I am redecorating a room and have the oppotunity to install a dedicated mains circuit for my Hifi. Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced cable which can be used to wire from the outlets back to the consumer unit and where I may be able to obtain this. I notice Russ Andrews offer such a cable but at £42 per metre this is way outside my budget.
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When should you upgrade your hi-fi? How to control ‘upgradeitis’
mains cable
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There have been a few arguments on here saying that expensive mains cable is a waste of money... It's a big ol' can of worms. Have you tested a mains cable with your equipment and noticed a difference, previously?
It has been suggested to me that upgrading the twin and earth mains cable to a thicker section or better still a shielded version and utilsing a dedicated supply will pay dividents but I have no actual experience of this. However, given that oppotunity exists, if it isn't going to cost the earth then I though I might take the chance. As regards main filters I have had the oppotunity to hear these and have been impressed.
I'd do some research on the topic and make your own mind up before you spend a lot of money on this. The word "Snakeoil" gets bandied around a lot. Try a reputable dealer who will blind swap/lend you the cables and see if it makes a difference. What sort of kit are you going to be running?
What does your common sense said about power cables? Think about it long and hard then have a demo to see if your thinking match the outcome.
The guys not talking about a power chord but his main wiring loom.I had mine done,it's all put on it's own separate spur,you don't need special cables for this,I recall mine were just 6mm cables that ran straight to the wall unit with no other appliances on the loom,definitely worthwhile.
[quote user="shanej"]
I am redecorating a room and have the oppotunity to install a dedicated mains circuit for my Hifi. Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced cable which can be used to wire from the outlets back to the consumer unit and where I may be able to obtain this. I notice Russ Andrews offer such a cable but at £42 per metre this is way outside my budget.
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Bear in mind that mains cabling, as long as it can handle the current, doesn't have any effect on the sound of a Hifi. If you had more than 20,000 watts of power to unleash and you were using test tones at full volume it might just be possible to detect a power drop with an oscilloscope moments before the fuses blow. The trouble is by then you would very likely to be completely deaf and your speakers will be ruined.
I am redecorating a room and have the oppotunity to install a dedicated mains circuit for my Hifi. Can anybody recommend a reasonably priced cable which can be used to wire from the outlets back to the consumer unit and where I may be able to obtain this. I notice Russ Andrews offer such a cable but at £42 per metre this is way outside my budget.
[/quote]
Bear in mind that mains cabling, as long as it can handle the current, doesn't have any effect on the sound of a Hifi. If you had more than 20,000 watts of power to unleash and you were using test tones at full volume it might just be possible to detect a power drop with an oscilloscope moments before the fuses blow. The trouble is by then you would very likely to be completely deaf and your speakers will be ruined.
From what I've heard, a dedicated ring main is worthwhile, but whether it's worth spending £42/m on the cabling....!!?!??!?!?????
I realise that he was talking about his spur. However, the only way (that I can think of) to test whether cabling at £42/metre is going to make any difference without rewiring the house first is to test it on a length running from the mains to your equipment. I have also considered having the AV spur separated out from the current set up.
It sounds like the suggested upgrade to a 6mm mains cable maybe the solution but I would still appreciate any other suggested alternatives, but not as expensive as the Russ Andrews cable, something around £5-£10 per metre would about right.
As regards my kit, Cyrus PreVs, Xpower, Cyrus Cdxt, Cyrus Dacx and Wilson Benesch Arc Speakers
As regards my kit, Cyrus PreVs, Xpower, Cyrus Cdxt, Cyrus Dacx and Wilson Benesch Arc Speakers
To spend £40+ per metre on mains wiring loom is nuts,and begs the question as to why?As long as your equipment is separated and isolated from the rest of your appliances why on earth would you need fancy cables?as the previous post brought out as long as it thick enough to carry the current,it then is good enough and safe,thats the most vital thing,and why I don't play around with it,mine was done qualified electrician.
200km of line outside the house, plus another 10m of stuff inside the house. Unless it's doing some fancy filtering or you've got completely mad other appliances in the house (like ones that aren't actually legal) then the effect is likely limited.
A seperate spur to keep it away from the rest of the house seems reasonable given you've the chance...
... although shouldn't it be a spur for the amps and another for the sources, seperate digital and analogue..
If I were you I'd want to see some evidence before spending 40quid a metre on mains cable. At the very least, if you must try this, then look into mains filtering as an alternative for the money - much easier to try out without committing lots of money and certainly more "explainable" in terms of likely effect. (just don't talk to our venerated malodorous octogenarian friend about such things).
A seperate spur to keep it away from the rest of the house seems reasonable given you've the chance...
... although shouldn't it be a spur for the amps and another for the sources, seperate digital and analogue..
If I were you I'd want to see some evidence before spending 40quid a metre on mains cable. At the very least, if you must try this, then look into mains filtering as an alternative for the money - much easier to try out without committing lots of money and certainly more "explainable" in terms of likely effect. (just don't talk to our venerated malodorous octogenarian friend about such things).
I have often wondered why most, if not all hi-fi kit is run from the mains with all the dirt and interference present in the current. Wouldn't it be better if hi-fi equipment ran on a much lower current (e.g. 12V or 48V DC)? If that were the case then one could have an external power supply which behaved like a UPS with the AC charging the battery and the battery supplying smoothed and conditioned current to the audio components. Surely someone must have tried this?
[quote user="Halloway"]I have often wondered why most, if not all hi-fi kit is run from the mains with all the dirt and interference present in the current. Wouldn't it be better if hi-fi equipment ran on a much lower current (e.g. 12V or 48V DC)? If that were the case then one could have an external power supply which behaved like a UPS with the AC charging the battery and the battery supplying smoothed and conditioned current to the audio components. Surely someone must have tried this?
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If you're charging the battery from the mains what's the difference? It looks like needless complication to me.
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If you're charging the battery from the mains what's the difference? It looks like needless complication to me.
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