Advice required on DIY mains IEC leads for home cinema kit

Oh absolutely.

I just assumed that you'd naturally fill all the cavities in the plugs with it to damp parasitic vibrations...

;)
 
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Probably a good time to report the results of my extensive non-double-blind listening tests now that I've been living with BAS' suggested mods, as detailed at the end of this thread, for about a month.

Well I can report that I've heard not the slightest trace of any distortion, RFI or other EMI, brightness, bad colour etc etc!

Nor any music. The CD drawer closed slower than I'm used to, and in fact required some assistance to get fully home - I guess due to the extra weight of the harmonic dampers. All I now hear are clicking/scratching noises, which is strange. However, I can categorically say this is the most detailed presentation i have ever heard from my system! Soundstaging is so utterly precise that the noises appear to be coming from the CD player itself, and not two individual loudspeakers!

Unfortunately I cannot retrieve my music CD as the door will not open (any ideas, BAS?). This means I haven't yet been able to test the mods with my other CD - the audiophile collection of reference sound samples and pure sine wave signals. Oh well not to worry - overall I'd thoroughly recommend the mods! Get them done!!
 
D'ya mean like this Ban? :LOL: , that blu tak should dampen those vibrations eh?
You need to fill all of the cavities.

But you'll be glad you posted the photo, as I can now point out that the slots in the screws are not aligned with the conductor cores. The neutral isn't too bad, but the L & E are way off, and this will cause problems with reflected electromagnetism ricocheting off the side of the slots and distorting the mains signal.
 
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Unfortunately I cannot retrieve my music CD as the door will not open (any ideas, BAS?).
Yes - you should place the player in the freezer. As the BluTak cools it will contract, and the door will then open easily. Take care not to leave it long enough to freeze the BluTak though, as this will render it useless, and you'll have to replace it.
 
Any regs I should be aware of pertaining to installing a 230V supply into a freezer so that i can power up the CD player? Or relating to creating a window in the freezer door which i assume I'll need to use the remote to open the CD player? I guess the freezer warranty is a thing of the past?

Cheers in advance
 
Ahhhhhh - i forgot about screw alignment.....i suppose i should also take into account torque settings on the screws also? - ive heard that over tightening can squash the cores too much leading to "flat" audio?

Im seriously thinking about upgrading my pin screws too - im sure i could ly my hands on some rhodium plated ones if i look hard enough.

It never ends does it? - i mean i may even end up having to replace the whole plug casing so that is made from PVC covered lead to ensure i dont get any radiation thrown in the mix, i couldnt possibly deal with having to endure radiated audio or visual.

Again, comments welcome and advice :LOL:
 
To be perfectly honest rather then buying screened cable why not just ensure as far as is practically possible that your power and signal cables remain as far apart as possible on their route to each piece of equipment. Plus on any power cables that bit too long wind them in a figure of eight pattern to reduce magnetic effects. That's how proper techies do it on big sound installs for live events. I've worked with engineers who can get there systems running with no unwanted noise at all (and that's 15kW rigs!). Mind you he stripped down and tested every lead after every performance so it's not surprising it was that clean a sound.
 
Liam - you don't need to worry about those things, just remove it from the freezer when it's cold enough, plug it in and open the drawer.

Most important: You must then unplug it and not use it until it's warmed up again - it's OK to power it up for a few seconds to open the drawer, but you dare not risk condensation forming while you're using it - you'll get ripples in the sound and a dramatic increase in Total Hydraulic Distortion - it will be even worse than before you put the BluTak in.
 
Anyone know where i can get clip on ferrites (not ferretts :LOL: ) that will fit a 10.3mm cable?? - the cheaper the better !
 
Are the so called "experts" online & printed magazine reviews?

1. Cost of running a major online web magazine w/forum is 40-60,000/yr.

2. Advertising Revenue is CRITICAL in meeting such costs.

3. Magazines OFTEN print little more than Advertising Editorial.

4. Reviews are Subjective & Testing Methods subject to Confounding Error.

5. Trading Standards require products meet their Technical Specification, BUT that specification need NOT be based on any standard - you can just make one up yourself. Kitchen drawer testing with any result you want.

6. They rely on the consumer to "I ASSUME" or "I THOUGHT"


Online magazines in particular are often owned by commercial interests, typically retail operations, thus independence is simply non existent.

Online magazines which are fronts for retailers have a significant number of online contributors who are in fact employees. One UK Etailer has 7 min-wage staff continually posting across web forums pushing products, they have back-end sales targets to meet. To all intents and purposes other posters may appear "general public" but are in fact not. Boiler Rooms - drowning out competing products to push their products.

Product reviews are usually the area of "institutionalised make believe".
- Testing methodologies are rarely defined, replicable or controlled
- Consumer products often do not meet their specification by routine


It would surprise many to know just how many Western Brands of industrial to consumer electrical accessories are in fact made in China and merely relabelled. One sure sign is when no-one can answer even the most basic technical enquiry, they don't make it, they just relabel it.

Many products claimed to be made in the West are not, the EU for example only requires the last significant manufacturing operation to be performed in the EU (apply a label, or packaging, or assembly).

The profit is absolutely massive on "audiophile".
Some products ARE very good - someone develops a good set of speakers, or a good amplifier. Other products are actually sold on the basis of their sound colouration - benefits are placebo & subjective.

Many companies actually only survive by selling such huge-margin products, so the incentive is very considerable. Remember HP is only profitable by its ink cartridge business, wake up and smell the coffee.

The MBA has not only deteriorated in quality, but in ethics far beyond the financial services sector - May Be Arraigned is a more accurate term. The USA pushed heavily "Upselling" as the repackage crap/surplus/junk. Upselling ranged from dot-com stocks where you stress an IPOs attributes that matched a similar existing high valuation company, but ignore the limitations (lipstick on a pig), right across to consumer goods. Ratners, selling in their own words "crap" - it's the bread n butter of sneaktail.


There are variations in IEC leads.
- Choose well made simple leads whose plug fits reliably into the product.

The only cable that usually matters is...
- Aerial - low quality braid, crushed on every clip, lots of junctions, rusty masthead terminations
- Length - any excessively long cable for video needs to be of good quality (which basically means the right Belden rather than a clone)

The audiophile arena is full of the biggest pile of junk science ever.
Some of which is electrically unsafe. Re CY cables 1) many are not specified for connection to mains supply (HVAC control only) 2) many are not specified for outside use (so beware excessive UV exposure) 3) they should not have braid terminated in anything but the proper glands (not twisted into a plug). Good cable is H07RNF 1.5mm - will do for anything. The "2.5mm into rear of plug" is usually a Clipsal IP66 plug with the locking ring removed, it actually has poor retention into most sockets.
 
Thats all well and good Jason, however "it aint gettin the baby bathed"!

Ive been told by Lapp (manufacturer) that the CY cable i would possibly uses is ok to be terminated in a plug.

As i said before....why provide a copper braid if it is not going to be connected to anything - sheer waste of money eh?

Not being an electrician, could someone tell me what is meant by "correct gland"....

And, aslo, if it isnt safe to use CY cable for this application, why do so many places sell them? Surely this would be breaking the law? as they are wired in the same method.
 
I personally can't see a problem with terminating CY cable to a plug as long as you make a neat job of it and use a size small enough to fit in the plugs cord grip.

I don't think i've ever seen a special gland used for CY or SY, just a compression gland or cord grip to stop the cable being ripped out then unpick and gather up and sleeve the braiding and connect it to earth.
 
Exactly what i thought plugwash!

Its hardly like im gonna earth the braid at the plug end and then leave the braid all frayed at the other ! - I do have some sense! :eek:

The idea (as i understand it) is to create an earth loop using the braid...good so ive heard for audiophile applications...the plug may need some minor alterations to accept a slightly larger cable, but as long as i can get it in, firmly clamped and without stray strands - it should be as safe as wiring any plug eh?
 
It is sold into a consumer market - ie, not subject to HASAW.
It is sold as non-fixed wiring - ie, not subject to much regulation.

Lapp Cable are using this, but would be interesting to get it in writing.
There concern is liability, its a sale, not much else really.


Now consider...
- You screen a signal cable because the Signal is SELV, very vulnerable to Noise, where any Noise is THEN subsequently *amplified*.
- You do not screen a mains cable because it is *power* (230VAC), not vulnerable to mV of noise, and noise is *not* subsequently amplified. Power goes through a SMPS or Linear PSU capacitors - damn sight more noise gets picked up through bad PSU design, poor capacitors etc.

Ferrite Cores most commonly found on PC signal cables are present to stop the cable becoming an aerial for the high frequencies inside a PC.

I would use H07RNF, if you want flashy red then Lapp Cable do silicone.
I would not use CY because the braid can not be safely earthed.
 

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