Mains power cables and block.

[krish123]

hi there, iv recently bought a musical fidelity a5 preamp and 550k superchargers and what to do them justice with regards to power cables.

i also have a sugden cd21 series 2 player. which components usually gain most from power cables?

Can any1 reccomend some decent power cords? i will be buying second hand upt to no more then £50.

I will also require one mains block, probably requiring 4 plugs, can any1 also reccomend a 4 plug block?

any1 who has had experience in trying power cables etc would be worth listening too.

thanks.

 

[shooter]

I've done some extensive listening with power cables i've had in the system. I've had a Van Den Hul Mainstream BS (£350) and Russ Andrews Sig PowerKord (£389) to name drop a couple and ive tried some less exotic types also with and without mains conditioning.

The outcome is that i use shielded mains cable off e-bay for £30 a go because i couldnt hear any diffference whatsoever with a standard kettle lead but opted for sheilded because of that reason.

The conditioner has gone and i plug the amp directly into the wall socket and digital off a good quality mains extention, job done.

 

[krish123]

fair enough shooter, any more opinions?

 

[CnoEvil]

I rate the Copper-Line Alpha from this crowd: http://www.cleareraudio.com/

 

[iceman16]

If you can get s/h Chord powerchord(orange) from ebay it will do the trick. I got mine for £37 each s/h from the same seller.They are significant upgrade to the standard Naim mains cable they replaced with less background noise specially when connected to source components.

 

[MUSICRAFT]

hi there, iv recently bought a musical fidelity a5 preamp and 550k superchargers and what to do them justice with regards to power cables.

i also have a sugden cd21 series 2 player. which components usually gain most from power cables?

Can any1 reccomend some decent power cords? i will be buying second hand upt to no more then £50.

I will also require one mains block, probably requiring 4 plugs, can any1 also reccomend a 4 plug block?

any1 who has had experience in trying power cables etc would be worth listening too.

thanks.

Hi krish123

The standard mains cables supplied with your components are decent. I'll recommend using these standard mains cables for all of your electronics.

Btw, in the first instance I'll suggest plugging your components directly into wall sockets however if this is not possible then mains blocks from Wilkinson Stores are excellent.

All the best

Rick @ Musicraft

 

[krish123]

thanks for the replies so far guys.

i have read the clearer audio copperline is a decent mains cable.

Also the tacima mains block seems a cheap but effective upgrade?

i can only plug one component directly into the mains, atm i have my preamp directly . is this the best thing to be plugged in directly or maybe the cd player?

iv heard the 550k respond well with better power cords so will give them a try.

id like to smooth the sound if possible , reduce any 'rough edges' to the music.

more opinions and reccomendations welcome...

 

[CnoEvil]

Plug the Power amp into the socket. I'm not a fan of the Tacima, but others have found it works well.....just don't plug your power amp into it.

 

[krish123]

i would but i need 2 plugs as i have monoblocs. and the power cable wont reach to the next set of plugs, bit annoying :/.

What was your results with the tacima block?

 

[MattSPL]

Get an electrician to loop another socket off the existing one. It will cost more than an extension lead, but its a good long term solution.

As for power cords, ive had great results with a few different makes of cable.

 

[hyettdman]

The tacima mains block is a instant noticeable upgrade. you'll find that your music will become more spacious sounding, and it really tidys up the outcome of what your playing.

 

[CnoEvil]

i would but i need 2 plugs as i have monoblocs. and the power cable wont reach to the next set of plugs, bit annoying :/.

What was your results with the tacima block?

I agree with Matt as to the best solution.

Re the Tacima, I found it strangled the amp, and the other components sounded better plugged directly into the wall. IMO Conditioning can't be done cheaply and well.

 

[shooter]

Re the Tacima, I found it strangled the amp, and the other components sounded better plugged directly into the wall. IMO Conditioning can't be done cheaply and well.

Agreed, sucks the life out of amps. Digital sources dont sound much different tbh, nice block construction though.

+2 Mattspl, dedicated loop is much better upgrade than mains cables, pref, dedicated spur off the main unit, bit more dosh though.

Listening to: Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny.

 

[shooter]

I'm using these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quality-Shielded-Mains-Cable-MK-Dplug-Schurter-IEC-1m-/250828778970?pt=UK_Computing_CablesConnectors_RL&hash=item3a668f6dda#ht_999wt_907

Bought 2 for £30, even better value...

 

[Overdose]

I have tried several cables, none of any particular note and some extravagent DIY cables of varying flavours, all in the interests of science of course.

None made the slightest difference.

My AV kit is now on its own dedicated ring circuit and this too, has made no discernable difference to the sound. It is safer now though and I can isolate any/all of my equipment individually and it has enabled me to dispense with a Tescos own extension lead and block, which trailed around the room in an unsightly manner.

So the only improvements were aesthetics and safety, which is enough for me.

 

[krish123]

iv seeen some cables on ebay from W&M audio and there power cables seem decent. any1 had experience with them?

 

[SteveR750]

I had a copperline lead to my CDP (when I owned it) and I don't think there was any improvement. Have always plugged the amp directly into the wall, everything else into a Tacima block; again I can detect no difference with the hi fi or the TV using it, but I need a mains block so it gets used. I have a second Tacima that now sits in a cupboard, in my old house my phone charge and iron were running off it....

I was hoping that it might have had a positive effect on the laptop PSU which is very noisy, but makes no discernible difference.

 

[CnoEvil]

I had a copperline lead to my CDP (when I owned it) and I don't think there was any improvement. Have always plugged the amp directly into the wall, everything else into a Tacima block; again I can detect no difference with the hi fi or the TV using it, but I need a mains block so it gets used. I have a second Tacima that now sits in a cupboard, in my old house my phone charge and iron were running off it....

I was hoping that it might have had a positive effect on the laptop PSU which is very noisy, but makes no discernible difference.

Did you try the Copper-line into your amp?

 

[krish123]

interesting steve, it seems mains cables/conditioning works for some but for others does nothin at all.

merlin tarantula mk6 is another contender.

 

[relocated]

I think it greatly depends on individual pieces of kit and the quality of the mains. I have noticed very benefitial effects with Russ Andrews powercords down the years but usually with source equipment. The best change was using a redundant storage heater circuit for the hifi some years ago.

I am lucky enough to have really good mains, it steps down in a field just behind the house and I think I am getting first dibs at this clean power. As others have said don't plug amps into the Tacima or any other conditioner blocks, in my experience.

Your ears and gear are the only real test, experiment you may never hear a difference.

 

[SteveR750]

I had a copperline lead to my CDP (when I owned it) and I don't think there was any improvement. Have always plugged the amp directly into the wall, everything else into a Tacima block; again I can detect no difference with the hi fi or the TV using it, but I need a mains block so it gets used. I have a second Tacima that now sits in a cupboard, in my old house my phone charge and iron were running off it....

I was hoping that it might have had a positive effect on the laptop PSU which is very noisy, but makes no discernible difference.

Did you try the Copper-line into your amp?

Yes tried that, and the TV. Natch.

I'm sure it had some benefit, just my ears and eyes couldn't detect it.

What intrigues me is that few opf us appear to be consistent - some things sound hugely different, for example HQ mp3 files vs CDA is as obvious as night and day to me, I can even tell them apart using a pair £40 logitech laptop speakers + sub, whereas many report they can't. Yet I cannot hear much, if any difference in mains conditioners, interconnects, filter settings on the dacmagic....

I know I have failry sensitive hearing - I can often hear things that others sround me don't, but I also know that my right ear has a deficiency in ther upper midband / lower treble from a recent hearing test.

Someone posted a while ago an online hearing test, for pitch, sensitivity plus several other characteristics, would be interesting to try that again! I thought I had excellent pitch awareness, being able to tune a guitar with ease for example, turns out I was rubbish!

 

[krish123]

will my preamp be ok to go into the tacima block? i need the tacima blok to free space to plug both my monoblocs directly into the wall.

 

[Electro]

I had a copperline lead to my CDP (when I owned it) and I don't think there was any improvement. Have always plugged the amp directly into the wall, everything else into a Tacima block; again I can detect no difference with the hi fi or the TV using it, but I need a mains block so it gets used. I have a second Tacima that now sits in a cupboard, in my old house my phone charge and iron were running off it....

I was hoping that it might have had a positive effect on the laptop PSU which is very noisy, but makes no discernible difference.

Did you try the Copper-line into your amp?

Yes tried that, and the TV. Natch.

I'm sure it had some benefit, just my ears and eyes couldn't detect it.

What intrigues me is that few opf us appear to be consistent - some things sound hugely different, for example HQ mp3 files vs CDA is as obvious as night and day to me, I can even tell them apart using a pair £40 logitech laptop speakers + sub, whereas many report they can't. Yet I cannot hear much, if any difference in mains conditioners, interconnects, filter settings on the dacmagic....

I know I have failry sensitive hearing - I can often hear things that others sround me don't, but I also know that my right ear has a deficiency in ther upper midband / lower treble from a recent hearing test.

Someone posted a while ago an online hearing test, for pitch, sensitivity plus several other characteristics, would be interesting to try that again! I thought I had excellent pitch awareness, being able to tune a guitar with ease for example, turns out I was rubbish!

It was me that posted the pitch perception test amongst other hearing tests .

Here is the link if you want to try it again .

http://tonometric.com/adaptivepitch/

 

[CnoEvil]

Yes tried that, and the TV. Natch.

I'm sure it had some benefit, just my ears and eyes couldn't detect it.

What intrigues me is that few opf us appear to be consistent - some things sound hugely different, for example HQ mp3 files vs CDA is as obvious as night and day to me, I can even tell them apart using a pair £40 logitech laptop speakers + sub, whereas many report they can't. Yet I cannot hear much, if any difference in mains conditioners, interconnects, filter settings on the dacmagic....

I know I have failry sensitive hearing - I can often hear things that others sround me don't, but I also know that my right ear has a deficiency in ther upper midband / lower treble from a recent hearing test.

I suspect it has nothing to do with your hearing and all to do with the vagaries of the mains supply and how a particular component reacts.

One of my local dealers has told me they get varying results on different instals....from making it Worse -> No difference -> Good improvement.....they never make assumptions before trying it out, and warn accordingly.

 

[the record spot]

I'll suggest what Rick at Musicraft suggested. Standard mains cables or £3.99 multi-way blocks will be fine for the job.