Wasn't gonna post this...

[Barry]

Dunno about that. My mums house had to be rewired when she died by buyer as it didnt come up to regs. Bar the kitchen it was all round plugged. 5 amp and big 15 amp. They were a much better fit, and you rarely ever saw any pitting on the pins that you often get on 13 amp ones.

Most 13A plugs these days are cheap Chinese imports. The quality of BS1363 plugs and sockets is no longer what it was. Even MK now have some of their stuff made in China; the sockets are definitely value engineered, and the build standard is clearly inferior to what it was in the '60s and '70s.

[JohnJo]

Right, bit of an update. Put my system on this morning and that beautiful "hear through" quality seemed to be missing. I'm concvinced there's a lot of hash (RFI?) on our mains during the day which cleans up at night. I did repeat the fuse/wire swap and there is still a noticeable improvement with the fuse bypassed. The sound is "cleaner" for sure.

Barry, I have to agree with your argument regarding lowering mains impedance, it doesn't add up. Actually it was a 13 amp fuse so your argument is even stronger. The point you just made about plug quality is very valid. The plug I was playing with is a real piece of crap with really poor quality fuse grips. Never bothered me as I wasn't a believer in mains tweaking. I reckoned 240V would get through relatively anything unscathed. However opening an MK tough plug on one of my other leads showed what a good quality item should feel like - the fuse was SOLID.

After checking there was a fuse fitted to the IEC inlet of both my amp and CD player I have bypassed the fuses in their plugs too so have gone the full monty and bypassed all the plug fuses and the sound is definitely more clean, clear and defined. The extra definition in the bass is very noticeable and appreciated with the James Jamerson stuff I'm listening to at present. His old flat wound Fender has a new found texture.

Will leave things like this for a week or two and then go back to having the fuses in circuit and see what's what.

I think plug fuses are not made of glass because they have to interrupt higher fault currents than those inside equipment hence the ceramic body to withstand the force without shattering.

[Marco]

Most 13A plugs these days are cheap Chinese imports. The quality of BS1363 plugs and sockets is no longer what it was. Even MK now have some of their stuff made in China; the sockets are definitely value engineered, and the build standard is clearly inferior to what it was in the '60s and '70s.

Indeed, they're shit... The only 13A plugs I'd put near my system these days (and there are only two, plugged into my TD digital noise filter) are these, which feature solid-copper pins, plated with Rhodium. Pitting is a non-issue:



Very high-engineering quality, and the best plug I've found that doesn't 'sound' like a plug (i.e. the closest to hard-wiring, simply because it acts LEAST like a bottleneck)... Only thing is they're £105 a pop!

Marco.

[Barry]

Yes, plug fuses (to BS1362) must have ceramic bodies for reasons you state. Even some 20mm long fuses use a sand-filled glass body.

Incidently 20mm x 5mm dia fuses ought to satisfy the relevant BS specification: BS EN 60127/2 for quick-acting types, and BS EN 60127/3 for time delay types.

[walpurgis]

I get mine from 'Poundland' .

[Marco]

Ha - you're such a tightwad!

You know what I'm like, though...

Marco.

[JohnJo]

Yikes, bit steep at a hundred odd quid but worth it I suppose.

My system has never created images like this before. Every instrument is clearly standing in its own space, chuffed

[JohnJo]

Even some 20mm long fuses use a sand-filled glass body.

Yes, they're the HBC variants -high breaking capacity.

Bit like myself on the wind front

[Barry]

Indeed, they're shit... The only 13A plugs I'd put near my system these days (and there are only two, into my TD digital noise filter) are these, which feature solid-copper pins, plated with Rhodium. Pitting is a non-issue:



Very high-engineering quality, and the best plug I've found that doesn't 'sound' like a plug (i.e. the closest to hard-wiring, simply because it acts LEAST like a bottleneck)... Only thing is they're £105 a pop!

Marco.

What make of fuse do you use in them?

[Marco]

Yes, they're the HBC variants -high breaking capacity.

Bit like myself on the wind front

Hi John,

Yup, they're very good. You have to remember how much my system cost to put together, so £105 isn't really a hill of beans...

I totally 'get' where you're coming from with your current experiment, and the benefits you've heard. It's precisely why I do the same myself - and have done for years!

Marco.