#1 A Mains Cable Story
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 5:09 am
Warning, it's a bit long.
First a preface about my bias. I’m confident why mains cables make a difference from a technical POV. But maybe that’s another discussion. My bias is, being a DIYer, that I can make better improvements for the money by investment in making my gear and the components/topology than the cabling connecting it.
I had the opportunity to sample a bunch of mains cables recently but first I had to change my distribution strip. Mine was the one I took to Owston which is 3 pairs of switched outlets supplied by a beefy mains cable (2 x RG213 coax). Having been in NZ for over a year, thought it about time to use NZ plugs so changed these outlets for 6 x unswitched single outlets and changed the plugs to these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000174 ... f19cIFvDEz which are allegedly, rhodium plated copper, about £8 a pair. Overall, this move alone was well worth the money for a sonic improvement.
My mains cables are common kettle cords that come free with most electrical equipment. Given the outlets are non-switched and the plugs here don’t have fuses could easily account for what I heard as better.
Then replaced the IEC plugs for the moulded on ones and that I thought was an improvement I wasn’t prepared for. To put this into perspective, I thought it better than replacing a BHC electro in the line stage for a WKz Black Gate if that means anything.
Now I was ready to play.
First up, some fire hose cables from PS Audio that come with their top of the line power amps, BHK300. These were not highly rated by friends and had been replaced by some Furutech models (see later) in their systems. They initially sounded very sophisticated until after a day, I wondered where all the fun had gone. Bit like a comfy blanket than music so out they went.
Next up Furutech FP-TCS21 for £60/m. I thought these sounded very nice and refined compared to the kettle cords with Aliexpress connectors so they stayed in for a week while I played with a Topping D90 DAC I’d borrowed. The Furutech had similar connectors.
After that week, was able to try some Gotham mains cables. Gotham supply studios and this was yet another shielded mains cable. I liked these better than the Furutech. After trying these cables on the power amps and the line stage, a pattern started to emerge. The Furutech seem to have a “house sound” and after this, I read some reviews. It sounds polished and sophisticated, but that same sound makes whatever you plug it into, have that sound. The Gotham less so.
I can imagine if your equipment needed some “voicing” or “taming”, these things could be the go or if you weren’t a DIYer and you wanted to spend some money to alter the sound to your liking, mains cable rolling might do it. All my power supplies are choke input, vacuum rectified so maybe don’t need sophisticated cabling.
After the week, I had to give all this back and plug my kettle cord cables back in with my fancy Aliexpress connectors. I liked this the best. There was more fun and less laid on sophistication and suppression of … well that’s hard to pin down. All in all, fun to try but some might say with my disclosed bias, I was only going to come to one conclusion.
First a preface about my bias. I’m confident why mains cables make a difference from a technical POV. But maybe that’s another discussion. My bias is, being a DIYer, that I can make better improvements for the money by investment in making my gear and the components/topology than the cabling connecting it.
I had the opportunity to sample a bunch of mains cables recently but first I had to change my distribution strip. Mine was the one I took to Owston which is 3 pairs of switched outlets supplied by a beefy mains cable (2 x RG213 coax). Having been in NZ for over a year, thought it about time to use NZ plugs so changed these outlets for 6 x unswitched single outlets and changed the plugs to these https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000174 ... f19cIFvDEz which are allegedly, rhodium plated copper, about £8 a pair. Overall, this move alone was well worth the money for a sonic improvement.
My mains cables are common kettle cords that come free with most electrical equipment. Given the outlets are non-switched and the plugs here don’t have fuses could easily account for what I heard as better.
Then replaced the IEC plugs for the moulded on ones and that I thought was an improvement I wasn’t prepared for. To put this into perspective, I thought it better than replacing a BHC electro in the line stage for a WKz Black Gate if that means anything.
Now I was ready to play.
First up, some fire hose cables from PS Audio that come with their top of the line power amps, BHK300. These were not highly rated by friends and had been replaced by some Furutech models (see later) in their systems. They initially sounded very sophisticated until after a day, I wondered where all the fun had gone. Bit like a comfy blanket than music so out they went.
Next up Furutech FP-TCS21 for £60/m. I thought these sounded very nice and refined compared to the kettle cords with Aliexpress connectors so they stayed in for a week while I played with a Topping D90 DAC I’d borrowed. The Furutech had similar connectors.
After that week, was able to try some Gotham mains cables. Gotham supply studios and this was yet another shielded mains cable. I liked these better than the Furutech. After trying these cables on the power amps and the line stage, a pattern started to emerge. The Furutech seem to have a “house sound” and after this, I read some reviews. It sounds polished and sophisticated, but that same sound makes whatever you plug it into, have that sound. The Gotham less so.
I can imagine if your equipment needed some “voicing” or “taming”, these things could be the go or if you weren’t a DIYer and you wanted to spend some money to alter the sound to your liking, mains cable rolling might do it. All my power supplies are choke input, vacuum rectified so maybe don’t need sophisticated cabling.
After the week, I had to give all this back and plug my kettle cord cables back in with my fancy Aliexpress connectors. I liked this the best. There was more fun and less laid on sophistication and suppression of … well that’s hard to pin down. All in all, fun to try but some might say with my disclosed bias, I was only going to come to one conclusion.