Power first not source!!
Posted by: Claus-Thoegersen on 18 August 2018
My latest unwanted upgrades has been all about power, and I am more and more leaning to a view of that source first is dead unless the source is the first powwer cable and your mains block. After a demo at Ansuz acoustics over a year ago, I changed mains block from Isotek to Mainz8D from Ansuz, and that was an improvement. Last year my dealer had a Ansuz Mainz Ceramic power cable, at a very good price. So the powerline used from the wall socket was changed with the Ceramic cable, proving that the first power cable is the most important one. 2 months back I was at Ansuz again with a group of my Friends, all of them have Naim gear and Audiovector speakers. At that time I heard the new Mainz models, and decided I would try a home demo of the mainz8 c2, even though the idea of spending so much on a power block is hard to justify rationally. When we changed the mainz8 to the c2 model, something strange happened. We had to turn down the volume to listen to the music at the same volume as before. How a passive block can make your system play louder at the same volume setting is really strange. Of course it was not only louder also better, like a box upgrade, and one of the serious upgrades.
Well this should be it I thought, but a few of mhy friends that was at the Ansuz demo, also wanted to see what Darkz could do under speakers and racks, and play around with power cables.
My dealer is sometimes able to get a good deal on the Ansuz products but it is still really expensive! Well I had the power cables I needed so no financial problems with a demo, where you spend other people's money, d listen to music and drink beer. That was until my dealer started to change the standard power cables from the Mainz block to the supercap for the 282 in the system, and afterwards also the Hicap used for the Snaxo used with Audiovector sr6. It was clear that this also was a huge improvement.
Ok so I suddenly needed 2 new power cables for my 2 supercaps since the powerlines now surely sounded terribly broken! Unfortunately it did not stop there! My dealer suggested we should try a Mainz d2 cable from the wall instead of the c2 modelled that was used. Everybody agreed that we could try this but nobody would ever even think about buying this cable, not even at a good price. 30 minutes later my friend decided that it would be impossible to remove the cable and go back to the old c2 instead.
All of us at this demo yesterday agree that had somebody suggested that we would spend more money on power cables and mains blocks than on our pre and source, we would have dismissed it as madness.
The only problem is that all 3 of us are going to do that anyway if we can find the money for it.
I was able to get another c2 cable yesterday, so this afternoonI spend time playing music and then changing the powerline on my 252 with the c2 cable. The improvement was bigger than on my friends 282, I would say much bigger. This is probably because of the Mainz8 c2, compared to one of the smaller Mainz models my friend is using, or it could be because the supercap just makes the 252 even better than the 282?
If you look at the Danish ansuz prices, a c2 power cable and the c2 Mainz8 block cost close to what the nd555 cost, without power supplies!!! However everybody with bigger systems really should try to demo these Ansuz products! it may very well change your upgrade path plans!
Claus
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Octa_dyn
I really love the Raidho and Aavik combo (I know this is a Naim thread) but these cables and power distribution really brought my system up to the Next Level. I think this stuff would bring anyones system up a few notches and I feel folks might now realize how good their existing setup sounds. Yes there are far from inexpensive but in my setup for example for me to get Aavik mono's (huge step up) from the U300 I would have to pay approx 4 or 5 times the price I paid to the U300 even if I got what I paid for the U300 in trade. Not to mention all the additional cables I would need. LOL
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Octa_dyn
Claus see if your dealer can borrow the A2 and C2 since he is close. On the other hand IMO if he heard the V2 cables he may not want them for fear he may not sell the originals. 
Just my opinion after hearing both in my system.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Claus-Thoegersen
Claus see if your dealer can borrow the A2 and C2 since he is close. On the other hand IMO if he heard the V2 cables he may not want them for fear he may not sell the originals. Just my opinion after hearing both in my system.
We are buying the last of his D cables, so he has no problems selling them at the prices he can offer. I would never be able to pay the regular price for a D2 or that is even with what it bringsto my system I would not be able to convince myself and my bank that it should be done. Also as you wrote a Niam system mixed with Ansuz cables is a terribel expensive system. I also believe after hearing the C cables on the power supplies that chaging from Powerline to C cables will improve the system more in the end. At the demo Friday we were all amazed by what the C cable did on the highcap used for my friends Snaxo, and after I changed the powerline on my 252 supercap I am convinced that getting C cables on all my power supplies makes mmuch more sense in terms of sq than I would have believed.
Claus
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by JanÅ
Sorry but I’m not going to pay ND555 prices for mains products
Exactly how we all feel about it, but you should try to hear these Ansuz products, nobody likes to spend this money on wires and a box, but people end up doing it anyway because of the sq you get for the money.
Claus
Time is money. Not going to audition something I will never buy.
But what if Chord made it?
Not all Chord products are good...
Some are great, some not
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Claus-Thoegersen
Time is money. Not going to audition something I will never buy.
I am glad I see it differently. The time I spend at aa Naim cd 555 and Audiovector r11 was fantastic, and I hope to be able to spend some more time on that. I also hope to spend time with the nd555 my dealer has orderd! I do not regret the day we spend on the Naim factory listening to Statement, the only regret here was that Naim used old Focal speakers that I really disliked! Going to demos with cheap or expensive gear is part of this hobby unless your time really is worth much to you or the person who pays you.
Claus
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by analogmusic
oh I don't know... Having heard Blu2/Dave and the 100K DCS stack, the little 200 USD Audioquest Dragonfly Red and Chord Mojo seem very impressive to me.
Personally mega expensive audio was never interesting to me, I can't afford it, and "everyman" hifi, which lets me enjoy music without giving me financial nightmares (like the Chord Mojo and Dragonfly red) are what enjoyment of music should be all about.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by LarsDK
Off topic - Claus, is your dealer based in Denmark? Mvh Lars (to be sure I am not the Ansuz Lars :-)
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by tonycurran1
I understand the importance of a dedicated spur with good MK sockets
but the power going into that spur very little can be done to improve that as that is the real source or am I missing the point.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by French Rooster
the ansuz block will not transform the dragonfly into chord dave, even if it enables all the possibilities of the dragonfly. So i will tend to say source first and power after.
Of course, without power the source could not exist, but it is not like the hen and the egg logic.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by TOBYJUG
It was once said in the annals of hifi lore that the perfect amplifier was a straight wire with gain. Now we know that one straight wire can sound completely different to another one.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Innocent Bystander
It was once said in the annals of hifi lore that the perfect amplifier was a straight wire with gain. Now we know that one straight wire can sound completely different to another one.
The problem is the wires are rarely straight. Maybe that’s the issue, the electricity leaks out where they bend? 
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by TOBYJUG
the ansuz block will not transform the dragonfly into chord dave, even if it enables all the possibilities of the dragonfly. So i will tend to say source first and power after.
Of course, without power the source could not exist, but it is not like the hen and the egg logic.
It is very much like the hen and egg logic. Only we are looking at very small hens and very small eggs. So small in fact that they are both entangled up in a very small hen and egg fight on a very small microscopic level where everything is both hen and egg at the same time. Not after some considerable time and effort spent searching will you find either one or the other depending on your observational aspect.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Octa_dyn
Everyone has a budget. I understand that but for me this is a hobby I've always loved for the last 54 years. Being close to retirement I want the best I can afford so I can enjoy it. I've reached my max for quite a while. I only jumped in on this thread because I think Ansuz products can greatly improve anyone's system. There are many price points and degrees of improvement if they really enjoy the system they already have.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by French Rooster
the ansuz block will not transform the dragonfly into chord dave, even if it enables all the possibilities of the dragonfly. So i will tend to say source first and power after.
Of course, without power the source could not exist, but it is not like the hen and the egg logic.
It is very much like the hen and egg logic. Only we are looking at very small hens and very small eggs. So small in fact that they are both entangled up in a very small hen and egg fight on a very small microscopic level where everything is both hen and egg at the same time. Not after some considerable time and effort spent searching will you find either one or the other depending on your observational aspect.
the power is source and the source is power. A source without power is not a source, or just a potential source. The phenomenon is what the observer has observed as a phenomenon.....but in Reality the phenomenon doesn’t exist, in buddhism. Perhaps we can invent the philosophical hifi?
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Octa_dyn
French Rooster I would suggest you find an Ansuz dealer and listen to the different products they have. Then come back with your opinion. For many many years I couldn't understand cables making a difference. A little over 15 years ago I bought a AQ Viper IC. I noticed the music was a bit louder at the same level on my volume control. That was the start of it. From there I demoed cables at the low price range and found there were differences. Were they worth it to me at the time? Nope in most cases. But as my system got better over time they made a bigger difference. Especially speaker cables. But even as my equipment got better the speaker cables made the least difference. The differences I experienced were not just at shows but in my home with my system. Except for Lars coming to my home these in home demos were with just my system and me. No one to tell me what I would be hearing.
Toby IMO the examples I gave are not lot little chicken and eggs but some pretty big ones. At the entry levels I would probably agree with you. But at the entry levels you get an increased level of performance allbeit minor. Trying to get the most from what you already own.
I've always said on other forums cables should be your last upgrade once you've finalized your system. The reason is because some cables will just be right where others may not be during an upgrade path. To me Ansuz breaks that thought.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by French Rooster
i am not skeptical about the importance of power cables or mains block. Even the contrary. I will buy later some high end power cords and a main block , probably made by kharma or anzus. But not sure there is an anzus dealer in Paris.
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by GregU
I agree with you on the free beer thing
Power cables, not so much
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Innocent Bystander
I've always said on other forums cables should be your last upgrade once you've finalized your system. The reason is because some cables will just be right where others may not be during an upgrade path. To me Ansuz breaks that thought.
However if, as may very well be the case, the difference dependes on the susceptibility of the equipment it is used with, then the cables would still need to be considered only after the electronics (or at the same time).
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by joerand
I like this topic for two reasons; 1) because I'm more that happy to challenge the source-first adage, and 2) I've found mains cables can have a profound effect on SQ.
Here's the kicker to the OP's premise - I've found cheaper power cables more capable than expensive alternatives. So YES, mains cables matter, but NO, price is no indication of performance.
That said, can price paid affect the perception of performance for some - CERTAINLY!
Posted on: 19 August 2018 by Claus-Thoegersen
Off topic - Claus, is your dealer based in Denmark? Mvh Lars (to be sure I am not the Ansuz Lars :-)
Yes Lydspecialisten in Aalborg, as I wrote more or less on the doorstep of the Ansuz factory.
Posted on: 20 August 2018 by StigO
Anyone tried using Torus Power Isolation Transformers and Naim?
Posted on: 20 August 2018 by pamzz
anyone tried using equitech ??
Posted on: 20 August 2018 by bluedog
the ansuz block will not transform the dragonfly into chord dave, even if it enables all the possibilities of the dragonfly. So i will tend to say source first and power after.
Of course, without power the source could not exist, but it is not like the hen and the egg logic.
It is very much like the hen and egg logic. Only we are looking at very small hens and very small eggs. So small in fact that they are both entangled up in a very small hen and egg fight on a very small microscopic level where everything is both hen and egg at the same time. Not after some considerable time and effort spent searching will you find either one or the other depending on your observational aspect.
the power is source and the source is power. A source without power is not a source, or just a potential source. The phenomenon is what the observer has observed as a phenomenon.....but in Reality the phenomenon doesn’t exist, in buddhism. Perhaps we can invent the philosophical hifi?
I'll have a pint of whatever this guy is drinking please.
Posted on: 20 August 2018 by analogmusic
Statement amplifier ships with Naim powerlines
Since that is what Steve Sells voiced it with, that’s the Referance standard for Naim and also... for me.
Posted on: 20 August 2018 by tonycurran1
So maybe Russ Andrews is not as stupid as a lot make him out to be
i am now going to buy 7 super fuses ar £25 each
