The Mains Supply to my Hi-Fi, where do I start?

Much has been written about the mains supply with regards to Hi-Fi. As far back as the 1970’s  it was muted that mains cables can make the sound better but to one took notice or believed it. How can 1 or 2 metres of mains cable possibly make a difference when the electricity has travelled 100’s of miles on pylons across the air from the power generating station? Often mis-understood, the UK mains supply is polluted, read this article about the mains issues to begin to understand why it is absolutley essential to address the mains before you do anything else to your Hi-Fi system.

To achieve a significant up-grade in sound quality (not just altering the sound for the worse but actually improving your musical enjoyment) a few simple alterations to your mains supply will reap enormous benefits. A dedicated mains spur is often discussed on Hi-Fi forums and in magazines but it is not always practical. Many audiophiles live in flats and or rented accommodation or have wooden or concrete floors where cables cannot be run, there is also the issue of the WAF (wife acceptability factor) and other reasons to make a HI-Fi mains spur a non starter. For those of us who can install one my advise is very simple, first call your electrician and ask him to do a site survey, once he has confirmed it is possible to carry out the work then purchase a simple mains unit with 2 spurs and some heavy duty 3 core shielded mains cable. Your electrician will install the unit and run the cable through the walls and terminate it near your hifi, the cable should ideally be connected to a good quality single or double UK wall socket, Mains Cables R Us have plenty in stock starting at only £15.00.

A dedicated mains spur need not be complicated, if funds are limited less expensive cable can be used and the existing wall socket utilized, I do however recommend un-switched wall sockets if possible and some form of plating to the internal rails to prevent oxidation and improve electrical conductivity. If funds are not a limiting factor I have a special in-wall cable that uses Furukawa UP-OCC wire and sells for £100 per metre. Used with the Furutech FP-1363 Rhodium wall socket a formidable partnership is obtained that will literally take your Hi-Fi to another level.

If a dedicated mains spur is not possible for whatever reason start at the wall which in most households is where your Hi-Fi system receives it’s fuel from (electricity), like the fuel powering your car, you would not run it using dirty or polluted petrol so making sure you system receives a clean supply of power is fundamental in getting the best performance from your Hi-Fi.

There are a limited amount of options when installing a new mains wall socket as the UK specification for houses dictates one size of back box so all conforming UK mains wall sockets must fit this space. Mains Cables R Us have plenty to choose from so help is at hand. Even the most modestly priced MCRU socket will improve over the existing switched socket.

It may be that you already have a dedicated mains spur already and a good quality audiophile wall socket, the title of this blog is “where do I start”, if the wall has been addressed then we must next look at what comes next.

Typically most hi-fi systems involve at least 2 components and a set of loudspeakers. So for even a minimalist system there would be a cd player and an amplifier both requiring mains power, the simplest solution for such a system would be to connect both components via a double wall socket, but what happens when the system expands and a 3rd or 4th item is added, then we have to look more closely at a mains distribution system. There are thankfully many solutions to this problem ranging from a simple 6 gang mains block to a full mains filtration/conditioning system like the Isotek Titan. There are more exotic ways to power your equipment such as mains regeneration systems and balanced mains transformers but the author has heard some of these and is of the opinion that a good mains filtration system will give the best performance for the money.

To prove that a good mains block need not cost the earth, the mains cables r us silver plated 6 gang mains block was recently well reviewed in Hi-Fi World by David Price who heartily recommended it. It costs £65 with 1 metre of quality cable attached to a silver plated UK mains plug, perfect for experiencing what up-grading the mains can do for your system. If you need more than 6 sockets or feel that spending more will yield better results then you are correct. There are various options available and all will help to reveal further details in your favourite music, proven by customer feedback. As with all mains up-grades some are system specific but careful attention to this very important area will help your hi-fi to reach it’s full potential.

Need any more help or information on The Mains Supply?  E-mail The Mains Man anytime at david@mains-cables-r-us.co.uk

Coming next…choosing a mains lead