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Main power cables

A

ariegur

pfm Member
My system is Linn lp 12 prefix/Hicap, cdx, 82/2Hicaps 250, SBLs.
I hear a lot of talking about how important the main cables are, people are spending fortune on them.
I want to build one to run the 250 and see if it does change something.
Can you advice me on parts or a cheap but a good one that I can see hear... if it does something good?

Arye
 
ariegur said:
I hear a lot of talking about how important the main cables are, people are spending fortune on them.
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Let people spend their money. That's just silly. I'll never spend more than £ 2 on that. The freebies that came with your equipment are perfectly fine. Anything else is rip-off.
Buy records instead.

PerF said:
If separate mains is sorted you might detect an improvement
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No, this is electrical nonsense. You may try a properly sorted isolation transformer however.
If you live in a secluded house in the country, leave it.
 
I changed all my power cables to Belden 83803 and a mains block from mcru can't say I've noticed a difference in sound but how much I had spent on my system just thought I'd change the freebies to a decent shielded cable and quality mains block. I would have thought if you've spent 9k on your system spending a few hundred quid on your cables and mains blocks isn't a bad idea most freebie cables have no shielding at all so buying one's that are without breaking the bank is worth it.
 
Depends on country, but seperate radials might help. I use Mark Grant cables, mainly as they are a good finish, and the right lengths for what I needed.

Get ready for those that are pro this kind of cable change, and those that are not.
 
Andrew Williams said:
I changed all my power cables to Belden 83803 and a mains block from mcru can't say I've noticed a difference in sound but how much I had spent on my system just thought I'd change the freebies to a decent shielded cable and quality mains block. I would have thought if you've spent 9k on your system spending a few hundred quid on your cables and mains blocks isn't a bad idea most freebie cables have no shielding at all so buying one's that are without breaking the bank is worth it.
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Isn't the 83803 very stiff and pulls on the IEC plug/socket?
 
Someone who has bought expensive mains is suggesting me to try his old Furutech mains. I am going to give it a try.

Arye
 
I run the hifi from a radial circuit (ring mains circuits are illegal here) with just the one socket. The cable in the wall runs more than 1m away from any other cable once it leaves the box and is standard regulation 2.5mm2 solid core, the socket a decent quality (but not hifi blessed) one from Legrand.
A long time ago (before wifi etc) I tried the dedicated mains circuit against an ordinary one with 5-8 sockets - the dedicated circuit was a little quieter.
After measuring the mains over 24+ hours with a computer assisted tool, I installed an Isotek Syncro to deal with DC offset (this cured some nasty transformer buzz in the Nap250 I had at the time) and an ex-dem Isotek Sigmas (for peace of mind during electrical storms and a more even performance over the entire day).
Until I moved on to equipment with much more resolution than my Naim 72+HC+250 I could hear only very minor differences between mains cables.

With your Naim stuff, personally, I would go no further than a decent stranded (i.e. rack-friendly) shielded design like Supra Lorad.

With the current Aesthetix and dCS setup I am slowly trawling the 2nd hand market for Nordost Frey mains cables. They are much more to my liking than Cardas Golden Reference, for example.

I shall now don the tin hat and run for the fallout shelter :)
 
PerF said:
Wonder if this statement is based on experience or theory ?
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If it is anything like my reasons to say the same thing then it is based on reading of others statements then buying something mains that other reckon changes their life around.

I get the impression those who experience mains difference either have very poor mains due to their locale, rural, heavy mains users (industrial) where objects of mains wonder do ‘make a difference’ or do not have the sense their education could have provided them, more romantic, creative types than practical understanding of western world skills to make things electrical.

Apologies if this offends anyone.
 
narabdela said:
You can (and should) warn people about wasting their money on this sort of nonsense, but in the long run it’s their money.

The more sensible “buy more music” option usually falls on deaf ears.
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To me this sound like, do not go for dinner outside, better eat at home, eat twice as much.
 
Few years ago I added a dedicated radial for the system. I now have a dozen double sockets behind the rack and 6 network points. Makes changing or adding anything I want into the system really easy.

Took advice from many naim users and the like, since I was adding all the sockets thought may as well try the dedicated circuit. Tried a few cables too, most expensive being naim power lines. Can’t tell the blindest bit of difference though, and glad I borrowed power line off a mate instead of buying one.

So now take many opinions on upgrades of this sort, from reviewers or forums with a pinch of salt. Expectation bias is a very real thing
 
I've found the cables from MCRU a very cost effective upgrade. I've got the #74 / 75 / 78 and think good VFM. Further up the cost chain, Shunyata stuff is very good.
 
Purité Audio said:
Try but don’t buy.
Keith
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Exactly, you can try without buying, of course after trying you may want to buy and then you need to ignore the doubters, it is your money, your choice. Ask your local Naim dealer for a demo and a loan of powerline? Give it a try on the free. If that works for you ... great, you can spend knowing you like the difference. If it doesn't ... great, nothing lost but a bit of time to answer something that is clearly bugging you at least enough to post here and get some stick!

I know Naim of old would say: consider how much the "upgrade" mains cables might cost you, then consider what else that might buy: more boxes, perhaps going active or better PSUs! But thinking a little that way, perhaps a better cartridge? better phono stage? upgrade SBL passive XO? No idea what the new Naim would say ... maybe they would sell you powerlines ...
 
chartz said:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/13/russ_accessories/
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As an aside, I was about to make a comment about the irony of the website in this link referring to the mains lead they are mocking as a "kettle cable" when it would be physically impossible to plug it into a kettle.

However, I then went and looked at the PowerKords themselves, and they do appear to use an IEC C15 connector and not a C13, which means they are actually kettle leads! :eek:
 
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