OP,
I know this is not an answer to your initial question but when I decided to get new power cables I went to Mouser and looked for the largest gauge shielded cable in the length I needed, 6ft length in my case. I believe they were 12ga and didn’t cost much. I did a quick AB test vs standard OEM 14 and 18 ga unshielded cables. The new cables seemed to sound better, definitely not worse.
I then moved my focus on learning to build a better amp and power supply.
Have fun building your system and remember it only has to sound good to you (and maybe your spouse).
I know this is not an answer to your initial question but when I decided to get new power cables I went to Mouser and looked for the largest gauge shielded cable in the length I needed, 6ft length in my case. I believe they were 12ga and didn’t cost much. I did a quick AB test vs standard OEM 14 and 18 ga unshielded cables. The new cables seemed to sound better, definitely not worse.
I then moved my focus on learning to build a better amp and power supply.
Have fun building your system and remember it only has to sound good to you (and maybe your spouse).
So many people have "bought into" the perceived notion that a powerline cable has some sort of "sound".
And using huge fat wiring is better than the average gauge needed.
However, consider the tiny bottleneck involved.. that glass line fuse clipped in there.
A mere fraction of a millimeter thick.
And that circuit breaker in the basement - it's closed set of contacts touching maybe a fraction of an inch.
.......Yet..... it's desirable to hook up that system with wire the size of garden hoses.
I don't get it.
Here home wiring is standardized on 2.5 mm2. So the home wiring is 2.5 mm2 and is able to deliver 16A. It won't make sense to DIY 4 mm2 audiophile power chords then. Normally good quality IEC C13/C14 power cables are 1.5 mm2 and 10A maximum rated but 1 mm2 and 0.75mm2 exist and when one has the choice...An audio device normally is not a kiloWatt consuming monster so one can use a 1 mm2 with confidence having the benefit of a flexible cable. I would not use the (short) 0.75 mm2 ones at all.
On the other hand the cheap Far East cables become thinner and thinner and the clever producers write lower current ratings like 10A (a lie) or 8A on the cables. Not long ago one could grab a random IEC computer cable and things were OK. Now one has to look at the cable and the thin diameter already gives it away. The thinner wires and the aluminium bronze is an awkward combination.
Sorry for the internationally agreed metric sizes. We don't do body part comparisons here anymore since we found out everyone has different feet sizes 🙂
On the other hand the cheap Far East cables become thinner and thinner and the clever producers write lower current ratings like 10A (a lie) or 8A on the cables. Not long ago one could grab a random IEC computer cable and things were OK. Now one has to look at the cable and the thin diameter already gives it away. The thinner wires and the aluminium bronze is an awkward combination.
Sorry for the internationally agreed metric sizes. We don't do body part comparisons here anymore since we found out everyone has different feet sizes 🙂
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Why do the RCD units you can buy for when you are using a lawnmower have a fuse as well? If these didn't have a fuse would they be better than a 13A plug for audio use? If they sense a fault they disconnect in about 40ns.
EU approved RCD units have no fuse, at least I have yet to see one that has since today they are meant as a replacement for fuses + fuse holders. The ones that are used here are a combination of RCD, overcurrent and short-circuit protection, power switch and test button all in one. There were/are RCDs that are not short circuit proof though which is something fuses laugh at. "Normal" RCDs are 5 kA short circuit current rated.
In normal homes (here) they are still 230V 16A maximum though. They offer some advantages but IMHO the good old fuse is very good for a dedicated audio group in the home. A long as one gives attention using PE wall sockets with PE really connected (and tested!!!!) and uses 3 wire stuff things are safe.
Mobile RCDs for lawnmowers have no place IN a house.
In normal homes (here) they are still 230V 16A maximum though. They offer some advantages but IMHO the good old fuse is very good for a dedicated audio group in the home. A long as one gives attention using PE wall sockets with PE really connected (and tested!!!!) and uses 3 wire stuff things are safe.
Mobile RCDs for lawnmowers have no place IN a house.
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I usually spend the extra few bucks on a flexible rubber power cable for most amplifiers I'm dealing with. Smaller stuff can re-use Apple power cords (they're 18 AWG and quite flexible). I don't remember the brand of cabling I use for heavier cords, but it's reasonably nice and flexible, even in the cold (I live in a state that's a frozen wasteland for a good four months out of the year). It's the same stuff that I use for replacing damaged power cords on grinders.
No, I agree. I was just curious as some question the hair like innards of the fuse.
I think that power cable importance depending also from this how good is your components in system, speakers, amp, source and so on. Are your speakers presenting what studio has recorded. In my system I hear clearly better sound when I changed amplifier standard black cable to 40 eur meter 2,5mm2 silver plated wire. Maybe it is placebo effect but there was better image-dimensions in music picture. Of course it was very very little better but it was.
For God´s sake! ... NO!!!!!
Not sure you know the meaning of "scrimp" and surprised nobody mentioned it.
Here:
from: cambridge.org/dictionary/
Meaning of scrimp in English
scrimp
verb [ I ]
uk /skrɪmp/
us /skrɪmp/
to save money by spending less than is necessary to reach an acceptable standard:
😱
Example: There is a risk that the debt-ridden airline may be tempted to scrimp on maintenance or security.
<<<<<<<<<<<<
As of:
[
150% placebo effect.
As mentioned above, there´s tens to hundreds of miles of copper or aluminum wire between actual Mains Power source and your outlet, in series with your puny couple feet wire.
Plus dozens of screw terminal connections with the inevitable metal to metal interface, often different metals, mind you, about half a dozen transformers, etc.
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A mains cable, as long as it is designed to supply the current required and at the rated voltage is as good as any other. It will no difference to performance of the amplifier.
Speaker cables need to be made of copper, stranded or solid and of a suitable guage to allow peaks of current to pass without too much internal resistance.
Mains spec; 1.5mm three core flexible for domestic with IEC. 2.5/4mm with 16/32A connectors for commercial.
Speaker; say 50Watts into 4 Ohms, that equates to around 12.5Amp peak so 1.25mm minimum gauge cable for a run of up to 5 Metres or 16 feet. Copper wire, silver plated has no effect unless it is a feeder for VHF and above frequencies. It only helps with the placebo effect.
More power = larger cable.
Don't waste your money feeding the rich through ignorance.
Scrimp = as in scrimp and save.
I expect you meant Crimp.
Speaker cables need to be made of copper, stranded or solid and of a suitable guage to allow peaks of current to pass without too much internal resistance.
Mains spec; 1.5mm three core flexible for domestic with IEC. 2.5/4mm with 16/32A connectors for commercial.
Speaker; say 50Watts into 4 Ohms, that equates to around 12.5Amp peak so 1.25mm minimum gauge cable for a run of up to 5 Metres or 16 feet. Copper wire, silver plated has no effect unless it is a feeder for VHF and above frequencies. It only helps with the placebo effect.
More power = larger cable.
Don't waste your money feeding the rich through ignorance.
Scrimp = as in scrimp and save.
I expect you meant Crimp.
I think also same way that power cabel need to delivery power as amp needs. Tube amp where I changed power wire is in class -A and is 2x30 watts. Was 3x1,25mm2 two meter cable attached. It is ok for this amp by formula, but after changing to 3x2,5mm2 it sounded better. Bigger chance it is placebo effect.
As Jean-paul said, the quality of some IEC power cables is terrible: undersized wire gauge or alluminium wire, and badly crimped connectors. It is often possible to spot the issue by examining cable weight and the markings on the connectors, but this is not always obvious. They may eventually degrade the sound due to resistive loss and unstable contact resistence, and they also warm up if connected to a power amplifier - a dangerous situation. Exchanging those bad cables with premium ones with silver plated conductors does certainly improves the electrical connection - but a upgrade with a good standard cable would reach the same goal. I got good results with recent production prebuilt IEC cables meant for computer servers (they have 1Kw to 2Kw power supplies now), and with quality replacement power cables for domestic irons (the IEC plug need to be added). The cotton sleeved iron power cable is more flexible and does have a vintage look that I find suitable for tube amplifiers. Examples of cotton sleeved iron power cables with 1mmq conductors (instead of the usual 0.75mmq) are Schwabe 87202 and 880027, currently also available from Amazon EU. Other cables have nylon braided cable sleeves and are less flexible.
For my future builds, I am considering the industrial Shurter IEC cables with locking function. I got a sample recently and it looks to be built very well. See the Shurter item numbers 6051.2001 and 6051.2003 as example. The locking mechanism needs the mating female Shurter receptacle on the device, but they also work on standard IEC receptacles.
For my future builds, I am considering the industrial Shurter IEC cables with locking function. I got a sample recently and it looks to be built very well. See the Shurter item numbers 6051.2001 and 6051.2003 as example. The locking mechanism needs the mating female Shurter receptacle on the device, but they also work on standard IEC receptacles.
It may also be the effect of better connectors. On short distances and low power, the mating resistence of the contacts dwarfs the wire resistence.
You can report your own post. That is how I do it and I get away with it. I suggest please can you replace "xxxx xx" for "xxx". Thank you!
Pcan, you remind me of the probably second failure mode of cheap computer cables and this at the female IEC end: not having enough contact pressure. This also counts for cheap Baumarkt Schuko wall outlets. It is not cool to say everything was better in the past but Schuko wall outlets certainly were better with the screws terminals now replaced for press contacts. I kept a small stock of real brass rails/screw terminal Schuko wall outlets for that reason. I recently got a 1935 Bakelite Schuko mains plug with solid brass pins and it still was like new 🙂
How true.
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Spring loaded terminals are actually much more reliable than screw terminals especially if there are vibrations. Of course bootlace ferrules (or crimps) are a no-no with spring loaded terminals.