Plug adapter to UK 3 PIN Plug

Indeed, BS546 plugs (typically unfused) certainly can be compliant with UK regs as long as the roundpin sockets are shuttered (the original sockets weren’t) and the circuit is appropriately protected/switched , but not recommended for general domestic or commercial use for safety reasons as you state... the idea of the plug fuse is to provide a degree of protection for when the cable to the appliance is damaged and shorted..The vast majority of general pupose mains plugs and sockets in the UK use BS 1363 rectangular pin sockets and fused plugs... and I think that really applies also to the vast majority if not all Naim appliances, and of course in the UK Naim appliances are provided with a fitted BS1363 (fused) plug.

 standard uk  plugs/cables must be protected by a fuse connected in the live // period

Please provide  correct information unless you are stating it as your personal recommendation..  it could confuse for those that have use cases that don’t match the one you are thinking of ... and it’s live and neutral in the UK.. not live and period.

As you can see from legislation.gov.uk 

The Plugs and Sockets (etc) Safety Regulations 1994 [1994 no. 17768] states provisions for BS546 (un fused round pin plugs), BS1362 (fused three pin rectangular plugs), BS4573 (un fused two pin reversible plugs) plus others...

The legislation requires that a plug contains a fuse, or is accompanied by a fused link.. the latter would apply to non BS1362 options above...

This is largely immaterial as Naim provide a three pin, BS1362, correctly fused plug on their products or as approved accessories. It is these that are to be used with Naim as opposed to other valid U.K. plug options...

I ended up buying a standard SR power cable plug end being a Schuko F type 7/7.

I also sourced a goo quality adapter with is also fused.

My question is how do i determine which pin is live and neutral, i have emailed the company (awaiting a response), but a Google search is quite confusing as non 7/7 types pretty much all say polarity is not an issue, but that is in the foreign market context.

Obsydian posted: 

My question is how do i determine which pin is live and neutral, i have emailed the company (awaiting a response), but a Google search is quite confusing as non 7/7 types pretty much all say polarity is not an issue, but that is in the foreign market context.

You really should not be playing around with this as you clearly don't know what you're doing. 

The best solution by far is not to use an adaptor & have a professional electrician fit a UK stnd 13A plug.

You would need an induction pen - I found this to be a vital piece of kit  for the tool roll when travelling around Europe visiting dealers.  Whether you got it one way or the the other, the most important thing was that in any given system, everything had their mains leads the same way.

However, as Mike advises above, and has been advised here by myself earlier, best have a proper UK plug fitted and avoid an adaptor.

I’m afraid I agree with Mike. If you want to spend money on a better mains connection then go for a Powerline or a Powerline Lite.

best

David

Isn’t live always brown, and neutral blue? 

HH, the European Schuko plug can be inserted two different ways, so live and neutral can be easily reversed. 

There are only two orienations and presumably one cable so listen to both and mark the best sounding, if you can hear a difference.

hungryhalibut posted:

Isn’t live always brown, and neutral blue? 

Only with cables made to the UK standard.   In USA (for e.g.) the live can be red or black & the neutral can be white or grey.  

Tried the Powerlines and Chord - the SR is the one i want, i do have an induction somewhere , as mentioned earlier for reasons and benefits of the OEM cable i prefer to leave it intact and use an adapter. Note first time round i did pay for a dog's mess UK terminated version.

Also hoping the OEM advises the correct polarity as they are hand made.

Mike-B posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

Isn’t live always brown, and neutral blue? 

Only with cables made to the UK standard.   In USA (for e.g.) the live can be red or black & the neutral can be white or grey.  

When i opened the Uk version they supplied it was indeed RED for live, but the neutral and earth where just black.

Obsydian posted:

...

My question is how do i determine which pin is live and neutral, i have emailed the company (awaiting a response), but a Google search is quite confusing as non 7/7 types pretty much all say polarity is not an issue, but that is in the foreign market context.

The IEC 10A C13 connector has defined Line and Neutral contacts - look that up and then use a continuity tester (or a torch and a couple of pieces of wire) to trace which is connected to which pin.

OR try it each way round and see which sounds best.

Obsydian posted:

Mike-B posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

Isn’t live always brown, and neutral blue? 

Only with cables made to the UK standard.   In USA (for e.g.) the live can be red or black & the neutral can be white or grey.  

When i opened the Uk version they supplied it was indeed RED for live, but the neutral and earth where just black.

Black for both N & E  !!!  you cannot be serious.    It seems to not comply with anything,  

Why this obsession with this particular cable ??  are you kidding yourself its doing something out of the ordinary ??  have you actually heard it before you bought it ???    Its a friggin' power cable & a very doubtful dodgy one at that,  it doesn't do anything different over what an ordinary bit of wire will do,  junk it. 

Huge posted:

Obsydian posted:

...

My question is how do i determine which pin is live and neutral, i have emailed the company (awaiting a response), but a Google search is quite confusing as non 7/7 types pretty much all say polarity is not an issue, but that is in the foreign market context.

The IEC 10A C13 connector has defined Line and Neutral contacts - look that up and then use a continuity tester (or a torch and a couple of pieces of wire) to trace which is connected to which pin.

OR try it each way round and see which sounds best.

Thanks HUGE will try, still looking for my induction pen.

Just had the adapter delivered, it is very good, grounded and 13A fuse fitted, fits the cable solid and perfect. Was a Brennenstuhl Earthed Travel Adapter.

Awaiting to hear from SR as can't find induction pen, failing that as HUGE says, will try one way, then the other.

The idea of running one’s hifi through a £4.20 travel adaptor seems bizarre. 

Actually you can buy it for £2.39......

i think it’s time to stop following this thread.

best

David

Was better than the £29 HiFi Choice recommended adapter.

if you're going to persist with this cable surely a loose, wobbly adaptor isn't the way forward ?

I know you've tried several UK plugs, but did you try the Furotech 1363 or MS HD Power MS-328 (http://www.mshdpower.com/produ...328&model=MS-328)  ? both of these should take the cable as you described it on page 1 of the thread, but you obviously need to identify live, neutral and earth (a torch bulb, battery and some wire should do it). 

[Or consider, as it doesn't meet EU or British standards for core colours discarding it in the nearest skip, with plugs removed. Only partially joking - safety is more important than sound every day. There must be equal, or better, out there which do meet regs/ common sense]

SR confirmed the live and neutral, with a very clear annotated picture taken at their assembly station. The neutral was black but does have a white strip.

TALLGUY - The HiFi Choice recommended adapter was exactly as you say a wobbly, loose poor connection. The new one is very solid and type and a positive click from the ground.

I did look into the MS plug as it is on the Chord power cable i own, it would have struggled to fit, plus for me altering the plug after the OEM meant their finishing processes including the graphene application would be undone.

I did want the UK plug to work, but as mentioned earlier I tried that route and it was messy.

For £600 you can have a Naim Powerline, complete with wobbly pins in the plug, apparently inspired by those in a bog standard cheapo plug, so you could be onto something here!!

The SR is £1000, with a wobbly audiophile adapter a few marketing buzzwords - £2k 

I'm signing off the thread, thanks all the helpful advice/warnings, time to sit back and enjoy the music.

I can’t help the feeling that graphene in this particular application is another word for snake oil, and even if its trivial change to conductivity does make a difference it would be negated by another set of contacts using an adapter. But if you hear a difference, then that is all that matters as it is your money.