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Thread: Do mains cables make a difference??

  1. #221
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire/Panteg is where my late father was born

    Posts: 4,382
    I'm Chris.

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    I have heard a big difference in a mains lead, just the one time, it was a home made lead I bought on here, not expensive at £20.
    It's made from tightly twisted solid core to an MK plug and standard iec.

    How did it sound compared to the bog standard provided with my Pearl lite?
    As Doug Dunlop, bless him would say, like a bag of nails!!
    It sounded bloody awful and had to be removed immediately, the bog standard or the Mark Grant I have was much better.
    I use the Mark Grant because at least it doesn't sound any worse than the standard lead.
    Chris

    We've gone on holiday by mistake !

  2. #222
    Join Date: Apr 2015

    Location: Central Virginia

    Posts: 1,736
    I'm Russell.

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    I have had this discussion with a friend in Italy, who claimed that as alternating current was moving back and forth at 50Hz, (60 here in the States), the electrons were only moving back and forth in the “good”, copper.

    So I did some math, it’s in a notebook around here someplace, if I ever find it I may share it. But basically I found out his theory was rubbish. The electrons were moving far further than two meters or less. Like some portion of a kilometer. So, yea, so much for promising theories.

    Personally I too believe it has more to do with good grounding and shielding than any pseudo-science. And I have seen no evidence that throwing money at it will produce a better cable. I spent good money, about $55, for parts to make a good cable for my preamp. Does it sound good? Yes! Can I tell the difference? Not really. But it’s big and fat with braided sleeve and looks quite fetching! I also spent good money on a cryogenically frozen 20A cable for my amp! It’s wound up in the closet, I haven’t put it in yet. I’ll let everyone know if it bowls me over.

    Right now I’m using the one Krell gave with the amp. I’ve always thought if there was anything to this stuff then manufacturers would supply them? If all it took was a good cable to make their kit sound better, then why wouldn’t they? They go to extreme lengths elsewhere for sound quality, why overlook that if it really made a difference?

    But, in our quest for better sound, there is certainly no harm in assuring that the cables we use are not impeding our enjoyment of our hard earned systems.

    Russell

  3. #223
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,776
    I'm Martin.

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    You have a different Krell to me but the manual for mine is pretty explicit in warning not to use any mains cable except the one supplied.

    It doesn't say what will happen if you do, but I imagine it is similar to what happens when you cross the streams in 'Ghostbusters'.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  4. #224
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    If you use the wrong lead, you'll probably get an effect like the one at the cold fusion lab in the movie 'Chain Reaction'.

  5. #225
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,776
    I'm Martin.

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    The Krell manual is basically 3 pages of them saying 'Do not screw around with this thing!'

    You have to mute your pre-amp when cuing a record as due to the current delivery the transient from the needle dropping can blow the drivers out of your speakers.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  6. #226
    Join Date: Oct 2008

    Location: Glasgowshire

    Posts: 9,656
    I'm Gary.

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    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.


    (No, I on the malt last night lol)
    Last edited by Gazjam; 03-06-2018 at 11:20.
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  7. #227
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,776
    I'm Martin.

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

    We've already got so many cats in there on this topic that we are starting to run out of pigeons....

    If you can 'hear' that cable touching the wall without knowing whether it is or isn't then I'd be impressed.

    There's a stark choice here between the well-established vagaries of human psychology and basic physics having some alarming and totally inexplicable gaps that have gone completely unnoticed until audiophilia reached its current, dizzy heights. When you've eliminated the impossible explanations, whatever remains must be the explanation regardless of how improbable, or in this case, unpalatable, it may be.

    It isn't comfortable to realise we cannot trust our senses or our memory in uncontrolled conditions, but it is easily demonstrable that we can't.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  8. #228
    Join Date: May 2009

    Location: gone away

    Posts: 4,870
    I'm joe.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    There's a stark choice here between the well-established vagaries of human psychology and basic physics having some alarming and totally inexplicable gaps that have gone completely unnoticed until audiophilia reached its current, dizzy heights.
    It's also funny how scientists and engineers came up with the technology to reproduce recorded sounds, but now it's scientists and engineers who get stick for failing to have an 'open mind' about fancy mains cables, even when they go to great lengths to explain precisely why perceived differences between such cables are down to psychological rather than scientific factors.

  9. #229
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

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    I'm Grant.

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    its pretty fair to say what it is, if it works for you, then it works for you. as much as ive not heard differences in mains cables, im not so arrogant as to dismiss it totally. science does tend to say something and stick to it until it becomes obvious they were wrong. even then....
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  10. #230
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,776
    I'm Martin.

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    I hear subtle changes in the sound of my system even when I haven't changed anything. Took a long time for me to realise the inconsistencies were in me, not the system. I suppose because to an extent it is counter-intuitive. We always consider ourselves to be the constant and look for explanations outside of that. In fact we are incredibly inconsistent and the behaviour of electricity going through wires is about as consistent as anything can be.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

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