Rats nest

[Dan Turner]

The other day I had an issue with a loud high-pitched hum coming through my stereo speakers whenever my TV was on - I solved it by un-tangling the mains cables for my power amps and TV, and un-plugging and re-plugging them. Today I noticed a quiter but still audible hub through my speakers when everything other than my stereo components were off, and realised it was because the interconnect between my pre and 1st power amp was near the extension block, and by moving it away slightly the hum stopped. I guess that calls the effectiveness of the screening in the cable in to question (Chord Chorus 2).

Anyway all this got me thinking - it's impossible to keep everything tidy behind my system (and most peoples I would have thought), and what is the cumulative effect of the inteference between the dozens of cables in an average system? I was thinking of just laying something on top of the mains extensions to block any EM fields affecting the signal cables - what would be the best material to use? I was thinking perhaps some kind of metallicised fabric, like the stuff some ironing board covers are made out of - would that be an effective screen?

Or is it simply the case that if you can't hear audible inteference, than there is none, and there's nothing to worry about?

 

[Anonymous]

Dan.....I made a post some months back asking how people keep their rats nest under control....didint get any response. Maybe its not somethig that has a high priority. All I can suggest is that you try to keep mains and signal leads as far apart as possible. If they do have to cross, try and make it as close to 90 deg as poss.

I have had to move my system around recently and made a huge investment in a packet of small cable ties.......holds everything in place but still looks a bit of a mess........but its the best I can do without cutting leads to exact lengths. I aint going to mess with that........

 

[matengawhat]

think i did one as well and also why are all cables so brightly coloured and stand out a mile whats wrong with plain old black and white

in the end i bought a cabinet with doors and half cut backs to hird the mass as onece you have stereo and home cinema set up your talking like 30 cables

im just in process of buying some feet to raise my stands so can pull all mains cables underneath them leaving all inportant stuff taped to the back of the unit as far away as possible - also dropping speakers cables under the floor

 

[Dan Turner]

Thanks Metangawhat. I have done some of those things, perhaps I need to put a bit more effort in. I have an atacama equinox AV, and I have put most of the mains cables underneath it, but the mains blocks are just on the floor behind it, whish is really the only place. Trouble is, like you've observed most of the interconnects have slack which ends up on the floor with the mains cables etc and with an open rack like mine, it's harder to route the cables in such a way as to keep them tidy and off the floor.

It might have to wait until I can summon the will to decorate my lounge and then I can send speaker cables under the floor like you're planning, and I'm also thinking of putting a small shelf on the wall behind the rack to keep all the interconnect/speaker cables away from the mains.

 

[VoodooDoctor]

I have an Atacama Equinox AV too.

I went from this:

to this:

Labelled everything up and used velcro cable ties. Still a bit messy but when you pull the stand out it all straightens out and is easy to untangle.

 

[Dan Turner]

That's nicely done Voodoodoctor. My rack is spiked on carpet, so no sliding it in/out for me!

Nice light fitting by the way (you can see the reflection in the corner of the rack on the 2nd photo)!

 

[VoodooDoctor]

I have the Atacama spike shoes to allow the sliding in and out. Done very infrequently as I think I would be murdered if I damaged the floor. All the equipment was off the rack too.

 

[matengawhat]

Dan Turner:

Thanks Metangawhat. I have done some of those things, perhaps I need to put a bit more effort in. I have an atacama equinox AV, and I have put most of the mains cables underneath it, but the mains blocks are just on the floor behind it, whish is really the only place. Trouble is, like you've observed most of the interconnects have slack which ends up on the floor with the mains cables etc and with an open rack like mine, it's harder to route the cables in such a way as to keep them tidy and off the floor.

It might have to wait until I can summon the will to decorate my lounge and then I can send speaker cables under the floor like you're planning, and I'm also thinking of putting a small shelf on the wall behind the rack to keep all the interconnect/speaker cables away from the mains

I used to have the equinox av but couldn't live with it due to the mess so changed to this - http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/258401.aspx

room has changed since then but waiting to buy feet to raise cabinet to put plugs under then will build a small plinth round it to hide but allow me to pull out to get to plugs won't be connected to the stand kind of like a skirt

 

[roger06]

I recently spent a day tidying up my cables - mainy for aesthetic purposes. The hi fi 'rack' is in the corner and the TV over the fireplace so this was a big job which entailed disconnecting everything, moving all the hi fi / AV kit as well as furniture and pulling up the carpet.

Under the carpet is old (and horrible) wood parquet so it was easy, if time consuming, to channel groves using a chisel and router.

I then laid electric trunking and laid the speaker cable, component, aerial leads etc in them, trying to separate them as sensibly as possible (e.g the component from the BD wouldn't be used with the HDMI from Mac server at same time so these could lie together etc).

When all was done it looked way better. I wasn't expecting any visual / sonic improvements but wow - the picture on the TV is finally what I'd expect from a modern plasma - improved colour and sharpness, and my Naim two channel system sounds more punchy, better bass and clearer vocals. I thought all this cable separation talk was a myth - but it isn't

A pic of during and one after - but none before I'm afraid...

Just some excess speaker cable to be sorted...

 

[Dan Turner]

Roger, that looks like a really nice job.