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Olson mains block

MichaelC

MichaelC

pfm Member
Routing through the box of bits n pieces I have an unswitched seven way Olson distribution panel, rescued from the comms cabinet. Pat tested. Could this be suitable for the hifi? I note though that it has a separate earth stud and lead with a label stating that it must be used to connect the module to any adjacent metal work and that this metal work must be connected to the building earth. My naive question - is this irrelevant in the domestic environment and can be ignored? Or, is it imperative that this earth lead be connected to? What?

I have already done a quick search which suggests I can ignore this earth lead but I want to be doubly sure.

Thanks
 
Providing this is fitted with standard Earthed UK mains lead or requires similar - yes, you can ignore the stud, it'll be a product of the industrial environment designed-for (equipotential bonding requirements etc)

Olsen is solid kit. Try it. :)
 
I think it's for turntable earthing,
I've used one for years but don't have a turntable,it'll be fine
 
I have a few Sounds Fantastic panels from Olsen.they were bought for me as gifts. I use them with TV and my Hifi. Solid, well made kit.Had them for years.
 
We've used Olsen filtered/spike protected blocks for our computers for quite some time. Great build quality from some very nice people.
I used to use an unfiltered Olsen block re-wired with Supra lorad by Moth for the hi-fi. It took a Nordost QBase8 to significantly better it...

PS: they can make you any combination of plug and socket you care to imagine.
 
uncl_nigel said:
PS: they can make you any combination of plug and socket you care to imagine.
Click to expand...

That’s interesting to know. As I have so much 100V Japanese market kit I was pondering buying a big step down transformer and using it to run a multi-way extension block of Japanese power sockets rather than having one small step-down for each unit.

However, I’ve drawn a blank on multi-way block with Japanese sockets, except for some Chinese ones that look lethal! I might drop them a line...
 
The additional earth lead is for equipotential bonding when it is rack mounted
Internally the case and each socket is earthed so if you wish to use it just as a mains block for your Hifi then you can ignore it.
If you wish to remove the pin just waggle it side to side a few times with a pair of grips and it will drop inside as its only a press fit in the steel case, remove the 6 screws to remove it. I always drill the end (20mm) to to fit a gland so the mains cable is side entry and it can then lay flat on the ground
I have a few of those olsun mains blocks and they are heavy duty and excellent quality mains blocks, I prefer the olsun to my Isotek block
In my Hifi system I use a 10 way one but I also use a 6 way on with my DC blocker
Internally all sockets are individually wired not just relying on brass strips for contact

olsun by Alan Towell, on Flickr
20210107_140906 by Alan Towell, on Flickr
20210107_140615 by Alan Towell, on Flickr

Alan
 
/\ That looks about the same as the Olson multiway I have as one of the extension blocks on my work bench... It came from a rack cabinet as well.
 
337alant said:
The additional earth lead is for equipotential bonding when it is rack mounted
Internally the case and each socket is earthed so if you wish to use it just as a mains block for your Hifi then you can ignore it.
If you wish to remove the pin just waggle it side to side a few times with a pair of grips and it will drop inside as its only a press fit in the steel case, remove the 6 screws to remove it. I always drill the end (20mm) to to fit a gland so the mains cable is side entry and it can then lay flat on the ground
I have a few of those olsun mains blocks and they are heavy duty and excellent quality mains blocks, I prefer the olsun to my Isotek block
In my Hifi system I use a 10 way one but I also use a 6 way on with my DC blocker
Internally all sockets are individually wired not just relying on brass strips for contact

olsun by Alan Towell, on Flickr
20210107_140906 by Alan Towell, on Flickr
20210107_140615 by Alan Towell, on Flickr

Alan
Click to expand...
Love that 10 way block. No longer seems to be listed on their website
 
Thanks for the replies. I’ll deploy it this weekend, and hopefully as part of the process tidy up the cabling for which I am being nagged about!
 
I think you won't go wrong there. Alan's internal pics above show why - frankly Olsen are about as good as it can be for build quality, from a company that stands behind their products and principally supplies all-sorts in large quants to industries - and hence the VFM, and basic stoutness, is stupidly-good (and yes, they will make you a one-off for very little more!)

Simple, bling-free, industrial reliability. I'll take that every time.
 
Looks very good and no bars and thin wires. I have an 8 way Crabtree block connected and grounded inside very similarly to this one, yours looks like with 2.5mm decent wiring? Mine sounds quite good, took a lot more than a basic block to upgrade it - would only suggest to keep account of positioning key source and amps first in the current chain (closest to inlet side).
 
I have one of these in the spare room - bought with a dodgy switch for beer money. RS supplied the switch for a few quid delivered and took 10 mins to fit.
 
MichaelC said:
Routing through the box of bits n pieces I have an unswitched seven way Olson distribution panel, rescued from the comms cabinet. Pat tested. Could this be suitable for the hifi? I note though that it has a separate earth stud and lead with a label stating that it must be used to connect the module to any adjacent metal work and that this metal work must be connected to the building earth. My naive question - is this irrelevant in the domestic environment and can be ignored? Or, is it imperative that this earth lead be connected to? What?

I have already done a quick search which suggests I can ignore this earth lead but I want to be doubly sure.

Thanks
Click to expand...
I have the hospital grade one which is also beautifully put together and will put many branded so called hi-fi grade ones to shame. I also connect the earth pin to a double RA (unswitched) pin which is basically a MK branded ac outlet, but do not really know if this affects the SQ in any way. Anyways i'm very very happy with it and it's one of the very best purchases i've ever made because of it's sheer good VFM.
 
I had two Olsen blocks - again from Comms racks. I still have one behind the TV for the multitude of boxes etc. but my daughter borrowed one previously and managed to spill coffee on it (switched off) then the wife just threw it out.
 
uncl_nigel said:
We've used Olsen filtered/spike protected blocks for our computers for quite some time. Great build quality from some very nice people.
I used to use an unfiltered Olsen block re-wired with Supra lorad by Moth for the hi-fi. It took a Nordost QBase8 to significantly better it...

PS: they can make you any combination of plug and socket you care to imagine.
Click to expand...
I'm in the process of upgrading and re-wiring my 8 way hospital grade one with OCC 2.5mm2 copper combined with the Furutec NCF iec inlet. I'll also be individually wiring the earth points to represent a radially wired one similar to star grounding and will be using a much thicker cable for this. The only problem i see is removing the old iec and doing the cut out on the side for the furutec iec. I have a dremel multitool for this but havent attempted anything like this before so it's possible i might rewire directly with the input cable going directly to the connecting points as in the picture shown and so not use the upgraded iec. Any tips on doing this?
 
hski said:
I'm in the process of upgrading and re-wiring my 8 way hospital grade one with OCC 2.5mm2 copper combined with the Furutec NCF iec inlet. I'll also be individually wiring the earth points to represent a radially wired one similar to star grounding and will be using a much thicker cable for this. The only problem i see is removing the old iec and doing the cut out on the side for the furutec iec. I have a dremel multitool for this but havent attempted anything like this before so it's possible i might rewire directly with the input cable going directly to the connecting points as in the picture shown and so not use the upgraded iec. Any tips on doing this?
Click to expand...
All of mine were delivered ready wired with captive leads and I have never felt the need to undo a screw...
My Supra lorad wired block was re-wired by the people at Moth (the company behind the Moth record cleaning machine). They wired the lord through the existing cable entry plastic gland thing.
http://www.mothgroup.co.uk/products.htm
 
337alant said:
I have a few of those olsun mains blocks and they are heavy duty and excellent quality mains blocks, I prefer the olsun to my Isotek block
Click to expand...

If these are typically £100 or so, and UK made, that looks like exceptional value.

I'd perhaps quibble over whether steel(?) is the optimum material for hifi use, but for the money, and given the standard of construction, I'd probably have to tell myself to 'get real.'
 
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