attached four metal cone feet to it.
I have a similar arrangement with two of those sockets bolted together to power my TV, Blu ray player and Apple TV box.
This sounds better than an Olson block I have, and also better than a £400 Atlas block I have. But not as good as a £1K Chord S6 block that powers my system!
Unless you intend to spend big money then IMO stick with some MK sockets. Wiring in a female in-line IEC connector means you can use the mains cable of your choice.
All with the proviso that you are competent at wiring or you get an electrician to do the work. Otherwise - DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS!
I’ve often wondered what the downsides are to the IEC socket on any block, compared with having a cable hard wired. Obviously you get the choice of which mains cable to use, but I’d quite like the option from manufactures of hard wired using a selection of their their own cables, or IEC as an option. There will be the argument of having to stock so many combination, but I suspect for some of this high end gear, there wont be much stock.
I haven’t done a comparison so who can say? I use the IEC as it allows me to use the cable I want without destroying it. No extra fuses involved compared to hard-wiring.
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Its another set of connections, cable to term., plug pin to socket, term. to cable.
Is it detrimental, maybe, but probably undectectable.
Not in my case, I make my own socket block assy & choose the directly connected cable thereby avoiding the IEC plug socket connections (and I choose the 13A plug on the cable)
Bottom line in real life, most well spec’d & constructed socket blocks & ready made IEC ended cable will work well & no matter how well I spec & construct my own stuff, and there will probably be nothing to choose between them in listening tests,
I would argue however that mine will perform better at amp loads that a hifi system will never ever see, so thats kinda irrelevant, and of course I can always construct a such a system at a fraction of the cost.
The plus for me I get pleasure making this stuff, nothing else.
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Naim did introduce an IEC socket in the NAPSC 2, and in general it’s reported as being better than the first edition NAPSC (of course with different internals as well), so I suppose Naim didn’t see any issues with it, but as you say, it’s another set of connection, plus more components to wobble 
Have you heard the Naim Powerline or the Chord Epic mains cables? I have both in my system and I can hear a marked difference between them and a ‘standard’ off the shelf IEC cable.
I have no real interest in these power cables.
But yes for sure I hear a difference between a ‘standard’ cable and my own set up.
However my set up has a 4mm cable directly connected to the power socket board, so no IEC.
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Fair enough. Just curious as to why you would dismiss them. Clearly you’re not in the ‘all cables sound the same’ camp as you do hear differences between a standard cable and your own set up.
power @Mike-B
as a search term pulls up a fair number of threads where the design choices and general rationale are written about. It’s interesting stuff.
IIUC the Naim PL optimises around reducing the level of physical vibration entering equipment from the lead. The quality of the cable and the cable crimp design used have both been discussed on here before as being “betterable”. I don’t know anything about the design choices Chord Cables make. Lots of cables optimise around different things I guess, and there are therefore many ways to “improve” upon standard IEC leads. The informed and motivated* DIYer can probably build a good solution for a fraction of the cost of a Power Line etc.
*I’m neither informed, or motivated in this particular field, so choose to use what I hope to be somewhere towards the cheaper, but still good, end of the diminishing returns curve for power distribution blocks!
Get a Hydra from Grahams HiFi in Canonbury Yard, London. They do mail order.
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This thread is starting to discuss two different things.
On one hand there is mains to distribution block
And the other is from socket or block to component box.
I do both myself as I like to know what my connectivity is like and minimise connections in the path.
I never really trust the moulded plugs I’ve had a couple of duds over the years and made me wary of keeping them.
Naim use a similar idea to me for some shows etc.
I used a Hydra for many years with a pretty high-end Naim system and it sounded excellent - it was really the default ‘go-to’ solution in those days. That was before Powerlines and Powerline Lite’s. Life was so much simpler back then!
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I would far rather use a single Hydra than any number of Powerlines.
They are not terribly expensive (certainly far less than the equivalent number of Powerlines), so there’s not much to lose by trying one. I have been using mine for over 30 years. Do remember, though, that you should not connect anything non-Naim to the Hydra.
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Quite. And that’s why I can’t use one now. Having said that, I can’t honestly see why there should be a problem provided that one sticks to the current-carrying capacity of the cables. But it’s certainly what Grahams say so best play it safe.
Grahams told me that it was something to do with Naim’s ‘star earthing’.
I have no idea what that means.
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I understand what star earthing is but why that should mean the Hydra is only suited to Naim I have no idea. There are many hi-fi mains blocks that are either star wired or star earthed. So, who knows…
I am not dismissing them, some have features that probably/maybe make them work/sound better than the bog standard others, no argument in that regard. What I do dismiss is the hype and the selling price. I worked in and around the electrical and manufacturing industry all my working life. I’ve also been involved in marketing. Let’s just say I am not joining in that game.
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I’m sure that someone will come along to explain. There are some pretty knowledgeable Members around.