Just wondering how many people just settle with getting there tv out of the box , connecting there blu ray using a good enough hdmi cable and been happy ? Or are you one of those people that want to squeeze as much as they can out of there setup by adding a mains conditioner and a new power cable and even gone as far a changing all there satellite cabling and whats your opinion was it a worthwhile upgrade or should you have spent more or not even bothered ?
How Far Have You Gone ?
- Thread starter landzw
- Start date
roger06
Well-known member
I have a dedicated mains spur for my hi fi and AV kit - but this was no bother as the whole house was rewired. I will be getting the sparky back though to install and earth spike...
landzw:Just wondering how many people just settle with getting there tv out of the box , connecting there blu ray using a good enough hdmi cable and been happy ? Or are you one of those people that want to squeeze as much as they can out of there setup by adding a mains conditioner and a new power cable and even gone as far a changing all there satellite cabling and whats your opinion was it a worthwhile upgrade or should you have spent more or not even bothered ?
I was wondering what you were talking about for a minute, mind you I still don't think I do?
I was wondering what you were talking about for a minute, mind you I still don't think I do?
Well its been the norm to change your speaker cables and now your hdmi leads ,now things like power cables and mains conditioners and you can get better arial leads which all seem to make a small improvement .
But how far have people gone ? Have you just plugged you equipment gear in to your mains sockets and been happy or have you stripped all the original satellite leads and replaced them and was it all a worthwhile upgrade or do you wish you hadn't spent your cash?
But how far have people gone ? Have you just plugged you equipment gear in to your mains sockets and been happy or have you stripped all the original satellite leads and replaced them and was it all a worthwhile upgrade or do you wish you hadn't spent your cash?
landzw:
Well its been the norm to change your speaker cables and now your hdmi leads ,now things like power cables and mains conditioners and you can get better arial leads which all seem to make a small improvement .
But how far have people gone ? Have you just plugged you equipment gear in to your mains sockets and been happy or have you stripped all the original satellite leads and replaced them and was it all a worthwhile upgrade or do you wish you hadn't spent your cash?
What original satellite leads?
Well its been the norm to change your speaker cables and now your hdmi leads ,now things like power cables and mains conditioners and you can get better arial leads which all seem to make a small improvement .
But how far have people gone ? Have you just plugged you equipment gear in to your mains sockets and been happy or have you stripped all the original satellite leads and replaced them and was it all a worthwhile upgrade or do you wish you hadn't spent your cash?
What original satellite leads?
If you have sky then normally the engineer would install new satellite cables which is a bog standard cable , you can replace these just like the bog standard hdmi leads to get a better picture but do many people actually go this far and did it make an improvement ?
or have you even gone further and replaced the standards sky dish in hope of an improvement which turned out to be a waist of money?
or have you even gone further and replaced the standards sky dish in hope of an improvement which turned out to be a waist of money?
I've always just used the standard cables provided. The only time I ever looked into what cable I was going to buy was a few months ago before getting my HDMI cable. I never gave much thought to the matter - maybe didn't even realise it could make a difference - until I came across what are often heated debates on this forum.
I know thats why i was asking , until a few months ago i would never of thought getting a mains conditioner or think about changing the power cable and i was wonder how far people have gone , I know when i used to mess around with gaming pc's you would try to get the best from every component
hmtb:
I've always just used the standard cables provided. The only time I ever looked into what cable I was going to buy was a few months ago before getting my HDMI cable. I never gave much thought to the matter - maybe didn't even realise it could make a difference - until I came across what are often heated debates on this
He he, I love reading through those don't you?
I've just upgraded my system and generally try to use half decent cabling & connects, although my 4 x HDMI's only cost me £10 each and I have a Tacima 6 way Mains Conditioner@ £26.
I spent more cash on my old analogue system though.
TBO I don't know if it's made much difference, I just read this forum too much
I've always just used the standard cables provided. The only time I ever looked into what cable I was going to buy was a few months ago before getting my HDMI cable. I never gave much thought to the matter - maybe didn't even realise it could make a difference - until I came across what are often heated debates on this
He he, I love reading through those don't you?
I've just upgraded my system and generally try to use half decent cabling & connects, although my 4 x HDMI's only cost me £10 each and I have a Tacima 6 way Mains Conditioner@ £26.
I spent more cash on my old analogue system though.
TBO I don't know if it's made much difference, I just read this forum too much
i have to aggree with roger06, i have a dedicated supply to my AV/HIFI kit that i installed myself. sheilded cable all the way from the distribution board even with its own breaker and mains conditioner, this has really been taken to the extreme and i wouldnt expect the average home owner to have such a set-up.
but as i am a electrician it was light work, but in answer to your question i have shown the difference to many a unbeliver by simply unplugging my tv and pluging it into the normal supply, the difference is vast even my wife has to aggree and she normally doesnt see the point in any of it.
a quick and easy way to see the difference is to change the mains cable on your sky box, hdmi lead, lead to tv and a mains conditioner this should be the absolute min, as for how far you want to take it depends on how deep your pockets are, but keep in mind after a certain point some expense will not justify the outlay
but as i am a electrician it was light work, but in answer to your question i have shown the difference to many a unbeliver by simply unplugging my tv and pluging it into the normal supply, the difference is vast even my wife has to aggree and she normally doesnt see the point in any of it.
a quick and easy way to see the difference is to change the mains cable on your sky box, hdmi lead, lead to tv and a mains conditioner this should be the absolute min, as for how far you want to take it depends on how deep your pockets are, but keep in mind after a certain point some expense will not justify the outlay
I too have a dedicated radial socket and MCB for my Hifi, wired using 6mm cable.
Tacima on one outlet for CDP, tuner and straight into the wallsocket for the amp (tacimas tend to restrict the high power devices)
CDP upgraded mains cable to Chord Power Chord.
Next will be looking at Naim external power supply.
AV is slightly less still using the ring main (may add another socket to the dedicated radial...........) but the TV, Virgin, Blu ray and PS3 all fed from a Tacima with the TV also being fitted with a Chord power chord. Reciever straight into wall socket.
Thats the power side sorted.
Tacima on one outlet for CDP, tuner and straight into the wallsocket for the amp (tacimas tend to restrict the high power devices)
CDP upgraded mains cable to Chord Power Chord.
Next will be looking at Naim external power supply.
AV is slightly less still using the ring main (may add another socket to the dedicated radial...........) but the TV, Virgin, Blu ray and PS3 all fed from a Tacima with the TV also being fitted with a Chord power chord. Reciever straight into wall socket.
Thats the power side sorted.
daveh75
Well-known member
landzw:
If you have sky then normally the engineer would install new satellite cables which is a bog standard cable , you can replace these just like the bog standard hdmi leads to get a better picture but do many people actually go this far and did it make an improvement ?
That "bog standard cable" as you put it, used for Sky/Freesat and satellite installation in general is in fact good quality cable and often superior in terms of screening/materials used than some of the more exotic cables.
landzw: or have you even gone further and replaced the standards sky dish in hope of an improvement which turned out to be a waist of money? Changing a dish/LNB isn't going to give you better PQ.
All changing a dish(for a higher gain/bigger one) and fitting a higher performance LNB can do is improve signal strength/quality which will give less chance of "rain fade" i,e signal drop out in extreme weather.
Though in the UK even Sky mini dishes perform well(for Astra 2/Eurobird 1 reception) and if properly aligned in the first place rain fade shouldnt be much of an issue anyway.
If you have sky then normally the engineer would install new satellite cables which is a bog standard cable , you can replace these just like the bog standard hdmi leads to get a better picture but do many people actually go this far and did it make an improvement ?
That "bog standard cable" as you put it, used for Sky/Freesat and satellite installation in general is in fact good quality cable and often superior in terms of screening/materials used than some of the more exotic cables.
landzw: or have you even gone further and replaced the standards sky dish in hope of an improvement which turned out to be a waist of money? Changing a dish/LNB isn't going to give you better PQ.
All changing a dish(for a higher gain/bigger one) and fitting a higher performance LNB can do is improve signal strength/quality which will give less chance of "rain fade" i,e signal drop out in extreme weather.
Though in the UK even Sky mini dishes perform well(for Astra 2/Eurobird 1 reception) and if properly aligned in the first place rain fade shouldnt be much of an issue anyway.
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