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View Full Version : IEC Leads, Mains conditioning, and interconnects for my new system



The Vinyl Adventure
20-11-2009, 22:40
i need to establish a budget for these things, so without going silly can i have some recomendations
new system is steves old ps/td/aos power amp and the new td/aos grounded grid

interconnects - im guessing some of mark grants new ones should be top of my list

iec leads - im thinking home brew, so i need recomendations of parts/cable .. (i am capable of this level of diy)

mains conditioning - i have no idea... should i hold of and concidor a hifi spur (?) if it can be worked into the house renovation budget?

Macca
21-11-2009, 11:06
Regarding the mains I would go for a dedicated spur with all the power leads hard wired in like Marco has got it (he put a photo up of it a while back, I don't know what the thread was - might be on his Tannoy thread.

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 11:28
yeah i seen it! i think that is the end goal but i recon we need to settle into the new house for a little while before taking that step... it would be a shame to get it put in and then decide that, despite our plans, we want the room a different way around

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 11:29
... i have just noticed i have just past 1500 posts.... how can that be? it was only the other day i hit 1000??

anyway
anyone else got any thoughts on my question?

Themis
21-11-2009, 12:05
My thought is that the mains conditioning is to be considered last. If I were you, I would setup the whole system is a satisfying way, then, and only then, I would start looking at this part of it.

My general position is that I have always experienced greater much greater changes by changing speakers' position (for instance) than putting a mains conditioner in an well-designed setup.

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 12:11
i still need some decent kettle leads to plug the bugger in though eh?

Themis
21-11-2009, 12:18
i still need some decent kettle leads to plug the bugger in though eh?
Yep, decent leads. :)
(If I were you I would) get the parts which fit aesthetically best with the rest of the setup. ;)

DSJR
21-11-2009, 12:27
Could someone suggest where all the heavy duty "Kettle" leads come from? I still have the mains leads supplied with my Tube-Technology amps twenty years ago and the gauge of internal wiring is substantially greater than most commercial IEC leads I've seen recently.

Excellent recommendation to get the system working without thought of mains-conditioning for now, as this latter may not be necessary.

Could Marco please elaborate a little on the excellent distribution system he has. It looks like a heavy-duty "Hydra" style..

Macca
21-11-2009, 12:33
yeah i seen it! i think that is the end goal but i recon we need to settle into the new house for a little while before taking that step... it would be a shame to get it put in and then decide that, despite our plans, we want the room a different way around

My method: set the hi-fi up in absolutley the most optimal position you can find - then jam in all the rest of the crap (i.e the furniture) around it the best you can:)

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 13:10
im literally knocking a wall down in the new house to fit the hifi and furniture better into one room!!

Ali Tait
21-11-2009, 13:21
Hamish,search Maplin for screened iec lead.This will be fine for powering your system.

Mike
21-11-2009, 13:26
Here's the Maplin one.. http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=44118

But I like the look of these too.. http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=45_18&products_id=69

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 13:30
mark grant is top of my list so far for both interconnects and iec... unless anyone has a better suggestion

ali, i had looked at the maplin ones, but the mark grants are only a tenner more and for one reason or another i trust mark grants to be better even without direct personal experience

Themis
21-11-2009, 13:41
Mark Grant's will be (more than) fin imho. Just calculate the correct size: to do that, you need to place your system first.

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 13:45
yup, im not buying anything until im in the house, il make do with what i have in the mean while...
just working out costs at the mo

Ali Tait
21-11-2009, 14:08
Couldn't post the link as I'm doing this on my phone.Didn't know Mark made them TBH,so yes.they will be fine I'm sure.

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 14:28
http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=45_18

Alex_UK
21-11-2009, 14:53
If you want to save a bit with a Belden option I've been happy with Audio Friendly - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Belden-19364-Mains-Power-Cable-Clear-Plug-1-metre_W0QQitemZ310112909831QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_C omputing_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item48342b7a07

I would be wary of the Cryo plugs - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Belden-19364-Mains-Power-Cable-Cryo-Orange-Plug-1m_W0QQitemZ220338201832QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Comp uting_CablesConnectors_RL?hash=item334d2e24e8

if you use them in a distribution block (mains conditioner) they are too wide to have another plug next to them as they are bigger than normal.

REM
21-11-2009, 18:30
Hi Hamish

Getting dearer I know but not so much so, could be worth having a chat with your friendly Rega dealer and asking him to let you test out the new ones from the Isis/Osiris range, quite good I think @ £80 each. Worth a try.

Cheers

Marco
21-11-2009, 19:23
Hi Hamish,

While the other cable options look fine, I'd go with Mark's stuff as it's a known quantity and he's on-hand here to offer any advice, should it be necessary...

It'd also be good to give him the business, as he's member of AoS, rather than a 'stranger' :)

Marco.

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2009, 19:35
Yeah and from recent experience a proper top bloke! His recent customer service has won him a loyal customer!
No harm in exploring options and getting opinions like... But mark grant has been the forerunner from the start (I had fogotten that he did mains cables when I posted originally - hense the diy question)

Steve Toy
02-12-2009, 00:04
I've looked at his mains cables. They look very promising indeed. Mmmmm.....

£55 for 1.5m.

Here's a suggestion: an AOS/TD mains filter and Mark grant mains leads. This needs testing out as a combination but it could be good.

Themis
02-12-2009, 08:42
an AOS/TD mains filter
Is this something we can buy ? Couldn't find any description (but, perhaps, I didn't look thoroughly enough)... :eyebrows:

Marco
02-12-2009, 09:24
Hi Dimitri,

Have you PM'd Anthony about it, like I suggested? ;)

Also, have a look here (fifth picture down):

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2182&highlight=scalford+hall+pictures

The AoS/TD mains filter is the little box to the right of Steve's AoS/TD CDP power supply (with two mains leads plugged into it). :)

Marco.

Rare Bird
02-12-2009, 13:03
Hi Dimitri,

Have you PM'd Anthony about it, like I suggested? ;)

Also, have a look here (fifth picture down):

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2182&highlight=scalford+hall+pictures

The AoS/TD mains filter is the little box to the right of Steve's AoS/TD CDP power supply (with two mains leads plugged into it). :)

Marco.

Is that a balanced mains transformer?

Marco
02-12-2009, 13:29
Hi Andre,

You'd need to ask Anthony that one. If you PM him, he'll no doubt supply the necessary info :)

Marco.

Rare Bird
02-12-2009, 13:34
i need to establish a budget for these things, so without going silly can i have some recomendations
new system is steves old ps/td/aos power amp and the new td/aos grounded grid

iec leads - im thinking home brew, so i need recomendations of parts/cable .. (i am capable of this level of diy)



I made my own mains cables for little outlay for the spare room:
Belden 19364 mains cable. This has a sheild in the form of a foil & also a drain wire..(Connect the drain wire together with the earth of one side only, usually in the 13A plug side)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/LIVING-SIN/belden-1.jpg

IEC is copy 'Wattgate' but it has silver plated contacts, every bit as good a a lagit one. & the MK 'Toughplug' also Silver plated pins

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/LIVING-SIN/MK.jpg

Just finish off with some nice covering to tone down the shiney Belden cable outter jacket.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/LIVING-SIN/Picture072.jpg

Nothing flashy but vastly out performs standard mains cables..

.....................................

I choose to use the Kimber Kable woven geometry way of doing things instead of sheilding on the main stereo..

Rare Bird
02-12-2009, 13:51
Hi Andre,

You'd need to ask Anthony that one. If you PM him, he'll no doubt supply the necessary info :)

Marco.

Na don't need to just wondered if you were using em! This is a massive mains upgrade if you can afford to do it! your ok with one piece of equipment pluged into your block, it's when more get added the ground loops appear....Later on i'm gonna be placing one between each piece of equipment ...These transformers have to be correctly maunufactured or they wont work properly!

Ali Tait
02-12-2009, 18:46
Correctly manufactured in what way?

Rare Bird
02-12-2009, 19:16
Correctly manufactured in what way?

Here found this.. Please note the voltages are wrong for UK obviously.

http://www.epanorama.net/documents/groundloop/balanced_power.html

Ali Tait
02-12-2009, 20:24
I was thinking about buying a balanced tranny from here-

http://www.jmsonline.co.uk/

I mailed them and they will wind how you want it.

Marco
02-12-2009, 21:13
Na don't need to just wondered if you were using em! This is a massive mains upgrade if you can afford to do it! your ok with one piece of equipment pluged into your block, it's when more get added the ground loops appear....

Yep. Thing is, my 'mains block' is a dedicated consumer unit, fed from a separate spur (and a dedicated earth using star-earthed earth rods plunged into the garden):

http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/866/behindmysystem.png (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/behindmysystem.png/)

...and all my mains leads are hard-wired straight into individual 63A MCBs! No mains block, sockets, plugs or 13A fuses to degrade things :eyebrows: ;)

Marco.

Rare Bird
02-12-2009, 21:13
I was thinking about buying a balanced tranny from here-

http://www.jmsonline.co.uk/

I mailed them and they will wind how you want it.

be very carefull with this, as they are extremely dangerous..the two voltage legs being only fuse with single fuse, a fault can leave a live situation. you have to take into account the transformer size Vs you amp size etc etc...It's best buying a balanced mains transformer unit made up.

here RATA do three to suit all pockets

http://www.russandrews.com/category.asp?lookup=1&region=UK&currency=GBP&cat_id=PMAINSBALANCED&customer_id=PAA0266126009995QVHDNJTWTIEHKCPS