The Mains, A Guide To Getting The Best Sound From Your Hi-Fi (Part 1)

The Problems.
How many times have you sat back in your favorite listening chair around midnight or the early hours and noted just how spectacular your hi-fi system sounds? Then have you noticed how the sound deteriorates early evening? What you’re hearing is not just your system, but the mains supply. The bad news is, things are going to get much worse, but there is something you can do to get that ‘Midnight’ sound all of the time. Know Your Enemy!

What you’re fighting in your mains system is not just one problem, but a number of problems, all of which affect the sound of your system. The first problem is earthing, or rather a lack of. In older homes, or homes that haven’t been rewired for the last 20 or more years, it is not unusual to find that your earth is very poor. This can manifest itself as background hash during inter-transient silences, haziness around your images on the sound stage and sometimes glassiness to the midrange and high frequencies. The abundance of low voltage switch mode power supplies especially in PC’s, Microwaves, Fridges etc. also do a lot of damage to mains integrity and deteriorate sound quality still further.

Further problems in the mains can be found due to the age of the mains grid itself. Quite simply much of the equipment in the National Grid is old, and it’s operating efficiency is not what it used to be. Furthermore the ability of this equipment to deliver tightly regulated 230V / 50 Hz mains is deteriorating. It should also be noted that when the overhead power lines used today were originally installed, the air did not contain the RFI and EMI as it does now, hence the power, before it reaches the substations, is already polluted. We have mainly mobile phone masts to thank for that.

Due to current regulations the voltage delivered to your home can be as much as + 10% to -5% and this in itself can severely affect the ability of a power amp or A/V receiver to meet it’s specifications. The result is voltage that can swing between 223V and 253V. What is worse is your supplier doesn’t have to do anything about it. Today’s homes and offices also have far more low voltage equipment in them than ever before. The power supplies which drive these devices (like those in an audio system) only use the top and bottom of the sine wave to actually power them. Therefore the hypothetical 50Hz Sine Wave that should be coming out of your socket would, on an oscilloscope, actually have its peaks and troughs flattened off as it’s these peaks and troughs that drive devices that use switch mode power supplies found in so many devices today.

The next problem is the insidious duo of EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) and RFI (Radio Frequency Interference). This pair are also on the rise with their crimes getting grander by the year. Mobile phones, wireless LAN’s, digital radio and digital satellite TV broadcasting all attack your mains. The aforementioned offenders cause a hideous soup of RFI that your mains just loves to transmit into your audio equipment.

Finally there is a problem of relationship counselling between components across the mains – with many digital components throwing all kinds of noise straight back into the mains supply that then drives your analogue components. This is like having an EMI & RFI source right next to your analogue components. Your Saviours!

The Solutions.
It is only in the last few years that the damage which all this mains pollution can do to the final sound of your audio and home cinema system has been recognized and addressed. Fortunately there are many solutions to help deal with mains problems, these range from correct dressing of cables, to highly sophisticated mains regenerators, costing several thousand pounds, which literally give you your own power station in your listening room. In between these two extremes are a variety of mains filters, isolation transformers and mains cables, all of which when used appropriately can yield a big improvement in the sound and performance of your system disproportionate to the costs involved.

If location and budget allows the first essential is to fit a dedicated mains spur to power your hifi only. This is simply a separate run of cable from your home consumer unit to a dedicated wall socket near to your hifi. Consult your electrician if considering this option as all work of this nature has to be undertaken by a professional. We recommend the cables below for any dedicated mains spur.

1. MCRU 4mm shielded cable £9.95 per metre
2. MCRU 6mm shielded cable £14.95 per metre
3. MCRU 10mm shielded cable £19.95 per metre
4. Furutech FP-S20N shielded cable £40 per metre
5. Oyaide EE-F/S2 V2 shielded cable £55 per metre
6. Furutech FP-S35N shielded cable £75 per metre

The cables listed above cover most budgets, the more spent the better performance due to quality of materials. For termination to a double wall socket (recommended) we have available the following which we consider audiophile quality and suitable for systems of any level.

1. MS HD Power silver plated double wall socket
2. MS HD Power gold plated double wall socket
3. MS HD Power rhodium plated double socket
4. Furutech FP-1363D Gold plated double socket
5. Furutech FP-1363D rhodium plated double socket

Fitting a dedicated mains spur brings considerable sonic benefits and will be the first step to recognizing that the mains should be the first port of call when installing any hifi system. Once the spur is installed the next step is to add mains conditioning which will filter out common mode noise which is present in all domestic electrical systems often referred to as RFI. RFI comes from radio waves which is used to carry wifi signals, imagine how much data is being transmitted through the air each day from smart phones, tablets and routers. Hifi cables pick up this RFI because if un-shielded they will act as aerials transmitting this interference into your hifi system. If a mains conditioner is not possible or practical we recommend at the very least a quality audiophile grade mains extension block wired with shielded and screened cable. Our recommendations are below.

1. MCRU 6 gang audiophile block £85
2. MCRU aluminium lined 6 gang block £215
3. IsoTek EVO3 Polaris Mains Block £295
4. IsoTek EVO3 Sirius Mains Block £495
5. IsoTek EVO3 Aquarius Mains Conditioner £1195
6. IsoTek EVO3 Sigmas Mains Conditioner £2295

At the very high end mains regeneration should be seriously considered as the modern units available today can build a completely new mains sine wave to power your equipment such as the IsoTek EVO3 Genesis.

If you cannot fit a dedicated mains spur then at least use an audiophile quality mains wall socket like the Furutech FP-1363., this will improve conductivity and because it is un-switched with no on/off lights will also prevent further ingress of RFI into the mains system.

Once a suitable mains extension block or mains conditioner has been decided upon the most important mains cable in the entire system after the mains spur cable is the power lead going from the wall to your mains block/conditioner. As we are generalising in this guide and offering solutions for differing budgets and requirements there are many possible solutions all geared towards improving sound quality. If you have invested in an expensive mains conditioner it may be supplied with a quality mains lead, if not one should be purchased to get the best out of the conditioner.

After a dedicated mains spur terminated to a quality wall socket in turn powering a mains filtration block/conditioner the mains leads to power each component should be addressed.

MCRU offer a multitude of mains power leads to suit all budgets and requirements. We recommend keeping the cables all the same brand if possible or using the same type of cable geometry. Some of our most popular models are listed below to suit every budget.

1. MCRU No.14 mains power lead £35
2. MCRU No.11 mains power lead £55
3. IsoTek EVO3 Premier mains lead £99.95
4. MCRU No.5 mains power lead £165
5. IsoTek EVO3 Sequel mains power lead £199.95
6. MCRU No.12 mains power lead £330
7. MCRU Promethius mains power lead £495
8. IsoTek EVO3 Optimum mains power lead £595
9. Tellurium Q Black mains power lead £798
10. MCRU Ultimate mains power lead £997

There are other solutions to mains filtration which we will address in another part of our series, balanced mains transformers and mains regeneration being two subjects for further discussion.

To sum up ….

A dedicated mains spur is relatively easy to install in most homes and will free your music forever.
Always use the best cable within your budget and get a qualified electrician to install it.
Terminate the cable into an audiophile quality wall socket preferably a double as two is better than one.
Consider at the very least an audio grade mains extension block or a mains conditioning unit.
If budget allows power each component with an up-graded mains lead.

Sit in your listening chair and enjoy the music.