Wireworld Matrix 2 Disappointment
Posted by: rsch on 07 November 2015
Last week i ordered a Matrix 2 6 Schuko sockets power block.
I was using a pretty mundane Vimar plastic 5 Schuko socket strip with Klimo fixed cord.
Reading some reviews on this forum I was expecting a mild improvement at least.
However conntecting my Powerlines with the same order 1 Hi:Cap 2 555PSU, 3 Nap 250, 4 Napsc.
Connection from power strip to wall socket was done with standard Nap 250 cord.
After a couple of cd i did not notice improvements whatsoever, on the contrary i had the impression that
something was lost.
Talking with the Italian distributor, he was not so much surprised, he also told me that Matrix 2 is not
actaully a star wired design but it has a sort of copper rails inside.
Alternatively, he suggested me an Acoustic Revive power block,if i wanna get a real improvement
but you know at 4k euro or 2.7k euro at least for an ex demo, for now i think it's better to splash this sort
of money on a black box upgrade.
Today i just collected another Powerline for the Napsc, the only still standard, i' m really
curious whether it' ll make any difference.
Regards
Roberto
My very first WW block fell apart after a few years due to a design fault, but I managed to get the replacement version free of charge, so I used that. It is definitely not star-earthed inside, but later ones may be.
The main thing is not the earth in fact but the actual mains-carrying conductors inside the block. A power supply has a diode that turns on and off spiking many amps in bursts into a low-impedance load and that is where most noise comes from in a HiFi. How you arrange all the cables so that the noise injected into the mains by normal operation of your equipment is what determines some of the 'sound' you get in the end.
There are of course noises injected from outside the HiFi that need to be reduced, but the reason mains-leads make such an important impact is because they are closest to the source of the main noise-injection - the bridge rectifiers in the equipment.
In any case I tried star-earthed blocks and circular ring-connected mains-wiring blocks - the latter was 'nice' but muddled the low frequencies to my ears. A linear-connected block allows one to impose selected order on the sequence and I found that works best for me - so far! 
I definitely think there are better blocks about - I've not got round yet to investigating and finding one, so the WW one I have works well enough in meantime.
DB
Some prefer the sequence one way around- some the other.
I found getting the Power Amps first (at the wall) in line to mains and then daisy-chaining away along the block with sources at end gave a cleaner more open and relaxed sound with better low-level detail.
The other way around seems preferred by many, but I found it rather too 'busy-intense' and 'in my face' with muddled bass and the performance not presenting coherent whole. Exciting, but fatiguing for me.
When Naim visited to install the Statement Pre they stayed to listen for an hour and were remarking on how the bass response was exceptional and they had never heard the S800 do that before, so my sequence can't have been too awful! 
Main thing is it is easy to try and see which you prefer.
DB.
In any system there can be things that work well in one system and not so well in another. In either system they do the right thing, but not in the other.
For example: a system with greater low-frequency extension may have demands that one which does not place those demands does not have on it.
Or another good example is the use of 'empty fraim shelves'. On some systems these give a clearer sound and work well, but when I tried them I hear an awful ringing sound from the un-loaded glass shelf which goes when something suitable is placed on it, so I tend not to use these. Some is personal preference and some is the system capabilities and resolution.
My plug-in placement is based initially on engineering then on listening that it actually worked. The Power Amps are the only boxes that are not operating in 'class A'. Class A which means they draw a constant current from the power supply - but the Power Amps are 'class AB' which means they mostly don't draw constant current, and in fact draw a dynamic current correlated to the music demands into the speaker.
Placing these at the wall gives them the lowest impedance path to draw their current from the mains and hence also reduces voltage drops on the mains as their power-supply regulators turn on and off cutting into the mains waveform at the peaks. You can see this on a scope if you look. Placing the other stuff away from all that noise by a few mains leads seems to filter-out some harshness - and the lower voltage drops interfere less with the source and Pre supplies.
When you put the Power Amp at the end downstream of the sources you superimpose these drops directly onto the other upstream supplies.
But in fact only your ears reveal what you prefer, so none of this matters once you find what gives a pleasing result for you!
DB.
In any system there can be things that work well in one system and not so well in another. In either system they do the right thing, but not in the other.
For example: a system with greater low-frequency extension may have demands that one which does not place those demands does not have on it.
Or another good example is the use of 'empty fraim shelves'. On some systems these give a clearer sound and work well, but when I tried them I hear an awful ringing sound from the un-loaded glass shelf which goes when something suitable is placed on it, so I tend not to use these. Some is personal preference and some is the system capabilities and resolution.
My plug-in placement is based initially on engineering then on listening that it actually worked. The Power Amps are the only boxes that are not operating in 'class A'. Class A which means they draw a constant current from the power supply - but the Power Amps are 'class AB' which means they mostly don't draw constant current, and in fact draw a dynamic current correlated to the music demands into the speaker.
Placing these at the wall gives them the lowest impedance path to draw their current from the mains and hence also reduces voltage drops on the mains as their power-supply regulators turn on and off cutting into the mains waveform at the peaks. You can see this on a scope if you look. Placing the other stuff away from all that noise by a few mains leads seems to filter-out some harshness - and the lower voltage drops interfere less with the source and Pre supplies.
When you put the Power Amp at the end downstream of the sources you superimpose these drops directly onto the other upstream supplies.
But in fact only your ears reveal what you prefer, so none of this matters once you find what gives a pleasing result for you!
DB.
Interesting, Darke Bear. I had not thought about the impact of dynamic current draw from a "noise on the power line" perspective as you described. I wonder if this could account in part for the improved sound of the new DR power amps? Do they produce less "spiking" noise?
And, yes, it makes sense to listen and trust you ears. As an engineer, I can over think things but still miss an "optimum" solution because my mental model is wrong or insufficient.
Charlie
The DR supply may have better 'line rejection' as well as 'load regulation', so may reduce the impact a bit more. As power Amps bite into the peak mains then the voltage everything else gets to see is also reduced, so the voltage upstream of the regulator drops - some of that will get through the regulator, as line rejection is never infinite, so always good to try to reduce it to begin with.
I hope when I eventually get my set of 500 Amps DR updated they will be so much improved it won't matter any more! But at present it is easy to hear and worth getting right I found. I know it annoys people who 'know' without trying that this is all rubbish. 
DB.
Interesting, the power amp first is the ONE only configuration I have not tried. Just received second pair of jumpers from Dynamique Audio to test on my Fact 12s and am desperately trying to get them burned in, as they are showing early signs of greatness. I will indeed try proposed sequence when things are settling and shall report back asap. Bonkers game this really! 
ATB Peter
Hi DB and Michael.
Sadly the configuration with the 500 first in my MM block made my system sound too laid back and loosing its magical presence. I have reverted back to my original lay out and hey system is sounding pretty damn good with my new Dynamique Audio jumpers.
Cup of coffee, legs up and some good blues, thankfully it's Friday afternoon! ATB Peter