Installing new Mains

[SquireC]

I'm looking to convert my garage into a music room and want the best mains supply to my kit.

I've been reading posts about ring spurs and mains cables and fuseboxes and I'm really unsure about the best bangs for the buck.

I need a new fusebox - which should I get?
I need to run a new mains cable to new socket outlets - what mains cable should I use (bog standard twin and earth?)?

What wall sockets should I use?

Grateful for any advice.

I've tweaked my system since joining AoS, particularly with Mark Grant stuff I found out about here, so I know you guys can offer advice on mains set up.

Thanks in advance.:)

Also anyone using quadraspire qx25 supports?


Using - Linn LP12 (Lingo, Keel), Ortofon Cadenza Blue, Ittok (Audio Origami rewired), Audionet Art CD, Audionet Pre-G2, Audionet Power Supply, Papworth TVA10 Valve Amp, Stax 507's, Linn Kan's.

[MikeMusic]

How deep are your pockets ?
Cheapest is to put a spur on with some unswitched sockets
I read recently, Russ Andrews I think, that a spur is better than a new ring (really ?)
Change any fuse holders for circuit breakers.
More expensive is to have a new board with special cable at special prices to the garage
I use Mana supports, don't know quadraspire
Mike

[Quadraphonic]

I'd make sure I have a few supressors in as well, to avoid clicks, surges etc.

I want to put my gear on a dedicated ring circuit, 30 amp fuse when I get a round tuit.


Richard

[SquireC]

Circuit breakers - definitely.

My friend has a separate ring spur, but I have seen posts where people say it isn't really necessary. Good (standard) cable and good quality sockets work just as well?

Obviously this is a chance to get it done right that I won't get a second chance at.

[John]

Also think about a seperate earth spur
From my consumer I use 10mm
I heard some people talk about different consumer units but think its a bit overkill. Even with all this I still use a balanced Transformer but I live close to an industrial area
From the consumer I used JPS mains wire bloody expensive but I figured if I gone to the extent I have I might as well go the complete hog

[SquireC]

Also think about a seperate earth spur
From my consumer I use 10mm
I heard some people talk about different consumer units but think its a bit overkill. Even with all this I still use a balanced Transformer but I live close to an industrial area
From the consumer I used JPS mains wire bloody expensive but I figured if I gone to the extent I have I might as well go the complete hog

Why did you choose JPS ( Belden, Lapp)?

What sockets did you use? MK unswitched?

[John]

I went for MK unswitched
I did not know about Belkin this was about 3 years ago just wanted quality mains cable at the time, I think I would not go that extreme now

[MikeMusic]

Oh yes. Forgot about the earthing.
Big improvement in sound when our earth was improved

[worthingpagan]

Oh yes. Forgot about the earthing.
Big improvement in sound when our earth was improved


How can you improve the earth to your house?

[John]

By using a seperate earth spur but it needs to be done by someone who knows his stuff This can really make a huge difference

[MikeMusic]

Was easy in my case
I could see the earth rod going into the ground.
This was a 50s house with some original and some replaced but old cables.
A chunkier, longer rod with some new earth cable which was required anyway.
The sound improvement was a wonderful bonus

[SquireC]

How deep are your pockets ?
Cheapest is to put a spur on with some unswitched sockets
I read recently, Russ Andrews I think, that a spur is better than a new ring (really ?)
Change any fuse holders for circuit breakers.
More expensive is to have a new board with special cable at special prices to the garage
I use Mana supports, don't know quadraspire
Mike

I have heard 10k speakers that sound worse than £800 Monitor Audios. I have heard 8k Cd players that don't sound better than 2k models. I don't want to spend 'oo's of squids on stuff that makes little difference over and above 'more modest cost' items. At the same time, experience has proven that cheap and cheerful is always cheap and cheerful, and I want better than that. I know that if I buy certain brands of kit I am buying well made quality products. With a mains ring, I don't know what those quality products are. Specifics are important.

Advice welcome.

[Mark Grant]

I'm looking to convert my garage into a music room and want the best mains supply to my kit.



Is the garage attached to the house or is it detached and if so how far away from the mains supply in the house?

Hard to suggest what cable is best without knowing the distance and if the cable needs to be buried in the ground etc.

Can you do a drawing :)

[SquireC]

Is the garage attached to the house or is it detached and if so how far away from the mains supply in the house?

Hard to suggest what cable is best without knowing the distance and if the cable needs to be buried in the ground etc.

Can you do a drawing :)

Hi Mark,

The garage is integral to the house. The consumer unit is in the garage so it is a (straightforward) job of installing a dedicated CU and running cable up the wall across the ceiling and down the other wall to sockets. I expect a mix of cable in channels (plastered walls) and just clipped under the plasterboard ceiling.

(I use your mains leads and 2000 interconnects by the way).

Thinking of using 6mm cable.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

:)

[AlexM]

Hi,

Best to get a small new consumer unit for your HiFi stuff connected by separate meter tails. You could wire the HiFi outlets as dedicated radial circuits each on it's own MCD (or is an RCD required?). I chose an Eaton Mermera Consumer Unit, as recommended on PFM as being the 'best sounding' (if you can believe that a consumer unit has a sound).

6mm cable is massive if you are running it to an individual socket on a radial circuit - don't think you can use anything bigger or it won't fit into the screw terminals on the back of the socket.

I am doing something similar myself, but haven't had a chance to try it yet so I can't tell if it has provided any benefit whatsoever!.

Mark and myself had a similar discussion Here (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11711).

Regards,
Alex

[SquireC]

Thanks for your post Alex.

Have had a couple of recommendations for CU's. Which Memera model is yours?

Also, what cable did you use from the CU?

I notice you use Conrad Johnson kit. Always liked their stuff.

[AlexM]

Hi,

Actually I had to replace the complete CU, so it is one of the bigger ones - space for 16 MCBs. It is from the Memera 2000 range - the online brochure is available here at Neweys Online (http://www.neweysonline.co.uk/neweys/pdf/Eaton_Memora_2000_Consumer_Unit_Range_Technical.pd f).

There is a wide range of units available to suit the number of outlets you want.

I used bog standard 6mm sq twin and earth with one single or double socket per radial circuit, off the roll. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as OFC copper twin and earth copper, and even if there was whether .1% conductivity difference is worth having when the conductor is massively over sized for this application (capacity approx 47A when clipped to wall, ignoring de-rates).

Cheers,
Alex

P.S. Still very pleased with my C-J PV15... it sounded nice with the supplied EH 12AX7s in the phono stage, but is something else with my new Mullard CV4004s.

[SquireC]

Hi Alex,

Appreciate the info. Very helpful.

I've been weighing up trying other valves in my Papworth in the pre-amp stage (currently Edicron ecc 83's). Where did you get the Mullards from? The Full Music valves have had very good reviews but the guy who makes the Papworths is not a fan of Chinese valves.

[AlexM]

I bought my mullard CC4004/M8137s from a member on this board, who got them from CVC (Chelmer Valve Co.) I think...

An excellent choice if you can get hold of some new or tested ones.
Regards,

Alex

[SquireC]

Thanks Alex.

Happy listening :)