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Dedicated Mains Spur or don't bother ?

PhilCTTE

PhilCTTE

Senior mumbler
Trying to get the last *nth of SQ from my gear and in this quest I'm reviewing what I could do with my mains if anything at all.

At the moment everything is bog std UK three pin , daisy chained double wall sockets * 3 then looped back into current spur with same cables supplied by manufacturer for each piece of equipment.
Never ventured into the mains cable game or latest Russ Andrews mains conditioner as I have no problem with my mains or so I think. I might have imagined this ,but I was listening to the same track during a weekend lunchtime as the previous (late) evening and I could have sworn it sounded thinner.

I've pondered the a new spur dedicated for the hifi, but it will be to much disruption in cable routing. Is there any recommendations on replacing the wall sockets with anything that will make a difference or shall I leave alone. Unless its a dedicated spur I can't see it helping , need help here as I am a complete novice ...cheers :confused:

** edit: for reference I tried an Atlas mains cable costing £100 on my power amp and pre amp and heard no difference.
 
If you want to take it to the n'th degree, take a look at online UPS systems as used in IT. Long story short, it powers your kit via a battery thereby totally isolating it from the mains.

Very 'not cheap' though.
 
A dedicated spur will help no doubt, but you really want a dedicated consumer unit; that way you are separating your hifi a lot more, this is where the main difference comes in.
If your not bowled over by the improvement I'll shoot myself. Well maybe not.
 
I'll no doubt be pilloried by some, but like you, I have often thought my system has sounded different at different times of the day or weekend. There are those who say that any reasonably well designed internal power supply in audio equipment will make up for and difference in the electricity coming in from the mains. That said, there just as many who claim that better power supplies, power conditioners and UPS systems make a difference. I'd like to know the truth/opinion/theory too.
 
Sovereign said:
A dedicated spur will help no doubt, but you really want a dedicated consumer unit; that way you are separating your hifi a lot more, this is where the main difference comes in.
If your not bowled over by the improvement I'll shoot myself. Well maybe not.
Click to expand...

Yea maybe in a new house , but its a lot of hassle in current house as mains entry is in garage and audio equipment is on the opposite side.
 
Why not try and maximize what you have spending NO money? If you're knowledgeable about working with mains (since it can kill you), shut the power down and tighten all of the wiring connections from your breaker box ("consumer unit" in the UK I believe) back to the outlets.

It can't hurt, it can only help (or do nothing more than waste a few hours of your Saturday afternoon.)
 
OP - If your gear has half-reasonable regulation for the things that matters (such as: all the rails in your sources, and your preamp; and optionally if preferably the front-end of your power amp) then the benefit is/wwill be ..pretty much entirely imaginary. I am working on a way to document this assertion.

Seriously, what you have sounds very nice. Spend the money on new music/gigs.
 
Martin,

But what if users can't afford or don't have the knowledge, tools or gumption to construct a half-reasonably regulated PS? And, is there any likelyhood such a power supply would expose sonic flaws in the circuit it powers necessitating additional modifications at more expense?

regards,

dave
 
Battery power (or UPS System) is probably the best option, But to be fair this would require some form of power trickle to maintain voltage level in the battery. A dedicated spur basically isolates your hifi from other devices etc in your home. You still have the issue of the quality of electricity that is entering the home. So to be honest I think any of the gizmo's with relation to mains is a bit taboo (No scientific data to back it up) Save your cash and buy new music.:D
 
Prejudice on my part but the few battery-powered audio devices I've heard sounded wimpy and boring. (Maybe it was coincidence and just poor circuit design in the amp stages of the preamps?) Nagra certainly is an exception with their recorders.
 
Cheers, I was less than hopeful that anyone could come up with an alternative solution other than introducung a new spur or dedicated consumer unit.

Looks like it gets expensive with bespoke UPS devices £400 each

Components are

Marantz MM8003 140w *8 currently powering 3 B&W 8nt signature inwalls bi-amped L/R and 2 fpm 4's.

Marantz Av7005.
Sonos ZP90.
DPA Little bit dac -> Audiolab MDAC (v.soon in post)
Sony ps3
SKYHD .

My main music source is the Sonos at the moment until I find replacement. Have all sorts of network gear incl printer, switch, 2 NAS drives plasma media box. Really want to start re routing cables power away from signal. Struggling with the wall sockets. So want to replace with a strip in-wall type and not extension lead. At this point I think I will only do this and replace wall sockets with a single row of about 10 sockets ...any ideas here?
 
Use commercial grade outlets as some hospital grades are said to have spark suppresive coatings applied to the contacts to prevent explosion potential when used in an oxygen-rich environment such as a hospital.

Remove any filters, switches, lights or circuit breakers from a raceway or strip if used as they may defeat the purpose of the whole project.
 
dave said:
Use commercial grade outlets as some hospital grades are said to have spark suppresive coatings applied to the contacts to prevent explosion potential w/an oxygen-rich environment.

Remove any filters, switches, lights or circuit breakers from a raceway or strip if used as it defeats the purpose of the whole exercise.
Click to expand...

Interesting Dave thanks !
 
A DIYaudio type mate of mine reckons Neutrik Powercons sound better than Schukos or normal plugs and has made himself a multisocket box to use for his mains cables. Any views ?
 
martin clark said:
OP - If your gear has half-reasonable regulation for the things that matters (such as: all the rails in your sources, and your preamp; and optionally if preferably the front-end of your power amp) then the benefit is/wwill be ..pretty much entirely imaginary. I am working on a way to document this assertion.

Seriously, what you have sounds very nice. Spend the money on new music/gigs.
Click to expand...

Have you run a dedicated feed to your hifi, right back from the main tails coming into your house???
 
Sovereign said:
A dedicated spur will help no doubt, but you really want a dedicated consumer unit; that way you are separating your hifi a lot more, this is where the main difference comes in.
Click to expand...

I can't see what good a spur would do, as essentially that's what the O P has now. it still runs off the domestic main (I imagine). Only (a) dedicated radial circuit (s), preferably into its (their) own c.u. with separate MCBs/RCDs/RCBOs, connected via junction box to the meter, will afford a noticeable and consistent improvement. Adding an earth rod, if it's safe to do so, will bring further improvements. Hard-wiring will further......and so on.

My incoming mains paraphernalia is in the (attached) garage; my hifi is two rooms away (11 metre runs up and over). Can be done if you own your house. Disrupting? Of course; so is moving and decorating.:)

Whoops ! Have just re-read the thread title. A dedicated spur is a contradiction of terms, as a spur comes off an existing circuit, though I s'pose it is a cable which only feeds the hifi; not what was meant, i feel
 
Mike Reed said:
I can't see what good a spur would do, as essentially that's what the O P has now. it still runs off the domestic main (I imagine). Only (a) dedicated radial circuit (s), preferably into its (their) own c.u. with separate MCBs/RCDs/RCBOs, connected via juction box to the meter, will afford a noticeable and consistent improvement. Adding an earth rod, if it's safe to do so, will bring further improvements. Hard-wiring will further......and so on.

My incoming mains paraphernalia is in the (attached) garage; my hifi is two rooms away (11 metre runs up and over). Can be done if you own your house. Disrupting? Of course; so is moving and decorating.:)

Whoops ! Have just re-read the thread title. A dedicated spur is a contradiction of terms, as a spur comes off an existing circuit, though I s'pose it is a cable which only feeds the hifi; not what was meant, i feel
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more, the effect it ha on sound is massive and woth every bit of effort!
My hifi is also in my garage and I'm just about to run 24m of 35mm armoured cable underground to get there
 
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