What's this?

Carl, it's not a Naim product -- it's made by music line, the German distributor. If memory serves me right, it doesn't have any screw connections on the inside (to minimize insertion loss).

It's good, but not as good as the POWERIGEL ;-)

Thomas

Hi Carl,

It does excist and got a rave review in a German HiFi magazine.

I ordered exactly the same Naim 'mainsblock' (as it's discribed at Phonologic, the Dutch Naim distributor)about two months ago for 45,- euro, from a Dutch Naim dealer.
All I can say is that it is an improvement over my old El Cheap 'Gamma' mainsblock, I used for (too) many years.
(which costed about 2,- euro)

My amp and CDP sound at their best when connecter right into the wallsocket.
When using the Naim mainsblock in between I didn't hear any loss in soundquality, which I take as a compilement.
When using the old el cheapo block again, the soundstage is not as open/transparent, and it's less detailed.
As if their's a thin curtain hanging in front of the speakers.

regards,
Alco

I would imagine at most this is a naim approved power supply.

Naim do Hydra which is in effect X number of wires spliced together which is not that picture.

Suffice to say I am sure we would have all heard more on it if it was coming out of the naim factory.

It's working better than other power blocks, which are 5 times its price. The cable is a naim power cord.

I did not test a music works power block.

Emil

Thanks all for the replies. Thomas, Thanks for the info (and BTW your 52 is doing great with its new adoptive parents), but could you tell me what a Powerigel is? Also from Music Line?

Alco, I'm also using a 2 EUR 'Gamma' block (on a +/-1950 electrical installation - rented house, as usual ) and it's good to know I could get such a thing for 45 EUR from a Phonologic dealer (same one distributing here, south of the Moerdijk).

It also says something about "eBay craziness" because the auction just ended at ... 45.50 EUR (+ 7.5 EUR postage...).

BTW your 52 is doing great with its new adoptive parents

Excellent, good to hear that. I had the 282 for two weeks, and while it bettered the 52 in many respects it wasn't as involving and as transparent as the 52 sound I was used to, so I bit the bullet and got a 252.

The 252 is sounding quite excellent and contrary to what some have reported, it boogies just as much as (if not more than) the 52, with a number of added, very delectable attributes.

could you tell me what a Powerigel is? Also from Music Line?

Yes, it's this thing. I think the Brits refer to this type of distributor as a hydra. Improved *every* aspect of my system's performance.

Thomas

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Originally posted by garyi:
Naim do Hydra which is in effect X number of wires spliced together which is not that picture.

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Um (cough) -- actually I think Grahams' do Hydrae -- and very effective they are too, IMHO. Using actual Naim mains cables, you lose nothing, and they have the distinct advantage of being physically small, so in a suspended floor situation you can get most of them under the floorboards which makes quite a big difference to overall practicality. You couldn't do that with the "hedgehog", which looks a bit Roy Gregory to me...

Best;

Mark

would a Hydra or the German hedgehog still make sense if one is building a house which will have a dedicated mains spur and twelve wall sockets (six used for equipment and six used to cure possible future attacks of upgraditis )?

Yes, I would think either of them would potentially be an improvement, because they would both eliminate large number of plug pin/socket interfaces. The Hydra is the low-risk option, as it uses Naim mains cable. About UKP90 for a six-way, IIRC. If you start with a smaler one and later upgrade, Grahams' can be persuaded to swap it for the difference in price (according to rumour!)

Best;

Mark

Thanks Mark,

I'll contact Grahams to see if they also make the Hydra with plugs for normal human beings - you know, those who count in meters, eat edible food and have mains plugs which correspond to an international standard (but who nevertheless remain grateful to the stubborn inhabitants of a certain island ... for having invented Proper HiFi in the first place!).

quote:

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If you start with a smaler one and later upgrade, Grahams' can be persuaded to swap it for the difference in price (according to rumour!)

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Just called Grahams (and yes they do supply it with 'continental' plugs). It's preferable to have the Hydra with as many outputs as the exact number of Naim items requiring power you have, which is why as Mark mentions you may need to upgrade it sometimes (whenever you add a Naim item). They won't reimburse 100% of the original price though, more like 60% (or perhaps I wasn't persuasive enough ). Costs around 75 £ for a five-way, add around 7 £ for each additional input required.

Regards,
Carl