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Power strips and Mains Cables

S

Seochris

pfm Member
Hi…can anyone recommend a decent power strip and cable for my Naim gear.

I have 5 Naim boxes and a Lingo. I was thinking about the Wireworld stratus 2 power cable and the matrix 2 strip combo. I need a 2 m power lead.
Thanks
Chris
 
If you have the confidence you can make your own power strip. I use the same sockets as most will find in their wall, MK twin sockets fixed in surface mounting boxes, I then string a couple of these boxes together to get the number of sockets I need in my strip linking them with brass or plastic conduit box bushes and nuts, MK metal clad sockets plus matching back boxes join neatly flush together. You can mix switched and non switched and fused connection units in a strip as you please and you change them or extend them as your system changes.

I use 4mm2 flex held by a compression fitting in the end box leading to the 13A plug for the final connection to the wall. You can customise the flex cable lengths to avoid loops of cable.
I wire the sockets in series but you could wire them in a ring or star configuration, its up to you.

I recon that if a conventional 13A socket is ok for your final connection at the wall it should be fine for your power strip. :0)
 
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Paul McDonough said:
If you have the confidence you can make your own power strip. I use the same sockets as most will find in their wall, MK twin sockets fixed in surface mounting boxes, I then string a couple of these boxes together to get the number of sockets I need in my strip linking then with brass or plastic conduit box bushes, MK metal clad sockets join neatly flush together. You can mix switched and non switched and fused connection units in a strip as you please and you change them or extend them as your system changes.

I use 4mm2 flex held by a compression fitting in the end box to the 13A plug for the final connection to the wall. You can customise the flex cable lengths to avoid loops of cable.
I wire the sockets in series but you could wire them in a ring or star configuration.

I recon that if a conventional 13A socket is ok for your final connection at the wall it should be fine for your power strip. :0)
Click to expand...
Thanks…not thought of that but I really was after a star (parallel) wired connection and not sure I would be confident in doing that.
 
Are these expensive power blocks just snake oil stuff? Always considered getting something a bit more expensive than my standard 4 plug strip from B&Q. Is it just the exact same thing in sturdier and fancier looking casing?
 
That’s very likely.
I once once asked to fit two new phono plugs to a Chord interconnect cable.
Bright orange with some trendy writing and directional arrows on the outside sleeving.

On cutting back this sleeving I found some standard grey sleeving underneath.
Just standard cable.
After fitting the phonos I fitted some heat shrink.

I didn’t have the heart to tell the owner.
After all, he’d paid a premium for this special cable...
 
Grahams make a Hydra specifically for Naim - has the same type of grounding, not commenting on any SQ positives but it is certainly convenient only using up 1 wall socket. They appear used fairly often. Another popular option using Naim mains leads is a Musicline Powerigel (Hedgehog), not so common used, made in EU.

https://shop.grahams.co.uk/products/grahams-hydra




​
 
I found a really nice improvement with an IFI Power Station. They occasionally come up for sale around the £200-300 mark used.

This replaced an MCRU basic mains block - much like the RS ones usually touted.

I wired it with 6m of Belden cable, MK plugs etc.

But one of those Hydra's looks like a much neater solution!
 
flutteringwow said:
I found a really nice improvement with an IFI Power Station. They occasionally come up for sale around the £200-300 mark used.

This replaced an MCRU basic mains block - much like the RS ones usually touted.

I wired it with 6m of Belden cable, MK plugs etc.

But one of those Hydra's looks like a much neater solution!
Click to expand...
Grahams will make them up for you with whatever number of ends (3 to 8) needed, but in my experience only if you confirm you have a Naim system, they are very useful if short of wall sockets and a better option than multiple 4 or 6 in lines daisy chained.
 
White Zombie said:
Are these expensive power blocks just snake oil stuff? Always considered getting something a bit more expensive than my standard 4 plug strip from B&Q. Is it just the exact same thing in sturdier and fancier looking casing?
Click to expand...

Yes, pretty much. There's no harm in buying something a bit more sturdily-made, e.g. the RS ones linked a few posts above, because some of the cheap pound-shop or supermarket 4 gangs can be somewhat cheap and nasty, but the fancy hifi foo ones are just that.

The ones that are made from a practical standpoint, e.g. to reduce the number of cables or outlets required, are good, but it would be helpful if they weren't so expensive.
 
I bought one of those rather expensive 8 socket plug boards shaped like a Toblerone about 20 years ago and it didn't seem to make much difference. It was nearly half the price of the Audio Analogue pre/power combo I had.

It seems to make a difference with my current rig which is a lot more pricey so remains. It also cures the faint hum I had plugging the amps directly in to the wall sockets.
 
Martyn Miles said:
That’s very likely.
I once once asked to fit two new phono plugs to a Chord interconnect cable.
Bright orange with some trendy writing and directional arrows on the outside sleeving.

On cutting back this sleeving I found some standard grey sleeving underneath.
Just standard cable.
After fitting the phonos I fitted some heat shrink.

I didn’t have the heart to tell the owner.
After all, he’d paid a premium for this special cable...
Click to expand...

I can well imagine this to be true. I would expect quite a bit of exotic cable manufacturers just experiment with samples of cable available out there and once they like one, they price it by x 50 or 100 etc get the reels made-up without any markings or scratch off the markings and put a nice new sheathing over it.
 
White Zombie said:
Are these expensive power blocks just snake oil stuff? Always considered getting something a bit more expensive than my standard 4 plug strip from B&Q. Is it just the exact same thing in sturdier and fancier looking casing?
Click to expand...

Get one on sale or return and try it for yourself. The only way you will know if its for you or not.

For me, yes my IfI was an improvement , same with my Cardas mains cables.

https://hifipig.com/ifi-power-station-mains-purifier/
 
White Zombie said:
Are these expensive power blocks just snake oil stuff? Always considered getting something a bit more expensive than my standard 4 plug strip from B&Q. Is it just the exact same thing in sturdier and fancier looking casing?
Click to expand...

I guess it all depends on whether the internal design of the socket is any different to any other BS 1363 socket for the UK. I don't know how stringent this standard is or whether there is much scope to change it and remain compliant. I suppose it would be possible to make a better socket, but I don't know if any of them actually are, and even if they were whether it would make any difference. I am doubtful.
 
Who has experience with power strips with filters?
I've heard they can reduce the dynamics in the music, which I wouldn't like at all.
 
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