Balanced Mains Transformer

[ursus262]

Has anyone here used a balanced mains supply on their kit? If so, how did you get on with it and did it improve the sound coming out?

I am only interested in hearing the feedback (so to speak) of those who have actually used one.

Thanks

[jantheman]

You coul have a look here...it may answer your questions.
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11411
On a personal note..I have one but dont really notice any improvement, others say different. I suppose its all to do with the quality of the mains......

[John]

With me I could not really enjoy the music on my system This things difference will very depending on where you live for me a crutial element of my set up

[ursus262]

Thanks Guys. Any other comments?

[Macca]

If you go for the plug and play option let us know how you get on as I am thinking of trying it myself.

[worrasf]

I am only interested in hearing the feedback (so to speak) of those who have actually used one.
Thanks

Hello David,

I posted at http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11411

IMHO the difference was night and day as per my post. A very cost-effective upgrade.

Steve

[ursus262]

Hello David,

I posted at http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11411

IMHO the difference was night and day as per my post. A very cost-effective upgrade.

Steve

Hi Steve

Many thanks for that. That was very helpful. I'm also intrigued: do you use it with a separate conditioner strip, or did you not feel this to be necessary?

I have two Tacima mains strips, and I intend to use one plugged directly into the wall socket (as I do now) for non-earthed components, such as the PVR and TV, but the components critical for sound quality such as the audio hub (actually a Naim Uniti) and a Universal Disc Player will be plugged into the balanced mains transformer.

Dave

[worrasf]

Hi Steve

I'm also intrigued: do you use it with a separate conditioner strip, or did you not feel this to be necessary? Dave

Hi Dave, I also use a Tacima mains strip but only because I already had one - not because I think it's necessary with the BMS :)

I have 2 dedicated wall sockets fed by the BMS. I plug my Merlin mains distribution block into 1 socket which then runs my amps, CD XT se/PSxR and the Tacima is plugged into the second socket which runs all the rest.

Regards
Steve

[ursus262]

Brilliant! Looks like I'm on to a winner :cool:

[ursus262]

BM transformer ordered from Airlink Transformers. It's due for delivery next week. I'll let you know how I get on

[John]

I would also put a decent mains cable going into the transformer This made a even bigger difference in my set up

[Z-A]

Hi all, I'm new here and pleased to say that it appears to be a place of sensible debate and chat, bit more civilised than some other forums, which is partly why i stopped visiting them for the last 18 months..

Anyway, to refer to the post, i do use 2 air-link 2kva (CBS2000) balanced transformers. One feeds my cdp only, the other supplies power to my esl's. My amp is fed direct still. They are fed by good mains leads, in and out, and the mains has been "done". :eyebrows:

The difference i heard was:

Noise floor was almost negligable anyway, but was subsequently very very quiet, which i suspect was why i could hear more crisp detail, space and texture. A cleaner sound if you like. I'd say that the bpt on the speakers made better improvement over the cdp, though if i were rewiring my system i'd install a 'big bugga' that i could happily feed my amps output stage psu's from. Occasionally when the supply voltage drops (i'm assuming?) they hum a bit, not audible when playing music though.

Keep us posted on how you get on with it..

[ursus262]

Hi all, I'm new here and pleased to say that it appears to be a place of sensible debate and chat, bit more civilised than some other forums, which is partly why i stopped visiting them for the last 18 months..

Anyway, to refer to the post, i do use 2 air-link 2kva (CBS2000) balanced transformers. One feeds my cdp only, the other supplies power to my esl's. My amp is fed direct still. They are fed by good mains leads, in and out, and the mains has been "done". :eyebrows:

The difference i heard was:

Noise floor was almost negligable anyway, but was subsequently very very quiet, which i suspect was why i could hear more crisp detail, space and texture. A cleaner sound if you like. I'd say that the bpt on the speakers made better improvement over the cdp, though if i were rewiring my system i'd install a 'big bugga' that i could happily feed my amps output stage psu's from. Occasionally when the supply voltage drops (i'm assuming?) they hum a bit, not audible when playing music though.

Keep us posted on how you get on with it..

Love the avatar... my favourite brew! If it all goes well, I might just join you in a nice chilled Leffe Bruin :cool:

[Ali Tait]

Hi all, I'm new here and pleased to say that it appears to be a place of sensible debate and chat, bit more civilised than some other forums, which is partly why i stopped visiting them for the last 18 months..

Anyway, to refer to the post, i do use 2 air-link 2kva (CBS2000) balanced transformers. One feeds my cdp only, the other supplies power to my esl's. My amp is fed direct still. They are fed by good mains leads, in and out, and the mains has been "done". :eyebrows:

The difference i heard was:

Noise floor was almost negligable anyway, but was subsequently very very quiet, which i suspect was why i could hear more crisp detail, space and texture. A cleaner sound if you like. I'd say that the bpt on the speakers made better improvement over the cdp, though if i were rewiring my system i'd install a 'big bugga' that i could happily feed my amps output stage psu's from. Occasionally when the supply voltage drops (i'm assuming?) they hum a bit, not audible when playing music though.

Keep us posted on how you get on with it..

The occasional hum may be dc offset on the mains.

[Reid Malenfant]

The occasional hum may be dc offset on the mains.
Yes, a voltage drop should cause less hum as there would be less magnetising current. As you point out Ali, more likely to be a more distorted input with possibly some DC component with it ;)

[ursus262]

Well, it arrived today! it's all installed now and is fully on-song. It weights a bloody ton as well.

Initial impressions: the soundstage has widened, and I can hear things that I wasn't aware of before. Dynamic range is increased, and overall the clarity has improved a great deal. My partner heard the difference as well, so we're both pleased.

I am going to leave the transformer on for a few days, as I guess it needs time to run in. Is that the case?

[Reid Malenfant]

I am going to leave the transformer on for a few days, as I guess it needs time to run in. Is that the case?
:eyebrows: It might just be possible, but i can't say i have ever heard of a transformer needing to be run or broken in. Circuitry & components yes, wires so people say though i can't say i have ever noticed a difference :scratch:

It wouldn't do any harm to leave it on permanently unless you are away on holiday for a week or more. The magnetising current will be pretty low so it won't draw much power by itself ;)

[ursus262]

Thanks for that, Mark. It certainly has made a big difference and I'm pleased with it. I'm pleasantly surprised to note that it hardly hums.

All in all, a worthwhile investment.

[Ali Tait]

P
:eyebrows: It might just be possible, but i can't say i have ever heard of a transformer needing to be run or broken in. Circuitry & components yes, wires so people say though i can't say i have ever noticed a difference :scratch:

It wouldn't do any harm to leave it on permanently unless you are away on holiday for a week or more. The magnetising current will be pretty low so it won't draw much power by itself ;)

Definately not my experience Mark. All new transformers I've had in my kit I've noticed an improvement with some hours on.

[Reid Malenfant]

P

Definately not my experience Mark. All new transformers I've had in my kit I've noticed an improvement with some hours on.
While i'm also pretty much of a "subjectivist" i'd love a rational explanaition for that :eyebrows: It's not my experience, not denying you have possibly had one though ;)

It's a coil of wire & steel laminations.... The inductance, capacitance, resistance etc can't change! The laminations can't either :scratch:

Like i say, i can't see how things can change (doesn't mean they don't though).

I'd have thought my system would have shown any differences up pretty easily...

[Ali Tait]

Well I'm currently listening to a new dac Nick has built for me with an output stage using 6n1p's in a PP arrangement with Sowter output transformers. I appreciate the dac board is running in also, but the transformers are too I'm quite certain. Nick concurs he's heard the same thing before.

I have in the past changed output transformers on exiting valve amps of mine and have most definately heard an improvement in sound over time. I'm not sure what is going on either, but I've no doubt the changes exist.

[Reid Malenfant]

Ah, you have components there that could be making a difference?

I'm not saying a transformer might not be better given a bit of a run in, but i can't hear it Ali ;) Yet i have a very revealing system as i know you know. I'm using the same xover but with Beryllium midrange & tweeters..

From 500Hz upwards (don't forget time delay is sorted due to the DCX2496) i somehow think i probably have a much more revealing setup than the Visaton B200 you have there, so i'd expect to hear more of a difference :).

Yet i can't hear any difference in mains transformers unless they are severely oversized! Oversized PSU gives much more of an image as well as scale, maybe we are talking about the same thing but not quite talking the same talk :lolsign:

[Ali Tait]

Mark, I also have a pair of electrostatic speakers. If you know of a speaker that is more transparent than a static, I'd like to hear about it!

Yes, in the case of the dac, I'm saying running in components could account for what I'm hearing, and indeed there is a very large thread on the dac board used in my dac on diyaudio,and many report as much as 200 hrs for break in, but I'm also saying the transformers have a hand in this, as I have in the past changed tx's and nothing else in existing valve kit I have and have noted an improvement over time.

Nick, who has much greater experience of this than I, concurs.

[lurcher]

Well, not saying its happening in this case, but things that could happen:

Laminations settling down into place
Magnetic domains forming in the core
Residual magnetism being removed from the core.
Polar domains in insulation aligning.

[ursus262]

I'd like to share with you all, a bit of wit and wisdom from over at the Naim forum. :)

The perceived improvement over time after replacing transformers or cables is more likely to be a change in the way the brain interprets musical information than due to any burn-in.

This sounds a more sensible explanation to me.

[John]

You know I heard that statement a few times now and whilst it happems I think its not the whole truth
As sometimes these difference are quite obivious

[lurcher]

I'd like to share with you all, a bit of wit and wisdom from over at the Naim forum. :)

The perceived improvement over time after replacing transformers or cables is more likely to be a change in the way the brain interprets musical information than due to any burn-in.

This sounds a more sensible explanation to me.

Maybe, (though I am not sure I understand what it means), it doesn't seem to explain why you sometimes hear a step change when replacing a part.

[Welder]

The thing that leaves me very skeptical about burning in electrical components is they always reportedly sound better and never worse after this process :scratch:

Do the audio equipment manufacturers only use burnt in components when fine tuning their products? After all, it must be possible for a “burnt in” component to have an adverse effect on whatever system in its in. Suppose all those components burn in differently. How the feck can the manufacturer have any idea of what his/her final product will sound like if we the consumer can hear a difference?
I think I remember my Dad saying “John son, nothing is always good”. :eyebrows:

[Reid Malenfant]

The thing that leaves me very skeptical about burning in electrical components is they always reportedly sound better and never worse after this process :scratch:
Good point well made John :thumbsup:

[John]

A very simple way to prove hear one unit with 200 hours on it and one without
I always remember having a nu-vista 3d cd player upgraded by audiocom with black gates supercock and a few other mods the burn in process was painful and sorry folks their is no way you can convience me that 200 hours of listening to what was intially a very siblant sound to something that was more musical was simply my hearing adjusting
Back tpo my balanced mains transformer I did not notice it with mine but mine was ex demo

[MCRU]

Well I'm currently listening to a new dac Nick has built for me with an output stage using 6n1p's in a PP arrangement with Sowter output transformers. I appreciate the dac board is running in also, but the transformers are too I'm quite certain. Nick concurs he's heard the same thing before.

I have in the past changed output transformers on exiting valve amps of mine and have most definately heard an improvement in sound over time. I'm not sure what is going on either, but I've no doubt the changes exist.

I had a quick listen to your DAC mate and it is exceptionally good, I want one!

[Ali Tait]

The thing that leaves me very skeptical about burning in electrical components is they always reportedly sound better and never worse after this process :scratch:

Do the audio equipment manufacturers only use burnt in components when fine tuning their products? After all, it must be possible for a “burnt in” component to have an adverse effect on whatever system in its in. Suppose all those components burn in differently. How the feck can the manufacturer have any idea of what his/her final product will sound like if we the consumer can hear a difference?
I think I remember my Dad saying “John son, nothing is always good”. :eyebrows:

Not always in my case, nor in others I know well. In any case, a lot of component changes are different rather than clearly better IMHO.

[Ali Tait]

I had a quick listen to your DAC mate and it is exceptionally good, I want one!

It is indeed, and it's getting better the more hours it gets on it, and I'm not the only one to say that with this dac board!

Nick's output stage is a good'un.

[Reid Malenfant]

Not always in my case, nor in others I know well. In any case, a lot of component changes are different rather than clearly better IMHO.
Yes, but what John is saying is that if a new component is fitted & improves things initially - after burn in it always sounds better :scratch:

I too find this a tad hard to believe as in some ways the component in question is altering over time (fair enough) & yet things always improve?

Just doesn't add up in certain respects :eyebrows: Think about it...

[Ali Tait]

Another example from my personal experience. When I bought the Mr Liang 845 SET, for the first couple of weeks the bass was almost non-existent, to the extent that I thought something was wrong with the amp, as I'd read in several places that the 845 was known for good bass. It came good eventually though. I'd find it difficult not to put this down to component/transformer break in, as what else could it be? I'm not talking about a subtle difference.

[Ali Tait]

Yes, but what John is saying is that if a new component is fitted & improves things initially - after burn in it always sounds better :scratch:

I too find this a tad hard to believe as in some ways the component in question is altering over time (fair enough) & yet things always improve?

Just doesn't add up in certain respects :eyebrows: Think about it...


See post #32.

[Reid Malenfant]

Yes, i do understand that Ali. Plain as day ;) But I think Johns point is that having selected the best perforimng component (pre burn in) it always sounds better at a later date.

If there is something going on with the component over time how come no-one says things sound worse (after all things are mean't to be altering here) once they have burnt in? Statistically i'd expect at least some to sound worse than when they were first fitted :) Yet everyone (i have never seen a negative!) says that things improve :scratch:

I'll leave it there as it makes sense or it doesn't :eyebrows:

[Ali Tait]

Yes, and I understand that, as plain as day. ;)

You're not reading my posts. I clearly stated that component changes are NOT always better, in fact I know of many instances where people I know have removed new components because they made things sound worse.

Also, how do you select the best sounding component? that's purely down to personal opinion. Different people will opt for different components.

[Reid Malenfant]

Ali, i am reading your posts m8 :doh: It appears you just don't understand what i'm trying to say :rolleyes:

I'm going to leave it there as i'm obviously getting nowhere very fast indeed :eyebrows:

[Ali Tait]

I understand perfectly.

[Themis]

I know of people who change so many things after having bought a new equipment (speaker position, listening position, cables, plugs etc), that I'm amazed when they declare a sonic impact over time on this very new equipment...

Anyway, it's just a hobby (for most) and describing change with words is rather a difficult exercise. ;)

[Reid Malenfant]

I understand perfectly.
No, i don't think you do at all...

Take for instance this comment.

I also have a pair of electrostatic speakers. If you know of a speaker that is more transparent than a static, I'd like to hear about it!
Now electrostatics are fine & wonderful speakers just as long as the panels are divided up into much smaller sections. Take the ESL63 from Quad for example, this has delay lines so whatever playing appears to be from a point source. This will give superlative imaging assuming the delay lines work correctly. Please note that there are concentric rings IE round bits to integrate the sound.

Now i'm not sure about those huge statics you have, i somehow doubt they have all this, but assuming you have a 4ft tall panel then you'll want to be as far away from it as possible to avoid high frequency cancellation. On average you'll be at least a few centimetres closer to the centre of the panel than the top & bottom. This will totally fcuk up the treble as you'll get cancellation effects.

I mean work it out, the speed of sound is about 330m per second so a 10,000Hz signal will cancel if the top & bottom of the panel is 1.65cm (half a wavelength) further away than the middle! I'd suggest that this is more than possible in just about any domestic situation (or are you a millionaire with a 100ft room?).

This is why i prefer more of a point source, i guess it's why other people do as well. Yes they may well be good (done right i agree) but if they aren't then you'll get a shed load of cancellation effects (& that's not even factoring in the rear wave & wall reflections) - which makes you point of "transparency" a mute point.

[Ali Tait]

And what precisely has that to do with hearing (or not) changes in components and/or transformers?

I find your arrogance quite astounding frankly. you assume no-one else knows better than you about how things sound. :rolleyes:

You judge my system (not that I give a toss) when you've never heard it and couldn't possibly have any idea how it sounds. It must be amazing to be so expert in absolutely everything..

[ursus262]

And what precisely has that to do with hearing (or not) changes in components and/or transformers?

Quite.

I find that electrostatic speakers are breathtakingly transparent and very impressive. Not quite to my requirements, but they do provide enviable clarity.

Burn in is quite important because the thermal loading alters component characteristics with time. Capacitors and resistors do change their electrical characteristics over the first few hours of use.

Anyway, back on topic, I did notice there was something not quite right after a few hours of listening with the new transformer in place. I remembered after I installed the Universal Disc Player that the sound deteriorated from my Naim Uniti, and it was solved my moving a small switch from the 'chassis' to the 'floating' position, and the sound improved immeasurably. Now, with both the Unity and the Naim plugged into the balanced transformer, I have found that moving the switch back to the 'chassis' position means that everything sounds as it should.

All in all, the balanced mains transformer has literally 'transformed' my system and, finally, I am pleased with the result. It just goes to show what a little bit of patience can come up with. Always need a bit of a tweak here and there, and you're done.

:cool:

[John]

Balanced Transformers really make a big difference to most systems but its like everything it just depends on where you live how old your electrical supply is etc etc
Now time for you think about a dedicated earth spur Lol Now that a topic of hot debate

[ursus262]

Ooh, now you're talking. How do you do that?

[John]

With an electrician Not something you can do on your own

[Welder]

Dave wrote;

”Burn in is quite important because the thermal loading alters component characteristics with time. Capacitors and resistors do change their electrical characteristics over the first few hours of use.”

Do they really?
I’ve always been led to believe capacitors stabalise very quickly, a few cycles perhaps.
Resistors, well don’t they just work or not?

So what electrical characteristics change in this thermal loading process then?

[Z-A]

Time for one of these the Dave?
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq39/PRSRDS/LeffeBrune.jpg

[John]

Mine a Blonde or Chimay red or Westmalle White

[Welder]

Awww, come on chaps, don’t be like that. http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/ef638feff1abf52122669d56d85cc826c21ba6b367aaa3084a 2f3cde758863382g.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=cmh7jiqq7ga1656&thumb=5)

Dave has stated that burn in is important because of thermal loading and I have never read anything that supports this http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/5f65340753e875f013ebef7b1097cb432g.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=o6zzkavfi1i41aj&thumb=5)
He hasn’t stated that it’s his opinion, or that he hears a change over time and attributes this change to thermal loading, he states it as fact so it seems quite reasonable to challenge it.
If there is any evidence to support this statement then I would like to know about it then perhaps I can revise my views on burn in accordingly.

We can all argue about whether such changes are audible after establishing that such electrical characteristic changes do actually take place and over what time scale.

[ursus262]

I originally trained as an avionic engineer, and worked on some very sophisticated equipment, such as radar and comm systems, both in the analogue and digital domains. I am not a fool. I now work in quality assurance, and am perfectly aware of how equipment behaviour changes over time.

Some (but not all) components do burn in, and some capacitors begin to break down after a while. Resistors were always going out of tolerance and had to be replaced. It is these experiences that form my opinions about burn-in because I've witnessed it first hand.

Oh, and finally, let me add that I do not enter into debates about these sorts of things, because I neither have the time or the stomach for them - I've got better uses for my energy. I have given my thoughts on the subject, so let that be an end to it.

[Welder]

That’s odd, I used to work in avionics too, Racal, you’ve probably heard of them.

I’m not interested in starting a row here, I would just like some evidence that thermal loading does effect the electrical characteristics of capacitors and resistors.
There may well be some evidence, but I haven’t come across it personally.
If there is I would like to learn about it.

[ursus262]

Time for one of these the Dave?
http://i431.photobucket.com/albums/qq39/PRSRDS/LeffeBrune.jpg

Indeed. I haven't had one of these for ages. I used to live in Brussels and I used to love this stuff on draught. Beats the bottled stuff hands down.

Must go back there before the year's end :cool:

[Welder]

Electrical components are built with a tolerance at a temperature usually.
If thermal loading has sufficient impact on a component at temperatures likely to be found in say an amplifier or dac, then to make a noticeable difference I suggest it must be enough to push that component outside it s tolerance range.
This is in essence what I’m getting at.

[Ali Tait]

John, I'm really not sure what is going on, but there is something making a difference. For instance, I remember fitting some clarity caps to the KEL84 I used to have. For many hours, the sound was all over the place, sometimes the bass would disappear and the ampwould go all screechy, then the bass would come flooding back and the treble would vanish. They went on like this for I'd say a good 20-30 hours of listening time. After this, they settled down and were consistent thereafter. I really have little idea why this was so, but the effects were very obvious.

[Welder]

Tbh Ali. I’ve had some pretty strange things happen with speaker crossover in particular :scratch:
I’m not ruling out burn in, whatever that may entail.
I just think it’s very strange that “burn in” never has adverse effects apparently. It’s this that makes me skeptical as I mentioned in my original post.

People hear what they hear mate. What I’m not wearing however is that it is necessarily electrical components adjusting within their environment and this is what one should expect from electronics.
As soon as a component goes out of tolerance, its failed in my book and for the company I used to test them for. I’m not saying they don’t change due to cycling or maybe even heat but they should stay within tolerance or feck knows what sort of sound you would get.

Anyway, its not going to go anywhere is this discussion because in the end some people hear an improvement over time and you cant argue with that.:)

[Ali Tait]

It's an interesting point though John. IMHO, I think there are a couple of things going on. Firstly, I'd say a lot of people are changing things and hearing a difference, and perceiving that as an improvement when it isn't really, it's just different.

Secondly, with regard to most folk on forums generally, they are changing components in commercial gear. Given that it's built to a price, there is a very good chance that even with something as modestly priced as a clarity cap, it will in fact be a lot better than what was in there in the first place, given it was built to a price.

If you visit a site like Audio Talk, where the emphasis is on diy and scratch built stuff, you'll find plenty threads where someone will have tried something new, thought it was crap, and taken it out again. I think there reason here is that these chaps are already using better components etc. as diy'ers often like to use the best of what is available, given that there are no budget constaints because the gear is not being built for profit, beyond of course what each can afford!

[electric beach]

When implementing balanced mains there seems to need consideration of the complete wiring and earthing loom. Chassis grounding has been mentioned (I have this option on my Dac only) and I've read of the need to remove leads with shielding grounded at one end only. Does this include interconnect cables, for example? I would plug a Vertex distribution block into the transformer socket. This has an earth connection to a garden spike; does this have to go?

I guess I'm asking if someone with experience (John?) could offer a numpty guide for instalation - I would use the plug-in device, so no messing with the mains wiring.

[Welder]

I’ve got to make a couple of things clear yet again here.
I’m prepared to do stuff with a minimum of knowledge, my fingers crossed, wearing a pair of nappies and rubber soled shoes and inadequate insurance. :mental:

Also I hate to write this but I didn’t hear any audible improvement using balanced mains over a dedicated spur as mentioned here.

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9361

I can’t say I noticed any audible improvement using my super spec hand built mains cables (I had these http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/804d5814a713111abe787b5a1bfec23f2022dfefa0ab070088 c77f3a0e4992d02g.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=4u23h1so2rmg6rh&thumb=5) connecting every piece of equipment when I still played records) over the good quality 1.5mm core mylar and braid screened cable I now use either.

What I can say is the dedicated mains installation did get rid of some of what I have assumed to be locally generated mains noise and the average voltage doesn’t fluctuate as much as it used to.
However, I live in a large building to flats conversion, 11 flats served from a single consumer unit. I have my own consumer unit for my dedicated spur.

I do have that 5kVA balanced transformer now. Give it a voltage drop of approximately 10 Volts below nominal ac and the feckin thing buzzes like mains powered vibrator (don’t ask :eyebrows:)
I can’t hide the bloody thing either coz its massive.
I’m still not certain it makes enough of a difference to warrant the price of buying one new. But, I say that about a lot of Hi Fi related kit :rolleyes:

Was any of it worthwhile? Well yes, I think so. I had loads of fun making stuff. I’ve had dedicated mains where I’ve lived in the past and still consider it to be the basic starting point if you think the quality of ac power effects that stuff coming out of your speakers.
What I have tried to point out in various posts is if you’re going to do this mains stuff then a dedicated mains and balanced power is imo a lot more cost effective in the long term than loads of boutique cables, connectors and filters.

So, note, no “OMG! It’s like night and day, miles better, I don’t understand how I ever thought I had heard music before” type descriptions involved. ;)

Regarding the earthing arrangement.
My view is a single earth to mains, or ground spike, and everything should attach to that without chaining to other components on route if possible. But I’ve got a very simple set up. My understanding is multiple ground paths increase the likelihood of ground loops.
Also one of the advantages of balanced power is you can lift component ground without adverse effect so I cant see any problems with balance or partially balanced interconnects.

[ursus262]

So basically, what you are saying, John, is that installing either a balanced mains unit or a dedicated spur will make a substantial difference.

Naim, that manufacturer of hi-fi par excellence do recommend a dedicated spur, and I am sure that is the way forward as your experience has borne this out.

However, it is worth pointing out that a balanced mains transformer - providing it is of sufficient capacity - can provide equivalent results without the mess and expense of having the work done by a qualified electrician. In my house, for example, the consumer unit is in a really awkward place, several rooms away from where the audio gear is installed. Almost inevitably, the wire would need to be routed round the outside of the house and a hole would have to be drilled through to enable the cable to be connected up to a new wall socket. The alternative to this would be chipping away at walls and replastering.

A plug-in balanced mains transformer is a simple solution and, as I bought mine from Airlink for about £200, I got a unit that was well made and made a massive difference to the sound of my system.

Finally, I noticed that you mentioned in a thread of yours recently about removing plugs of unused appliances when they are not being used as a way of reducing changes of earth loops being formed. I did try this, and noticed a further improvement! I unplugged just about everything, bar the fridge, the washing machine and the dishwasher (as the plugs are behind the units). This appeared to reduce further earth-borne noise. So thank you for that suggestion :)

Oh, I forgot to add: the balanced mains transformer, to be sold in the UK, has to comply with the Essential Requirements in Annex 1 of the Low Voltage Directive (LVD). What this means is that, in the event of a fault, no part of the transformer casing, or the casing of equipment connected to it, will become live, whatever the fault condition. This is a legal requirement, without exception. Balanced mains transformers are perfectly safe to use, providing they are bought from a reputable manufacturer.