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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 14, 2007 17:36:20 GMT
I thought I'd try a 35cm length of this cable I saw advertised on ebay and, boy, I'm glad I did. Absolutely superb construction using high quality double screened and insulated cable with additional steel braiding. I felt quite embarrassed when I received it and saw the quality as it only cost me £2.20  This stuff is worth at least 10 times that amount if not a lot more, the build quality is just first class. So impressed am I with the sound of this stuff (yeh, and that's from me who classes the likes of boutique mains cable as snake oil usually!) that I just have to recommend this guy to anyone looking to purchase a length of superb quality mains cable and anyone who offers him £2.20 will get a clip around the ear!! I swear my X-Can v3 sounds ever so slightly more open since I hooked this cable up to the Little Pinkie v3 and that alone warrants a firm recommendation. The guys ebay handle is "its_a_deal_its_a_steal" and he can be contacted at neilwatkiss@hotmail.com he also provides the parts seperately should you wish to make your own cables up. I have invited Neil to the forum and hope he joins. Here is his description of the cables: " 35cm Hi-Fi/AV mains lead constructed using quality materials. This cable exceeds the specification of the ISOTEK equivalent that costs more than triple my cable !! I use these cables throughout my Cyrus system and have seen good improvements in sound quality and also the picture quality on my LCD TV’s.
The cable is terminated with a MS plug and an Schurter IEC (both top quality connectors). Please see my feedback on these cables: 100% positive.
The cable is a special double screened and insulated design which has in addition, steel braiding around the outside which helps to prevent inducing a ground loop between the equipment. In addition any noise in the screen is sent back to the source end (mains socket) rather than the equipment end. The cable is Oxygen-Free-Copper and produces a great upgrade of standard cables.
I am that confident you will be happy with your purchase I offer a full money back guarantee (excluding postage). I can make these cables to any length, so please get in touch for a specific length.
Also check out my matching range of mains extension blocks and DIY kits !!" And here are some pictures I have just taken of the cable:         |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2007 21:41:44 GMT
Where the use of this cable should be very beneficial, would be where your mains outlet is not immediately behind the equipment cabinet. It could be used in the run to the multi way mains distribution boards behind the cabinets . Would be a bit expensive,though.
SandyK
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 14, 2007 22:33:29 GMT
£2.20 is "much cheapness signor" where I come from I couldn't get the parts for that and this guy is making these cables in the UK Maybe he knew I was going to bid and knew I would post feeling so sorry for him letting so much "work/ effort / parts cost" go so cheaply  Certainly far from expensive though Sandy...................... |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2007 23:22:22 GMT
In my case I would need about 6 feet. Perhaps not really expensive in the overall scheme of things. But maybe I am a cheap bastard like Miguel ?
SandyK
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 14, 2007 23:40:02 GMT
In my case I would need about 6 feet. Perhaps not really expensive in the overall scheme of things. But maybe I am a cheap bastard like Miguel ? SandyK No, you're an UBER cheap Australian and probably expect to get "Free" cables a looting and a shooting..... us good guys in the "kingdom" consider £2.20 not a bad deal for a 35cm length of terminated copper BTW "£2.20" (Two pounds twenty pence) is the most I have EVER paid for ready terminated copper Good shit tho...... it looks and feels "nice" ;D |
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Post by gns on Jun 15, 2007 3:16:13 GMT
Looks like armoured "YY" control cable to me. Grey sheath under the braid? Although fully mains rated, it's totally unsuitable for UK appliance use because it isn't colour coded correctly, just numbered 1 and 2, plus the earth wire (spoilsports!)  It can be obtained with a larger number of ways too. But it's superior grade stuff - annealed better for constant flexing, and the conductor insulation "hangs-loose" better, making it a good dielectric (it runs cooler). It's classed as 0.75mm 2 - I like it! |
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jun 15, 2007 19:45:48 GMT
Grey sheath under the braid? That's the stuff  It's "suitable" in that is rated for mains cable and sounds bloody good. It may not be compliant with UK colour coding but the cable itself is perfectly suitable and safe for mains use. Yup, it's quality gear |
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xerxes
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Post by xerxes on Jun 16, 2007 13:27:03 GMT
I bought some 20 Amp rated cable and a Wattgate connector from this guy: www.zerogain.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16124The cable is EU colour coded, brown, blue and green/yellow insulation on the conductors. Here is the cable I made for a total cost of around £20.00:  I compared the cable to a Russ Andrews Reference PowerKord costing £112.50 new on my CD player; couldn't tell the difference. |
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Post by gns on Jun 17, 2007 23:57:28 GMT
You won't |
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Post by thestratmangler on Jul 17, 2007 18:22:19 GMT
I've aquired some of this type of mains flex (around 10m) today on a site I've been working at.
I need to get some IEC plugs and some 13amp plugs to make up any power leads (I'll probably pick some up tomorrow), and I'm looking forward to giving the stuff a go.
I'll let you know my findings.
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 17, 2007 19:07:06 GMT
I've aquired some of this type of mains flex (around 10m) today on a site I've been working at. I need to get some IEC plugs and some 13amp plugs to make up any power leads (I'll probably pick some up tomorrow), and I'm looking forward to giving the stuff a go. I'll let you my findings. Nice one strat, let us know how you get on  |
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Post by thestratmangler on Jul 18, 2007 19:05:54 GMT
Well I popped into Maplins on the way home and picked up one IEC mains plug (female) and one 13amp plugtop.
Lashed the cable together after having eats, and slung it into the system.
It's on the amp (NAD C320BEE with mains input modification).
Lows go lower and with greater solidity.
Left/right separation is greater - production effects REALLY spring to life.
There is greater instrumental and vocal timbre - Boz Scaggs never sounded better round here.
All in all a big improvement overall, and well worth the £3.50 or so I spent on the connectors.
BTW the cable is the same stuff in the pictures at the start of the thread.
Well worth trying out !
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Post by colin1958 on Jul 19, 2007 6:21:05 GMT
Hi new to the forum so i hope i have come through to the right department.has anybody out there tried these PS AUDIO mains conditioners i.e. the ps audio ultimate?if so how effective are they?
cheers colin
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2007 23:36:54 GMT
Colin
I guess that the majority of forum members aren't rich enough to afford them. Are you willing to pay US$2,195 to find out ?
Music Direct's latest email is featuring them.
Sandyk
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Post by PinkFloyd on Jul 19, 2007 23:43:59 GMT
Colin I guess that the majority of forum members aren't rich enough to afford them. Or stupid enough ;D £2.20 ($4.40) is worth a punt $2,195 (£1,071GBP) is a fckin' pisstake IMO. |
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Post by gns on Jul 22, 2007 22:10:53 GMT
Ah, screened mains cables. They really sell you know. Biggest rip off I ever heard of! What about the remaining half mile or so of cable between the socket and the sub-station? Do you think a metre or so of screened mains cable is going to remove what the rest picked up? Pull the other! Here's a picture of snake oil being massaged into a piece of wire >  |
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Post by gns on Jul 22, 2007 22:17:12 GMT
Before somebody chastises me because the buried cable is most certainly armoured and therefore "screened" - that armour is actually connected to the substation neutral busbar.
See "the Onsite Guide" 16th Edition wiring regs.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2007 0:00:52 GMT
Graham
Not everybody uses double screened quality interconnects. In many cases they may be laying in close proximity to the mains cable that feeds the distribution boards.Surely a high quality screened mains cable from the powerpoint to the distribution board(s) would help in this regard ? i.e. replace the existing distribution board lead.
SandyK
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2007 0:23:05 GMT
Don't have nightmares about red coats !
BTW,I am sure that Miguel will also love the other clock up the top.
(If he can find it !!!)
SandyK
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2007 0:47:28 GMT
Who cares if the hands don't move !
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Post by gns on Jul 23, 2007 8:54:41 GMT
I'd have thought it better to use double screened high quality interconnects that are cheaply available from places like "Blue Jeans..." mentioned elsewhere on this forum, rather than go for a costly and messy job of upsetting domestic harmony by chipping out plaster (or worse) to route a separate shielded radial mains feed direct from the consumer unit. Because of the shielding (which incidentally is steel wire armoured cable and steel is not much good at RF) the temperature rise tables tell us that the rating needs to be higher than for a normal radial supply, which is in turn higher than a ring main supply. What a palaver!
The new mains wiring to the "clean" equipment would still have RF on it, picked-up at the other dwellings en-route from the sub-station, and RF picked-up by the other wiring already in the dwelling. It would not induce anything into adjacent poorly shielded signal cables, but you would not be able to tell the difference because they would still be picking up from everywhere else.
What's up with just doing it the correct way? No, don't tell me - this is a case of the human race being holier than thou again. So bloody stubborn that it has to indulge in complications to get exactly nowhere, but have the satisfaction that "I did it my way". So did King Canute, and most people nowadays think he was a pillock, but never look at themselves through a special device called a mirror (or the one in their own mind).
Don't even consider learning from the wisdoms of others because to err is human, so let's all err straight over the edge into oblivion.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2007 9:58:13 GMT
Graham
I was just attempting to bridge the gap a little, but I appreciate the indepth reply you gave.
I previously mentioned in another post what my personal preferences are. BTW, I didn't really like the Blue Jeans 6foot LC1 cable between X-DAC and preamp.I went back to good quality twin shielded coax type DIY interconnects. The BJ LC1 could be better suited to Valve preamp O/P use to reduce HF rolloff ?
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Post by gns on Jul 23, 2007 10:02:11 GMT
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xerxes
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Post by xerxes on Jul 24, 2007 22:50:01 GMT
I use a mains filter with isolation transformers, so it can't hurt to use screened cables from that to the equipment. I don't think that specialist mains cables alone make much difference, but the mains filter had a very positive effect on my system.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2007 23:22:17 GMT
Xerxes
I use a DIY mains filter with VDR from active to neutral.I don't use capacitors to earth,
as my leakage circuit breaker can be a bit touchy ! Definitely helps TV etc. ,but I have never had noticeable problems with my audio gear without it. I do however use double screened interconnects, and keep them well clear of mains leads.
SandyK
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This stuff is worth at least 10 times that amount if not a lot more, the build quality is just first class.
