cables & blocks confusion

[admin_exported]

hi - i have confused myself reading what hifi on whether i should buy new expensive mains cables AND / OR a 4 socket conditioning block? ie, will one or the other suffice or do you need to get both for my home cinema set up to be (blu-ray, onkyo 605, samsung 46", not decided on speaker as yet).

tks

neil

 

[Anonymous]

Hi, I got great results recently (having bought my AV system) in dealing with a multitude of wires and cables by buying a Tacima CS929 (6 block) along with a 4 way plug
(maplins). It cleaned up the sound, enjoying better clarity/detail and it increased the vibrancy on the picture as well.
I then got round to replacing the mains cables with Russ Andrews 'powercords' which I had had previously on my Hi Fi gear. I find that they cut out much of the mains interference with the audio cables that run around the back of the amplifier etc.
Why not do it in stages to keep your costs down?

 

[Anonymous]

thank you for responding, yes i think i will then if i should get both, i think i will get the block first and do mains cables one at a time at a later date. tks again. neil

 

[Anonymous]

Buy a surge limiter block but don't bother with replacing mains cables with expensive ones. They won't change anything.

 

[Big Chris]

Upgrading my mains cables to Russ Andrews Classik Powerkords with Wattgate 320 plugs, I noticed an immediate improvement in the noise floor. There wasn't one. I'm not saying that it was as night & day, but there was definite silence during quiet passages. For the relatively modest outlay, I'd recommend them without hesitation.

 

[Anonymous]

upgrading your mains cables does everything mate chuck old normals in bin seriously best thing i ever did

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="nokz"]upgrading your mains cables does everything mate chuck old normals in bin seriously best thing i ever did[/quote]

Wrong. Placebo effect mate.

 

[Big Chris]

[quote user="Eddy Current"]
[quote user="nokz"]upgrading your mains cables does everything mate chuck old normals in bin seriously best thing i ever did[/quote]

Wrong. Placebo effect mate.
[/quote]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. Old cables noise floor, new cables no noise floor. I'd class that an improvement.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="Big Chris"][quote user="Eddy Current"]

[quote user="nokz"]upgrading your mains cables does everything mate chuck old normals in bin seriously best thing i ever did[/quote]

Wrong. Placebo effect mate.

[/quote]

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. Old cables noise floor, new cables no noise floor. I'd class that an improvement.[/quote]

I'm not saying there is anything inherently wrong with beneficial placebo effects. Far from it. All of us can be fooled by them when we don't know the facts of the matter.

Regards Ed

 

[professorhat]

Brilliant. Thank goodness people like you are around to tell us when we're deluding ourselves though, eh?!

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="professorhat"]Brilliant. Thank goodness people like you are around to tell us when we're deluding ourselves though, eh?![/quote]

My pleasure.

 

[bullitt]

Well i was going to get new block and cables for my new system arriving soon,i've read alot of threads on this subject and can't make my mind up ,think i will just set up my stuff with the bog standard cables etc... then just replace the block then cables if needed.But surely if if you can hear or see an improvement in your equipment then its an improvement,but then again if you cant hear or see interference it doesnt mean it can't be improved and there won't be any difference,it just means it wasn't as good before ,just you didnt notice,but you do now! if that makes sense.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="bullitt"]surely if if you can hear or see an improvement in your equipment then its an improvement[/quote]

The manufacturers of hi-fi kit obviously know about electronics and they therefore will also know that substituting mains leads is a waste of time. That's why the mains leads they fit are standard good quality and don't get a mention in the spec.

Regards Ed

 

[bullitt]

Thanks for reply Ed, so in your opinion am i best just to replace mains block, if not just for power surges?

 

[Anonymous]

It's a good idea to use a surge limiter block.

Regards Ed

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="Eddy Current"]The manufacturers of hi-fi kit obviously know about electronics and they therefore will also know that substituting mains leads is a waste of time.[/quote]

Except Naim of course, who clearly don't know anything about electronics.

 

[professorhat]

Indeed, why on earth would Naim release an upgraded power cable, when clearly the one that came with their equipment in the first place would be perfect?.

Hang on - I've just had a crazy idea! You don't think they provide a power cable with the device which isn't ideal to cut costs do you? And then offer a better one for people who decide they want to pay a premium for the cleaner power supply to the unit?

No, sorry, ridiculous idea.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

Imagine Marantz trying to sell a new version of the CD6002 for example at £325 and advertising that it comes with an excellent power cable or you can get the same player for £275 with a bog standard one. Customers know that there are dozens of alternative upgrade power cables, how many £325 versions do you think they would shift?! That's why companies just issue basic cables with their equipment.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="JohnDuncan"][quote user="Eddy Current"]The manufacturers of hi-fi kit obviously know about electronics and they therefore will also know that substituting mains leads is a waste of time.[/quote]

Except Naim of course, who clearly don't know anything about electronics.[/quote]

Do you know anything about electronics?

Could it not be they are exploiting a marketing opportunity?

 

[professorhat]

[quote user="Eddy Current"]Do you know anything about electronics?

Could it not be they are exploiting a marketing opportunity?
[/quote]
You're right, that must be it.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="professorhat"]

Indeed, why on earth would Naim release an upgraded power cable, when clearly the one that came with their equipment in the first place would be perfect?.

Hang on - I've just had a crazy idea! You don't think they provide a power cable with the device which isn't ideal to cut costs do you? And then offer a better one for people who decide they want to pay a premium for the cleaner power supply to the unit?

No, sorry, ridiculous idea.

[/quote]

Yep. Absurd.

If a simple thing like upgrading a power lead really improved the sound from an amplifier and, say, moved it up to from 4 stars to best buy status don't you think all manufacturers would do it? You seem to forget that all of these cables, even those with silly prices can be manufactured at a tiny fraction of their selling price if made somewhere like China and the increase in sales revenue would more than compensate for any slightly increased manufacturing costs.

Regards Ed

 

[professorhat]

You seem to forget that manufacturing is probably not the biggest cost for these companies. More likely for this type of industry, the initial R&D of a new product is the most significant cost and has to be accounted for in the sale price. Plus all the other stages incurred pre mass manufacturing as well as all the other departments within the company which go into making a successful company work. These all to have be paid for before a profit can be made.

 

[Anonymous]

[quote user="professorhat"]You seem to forget that manufacturing is probably not the biggest cost for these companies. More likely for this type of industry, the initial R&D of a new product is the most significant cost and has to be accounted for in the sale price. Plus all the other stages incurred pre mass manufacturing as well as all the other departments within the company which go into making a successful company work. These all to have be paid for before a profit can be made.[/quote]

What point are you trying to make?

 

[John Duncan]

[quote user="Eddy Current"]
[quote user="JohnDuncan"][quote user="Eddy Current"]The manufacturers of hi-fi kit obviously know about electronics and they therefore will also know that substituting mains leads is a waste of time.[/quote]

Except Naim of course, who clearly don't know anything about electronics.[/quote]

Do you know anything about electronics?

Could it not be they are exploiting a marketing opportunity?

[/quote]

Of course it could be. Or they could know something about electronics. Perhaps we could ask them - would you take their word for it?

 

[a91gti]

Somehow I doubt it.
As I have recently spent a couple of hours modding my cdp and gaining a huge improvement in the process I fall in the"costcutting by manufacturers" camp. This deck could very easily have sounded as good as it does now with a bit more/less time in the factory.