Page 1 of 1

#1 Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:12 am
by chris
Next week I am having my consumer box replaced, it seems they are going back to metal boxes, after finding the plastic ones burn nicely. Being in a bungalow I can run down some cable from the loft for a radial circuit purely for the hi-fi, I have found a roll in the garage of 10mm shower cable. Just wondering how many here have done this?

Chris

#2 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 11:08 am
by Greg
I have a 10mm dedicated spur which serves the system via an Airlinks 2kva balanced power supply incorporating one of Nick’s DC blockers. All works faultlessly for me.

#3 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2022 12:41 pm
by Paul Barker
chris wrote: Fri Mar 04, 2022 10:12 am Next week I am having my consumer box replaced, it seems they are going back to metal boxes, after finding the plastic ones burn nicely. Being in a bungalow I can run down some cable from the loft for a radial circuit purely for the hi-fi, I have found a roll in the garage of 10mm shower cable. Just wondering how many here have done this?

Chris
I understand dedicated rings sound better than dedicated radials fwiw.

#4 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:17 am
by chris
Hi Greg and Paul

I would like to try out the balanced mains approach, I can only guess the amount of DC on the mains will differ from area to area also it's effect will impact different components.

The ring mains doubles up with twice the cables as a radial, which saves in the amount of copper used, but using the 10mm cable for the radial will still be more than combined cables in the ring, without the data on this my gut feeling is the larger earth cable will be improvement over just the single ones used in the ring mains.

I also find that over time the cables can become loose in the sockets, the screw down approach is not great engineering, the Germans have a switch similar to the Wago that the wires are locked down in place, I see the new regs require that wires in sockets should not be twisted together.

I feel it's worth doing it while having the chance when the consumer box is being updated, will not cost anything as I had a half used spool of 10mm cable. I prefer to do the basic things to improve the sound and I feel this should start with a clean mains supply.

Chris.

#5 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:31 am
by Paul Barker
I was full scope and did a lot of inspecting, and I hate people who twist cables, because you have to seperate them for testing. Ive laways just pushed them inparallel.

yes screws come undone because of constant 50 cycles vibration. Whats new? this is the reason you need PIR’s (periodic inspection reports) for your electrics. Sprung connections have their own issues. Id vote to retain the standards we have and not do something because another country does it. The safety in our electrical industry has been looked after us all these years, we know what were doing in this country.

I knew a head man in one of the distributing companies who said to me when I was testing his house. “ when I handed my men their books, I said “ look after that it’s cost is priceless” Im sure his guys would know cost about 100 quid, as they looked puzzled. He said “That book cost human lives. Every addendum and update is a response to lives lost!”

I would say dont follow other countries like lemings. Were handling our safety thanks? were on it, same occurs in Gas and refridgeration gases. All regs changes stem from lost lives.

I would not no sir use wagos everwhere instead.

Crimping best, when correct tools and in skilled hands, but not practical everywhere. There should be no screw terminals inaccessible. All them JB’s (joint boxes) under floorboards have not been allowed for a good 15 years, but old electricians who should have noticed those changes if they kept up to date, but so much electrical work is done by an old timer electrician after a casual meeting in the pub. Hes so out of date he doesnt know the dangers. Doesnt listen anymore if he even bothers with memberships updates professional indemnity and callibration. And you lot not forking out for periodic inspections! As its voluntary, it isnt thouht of. Now the guys in here should be safe inspecting a percentage of their switches and sockets for loose screws. But there are other significant tests you cant do even with all youre knowledge about global feedback in youre amplifier designs.

#6 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 9:35 am
by Paul Barker
The bigger picture is skin effect. Better a combination of thick solid core for bass and thin multistrand for top.

Youre talking as if that phenomena hadnt occured to you.

#7 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:59 pm
by chris
To be honest I did not take the skin effect into consideration regardinig a dedicated mains.

Chris.

#8 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 8:36 pm
by steve s
I have a dedicated socket on a radial in my old music room, to be honest I can't tell any difference between that and one of the ring sockets

It slightly reduced the click and pops from the freezers, fridge and washer.
But that was all I noticed

#9 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2022 11:20 pm
by Nick
chris wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:59 pm To be honest I did not take the skin effect into consideration regardinig a dedicated mains.

Chris.
I wouldn't. After all the aim is to remove anything other than 50Hz, so you don't want to make efforts to increase HF transmission.

#10 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:49 am
by Paul Barker
chris wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:59 pm To be honest I did not take the skin effect into consideration regardinig a dedicated mains.

Chris.
well apparently it does matter.

#11 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 9:23 am
by Nick
Paul Barker wrote: Sun Mar 06, 2022 8:49 am
chris wrote: Sat Mar 05, 2022 7:59 pm To be honest I did not take the skin effect into consideration regardinig a dedicated mains.

Chris.
well apparently it does matter.
Evidence?

#12 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 11:56 am
by Paul Barker
Not from me, never tried it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Im not the beholder. Im simply stating what others have suggested so that the experimenter knows which variables to verify for themselves or ignore because there is no so called “evidence”. I try most things for myself, but this I havent ever done. But the enquirers may chose to ignore what others have suggested. And dont be boring and ask which others because when I say such things you and Ed just criticise my suggested sources. So its a variable, take it or leave it.

Im sure glad that I havent ignored very much before I tried it for myself. YMMV

What does youre mate Davecablesforus have to say about that concept?

#13 Re: Dedicated mains for audio

Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 12:02 pm
by Nick
I will leave it then.