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Post by The Brookmeister on Mar 7, 2017 17:31:31 GMT
It would be nice if good mains leads didn't work - would save some of us money ! Maybe we will get wireless mains in about 20 years, I will probably be dead then so it won't affect my sales! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2017 20:08:39 GMT
Fuses are a nightmare, I always use ceramic sand filled fuses never glass, I have had to many glass ones chatter. Failing that use a Semi Conductor fuse I love the 1000A one they never blow. Big Bang FusesYes but those fuses you mention won't fit in an MK toughplug chief will they? haha Just use a bigger hammer no probs he he |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2017 20:09:24 GMT
It would be nice if good mains leads didn't work - would save some of us money ! Maybe we will get wireless mains in about 20 years, I will probably be dead then so it won't affect my sales! Using Tesla work maybe. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 8, 2017 8:15:38 GMT
I love the 1000A one they never blow Isn't that called rebar? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2017 18:16:34 GMT
My "review" posted elsewhere:
After all this talk about mains cables, I decided to try it myself, after all, how could 1m of fancy cable make a difference in the many Kilometres of cable leading up to my house?
If it did not work, I could send it back.
Well, I am almost embarrassed to say it's still here. Many of you will now be laughing, but hey it's my money and it is my ears/brain combination that are telling me that the system is better with it feeding my mains regenerator.
I can't tell you how or why, and I don't really care.
To start my experiment I contracted Mr MCRU, as I am sure he would have something suitable for my budget, and some advice to offer. He has always been down to earth and offered me good honest advice.
He sent me a chunky metre long cable fitted with a Furutech FI-E11 copper Schuko plug, and a FURUTECH FI-11 copper IEC connector. The cable itself is (probably) the Neotech NEP-3001 III UP-OCC cable. As I am sure you will agree, not the most Audio"fool" cable you can get, but sufficiently foolish enough for a cable that won't make a blind bit of difference, right?
Wrong.
Scoff away....
Originally I got it to try between my mains regenerator and amplifier, but changing to monoblocks made this impractical, so it moved to wall to regenerator. How could this positioning make a difference when I am still using basic leads elsewhere?
I have no idea, but I tried it. I left it in my system for a week, just listening to music. The system sounded fine. I didn't notice an immediate difference. Then I changed it back t the standard lead.
It sounded like my stylus had picked up a load of dust. The soundstage and dynamics had flattened. I checked the stylus and it was clean. I listened to a few tracks, and swapped it back to the "foolish" lead. Ah, that's better I thought.
This was not expectation bias, as these things don't make a difference, right?
Still not believing 100% there could be a difference, I subjected a friend to a test without telling him what I was doing and asked which he preferred. His response was "foolish". He preferred the system with the upgraded lead in place.
So what are the downsides?
For me the additional cost reading forums is going to have.
The AG1500 also has the connectors close together and the Furutech IEC connector does not leave much room for the female IEC plug to be fitted in the IEC socket next to the schuko socket.
So after all of that, I have heard the difference interconnect cables can make, and now I have experienced the difference a mains cable has made.
I think I need to go and sit down and try and find the marbles I have lost....
Seriously though, if you have any doubts try it for yourself with an open mind (and clean ears!). They can make a dramatic difference (in my experience).
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Post by John on Mar 22, 2017 18:35:29 GMT
At least now you understand why those of us who been on a similar journey get so frustrated when expecation bias is thrown at us.
Glad the experiment paid off
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 22, 2017 18:58:14 GMT
Reminds me when I first decided to have a go.
Wouldn't work so I'll be selling it soon.
Tested, could not believe there really was a difference.
The boss confirmed there was a difference. Mad.
Then I decided to try more expensive cables and I upgraded many times.
They all showed improvements, some considerable. Mad.
Seems counter intuitive. A mains cable makes sound quality in hifi better.
And most people don't get it and some refuse to believe it can.
Their loss
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2017 19:51:17 GMT
These cables are expensive enough in the grand scheme of my system to consider avoiding upgrades.
The law of diminishing returns comes into play, and there is only so much stick I will be able to take from Pinkie.
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Post by MartinT on Mar 22, 2017 22:56:02 GMT
Sometimes, on balance, 2-3 good mains cables can be worth more than a component upgrade sound quality-wise. I'm glad you kept your ears open and judged it by the sound alone.
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Post by pinkie on Mar 23, 2017 7:41:55 GMT
These cables are expensive enough in the grand scheme of my system to consider avoiding upgrades. The law of diminishing returns comes into play, and there is only so much stick I will be able to take from Pinkie. Me? Stick? Be fair - even though I am trying hard to be retired, not interested in HiFi upgrades, just listening to the music, I have since I've known you acquired the ESL 63's Dynavector cartridge, a U205 I haven't unboxed , a Pip 2 an AHB2 (that's £3000) and a pair of Pro900i cans. And 2 sets of speaker leads, and some interconnects And commissioned a personalised PT upgrade which is simply stunningly good. If the mains leads good, I'm bound to want one and have the money. But, until I hear this wonder of modern audio, I am currently suffering no perceived loss. I like the sound I'm getting, and like the music and the environment I can listen to it in. And have no anxt for change. By contrast, you seem driven by a nagging dissatisfaction, and are constantly looking at the next upgrade to fix the problem We start from different places. As the Irish farmer leaning on a fence in the middle of the Kerry ring said when asked the way to Dublin "To be sure, if I wanted to get to Dublin, I wouldn't start from here"  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2017 9:14:26 GMT
I am not unhappy with my system, just more interested in subtle tweaks I can make.
When you visit next, you will have to have a little listen to let me know what you think of it. Apart from the SL1200, pretty much everything else has changed, and the SL1200 changed with the latest Funk goodies a while ago.
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Post by Sovereign on Mar 23, 2017 9:43:26 GMT
Very informative rights of mate
Glad you got an improvement however it came
I remember when I upgraded the mains cable of my power amp , piano seem to have more authority and punch footloose seem to be tighter and have more drive and the top and kind of sparkled , these are not groundbreaking improvements that I noticed just enough for a nice upgrade
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 23, 2017 10:34:56 GMT
These cables and other peripherals are, to my mind the essential parts of a whole system.
The new world beckons.
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 23, 2017 11:20:04 GMT
These cables are expensive enough in the grand scheme of my system to consider avoiding upgrades. The law of diminishing returns comes into play, and there is only so much stick I will be able to take from Pinkie. If the mains leads good, I'm bound to want one and have the money. But, until I hear this wonder of modern audio, I am currently suffering no perceived loss. I like the sound I'm getting, and like the music and the environment I can listen to it in. And have no anxt for change. I'd pretty much go along with that ... I would be more than happy to buy a relatively expensive mains cable if I heard what others are hearing ... Until then the vast majority of what I spend will go on components and records. |
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Post by pinkie on Mar 23, 2017 11:38:17 GMT
These cables and other peripherals are, to my mind the essential parts of a whole system. The new world beckons. Astonishingly over the years I have enjoyed my system completely without them, and not found anything of interest at all in the systems of those I have met who use them. When AK exhibits at Munich, whether the flagship arms are ready or not, his vanity will be looking for that "best sounds were to be heard from the Funk room" sort of quote that he scours the web for, and emails me when he finds. If he thought painting his toenails pink would help him get it he would do it. He'd certainly ponce a mains cable off someone in the industry. For over 30 years he hasn't. (I could say the same of the likes of Benchmark) But it will be an interesting trip to chez Cagey (Wonky, whatever he is here), and I am happy for him to open new horizons for me if he can. Like Jules - I won't fret if the revelation never comes, and don't miss it currently |
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Post by MikeMusic on Mar 23, 2017 16:27:24 GMT
I too enjoyed my system for years before I was pointed at a way of improving the sound without buying new kit. Naturally an improver I will take improvements where I can get them. Blame W.Edwards Deming  |
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Post by The Brookmeister on Mar 23, 2017 21:47:26 GMT
These cables and other peripherals are, to my mind the essential parts of a whole system. The new world beckons. Astonishingly over the years I have enjoyed my system completely without them, and not found anything of interest at all in the systems of those I have met who use them. When AK exhibits at Munich, whether the flagship arms are ready or not, his vanity will be looking for that "best sounds were to be heard from the Funk room" sort of quote that he scours the web for, and emails me when he finds. If he thought painting his toenails pink would help him get it he would do it. He'd certainly ponce a mains cable off someone in the industry. For over 30 years he hasn't. (I could say the same of the likes of Benchmark) But it will be an interesting trip to chez Cagey (Wonky, whatever he is here), and I am happy for him to open new horizons for me if he can. Like Jules - I won't fret if the revelation never comes, and don't miss it currently ARTHUR does not have a room at Munich, he has a small space with 2-3 turntables on show and that is it. No music playing. |
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Post by MartinT on Mar 24, 2017 10:28:33 GMT
Astonishingly over the years I have enjoyed my system completely without them Of course you have, not every system without specialist mains treatment sounds poor! However, the point I wish to make (and I'm not getting at you, Richard, I'm just using your statement as typical of those who dismiss the value of mains quality) is the following: If you don't pay attention to how you power your hi-fi system, you will never yield the maximum performance it is capable of. Give it a poor, distorted, waveform full of typical noise and interference and it will suffer since there is no such thing as a perfect power supply or perfect filtering. Some of it will get through and modulate the power rails and, therefore, the signal. Furthermore, if you think a regenerator should give you perfect isolation from mains and cannot be improved upon with a good power cable, think again! Regenerators are not perfect, either. If you think a fuse cannot make a difference, remember that they depend on their functionality by having a non-linear temperature response. Mains treatment is joined up and additive in effect. And so on... Ignore mains treatments if you wish, but unless you've tried it for yourself, and therefore have an opinion, you're missing a sizeable potential gain and will get no sympathy from those of us who have tried it and know what can be achieved. |
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Post by Rexton on Mar 24, 2017 19:32:26 GMT
I've never been a massive fan of very expensive cables. All mine are home made. Mainly high quality & purity screen copper leads with pure copper plugs and IEC. I certainly wouldn't be without them now.
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Post by julesd68 on Mar 25, 2017 17:36:20 GMT
These cables are expensive enough in the grand scheme of my system to consider avoiding upgrades. The law of diminishing returns comes into play, and there is only so much stick I will be able to take from Pinkie. Did you try this new cable between components and regen? |
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