Mike Reed
pfm Member
I'm not being snarky, but is your hearing ok? (A lot of hifi lovers are of an age where they suffer from hearing problems...)
Could you write a bit louder, please ?
I'm not being snarky, but is your hearing ok? (A lot of hifi lovers are of an age where they suffer from hearing problems...)
Tiggers (and others who have done a dedicated line and not heard a difference)
Please let us know, when you did these:
- How many lines did you install? first install - 6 sockets, second install 8 sockets
- Did you do rings or radials? - one was a ring, the other was a radial
- How old was the wiring in your main house ring? - first install in house that was rewired in 1980s, second in 2000s by me
- Did you put in 10mm/2 cable in the dedicated lines? - first install using 10mm cable, second using 2.5 ft&e on radials
- Did you use a separate CU? - first install no, second yes
- Did you plug your kit into the wall sockets afterwards, or use a power distribution block? - wall sockets - MK unswitched
- Was it done by a qualified electrician? - first yes, second no
- I'm not being snarcy, but is your hearing ok? (A lot of hifi lovers are of an age where they suffer from hearing problems...) - funny you should say that as when I did the first install I was tested for Meniere's disease due to balance issues and was found to have much better than average hearing for my age. Nowadays at 53 it's tailed off at the high frequencies a little, but back then was very good.
Thanks - you have tried a lot of the main ways of doing this.first install in house that was rewired in 1980s, second in 2000s by me
This's getting..... boring..... now
My house was built in the mid-80s from materials and construction that were not of the highest quality, so I suspect the cables they used were cheap and that they were not as carefully installed as one would hope.
sorry to trouble you - there is, of course, always the option of staring at something that interests you insteadThis's getting boring now
I think you meant circuits but Tiggers thought you meant sockets. His radial (10mm2) was, it seems, the first, before the rewire. The second, the ring of 2.5 mm2 would have been inadequate and I would have doubted a difference; after all, nothing was dedicated. Also, I've no idea of the kit involved, which can have a bearing on results.
No its not inadeqate and wouldn't be installed if it was. This cable is rated at 18.5A which is more than enough for HiFi. As you say its also the major wire for a 32A ring main as you are then effectively using two parallel cable runs so the rating is then 37A with a 32 breaker.BTW in what way is 2.5 inadequate - it's used on nearly all ring mains in the UK for multiple sockets up to 32A draw. This was used with one socket off one MCB for equipment with a minimal current draw! Upsizing the cable just cannot make any difference IMO!
Anyway at the end of the day after my experiences I'm of the opinion it makes little or no difference, but if you can hear a difference then that's all that matters really.
My point being that the nays are unlikely to be swayed by the ayessorry to trouble you - there is, of course, always the option of staring at something that interests you instead
8 metres deep ??!!!? That's one heck of a hole; the height of a house, in fact. Must also have had a VERY long cable connection too. I guess that your normal house earth is TT (i.e. that it is already sunk into the ground and not bonded back to the grid (PME earth)) or your sparks wouldn't have installed it.
Surprise to me that an earthing spike can increase the existing impedance, though.
I assumed sockets as if he'd meant circuits I thought he'd have said circuits.
Just for clarity as you seem to have mixed things up
Install 1 - house rewired in 1980s, install done in 1990s. Ring circuit (6 double MK unswitched sockets) using 10mm cable off separate MCB in consumer unit.
Install 2 - house rewired in 2000s, install done at same time. Radial circuit with 8 radial 2.5mm cables (1 MK double socket on end of each) routed from separate 8 way consumer unit.
Yes, got that completely arse about face; also makes more sense ! 8 x 2.5mm2 radials to separate c.u.; presumably one for each piece of kit. Good stuff. I also have 8 (6x 10 and 2 x 6mm2) and one to each piece but it's almost certainly overkill, although impedance might be marginally lower. However, I don't use extra connections like sockets/plugs. Do you have separate RCBOs or MCBs covered by RCD ?
BTW in what way is 2.5 inadequate - it's used on nearly all ring mains in the UK for multiple sockets up to 32A draw
My point being that the nays are unlikely to be swayed by the ayes
There has, however not been one forum poster that I've read over the 14 odd years who has said it makes the hifi sound worse. No practical downside then.
8 metres deep ??!!!? That's one heck of a hole; the height of a house, in fact. Must also have had a VERY long cable connection too.
True, but not a very good argument for installing radials,
...I have some hi fi connected radially in my attic rooms; in the next week or so this will be converted to a ring main...
...I can't understand the suggestion of 10mm sq cables to feed hi fi, Ok for a 9kw shower, but not for 300/700 watts of hi fi.
Apologies, just remembered Arkless has been through this previously