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better power cable

Power cables can change the sound, but only you can say if that is better for you. The best bang for the buck is to make your own, I like Furutech parts, but there is cheaper. What I will say, the wrong balance can sound worse than a standard kettle lead. I have heard some high end leads make a very significant positive difference, but not as significant as changing your dac/amp etc.

As ever, it comes down to balance, what you can afford, what you are prepared to pay.

Maybe try Mark Grant if you don’t want to d.i.y, not overly expensive, well made.
 
Is it the assumption that a standard kettle lead must sound bad, that keeps the mains cable faithful pursuing the elusive one metre Holy Grail?
 
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interesting how different forums go , one forum i am on has 23 pages on various high end cables , many costing £££££££ , its pretty busy ...
 
Just a thought. If a certain cable construction makes such a large improvement in the sound why wouldn’t a manufacturer fit one as a standard trailing lead and an MK plug?
For the modest price relative to their equipment they could take their already excellent bit of gear to stratospheric levels of performance and blow the competition away!
Sorry for that, I know common sense has no place in a cable discussion.
Dives for cover!

‘...common sense has no place in a cable discussion’

Best comment in this thread so far...
 
Just a thought. If a certain cable construction makes such a large improvement in the sound why wouldn’t a manufacturer fit one as a standard trailing lead and an MK plug?
For the modest price relative to their equipment they could take their already excellent bit of gear to stratospheric levels of performance and blow the competition away!
Sorry for that, I know common sense has no place in a cable discussion.
Dives for cover!

IECs are generally preferable from a manufacturer's point of view because what's at the other end will vary according to the destination market. Imagine having a warehouse full of products fitted with UK13A plugs then getting a huge order from a market which requires Nema or Schuko? Bastards.

Fitting even a 'modestly priced' higher spec power cable could end up putting £100 on RRP, which might make your product look expensive in the context of your competitors.

Lavardin for one supply their own (detachable) power cable with their amps which they advise using in preference to 'fancy' after-market alternatives. Unless of course it's one of their fancy after-market alternatives. ;-)

Common sense is fine, but you still have to think it through...
 
Personally speaking, aside from making a good/safe connection between equipment then I'm not interested in cables.

But if you're inquisitive and still want to find out then it should be pretty cheap to pick up a used foo mains lead and try it for yourself, if you don't hear anything then great, you can sell it on or if it was cheap enough just keep it plugged in. If you do hear anything then you'll have opened up your wallet to whole new way of burning fivers.
 
:) i never forget putting valhalla mains cables on my lovely belles amps ... did not suit at all and soon came off again !! made the sound worse

ahh those were the days of foo cables ... long gone now ...
 
I'm not a fan of trick flash cables . My two audio systems use Chord Chrysalis , Naim Nac 5 and QED 79 strand with Naim Powerline Lite on the main system and a four into one plug on the second system for a star earth . The third system , a AV setup uses ordinary custom instaler metal pluged HDMI cables, QED 79 strand and whatever mains cables the gear came with .
However I am convinced of the benefits of upgraded plugs WBT Nextgen phonos on the Chrysalis and Powerline lites on the audio gear .
Naim go to a lot of trouble engineering micro vibrations out of their gear . Woobly Din sockets on pre-amps , woobly Din plugs on Hi-line interconects and their own in house desigined three pin UK plugs on the Powerline and Powerline lites .
 
Just a thought. If a certain cable construction makes such a large improvement in the sound why wouldn’t a manufacturer fit one as a standard trailing lead and an MK plug?
For the modest price relative to their equipment they could take their already excellent bit of gear to stratospheric levels of performance and blow the competition away!
Sorry for that, I know common sense has no place in a cable discussion.
Dives for cover!

They do Naim Powerline Lite ?
 
yes , i remember wondering why the heck the iec socket on my newly acquired sn2 was loose ....

I hate he loose IEC socket on my CDX2.2 so inserted a matchstick to lock it. It sounded worse so I reverted to spec... What price good old captive leads like on a CD3?
 
I think cables actually make a vast difference.

This morning, I took all my cables off, and could not hear a thing.

Plugged them back and the sound was...………………….

there.

Yep, cables make a difference (at least on my set up).

I have a Bluetooth speaker and I’m wandering how I can compare with and without cable...............:eek::confused:
 
People claim that naim go to great lengths to remove micro vibrations from cables yet there's absolutely no proof of this. All din sockets are loose, the self centering is part of the socket specification. All naim do is brand these items, mostly they're off the shelf parts and vibration is not mentioned in the manufacturers spec.
 
I had one of these for a while and my system had a weird crackling noise that I couldn’t get to the bottom of!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003WK62WU/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Even bought another amp as I thought it must be coming from the amp but it turned out to be the belkin Lead! Replaced it with a cheapo and everything returned to normal
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Bit like comparing fortuna and roadking tyres on a McLaren. You’ll know no difference. Or Bridgestone Potenzas and Pilot Sports on a Honda Jazz.
 
I've had mixed fortunes. A Chord orange one on my valve pre made a marked improvement but not sure about the Kimbers on my power amp or CD.
 
People claim that naim go to great lengths to remove micro vibrations from cables yet there's absolutely no proof of this. All din sockets are loose, the self centering is part of the socket specification. All naim do is brand these items, mostly they're off the shelf parts and vibration is not mentioned in the manufacturers spec.

Hi sq225917 ,

If you visit the Naim website and go to Products and accessories you will find . Powerline lite , Powerline , Super Lumina and Hi-line . all of which have plugs designed and engineered by Naim .including the Patented Airplug . The Naim people make reference to floating pins , decoupeling , floating cable retainers etc .
 


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