Topic: power cable

[elim]

will aftermarket power cables make any difference? I was just thinking that the ones provided by the manufacturer of amps,avrs,subs etc should be sufficient to what their equipment requires.

Is there a rule of thumb lets say "x watts = y gauge"

[rthirtyfourgtr]

stock power cables are always enough (assuming of course that the equipment is of a reputable brand.) they are designed to be safe, and hence is usually rated higher than what the device would consume (i.e. amplifier is rated at 8.5amps, power cord would most likely be capable of 10-15amps)

but of course there are people who are able to hear improvements over stock, that's why such a market exists.

[at_sunset_blvd]

It will surely add POGI points to the gears 

[synchro_01]

Being a frustrated Electrical and Communications Engineer I can safely say that the cables that came with your gear is more than enough. Upgrading Interconnects and Speaker cables makes more sense to me.

[resident_evil]

I think stock cables are sufficient but my comfort level increases when using Narayan's Furukawa power cables. Not that expensive naman.

[jjohnc]

will aftermarket power cables make any difference? I was just thinking that the ones provided by the manufacturer of amps,avrs,subs etc should be sufficient to what their equipment requires.

Is there a rule of thumb lets say "x watts = y gauge"

changing the power cable will improve the sound quality of your system depende sa matching...brands/models..by doing so a 20 to 40% increase in sq...

cheers

[ATJr.]

will aftermarket power cables make any difference? I was just thinking that the ones provided by the manufacturer of amps,avrs,subs etc should be sufficient to what their equipment requires.

Is there a rule of thumb lets say "x watts = y gauge"

no rule of thumb and no justification, just the thickness of your wallet and how happy you can feel after your purchase, after all isn't that what life is all about? enjoyment......

[bass_nut]

not all OEM power cables are good, per actual experience.

example: the oem power cable of my Little Dot mk II tube amp for headphones pop and smoked on a segment of its length. replaced it with an inexpensive DIY 12/3 AWG power cord.. no more pop and smoke since then. power cable "pop and smoked" were also experienced by 2 other friends who own LD mk II.

[dodie]

 

no rule of thumb and no justification, just the thickness of your wallet and how happy you can feel after your purchase, after all isn't that what life is all about? enjoyment......

+1

[JojoD818]

not all OEM power cables are good, per actual experience.

example: the oem power cable of my Little Dot mk II tube amp for headphones pop and smoked on a segment of its length. replaced it with an inexpensive DIY 12/3 AWG power cord.. no more pop and smoke since then. power cable "pop and smoked" were also experienced by 2 other friends who own LD mk II.

wow that's not good, forget the performance issue... safety issue first...

[Cjtjader]

wow that's not good, forget the performance issue... safety issue first...

+1, I'm using a DIY power cord for my monoblocks (8awg x3).

[ATJr.]

in the latest Dusit event where i displayed a 6C33 set amp, the actual power draw was 220watts for an output of 20 watts, the actual current was just over 1 ampere....if you look at the copper wire table, a #24 would have been enough as power cord.....i used #18 instead....more than enough....using bigger than that is a waste of my money imho...but you are free to waste yours, after all it is your money....

[ATJr.]

wow that's not good, forget the performance issue... safety issue first...

safety always come first.....there are unscrupulous power cable vendors out there so buyer beware....

[bass_nut]

wow that's not good, forget the performance issue... safety issue first...

+1 Million, Master J  !!

buti na lang walang window curtains na malapit sa power cord nang LD mk II ..otherwise, baka nagkasunog pa sa room ko 

================================================

magkano ba ang 12/3 AWG ? approximately P85.00/meter sa hardware dito sa amin ciudad.
at magkano naman kung sakaling nasunog yung room ko o ang buong bahay namin ?

sa pagtitipid, isipin munang mabuti kung makakasama o makakabuti.

[Cjtjader]

+1 Million, Master J  !!

buti na lang walang window curtains na malapit sa power cord nang LD mk II ..otherwise, baka nagkasunog pa sa room ko 

================================================

magkano ba ang 12/3 AWG ? approximately P85.00/meter sa hardware dito sa amin ciudad.
at magkano naman kung sakaling nasunog yung room ko o ang buong bahay namin ?

sa pagtitipid, isipin munang mabuti kung makakasama o makakabuti.

Agree ako dyan, Doc Fer! Safety muna ng gears at ng ibang kasangkapan.

[bass_nut]

Agree ako dyan, Doc Fer! Safety muna ng gears at ng ibang kasangkapan.

thanks, brother Cal !! 

minsan kasi ang maling pamamaraan nang pagtitipid ay nakakapahamak.

hindi naman sing mahal nang isang kilong ginto ang 1 1/2 meter ng Phelps Dodge 12/3 AWG wires.

yep, safety first and foremost.

[Nelson de Leon]

not all OEM power cables are good, per actual experience.

example: the oem power cable of my Little Dot mk II tube amp for headphones pop and smoked on a segment of its length. replaced it with an inexpensive DIY 12/3 AWG power cord.. no more pop and smoke since then. power cable "pop and smoked" were also experienced by 2 other friends who own LD mk II.

Baka inherent characteristic niya yun may pop for the vinyl feel. 

[bass_nut]

Baka inherent characteristic niya yun may pop for the vinyl feel. 

LOL !!  analog burn-in cable !!

actually, the smoked/burned segment was less a meter away from me, hence, heard a pop sound.. then smell like something was burning. upon inspection i saw the inner wires came out of the cable jacket/skin. immediately unplugged the power cable. replaced it with my own DIY power cable. good thing my very good performing LD mk II tube amp was not affected, brother Nelson 

[Timithekid]

ia #24 would have been enough as power cord.....i used #18 instead....more than enough....using bigger than that is a waste of my money imho...but you are free to waste yours, after all it is your money....

Hihihi, Harsh talaga si Master TonyT minsan. but, I'd have to agree that you are right.  hehehe. .

[ATJr.]

you can always use the extra cash for high quality plugs and EIC connector for your power cable if you are really awash with cash....

it is not the power cable that causes fires, the loose socket outlets are.....loose sockets are bad news anytime....anywhere...it should be avoided at all cost....

[bass_nut]

you can always use the extra cash for high quality plugs and EIC connector for your power cable if you are really awash with cash....

it is not the power cable that causes fires, the loose socket outlets are.....loose sockets are bad news anytime....anywhere...it should be avoided at all cost....

nope.

3 similar incident unarguably proved that the poor quality oem cable was the culprit. the poped/burned/smoked segment was on the cable. no electric arc on the terminal(s) noted.  who can disprove what actually occurred ? it was past tense and no one can undo that.

firemen investigating possible cause(s) of accidentally burned houses would frequently suspect the wires/cables as being the culprit. terminal overload ? possible, but not always.. and not the case to the LD mk II amp oem power cable i mentioned.

i agree that most oem power cables are good enough. however, there are exemptions. it wouldn't cost an arm and limb to be cautious as there are inexpensive ways to put safety on top priority.

btw, here are samples of terminals (plugs, sockets, outlets).

[ATJr.]

working for AMD years ago, our transformer vault in the plant burned out and investigation revealed a bolt connecting the dry type transformer with power cables came loose.....that was after the fire was put out....the cables were all intact except where the bolt connection was.....loose connection can not be taken lightly.....

[ATJr.]

Hihihi, Harsh talaga si Master TonyT minsan. but, I'd have to agree that you are right.  hehehe. .

that's my way of emphasizing things.....

consider that a gage #20 is common for pc cables, and #18 is better, and then #12 is even better, #8 is betterer.....then by this logic, #4 or even #0 is bettererest.....where does it end? there is more to hifi than power cables....

[rascal101]

^It all ends kapag wala ng budget 

[ATJr.]

^It all ends kapag wala ng budget 

yun na.....

[ATJr.]

power cables by themselves do not cause fires, they are oftentimes the victim of abuse and wrong application by unwitting users.....

these power cables get burned out if the socket outlet is loose, if there was a short at the load side, this is the reason why in Singapore all power cables are fitted with 13amp fuse right at the plug side(kaya malalaki ang plugs nila) so that in the event of a short circuit, the power cable will not burn out.....the fuse just opens up...

[Cjtjader]

in the latest Dusit event where i displayed a 6C33 set amp, the actual power draw was 220watts for an output of 20 watts, the actual current was just over 1 ampere....if you look at the copper wire table, a #24 would have been enough as power cord.....i used #18 instead....more than enough....using bigger than that is a waste of my money imho...but you are free to waste yours, after all it is your money....

Thanks for the tip, Tony! IMHO, it is not a waste of money if safety and security of my investment are at stake!

[elim]

no rule of thumb and no justification, just the thickness of your wallet and how happy you can feel after your purchase, after all isn't that what life is all about? enjoyment......

Theres your rule of thumb, thick wallet + psychological "improvement" + porma = "better" cables

not applicable to me though hehe, thin wallet eh

[ATJr.]

walang basagan ng trip......

kung saan ka masaya, go for it......

i am merely pointing out all possible sides to this....

in this hobby, some details are oftentimes left out....maybe because the proponents themselves are not in the know........i would like to give readers a chance to see the bigger picture and then decide....an informed decision is the best imho....

[bass_nut]

power cables by themselves do not cause fires, they are oftentimes the victim of abuse and wrong application by unwitting users.....

these power cables get burned out if the socket outlet is loose, if there was a short at the load side, this is the reason why in Singapore all power cables are fitted with 13amp fuse right at the plug side(kaya malalaki ang plugs nila) so that in the event of a short circuit, the power cable will not burn out.....the fuse just opens up...

again, not always. example i cited is proof.

i've used for almost 8 years the same powerstrip and various cables. only that particular oem cable pop (heard it with my ears) and burnt. again, 2 other friends experienced the same on exactly similar oem cables of exactly similar tube headphone amps.

i am merely pointing out all possible sides to this....

in this hobby, some details are oftentimes left out....maybe because the proponents themselves are not in the know........i would like to give readers a chance to see the bigger picture and then decide....an informed decision is the best imho....

no. you focused on electrical arc and it seem like you refuted/negated cable overload which is also a possible cause specially with 3 actual occurrence i mentioned previously. am i right ?

no rule of thumb and no justification, just the thickness of your wallet and how happy you can feel after your purchase, after all isn't that what life is all about? enjoyment....

possible. perhaps, it is better and more fun to skimped on wires and enjoy the thinnest possible wires/cables. after all, SAFETY is NOT important. burned houses and possible lost of human lives are of less value. indeed, not in the know   


numerous articles/readings about this overload issue. here are some examples =>

1) Overloading may have caused short-circuit
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-24/vadodara/31839883_1_fire-brigade-overloading-power-cables


2) Effect of Over Current on Cables
http://sourcing.indiamart.com/electrical/articles/effect-over-current-cables/

Over Current
In any wiring system, over-current is one of the two main safety hazards that should be in control. It is very risky and dangerous because it lead to a risk of fire. Most of the fire accidents are caused due to electrical faults. A fuse or MCB of the same current rating as the cable should be selected to work properly.

Over current is an increment in the amount of current above certain level. Cables become heated when current flows through them and it is a normal process. The level of heat is permissible only up to a specific point and any thing above it would be dangerous.

3) Overcurrent Coordination Basics Cables
http://www.skm.com/applicationguides8.html

•   If current penetrates the limits of the thermal overload curve, cable insulation life is reduced.
•   If the maximum thru-fault current penetrates the limits of the short circuit damage curve, insulation damage will occur. The thru-fault current is defined as the maximum current that can flow for a fault at the load-side terminals of the feeder.

btw, i am NOT a seller of any cables/wires.. nor burnt houses