Power cords

arj
I have some left over Havell 4 mm cable.Can I take two lengths of one meter each,and braid them together along with an earthing cable?Should the earthing cable also be 4mm?Can I use a Crabtree 5 amp male plug at one end?Which IEC connector is easily available in the market?
murali_n
The LAPP cable was recommended to me by somebody who is manufacturing Servo stabilizers.His opinion was that Lapp is far superior to Havell or Finolex.Where did you buy it from?Is it available in short lengths?How much did it cost you per cable?Would it be possible for you to make one and ship it to me. :)

Hi Ajay,

I got the LAPP cable thro one of my friends , who also got it thro a dealer at chennai. I will give you the address, from the invoice. Give me a couple of days time.

If that doesn't work, let me see if I can make you a pair from the leftover length, but I don't have any Audiophile connector plugs or connectors with me. I myself used a Anchor 3-pin and locally made 320 connectors to make my chords.

N.Murali
 
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Great post Dinyaar! Very informative. I have a DIY 4sqmm finolex braided at home pending a suitable power plug and good quality IEC socket. I found this pricelist for Northwest :north-west switches and sockets

The prices are in INR so wondering where in India they are available? And where do I get good quality IEC sockets in India? I checked on S.P road and didn't find any "audiophile" or decent grade and finish, just cheap looking ones.

--G

Gobble, Northwest is available all over in Bombay and am sure must be available at largish electrical suppliers/ shops in bangalore too. Very reasonable and decent quality. Much better than the anchor/ legrand.......... plugs. U get 16 A and 25 A plugs both of which will work for any HIFI application.

IEC females are a bit tricky to find locally. HIFI vendors generally stock them. In bangalore ARN sells Furutech and Wattgate. The basic Wattgate 320 i @ about Rs 14/1500 is good enough to start with for sure. Its about 30 USD or 20 GBP so the price is fair. I dont think the gold is worth the money as for that amount a Furutech Gold F1-11 seems a better buy. Oyaide cryo is now frightfully priced so best avoided. As I mentioned earlier its very difficult to tell the SONIC changes amongst these good connectors.

When self terminating a cable make sure there is minimal cable strain by stripping all 3 conductors equal (in case of the wattgate for example) and shove them deep into the socket and fully tighten the screws. The 'L' & 'N' are clearly marked so thats not a worry. U may use heat shrink on both ends to give it a professional look!! After completing the job safer to test the cable with a multi meter to ensure a perfect job.

Ajay using Finolex is also a good option but U may not get 3 core cable unless u buy the entire 90 meter reel. If buying simple 2.5 or 4 sq.mm Finolex electrical wire then there will be no screen and no jacket. One can put heat shrink over the entire cable. No need to use the same thickness for earth but no problem even if one does.

Rgds
 
what I meant to imply is the same as what Dinyaar mentioned.... unpredictable and with an unexplainable X factor !

eg the cable I use on my source may be better on your amp...or sometimes may not just work on your system !!!
Hmm, pretty interesting! My only experience with an exotic power cable was when one of the forum members had connected my Marantz 6003 with a very thick (about two thumbs together) mega buck cable when I went to audition an Amp. I did not find any difference in SQ.

May be I should do some more experimentation here.
I had replaced the stock power cords with a braided LAPP make cable(German make) 1.5sq.mm and I discovered that the background sound is very dark on my Marantz CD 5003 CDP
That's interesting Murali. Could you share the address of the dealer?
 
While trawling the net for more information,it is interesting to read the opinions and theories,circulating about the 'real' and 'imagined' attributes of power cords.
A few samplers :)

Death to generic power cords!Salespeak on a HiFi site.Guranteed to destroy the simple pleasure of listening through a WalWart.
Power Cords Group Test: Crystal Cables, MIT and Generic Zip Cord | CANADA HiFi Magazine

Blind Testing!Painstakingly executed,muddled results.
Feature Article | Can We Hear Differences Between A/C Power Cords? | An ABX Blind Test

Bad Science!The voice of reason?Or ignorance?
Blindingly obvious: hearing is believing | Science | The Guardian
 
. If buying simple 2.5 or 4 sq.mm Finolex electrical wire then there will be no screen and no jacket. One can put heat shrink over the entire cable. No need to use the same thickness for earth but no problem even if one does.

Rgds
I am thinking of putting 3M aluminum tape over it instead. Where can I find that locally? Or is it only available abroad?

Thanks for the tip. Will check with Sridhar.
--G
 
No experience in auditioning but I think with powercords only wire gauge, proper ground, RF Interference filter (electronically or shielding), ground loop issues are important

Believer or nonbelievers here is link to some more discussions
Auditioning power cables
enjoy the humorous remarks in between :)
 
dinyaar
You had mentioned in your earlier post that the US male plug has reverse polarity.The Volex cable which Prem sent to me did not work in my system.Should I reverse the phase and neutral in the wall socket and give the Volex(US 125V) another try?I tried the Volex with my cdp.The pre and power have the 230V generic power cords.Should all the three cords be US125V with all the wall sockets connections reversed or can I reverse only one socket and use the Volex with the Arcam?
 
I believe all you need to put the Live cable in the slot marked N and the neutral in the "L". thats all...
 
Thanks arj.
I'll check it out.I have been offered a few more cables for audition by some very generous audiophiles.Once I check their polarity,I will set the ball rolling for an extended series of auditions! :)
 
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Since late afternoon I have been listening to music with one new addition to my system.An XLO Reference 2 power cord on loan from Sid Trehan.Every giant step further into audio nirvana deserves a celebration.And I am celebrating with a double shot of undiluted Jack Daniels.The last big step happened with the UPS.And today with the XLO.My 'critical audition' was over in 45 seconds!The XLO is a resounding 'hit' in my system.I bet Arcam has never sounded so good,even in Cambridge,U.K. :)

First CD : Began with my current favorite,Dmitri Shostakovich's string quartets performed by the incredible Borodin Quartet.With the opening notes of the violins,viola and cello,I knew I was on to something special.The sound was very close to chamber music being performed live in my chamber.I have never heard a violin or a cello sounding this good in any system.Pure gold.Oodles of every thing I would want from a HiFi system.The only ears I trust are my own.And those of my wife.Because we both listen to the same music.Although she sticks to the baroque and classical period,while I have no long term loyalties.I nominate and discard favorites at the drop of a hat :) After all I am the king of my collection,and kings are known to be fickle minded and forgetful in dispensing their affections.

Second CD : Roy Orbinson.Shimmering guitar and dulcet,honeyed vocals.Oh Roy! I wish I could have heard you live! My wife commented that she had never heard Roy sounding so good.And we have been playing this cd for close to 7-8 years now.

Third CD : JS Bach's Goldberg Variations.Solo piano by Rosalyn Tureck.Like the violin,cello and guitar the piano too seemed to be up,close and personal.Intimate session.Seemed like I could reach out and touch the piano chords hovering in the transfigured air.

Fourth CD: The big one! Gustav Mahler's symphony No.2 conducted by Otto Klemperer.One of my eternal favorite recordings.Every section of the orchestra sounded amazingly real.Even when the music went real low,the detail and tonality of every instrument was palpable.Something which was lost or muddied by my generic power cords.

I don't know how long I will have the pleasure and privilege of listening to the XLO's,but why linger over that? For the moment they are mine,and if we can learn to cultivate and appreciate a moment,then that moment can impart enough pleasure to last a lifetime :)
 
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Hi Ajay

XLO normally slightly shifts the frequency to the lower regions. This will open up the stage a bit. Now that i know XLO power cord works in your system, you can try the JPS AC+ power cord or if your budget permits Shunyata Taipan Alpha.

None of the power cords i mentioned are likely to work. What i suggest is before you buy any power cord, wait for the Esoteric.
 
prem
Your Volex power cords have finally found a 'permanent' home!With the BP6 Pre Amp.The CDP has the XLO reference cords sent by Sid.Together these two power cords are rocking!I think I may have been wrong with my earlier audition of the Volex.I was probably 'hung over' with the sound of the Walwarts I had been using for many months.Well now the hang over is over!And for the moment the two generics connected to the cdp and the pre have bitten the dust. :)
 
Great Ajay. I was a little surprised with your earlier experience with the Volex. It should sound very good with the power amp also.
 
Great Ajay. I was a little surprised with your earlier experience with the Volex. It should sound very good with the power amp also.

For the power amp I have a 15 amp Crabtree socket which does not accept universal plugs.Should I change it to a 5 amp Crabtree universal socket,which will accept the Volex? Should I reverse the polarity of the power sockets? Have you tried doing it with your American cables?
 
Hi Ajay

I have never reversed the polarity till date. Change to a 5 amp universal socket. And see if the Volex works.
 
The XLO and the Volex are sounding superb at the moment.I will wait until I have a third power cord before ' igniting' the power amp.

I am really happy with the 'new' sound in my 'new' room.Tilting the speakers down a bit worked wonders with the sound.Battery on my iPad showing Zero :sad:
 
I do not use them any more - but the TA - PLMM - Power Cords are good - imho.
If you can get a hold of them - for demo - do try.
The D & D is in Surat - Gujarat.
I did like them a lot - many moons back.
They work well with most audio gear.
;)

p.s. I am a 'hard' core believer in power cords...no snake oil in it at all for me !!

Top Ten Signs an Audio Cable Vendor is Selling You Snake Oil
6
by Gene DellaSala last modified February 18, 2010

The audio industry is full of hype with the most nonsense surrounding the simplest component of the A/V chain - interconnects and speaker cables. Because there are often very little measurable and audible differences between cables, many of the exotic cable vendors use psuedo junk science to differentiate their products from their competitors. These vendors often prey upon the suggestible audiophile giving them reasons why these products must be utilized in their precious systems in order to achieve the best performance possible to reach the true path of audio nirvana. Listed below are the top 10 cable snake oil claims to watch out for. If a vendor is selling you on any of these fallacies, run don't walk away from their products, unless of course you enjoy a good sci-fi story and desire to buy expensive audio jewelery.

Watch out if a Cable Vendor or Manufacturer:
Promotes that their product allegedly eliminates audio related Skin Effect and/or "Strand Jumping" problems.
Claims revolutionary breakthrough in cable technology by polarizing or biasing the dielectric using a battery.
Promotes that their products eliminate "Audiogenic", "Diode Rectification" or any type of non linear distortions. See Debunking the Myth of Cable Distortion and Dielectric Biasing
Physically places (+) and (-) wire leads in separate dielectrics not closely spaced in a common jacket. See: Calculating Cable Inductance of Twin Feeder Cables
Claims vast improvements in sound by inserting "Cable Elevators" to raise the cables off the floor and minimize electron misfiring or static energy fields.
Claims that cryogenically freezing cables improves fidelity or measurably changes electrical properties after the cable is restored to room temperature.
Claims that their cables require a "Break In" period.
Claims that measurements cannot quantify why their designs are superior and often misapply engineering principles in their reasoning but abandon the associated governing laws and metrics that establish them.
Claims audible differences exist between stranded and non-stranded wires of same gauge rating, geometry and conductor spacing.
Claims audible differences between silver and copper cables of equal design geometry and gauge.
Bonus Scams
Sells speaker cables or interconnects costing more than a plasma TV or a lease on a new Infinity G35 sports coupe.
Claims wire is directional.
Slaps RLC boxes on their cables.
Claims of Speaker Cable Resonance at Audio Frequencies
 
IME the connectors also seem to play a big role. For a long time i used the Oyaide Gold connectors. Preferred them to Waatgate Gold and Oyaide Palladium. Of late i seem to like the Iego 8055 pure copper connectors.
 
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