Upgraded wall sockets

[Marco]

I know they arent subtle for you Marco, you've invested too much time cost and evangalising for it to be anything else.

Pardon me, but that sounds like a rather sneering swipe, demeaning my valid experiences, and disrespectful, too. If you wish to continue contributing to this thread, Alan, then I'd suggest that you adopt a rather different attitude.

Your "evangelising" is in reality my relating my experiences with cables to other like-minded enthusiasts, plenty of whom have benefited from my recommendations, as have I with theirs. That's what a forum like this is about.

The fact that I've spent a significant sum on cables, and such like, has nothing to do with the very real sonic improvements I've perceived when using said items in my system. That fact is proven by the many times I've 'downgraded', in terms of cost, to using less expensive cables, which to my ears have sonically outperformed the previously more expensive ones I was using - hardly the behaviour of someone who equates the effect of cable upgrades to cost, is it?

How shall I put it mains benefits are circumstance dependant unlike say speakers which benefit even the deaf. Some get huge differences others not. They are not an absolute gain for all.

Sure, but then you've never heard my system, nor been present when the effects I've claimed with cables have been heard, so in that respect, you really don't know what you're talking about. Stick to what you know from your own experiences, mate, which is valid in your world, but don't proclaim to know or judge what happens, in that respect, in mine.

Marco.

[Marco]

Hi Mark,

In my old house the hi-fi was in the front room and I simply hammered a long length of copper pipe into the front garden - drilled a hole through the wall and ran a length of earth cable from the copper pipe to the earth pin in a 13A plug, which was plugged into a spare socket.

Cool, but I'm sure we can do a bit better than that... You get a much better earth by planting a series of earth rods, in line with each other, than you do with just a single rod. The key is in the length of the rods used, and thus how far down in the ground they can be plunged - the longer and deeper, the better!

Also, how good the earth is can be measured on Matt's various 'doo-dahs'. We can also measure it against the house earth that you're currently using for your system.

The problem with my current setup is that the hi-fi is now on the third floor and the earth cable would have to run up the outside wall (at the back of the house) - does a special 'armoured' cable have to be used for external use?

I woundn't think so, but I'll check with Matt. I just use nice and chunky 6mm earth cable, which does the job nicely. I've got a load of it left over in the garage.

Also, I don't have a spare socket for the cable to be plugged in to and I'm not sure how best to resolve that - any ideas?

I'm sure that Matt will offer a solution to that - nothing ever fazes him!

Marco.

[AlanS]

Martin T first mentioned mains leads to me. Assuming he was on the wrong drugs or something I bought 3 Kimber HC powerkords on Ebay for £124
Not a lot of time invested
The difference was not subtle and I have since moved on up to even better gaining improvements each time

Based on all the enthusiasm here and elsewhere I bought a mains cable £34, big chunky plugs looked the business. It went between the amp and power block. I forgot it was there. Stating it simply it made not a hint of difference. I could have sent it back but could not be arsed its a cable after all.

I bought Tellurium Q Black speaker cables - out of the box joyous sound, detailed, you know the rest. I'd recommend them but my thoughts are not needed.

Maybe I am lucky with my power supply or even my kit. I dont get all the clicks, interferences others complain of, no noise at full volume with no input. Not having all the electrical stuff others fill their homes with.

If I spend £34 on a recommended product and it does SWA then I'm not buying more of same at higher cost because for some people it makes their system sound better.

Best of luck to you with your cable driven improvements. I'm saving my cash for something else.

[MikeMusic]

You get a much better earth by planting a series of earth rods, in line with each other, than you do with just a single rod. The key is in the length of the rods used, and thus how far down in the ground they can be plunged - the longer and deeper, the better!
Marco.

Now that goes at least part way to explaining why we got such improvements while Paul was fiddling around.
The earth was already 'done' so far as I knew, but the sound got better every time he improved the earth

[YNWaN]

Cheers Marco, if you have a chance to ask Matt his opinion it would be appreciated.

Yeah, this time I was thinking of 3 rods linked together.

Edit: I've had an idea regarding the termination issue - I'm off to B&Q to investigate options.

[MikeMusic]

Based on all the enthusiasm here and elsewhere I bought a mains cable £34, big chunky plugs looked the business. It went between the amp and power block. I forgot it was there.

I bought Tellurium Q Black speaker cables - out of the box joyous sound, detailed, you know the rest. I'd recommend them but my thoughts are not needed.

Almost the opposite of what I had
Mains cables always an improvement.
Tried Black and Ultra Black against my Naim or Naim clone cable and very little difference. Some tracks the Naim was definitely better.
I was staggered. The TQ went back

[MartinT]

How wide ?

About 1cm. I'll stop there, Mike, as there are dangers to doing this yourself. Let the sparky deal with it.

[Marco]

If I spend £34 on a recommended product and it does SWA then I'm not buying more of same at higher cost because for some people it makes their system sound better.

I understand that, but then not all products are equal, in terms of performance, and the reason for that is not always to do with cost either.

Why don't you visit someone who can demonstrate the differences with 'audiophile grade' cables and ancillaries that they claim to hear? That way, you can judge by using your own ears, rather than assuming that their experiences are in reality the same as yours, only blinded by what they've spent?

Marco.

[MikeMusic]

About 1cm. I'll stop there, Mike, as there are dangers to doing this yourself. Let the sparky deal with it.

Only out of interest.
No way I'm doing it
If Marco has a sparky who knows what and why for hifi I'm delighted.
Paul who worked with the builders on the refurb is a great guy. Meticulous, reasurringly anal and super safe, but baffled by the things I told him and asked him to do

[MartinT]

Based on all the enthusiasm here and elsewhere I bought a mains cable £34, big chunky plugs looked the business. It went between the amp and power block. I forgot it was there. Stating it simply it made not a hint of difference.

That doesn't tell us much, though. What was the cable you bought and what was it made from? 'Big chunky plugs' might just be eye candy. More seriously, what is this power block you mention and what's feeding that?

Treating your mains means taking a holistic approach to attaining synergy. Replacing a single cable in a possibly non-ideal position in the chain may not achieve anything, as you have indicated.

Don't give up on the whole idea because of one failed experiment. Remember my starting advice - invest in a can of Deoxit D5 spray and treat every single mains connection in your system. Surely that's worth trying?