De ground signal of the Naim (pre)amplifiers are not connected to earthing AFAIK. Idealy there is 1 source that connects the ground to earth. That used to be the naim cd player. In other Naim sources there is a switch where you can choose to connect ground to earth or to ‘float’.
If you don’t have Naim sources or other sources which connect ground to earth, then theoratically I think there would be no difference in sound when you have or have not earth mains for the N50.
If one of your sources does have a connection between ground and earth, than things could be different.
Hi Tiekie, thanks for the info, (and Gerben for the confirmation)
Currently I have a Bluesound Node Icon as my only source. I assume that if I had a Naim source it would not make any difference if I’d set the switch to either grounded or floating. (and so..if I understand correctly, in theory and sonically it should not make a difference to the Nait)
I’m not so much worried that the metal casing of my Nait 50 would suddenly become live due to some very unlikely internal fault, changing a lovely amp into a serious killing machine. I (genuinely) can’t think of any way an internal error might happen within the Nait 50. (I mean, a wire spontaneously getting loose or something ?)
Fortunately it was about 4m from the fuse box / suitable grounding source and we have a basement so it was only 100 including cable and less than 1 hour labour
but was also offered “hifi” circuit-breakers and all sorts of options but think I got best value for money just with a ground wire
Not so picky really. The vast majority of houses in my and surrounding neighborhoods are much older than 1970s. Ditto for the neighborhoods I grew up in that are just to the south of us.
That’s fortunate indeed and a small price to pay, to have the job done!
I’m living in a 1992 build apartment, and unfortunately I’d cost me a whole lot more, as the 3 mains sockets are much further away from the fuse box.
In your current situation that’s correct. However with a Naim source connected to earth does seem to make a difference. But I think it isn’t as much as a correct L and N connection.
I’m sure that’s true for any number of older areas in many urban cities Philly, NYC, San Francisco, Chicago. Of course as older buildings are renovated they are brought up to code. Which is a good thing
That’s all easier said than done. It would take a very expensive gut rehab to get our house fully up to code everywhere. It’s a two-story, 4-bdrm brick, and all the walls are plaster on lathe and plaster on brick. There is almost no drywall used in the entire house.
The grounded quad receptacle serving my listening room, is connected via a conduit running up the side up my house from the electric service panels in the basement.
Many here in the U.S. have the same issues as our friends here in the Netherlands.
I’ve lived in the US my entire life it’s never been an issue. I live and grew up in Princeton Nj lots of very old houses that get renovated to have modern electrical and HVAC.
I assure you there are plenty of old homes that do not get rehabbed to the point all the electrical service is up to modern code with grounded outlets.
Come visit us here in St. Louis and I will take you around to many, many old neighborhoods with houses like mine, where they have a mix of electrical service that is in code and grounded, and some that is not. Seriously, rehabbing homes like mine to upgrade absolutely everything to code can run into 6 figures easily. Not everyone can or wants to do that. We have the means but not the desire.
We have a lot of grounded service, and have done some incremental upgrades, plus a very significant recent addition of a Kohler 20kW backup generator with transfer switching, and that was very expensive. But to rehab our home to the point where all the wiring would be to code (and grounded) would be massively expensive, and really not worth the expense.
Come on, get real. What you are talking about is the exception more than the rule. Most people can’t or won’t spend the money to do what you are talking about. The wealthy ones in Princeton and here where I live, OK. But the majority, no. Especially in this economy.
I relate to our Netherland friends. It can be very costly to transition.
Exactly this. It would become too costly for me to have all the ungrounded sockets converted to grounded. During my >25 years (on and off) Naim ownership there’s never been 1 Naim dealer that adviced/warned be to use a Naim amp only on a grounded mains.
To be honest, I personally find it a little odd Naim would design/deliver amps that “only” perform safely and optimally in the UK. (where grounding mains are standard)
After all this talk about earthing/grounding I’m seriously in doubt… whether to stick to the current situation and take the ‘risk’ or say goodbye to Naim and go for the alternative(‘s).
(I already thought of trying a Rega Elex mk4 as a possible alternative)
I believe all Naim kit conforms to the relevant safety standards in place at time of manufacture. Whether they ‘need’ a separate earth for best performance is only a hifi nerds requirement. I don’t have a problem with any of my kit plugged into a French two pin system, without earth. The safety aspect is covered by the rcbo protecting the circuit. There has been no humming or other sound artefact.
I have had a problem with humming with an earthed outlet, since solved.
I agree with that. The Naim equipment must meet European safety regulations to be allowed on the market. I am not worried about safety and I also have no issues with performance (humming or otherwise). I am not going to spend a ton of money on getting all outlets grounded in my house.
IF (and I figure the chance of it happening will be close to zero) an internal fault inside my Nait 50 will occur, making the metal case live, than my ‘rcbo’/aardlekschakelaar should immediately turn of the power on the mains group my system is connected to, am I right ?
That’s reasuring! Last week I briefly spoke to a fellow Dutch Naim owner, (of a Nait XS2 + ND5xs2), and he also had his system connected to an ungrounded socket, without any worries about safety or performance.
If it was allowed to have only one socket converted to grounded, costing perhaps a few hundred euro’s I’d probably have it done, but in my case it would take 3 sockets in the livingroom, 2 of which are not used for the system, so I’d see that as wasted money. (despite the possible sonic improvement grounded mains may bring to the system)
I’d say every thing built since the 70’s. Uses 3 conductor wire.
Last week I briefly spoke to a fellow Dutch Naim owner, (of a Nait XS2 + ND5xs2), and he also had his system connected to an ungrounded socket, without any worries about safety or performance.