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Thread: Do mains cables make a difference??

  1. #241
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gazjam View Post
    Just to set the cat amongst the pigeons a bit...

    Noticed last night the mains lead from my power amp was pressed against the back wall a bit?
    Moved the amp forward a bit and left a bit of clearance?



    Better sense of space around vocals and better ‘flow’ in well recorded live music.
    Go figure

    Listening this morning and moving amp back to where it was can hear the difference.
    Small tweak well worth doing.
    Not in the slightest bit surprised mate, as I discovered that one years ago!

    It's one of the reasons why I have my kit on multiple layers of Mana supports, because even if they weren't doing anything, in terms of their design (they do, but that's another matter), the very fact that my kit is so high up off the floor, means that I can both let all my cables (mains and signal) hang in free space, and keep them well away from walls.

    The cumulative effect of that is always audible, and as you've discovered yourself, sonically beneficial. If you want to hear another similar upgrade, try and arrange your equipment on the rack so that the box carrying the most sonically influential interconnects is high up enough to allow them to hang in free space, as opposed to touching the floor or walls. And do that with as many bits of kit as you can.

    *And*, if you fancy another tweak, and you use a mains block of some description, place some isolation cones/Sorbothane feet, or something of that ilk under it, in order to raise it up off of the floor (including the power cable attached) - or even better still, if you have a spare shelf on your rack, place your mains block on it, and get it up off the floor that way.

    Trust me, as a result, your whole system will sound better [by de-oupling it from a source of vibration]!

    Marco.

    P.S Nice chunky mains cable and IEC. Like it. What are they, out of interest?
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  2. #242
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    30 magic mushrooms eaten fresh and washed down with a can of strong, cheap lager. System will sound amazing; I mean musicians not only in the room but you are inside the musician's heads too. System can be as shit as you like, it still works
    And don't forget to put 'Master of The Universe' on. (sounds incredible really loud through big Tannoys )

  3. #243
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

    Posts: 1,861
    I'm Dennis.

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    Talk of electrons travelling kilometres is contrary to what I was taught in 'A' level physics.

    The field travels at near the speed of light, but the electrons travel only a few millimetres.

  4. #244
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    I thought the perception was that electrons simply oscillate back and forth, each imparting energy to the next in line.

  5. #245
    Join Date: Dec 2014

    Location: UK, inactive

    Posts: 1,570
    I'm inactive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    I thought the perception was that electrons simply oscillate back and forth, each imparting energy to the next in line.
    What we learnt in Physics - even had a Slinky set up to demonstrate the wave principle involved

  6. #246
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

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    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    I thought the perception was that electrons simply oscillate back and forth, each imparting energy to the next in line.
    Douglas Adams....your thoughts are missed.
    Martin, care to fill in?
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  7. #247
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Not in the slightest bit surprised mate, as I discovered that one years ago!

    It's one of the reasons why I have my kit on multiple layers of Mana supports, because even if they weren't doing anything, in terms of their design (they do, but that's another matter), the very fact that my kit is so high up off the floor, means that I can both let all my cables (mains and signal) hang in free space, and keep them well away from walls.

    The cumulative effect of that is always audible, and as you've discovered yourself, sonically beneficial. If you want to hear another similar upgrade, try and arrange your equipment on the rack so that the box carrying the most sonically influential interconnects is high up enough to allow them to hang in free space, as opposed to touching the floor or walls. And do that with as many bits of kit as you can.

    *And*, if you fancy another tweak, and you use a mains block of some description, place some isolation cones/Sorbothane feet, or something of that ilk under it, in order to raise it up off of the floor (including the power cable attached) - or even better still, if you have a spare shelf on your rack, place your mains block on it, and get it up off the floor that way.

    Trust me, as a result, your whole system will sound better [by de-oupling it from a source of vibration]!

    Marco.

    P.S Nice chunky mains cable and IEC. Like it. What are they, out of interest?
    It's a commercial cable, a PS Audio AC5.

    Have an AC-3 powering my Directstream Dac, be upgrading to another AC5 when the pennies are there.

    Do mains cables make a difference?
    Uh...seriously?
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

  8. #248
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Lol.... Coolz. It looks decent value for money, considering the quality of materials used and construction.

    If you can, do try the other stuff I recommended, as I think you'll like the effect. Quite simply, it pays to get ALL your cables up off the floor and away from walls!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  9. #249
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: West Sūžsēaxe

    Posts: 2,015
    I'm Edward.

    Default

    It seems to me that the 'best' mains cable to use is 2.5 mm ring main cable given that it feeds the sockets anyway. A bit stiff but doable. One could always put some nice braid around it to make it look less 'industrial'.

    Current: [P20] Roon/Tidal > Custom PC> Chevron Paradox NDF16 > Phast Pre > Neuro. 686 > Tannoy Berkley (RFC tweaks)


  10. #250
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Edwardlon View Post
    It seems to me that the 'best' mains cable to use is 2.5 mm ring main cable given that it feeds the sockets anyway. A bit stiff but doable. One could always put some nice braid around it to make it look less 'industrial'.


    Nice braid would do that, yes.
    AC POWER
    Hardwired 10kVA balanced mains powering entire system
    AMPS
    Meridian 557 power Amp (Modded) / PS Audio BHK Preamp (Modded)
    SPEAKERS
    Wharfedale Evo 4.4
    DAC
    PS Audio Directstream (Modded)
    TURNTABLE
    Pro-Ject X8 balanced output via XLR / Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge
    PHONOSTAGE
    Pro-Ject DS3 B balanced Input (TT and Phonostage powered by Pro-Ject Power box RS2 linear psu)
    DIGITAL
    OPPO 203 (Modded: Linear PSU, i2s output to Dac) - Roon Endpoint, HDMI input used for all things Streaming/ PS5 /AppleTV ... also good for movies apparently?
    MUSIC PLAYBACK
    Tweaked AP-Linux based Roon Server into Oppo 203 as Roon endpoint
    Ipad Roon Remote.
    Apple Music/ YouTube via AppleTV, fed to Dac via Oppo HDMI input/i2s output to Dac.
    SPEAKER CABLES
    Biwired: Duelund DCA10GA (Bass) Duelund DCA16GA (mid & treble) Duelund 12DCA used as jumpers (On
    "Blackcat Cable" Chris Sommivigo's advice - yup, even with biwire it sounds better - and it does)
    INTERCONNECTS
    All Balanced: Ghost+ recording studio XLR cables

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