What Mains Lead
- Thread starter onespeed
- Start date
Rockmeister
pfm Member
And, no real suprise here, spending HUGE amounts of money often goes hand in hand with not liking to be told that you've thrown it away. The costlier the cable, the higher the level of belief.
A bit like religion really. The more you invest, the more God definitely exists.
?
Heckyman
pfm Member
This is a common choice, but I don't see the logic. It's a position that is still faith based! If you can't determine with your system/ears that better mains leads improve anything sonically, why bother with those "slightly better ones", costing maybe 10x more than basic well made kettle leads from the likes of Volex?
Perhaps there's a fundamental rule of audiophilia at work here: "always spend the maximum you could ever conceive of on a system component".
Peace of mind is only achieved because a) you have chosen to believe that the "slightly better cables" couldn't possibly be worse than standard kettle leads (not necessarily true IME), and b) you simply wouldn't contemplate spending any more — you've already determined that there's no way you are going to audition 3 mains cables at £500 a pop, which, who knows, might have turned out to be the level of spend needed to hear an obvious improvement!
Love a good mains cable thread ;-)
chiily
PFM Special Builder
Needless to say the same place sells power cords/mains leads...they are not going to say that they are crap and one shouldn't buy them are they?
Rockmeister
pfm Member
Take your cod philosophy one stage further and conclude that inside MY head is me, and that decision is what makes me happy?
See?
chiily
PFM Special Builder
It's the power of marketing and belief...
It has nothing to do with belief, that’s a load of crap, I strongly suspect you have not had the opportunity to try something decent. If Hi-Fi is based on belief, why would we spend so much on equipment etc, there would be no difference as it all in our heads.
I’m not someone that will waste money, I only buy where there is no risk (I can send back if not happy.)
I try, switch back and then determine the difference by the loss of SQ. if then I hear no difference then I would simply send back, no loss for me.
I’m not someone that will waste money, I only buy where there is no risk (I can send back if not happy.)
I try, switch back and then determine the difference by the loss of SQ. if then I hear no difference then I would simply send back, no loss for me.
YNWOAN
100% Analogue
A few weeks ago I was at an audio show (very entertaining it was too) and happened across the Chord demo room (Chord the cable company, not the amplification bunch). A very nice chap announced that he was going to demo the difference between mains cables . He played a little music with the basic mains cable - it sounded very good. He then announced that he was changing the cable for one costing (from) £5,000.00 per metre. Luckily I was seated at the time of this announcement. True to his word he changed the cable and played the same piece of music. Now I must admit I think I did perceive a change - a slight softening, a greater fullness. However, I preferred the the incisive speed of the standard cable. I would also add that, as £5,000.00 ‘upgrades’ go, this was a pretty minimal one in terms of sonic impact
Heckyman
pfm Member
Whatever makes you happy, yes! Some folks like kettle leads, some like their £500+ mains leads, some like yourself go for the perceived safety of the middle ground! It's all belief, what else could it be?
chartz
If it’s broke fix it!
We’re not talking about hi-fi, but about main cables. They have nothing to do with hi-fi.
There is no engineering involved.
Heckyman
pfm Member
I briefly heard their demo at the NW audio show. One chap there said he preferred the cheaper mains block, the other was wowed by the improvement of the pricier block. I honestly couldn't be bothered to try to convince myself either way, I come to shows to listen to systems (esp. speakers) and not mains blocks!
Heckyman
pfm Member
They were demonstrating their PowerHaus blocks when I was in, I didn't stay long. Maybe they changed the mains leads at the same time too, I don't remember.
onespeed
pfm Member
Not using it yet, waiting for some Rothwell Attenuators, then going to run using pre out from my ES770 whilst I sort a preamp out.
Waiting for my RFC Rutland build to finish https://www.facebook.com/ReferenceFidelityComponents and will post in system picture thread when it's all up and running, can't wait.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
I can't see posh mains cables make any difference. But if someone has posted asking which posh mains cable he should buy it's clear he's already a 'believer' so I'm not sure how helpful it is to post (again!) that he should just borrow the one from the kettle or something.
I think that's an honest approach. It's a lot to do with pride of ownership and feeling like you're using 'proper' kit.
I see stuff like this as go faster stripes for hi-fi really.
I think that's an honest approach. It's a lot to do with pride of ownership and feeling like you're using 'proper' kit.
I see stuff like this as go faster stripes for hi-fi really.
onespeed
pfm Member
I can't see posh mains cables make any difference. But if someone has posted asking which posh mains cable he should buy it's clear he's already a 'believer' so I'm not sure how helpful it is to post (again!) that he should just borrow the one from the kettle or something.
I'm not a believer, never said I was
Heckyman
pfm Member
FWIW, the very fact that mains cables are a constant source of argument/fun on hifi fora, would suggest that any differences are not "huge" in the grand scheme of things. No-one argues that speakers and TT carts all sound the same, no-one except the Harbeth guy argues that all amps sound the same, a few people say all digital sources sound the same, quite a lot of people say all cables sound the same...
@onespeed, just get a Volex or similar, less than a tenner!
@onespeed, just get a Volex or similar, less than a tenner!