Mains leads

[JoelSim]

I have a variety of mains leads including a new Nordost Shiva as follows:

- Nordost Shiva

- Merlin Black Widow

- Merlin Tarantula

- Russ Andrews Powercord

- Unbranded, shielded cable

I have 5 pieces of kit too that need a lead as follows:

- Arcam CD192

- Arcam T61 tuner

- Arcam A85 amp

- Arcam P85 power amp

- Arcam DV79

The tuner and DVD player aren't used that often, especially the latter so the 3 best leads should go on the CD and amps.

Which would you have on each component. Obviously I will trial a couple of things but it's a nightmare trying to get round the back of my rack so I don't have endless opportunity to test every which way.

 

[JoelSim]

My starter for 10 is:

- Nordost Shiva on CDP

- Merlin Black Widow on preamp

- RA on power amp

- Merlin Tarantula on DVD

- Shielded cable on tuner

I am also looking to buy another high quality cable (or two), possibly second hand (as per the Nordost which was £72 mint), which could then go on my preamp, moving the Black Widow to the power amp and the RA to the DVD & Tarantula to the tuner. Perhaps two new Clearer Audio Silver Lines for the amps, or Chord Superscreens which would be an awful lot cheaper.

 

[eternaloptimist]

Hi JoelSim,
Can I be facetious.... and suggest a good sturdy kettle lead?

I cannot believe that the laws of physics can be defied and any difference be heard when only the last 1 m of mains supply is shielded / coated in diamonds etc. compared to the rest of the lines all the way back to the power station... You should hear my electrical engineer (and audiophile) father on the subject... Snake oil exists in the 21st century and it has a name: "audiophile" mains cables.

I would be very open to any blinded testing study that shows any audible difference above chance between a good sturdy kettle lead and any of the above "audiophile" leads. This stuff gives genuine audiophile developments a bad name.

Not so optimistic tonight.

D

 

[professorhat]

Here we go again...

Incidentally, even if the laws of physics can't be defied, are you 100% sure the laws of physics we currently understand are actually correct?

 

[idc]

eternaloptimist: I cannot believe that the laws of physics can be defied and any difference be heard when only the last 1 m of mains supply is shielded / coated in diamonds etc. compared to the rest of the lines all the way back to the power station...

Think of that that last 1 m of decent cable as a harbour and the mains as the raging sea trying to batter its way in...........................

and the better the cable the more protection from the vagaries of the mains.

 

[JoelSim]

eternaloptimist:

Hi JoelSim, Can I be facetious.... and suggest a good sturdy kettle lead?

I cannot believe that the laws of physics can be defied and any difference be heard when only the last 1 m of mains supply is shielded / coated in diamonds etc. compared to the rest of the lines all the way back to the power station... You should hear my electrical engineer (and audiophile) father on the subject... Snake oil exists in the 21st century and it has a name: "audiophile" mains cables.

I would be very open to any blinded testing study that shows any audible difference above chance between a good sturdy kettle lead and any of the above "audiophile" leads. This stuff gives genuine audiophile developments a bad name.

Not so optimistic tonight.

D

I don't agree. Shielded from millions of other wires is the first point. Better conduction is the second. Better impedence is the third. And of course there's the better connections offered through better build quality.

There are those who say that speaker cables and interconnects don't have an effect too, and they do. Hugely.

 

[Anonymous]

I will go and get my Hard Hat!

What is relevent is the condition of the live/neutral/earth wires at the point of entry into the appliance.

It is common for the neutral wire to carry low voltages on it and for RF contamination from the house ring main and also off other houses in the street! Poor 'true earth' grounding /cross bonding are other factors along with oxidisation of wiring and contacts.

Whilst a well designed lead made with quality materials gives a noticeable listening improvement in filtering off much of the RF background noise, there is much more to be done to get anything near a 100% clean/stable supply.

The A/B effects on sound and vision equipment is great, and as many people have discovered is a cost effective way of getting improvements to there listening pleasure.

 

[Anonymous]

Mains leads do make a difference. I can 100% tell a difference when I put the Atlas EOS lead on my cyrus Prevs2 preamp compared with the standard cable.

I also did a little trick on a friend of mine the other day. He was sat on my sofa and I got up to change CDs but instead I quickly swapped over the mains lead on my CD8X from the EOS to the bog standard lead, then played the same music again.

"What have you done?" he said... "the music sounded much brighter before.. now it's a bit dull..."

I could hear the tonal difference as well but more intrestingly the music seemed slightly muddled in comparison... like the band were playing slightly out of time... time to put the EOS back in !!!!

jules.

 

[Anonymous]

cant you hear any difference between them yourself ?????

ray

 

[JoelSim]

Me?

I haven't got the Shiva yet, I was just asking for advice on where to start as it's tricky to get behind my rack to swap things over without completely dismantling the whole gig which I can't be bothered to do over and over.

 

[Anonymous]

yes you !

why not if your under the delusion that a pretty piece of wire is going to make a vast improvement to your system why not prove it to yourself or do you need the support of others to perpetuate the myth.

ray

 

[Anonymous]

professorhat:
Here we go again...

Incidentally, even if the laws of physics can't be defied, are you 100% sure the laws of physics we currently understand are actually correct?

eternaloptimist is actually a figment of his own imagination. Along with all the other cable and burn-in skeptics. Only joking! Honest!

 

[professorhat]

rhmbus:why not if your under the delusion that a pretty piece of wire is going to make a vast improvement to your system why not prove it to yourself or do you need the support of others to perpetuate the myth.

Since it's only your fourth post, you probably haven't yet understood the concept of a forum, which is to ask and also offer advice to fellow citizens of this wonderful planet we live on. Rather than just attempt to insult them (I say "attempt" as I'm more than aware Joel will not be in the slightest insulted by the above post!).

 

[JoelSim]

rhmbus:
yes you !

why notÿÿÿ ifÿ your under the delusion that a pretty piece of wire is going to make a vast improvement to your system why not prove it to yourself or do you need the support of others to perpetuate the myth.

ray

Mr lopsided square.

Although I am only on my first CD, let me tell you what's happened thus far. I will add at this point that I'm just coming to about 3/4 of the way through the first glass of wine so in essence sober.

I put the new Shiva onto the CDP, moving the Merlin Black Widow that was there to the power amp.

The Merlin Tarantula that was on the poweramp is now on the tuner. ÿ

I put a CD on that I was very familiar with, even tho' I bought 3 new CDs today.

I have to say even I'm surprised. It's changed the mood of this album significantly. Far more air around the instruments, taughter strings on guitar, more mellow, more tone in the voices. Very strange indeed - although this will also be attributed to the Black Widow going onto the power amp as it's a better cable than the Tarantula.

Ray, you are wrong. Comprehensively. And believe me when I say it's not snake oil, as people who know me on this forum will have seen posts from me about how disappointed I have been with some purchases ie my TT, and some copper speaker cable on my ProAcs that doesn't do it for me.

ÿ

 

[Gusboll]

professorhat:

Here we go again...

Incidentally, even if the laws of physics can't be defied, are you 100% sure the laws of physics we currently understand are actually correct?

Here we go again indeed. Until recently the world was flat, Planet Pluto didn't exist, then it did, then it didn't. Derby even won the league championship twice in the 70's, which surely proves that anything can happen. My cables make my music sound great.

Nice new pic btw JoelSim.

 

[Don Guess]

Wouldn't you have got more benefit by using the money spent on mains leads to improve your CD player amp or speakers first?

 

[idc]

Don Guess:Wouldn't you have got more benefit by using the money spent on mains leads to improve your CD player amp or speakers first?

Mains leads etc are a lot cheaper than upgrading CDPs, amps etc and if you are happy with the sound then the whole point of chnaging the mains etc is to squeezw every ounce of performance out of the rest of your kit.

P.S, Don, you have the best kit list of everybody on the whole forum..........................no seriously you do!

 

[Don Guess]

Good point idc.

The glass door of my Amstrad is a bit scratched. Do you know where I could get a replacement?

I bet Andrew Everard's got one..

 

[idc]

I would replace it with a cryogenically frozen one from Thorens, but I am also drunk and a bit mad.

 

[JoelSim]

Don Guess:Wouldn't you have got more benefit by using the money spent on mains leads to improve your CD player amp or speakers first?

I would have to spend £2k on each of those components to make a measurable and justifiable difference. Obviously less second hand.

The £72 + postage of £4.95 on the Nordost has already provided me with value as I'm sitting here smiling my face off. It has refined a sound I was already loving. You can't beat that. I am truly amazed by the difference 'a kettle lead' has made.

If it hadn't have sounded any different then I would have just sold it on. Now for my amps - new leads will be bought, because I already had entry-level mains cables and if this has made such a difference, then just think what'll happen if I do both the amps with something like Clearer Audio Silver Line.

ÿ

 

[JoelSim]

Don Guess:Good point idc. The glass door of my Amstrad is a bit scratched. Do you know where I could get a replacement?I bet Andrew Everard's got one..

I had one of those. Great at the time, double tape deck, record player, graphic, radio....pure rubbish, but as I say, great at the time.

ÿ

 

[JoelSim]

idc:I would replace it with a cryogenically frozen one from Thorens, but I am also drunk and a bit mad.

Definitely. And cup your ears while listening to music as it creates unbelievable depth. You look great too, impresses all the chicks

ÿ

 

[Don Guess]

JoelSim:
Don Guess:Good point idc. The glass door of my Amstrad is a bit scratched. Do you know where I could get a replacement?I bet Andrew Everard's got one..

I had one of those. Great at the time, double tape deck, record player, graphic, radio....pure rubbish, but as I say, great at the time.

ÿ

Whad dy'a mean at the time!

They're still great.. Get the one with the deluxe hardboard back - better sound all round..

 

[idc]

JoelSim:

idc:I would replace it with a cryogenically frozen one from Thorens, but I am also drunk and a bit mad.

Definitely. And cup your ears while listening to music as it creates unbelievable depth. You look great too, impresses all the chicks

'scuse mi, hic, but its urly yet and I'm not a screaming lunatic, ur fibbing again. though thur is one in the corner who has givn mi the eye, hic, i'm off to impress ur with mi tweeter extensiun

 

[JoelSim]

idc:JoelSim:
idc:I would replace it with a cryogenically frozen one from Thorens, but I am also drunk and a bit mad.

Definitely. And cup your ears while listening to music as it creates unbelievable depth. You look great too, impresses all the chicks

'scuse mi, hic, but its urly yet and I'm not a screaming lunatic, ur fibbing again. though thur is one in the corner who has givn mi the eye, hic, i'm off to impress ur with mi tweeter extensiun

Well the missus thinks I'm a saddo, so I haven't told her...

She signed for the delivery today though, and hasn't asked what it is yet. No doubt she will ask tomorrow but as I furtively put it in whilst she was putting the baby to bed I may just get away with it.

It's difficult to describe, but it's like someone has added 5 feet to the height of the studio where it was recorded.

ÿ