mains cable rec's for balanced transformer

[Gazjam]

Hooking up the balanced transformer to the system soon.
Its a hard wired unit so need to organise some mains wire for it.

Been reading on Pinkfish and Naim forums about the Roy K Riches "Beast" cable the guy had made up...
Seems to be spoke of in "hushed" tones as something a bit special, anyone have info on that?
Have a few metres of Lapp Offlex I can use but wondering what else is out there.

Just trying to source "the best" sensible cable for hooking up the trannie to the wall socket and making up a distribution block for the kit that will be plugged into it.


Thanks.

[Ali Tait]

Given that the transformer is removing the crap on the mains, I'd have thought what cable is used would not really matter?

[wee tee cee]

The lapp 2.5mm stuff really hasn't convinced me. I have tried it with tube power amps/dac/pre and even statics and have not been at all impressed-very bass heavy and thick limbed. really killed the sonics on the statics less so on the tube amps. likewise it killed the dynamics when powering the whole shebang on the end of the balanced mains .
I made up four interconnects with silver MK tough plug and martin kaiser iec.
you could do worse than the Supra 2.5mm stuff, bit dearer but has proved to be good in my set up regardless where I position it.

mains block wise the MCRU basic block that's silver plaited is pretty undetectable when in place, no noticeable sonic difference when I remove it- I got the 6 gang block for about £80 (fit and forget IMHO)

By all means pop across with some wires and have a listen for yourself.....let me know!!!!

[Gazjam]

Given that the transformer is removing the crap on the mains, I'd have thought what cable is used would not really matter?

Cant say for sure if it will have any effect Ali, just having the usual pre-setup paranoia :lol:

[Gazjam]

The lapp 2.5mm stuff really hasn't convinced me. I have tried it with tube power amps/dac/pre and even statics and have not been at all impressed-very bass heavy and thick limbed. really killed the sonics on the statics less so on the tube amps. likewise it killed the dynamics when powering the whole shebang on the end of the balanced mains .
I made up four interconnects with silver MK tough plug and martin kaiser iec.
you could do worse than the Supra 2.5mm stuff, bit dearer but has proved to be good in my set up regardless where I position it.

mains block wise the MCRU basic block that's silver plaited is pretty undetectable when in place, no noticeable sonic difference when I remove it- I got the 6 gang block for about £80 (fit and forget IMHO)

By all means pop across with some wires and have a listen for yourself.....let me know!!!!

Aye, that'd be handy Tony.
Give me an idea of what I've got stands in the scheme of things.

Just let me know when it suits.

thanks.

[Covenant]

Your into some expensive stuff these days Gaz. I remember when you, DaveK and me used to agonise over a £30 Standac upgrade.
We were poor but we were happy!

[Gazjam]

Your into some expensive stuff these days Gaz. I remember when you, DaveK and me used to agonise over a £30 Standac upgrade.
We were poor but we were happy!

Yeah, happy days actually.
...tell the kids of today that and they wont believe you!
Had some good luck I guess and buying and selling got me a few steps up the ladder. :)

Its good to see folk still upgrading Stans Dacs actually, the mods did make a great improvement to something sounding great already.
Being Scottish Jerry I STILL agonise over spending money...do you know the story of how copper wire was invented?

That Hifimediy dac you run is supposed to sound great, is it the Sabre based one?

[Covenant]

No, please tell the copper wire story.
Not bothered with upgrades much lately Gaz but have a lot more music. Sent off for a new T-amp to use when I am on the computer.
Stan sent me a variable output Bushmaster which I am messing around with.

[wee tee cee]

Aye, that'd be handy Tony.
Give me an idea of what I've got stands in the scheme of things.

Just let me know when it suits.

thanks.pm sent

[Gazjam]

No, please tell the copper wire story.
Not bothered with upgrades much lately Gaz but have a lot more music. Sent off for a new T-amp to use when I am on the computer.
Stan sent me a variable output Bushmaster which I am messing around with.

Two Scotsman fighting over a penny - that's how copper wire was invented!

With the balanced power supply in place (eventually) I feel as though I've got to where I wanted to go, when I heard Ali's in my system it just upgraded everything all at once, fantastic.

Discovered Valve amps (got a cracker 2nd hand) and have built myself a nice sounding server, so feel as though the digital is sorted.
My new Dac took things a good step up as well.
Always fancied getting back into vinyl, probably need a good TT (i.e. spendy) to beat the digital, so that will need to wait.
Getting new music in the mean time.
Started putting on a lottery ticket again, funny that. :)

Have an Amptastic T-Amp myself, sounds great.
Any news on the Mk2 Amptastic amp yet?

[Gazjam]

Regarding mains cable choice, I guess I was more thinking the connection from the wall socket to the balanced supply input terminals.

As Ali said, probably after that point cable choice will probably make less of a difference.

Tony, didn't get a PM mate?

[wee tee cee]

Regarding mains cable choice, I guess I was more thinking the connection from the wall socket to the balanced supply input terminals.

As Ali said, probably after that point cable choice will probably make less of a difference.

Tony, didn't get a PM mate?tried again.

[Ali Tait]

Regarding mains cable choice, I guess I was more thinking the connection from the wall socket to the balanced supply input terminals.

As Ali said, probably after that point cable choice will probably make less of a difference.

Tony, didn't get a PM mate?

Be interested in the outcome mate, as theory says it shouldn't make a difference, but that isn't always borne out in practice when it comes to hi fi.

[wee tee cee]

doesnt make any sense to me but it does indeed make a noticeable difference in my set up.....wish it didn't. hopefully another set of ears can come to they're conclusions and post up.too many variables in this hobby....ma heids melted!!!!

[MCRU]

well the P10 regenerates the mains so why should you need a wizz bang mains lead to power it?

weird!

[MCRU]

Be interested in the outcome mate, as theory says it shouldn't make a difference, but that isn't always borne out in practice when it comes to hi fi.

6mm thick conductors CY shielded cable dude, £950 per metre to you :ner:

[Ali Tait]

Is that with my shiller's discount? :lol:

[MCRU]

Is that with my shiller's discount? :lol:


oh sorry forgot your special discount code to use on my site...


upyerarse90%off :ner:

[Ali Tait]

:lol:

[Gazjam]

Any suggestions Dave, thinking Supra Lo-Rad mibbay....
Seems good?

There's the Belden 83803 too?

[AlanS]

well the P10 regenerates the mains so why should you need a wizz bang mains lead to power it?

weird!

I read this and wondered if it was a joke or straight up. It certainly makes a tower of common sense which many people not just on AoS would agree with. Your later posts have humour smilies which suggests if a joke a low key one.

So how does this opinion stand in the light of MartinT and a number of his followers finding they benefit by using your Ultimate cable to feed their P10's?

I don't use a PS Audio product myself I use the much inferior Power Inspired AG1500 so feel no such urges nor do I have the ability to verify one way or the other.

Weird indeed!!!

[daytona600]

Twin & Earth cable

[wee tee cee]

Any suggestions Dave, thinking Supra Lo-Rad mibbay....
Seems good?

There's the Belden 83803 too?Gary,
Tried sending PMs but you don't seem to be getting them.no point in coming over to mine and listening to my stuff.....pop over and you can take the balanced mains/mains block/lapp based cable/supra based cable and the original lead if you want it.....pop it back after a couple of days.

might be an idea if Brian could bring across the conditioner and you guys post up yer findings for the troops. let me know.....

[Gazjam]

Twin & Earth cable

The thought had occurred Scott, you reckon thats all I'd need?
No improvement using something like Supra, Belden or Lapp you reckon?

Might pick up a couple of meters of 10mm T+E from B&Q, stick a plug on one end to compare.
Its not so much for answering the "which mains cable is best for an IEC lead" more the cable from the wall to the balanced power supply.

Want to make sure there's as good a feed from the wall going to the BPS before it does its thing.
Its a fit and forget kind of thing, so want to get it right if I can.

When Ali brought his BPS over we used a bog standard mains block to plug a lot of the kit in...and it sounded superb as it was.
Kinda suggests that after the mains has been balanced, cable's dont make as big a difference?


@Wee Tee Cee
Got your PM Tony, replied mate.
Thanks.

[Gazjam]

Anyone got experience of the Belden 83803?

[MCRU]

Anyone got experience of the Belden 83803?

you could spend the rest of your life chief deliberating over cables

the 83803 is too thin and weedy and very stiff (:lol:)

IMHO this is the ranking order of some of the most popular cables off the reel with the best at the top

Furukawa 2.6
Furukawa 2.1
Furutech Alpha 3
Oyaide Tunami
New Black Rhodium Cable not yet launched but soon
Furutech TS20
Furutech FP-314AG
Belden 83803
Black Rhodium Cratos
Black Rhodium Fusion
Supra LO Rad 2.5
LAPP 2.5
Belden 19364

the lowest still being good of course compared to a lot of other cables not mentioned

[Gazjam]

you could spend the rest of your life chief deliberating over cables

the 83803 is too thin and weedy and very stiff (:lol:)


IMHO this is the ranking order of some of the most popular cables off the reel with the best at the top



Spot on Dave, just what I was after. :cool:
Just want to "fit n forget" this stuff, its not so interesting but worth sorting out right I reckon.

thanks.

[chris@panteg]

Gary I find belden and lapp cable make the sound a bit heavy and slow sounding , supra lorad might be worth a try ?

[wee tee cee]

Gary I find belden and lapp cable make the sound a bit heavy and slow sounding , supra lorad might be worth a try ? I agree with your description of the lapp.

[chris@panteg]

I agree with your description of the lapp.

You like the belden then ? It's not as bad but the lapp is best avoided , bloody awful stuff .