15% improvement

Each time you unplug and re-plug you are cleaning the contact area so keeping performance at an optimum.  Yes, it would appear that plug order can make a difference - try it on a pice of music you know well.  Go with the plug order that allow the piece of music to make most sense and engagement to you. It's fairly subtle but you soon learn what to listen for  and can soon detect fairly reliably.  Don't overdo it though - I find that such critical listening is hard work and fatigue sets in fast and then you're done.

Glad you've sorted out the problems with the speakers in your room and settled on the right layout.

There is nothing like spending a good amount of time getting to know what's what with a room to get a rough idea, and then further tweaks to dial in the hifi and dial out the room.

now for that other 15 %

I understand that unplugging & re-plugging brightens the connections, removing/reducing oxidisation film, this applies to inter connects as well as mains sockets.

I plug in items with highest current draw first ie nearest the supply, although if you have a star connected multi-socket it shouldnt matter.

You only need one unplug and reinsert cycle to clean the contacts of DIN connectors as they use high pressure wiping contacts.

Obviously one doesn't want to be OTT unplugging & plugging back in too many times as surely there is some sort of 'wear & tare' going on too...?

I agree with Huge in that once is most likely enough.

Alba1320 posted:

As for mains plug order when using a radial, it is claimed elsewhere on the 'net that Naim's preference is for the reverse of correct system hierarchy i.e. power amp, PSU, and finally source; when asked, Naim would only say that 'yes, it can make difference', but did not give any recommendation for order, presumably as it may vary depending on circumstances? A case of 'suck it and see'?Although easy to try, it is a bit of pain in terms of buggering up your painstaking cable dressing.  

This is the one bit of hifi tweakery I could never cope with. I tried a music works mains block once and after a few hours changing the order I gave up and went back to a Grahams hydra. The current system has only two mains leads, and they plug into the double unswitched socket on the end of the dedicated radial; a perfect solution for me. 

Stephen Tate posted:

Obviously one doesn't want to be OTT unplugging & plugging back in too many times as surely there is some sort of 'wear & tare' going on too...?

I agree with Huge in that once is most likely enough.

The insertion life for Prehkeytek DIN sockets when mated with their own DIN plugs is 500 insertion cycles (this is one of the longer life DIN sockets available).

So if you unplug and re-plug them 10 times every six months they'll last 25 Years on average.  However there's also a considerable margin of uncertainty in this, some could fail in as little as 1/3 that time, so you're running a small risk of a socket failure in 8 1/2 years.  If using DIN plugs from other manufacturers, the life is then unpredictable and can be much shorter.

And all this risk is for no gain over using just one cleaning cycle!

or just sit back and enjoy your tunes....

If one is going to clean mains contacts - how far does one go? .... device plug and socket, mains plug and socket, RCD / MCB for each radial / ring, master mains switch and utility distribution substation circuit breaker ... yada yada yada Logically each one logically will  have a bearing - with perhaps the utility distribution circuit breaker being undetectable 

Hungryhalibut posted:

This is the one bit of hifi tweakery I could never cope with. .............     

...............  I have 4 mains plugs into a power board with 3 unswitched double sockets,   but I have the sockets wired in a ring circuit.  What order do I plug them in ???    

I'm with you - plugging and unplugging everything a few times twice a year makes a real difference. As does good cable dressing and general attention to detail. 

And then you have the 'mechanical' switches on the boxes themselves - Come to think of it, with all those many different 'mechanical' connection points in a system, there is a massive potential for insertion loss throughout!

When you know the system is singing like a bird and one will know when it is, leave well alone is my advice, do not disturb! 

Mercury's in retrograde.... So everyone just stop fiddling with those plugs, someone might get hurt. Put those feet up and enjoy what's given.

cheers.