So I've been having fun building some braided power cables recently after listening to Paul 'PS' McGowan extolling the virtues of a good braided cable. He's right, the braid mitigates/reduces RF.
For one of the cables I'm using Lapp ÖLFLEX CLASSIC 110 CY 3G (1,5mm² DIA) in a 3 cable-run braid geometry and combining the individual conductors in each run into a single one to give an overall conductor diameter of 4,5mm².
Why waste any copper by only using a single conductor from each run, right? Or wrong? Is this going to facilitate too much current draw and cause any issues? I'm assuming not and that conversly, having too thin conductors would cause issues, especially if used for hungry amps etc.
i.e. I suppose I'm looking for a confirmation that there are no disbenefits to combining all the conductors into a single thick conductor for each pin of a power cord.
I'm also using a slightly thinner gauge cable for a different model giving an overall 2.25mm² diameter for each conductor.
Thoughts?
Some pics.
This is the cable with 4,5mm² dia conductors.
This is the cable using slightly smaller 2.25mm² dia conductors.
For one of the cables I'm using Lapp ÖLFLEX CLASSIC 110 CY 3G (1,5mm² DIA) in a 3 cable-run braid geometry and combining the individual conductors in each run into a single one to give an overall conductor diameter of 4,5mm².
Why waste any copper by only using a single conductor from each run, right? Or wrong? Is this going to facilitate too much current draw and cause any issues? I'm assuming not and that conversly, having too thin conductors would cause issues, especially if used for hungry amps etc.
i.e. I suppose I'm looking for a confirmation that there are no disbenefits to combining all the conductors into a single thick conductor for each pin of a power cord.
I'm also using a slightly thinner gauge cable for a different model giving an overall 2.25mm² diameter for each conductor.
Thoughts?
Some pics.
This is the cable with 4,5mm² dia conductors.
This is the cable using slightly smaller 2.25mm² dia conductors.
Each sub-cable should carry active neutral and ground, i.e. three normal mains cables wired in parallel. The way you have it at the moment will result in increased electromagnetic emissions since active, neutral and earth aren't as tightly twisted together as in a regular cable.
Wired as suggested, there will be no disadvantage (but also no practical advantage since your house will have much thinner wiring and is much longer 🙂)
Wired as suggested, there will be no disadvantage (but also no practical advantage since your house will have much thinner wiring and is much longer 🙂)
Some people just get too obsessed over cables/wiring.
It might be a form of paranoia or OCD, I dunno.
Maybe you can get your 1.5 ton split A/c to sound a bit "tighter" by doing that wire mod, eh? 😉
"It is better to keep silent and be thought of as a fool, rather than speak and prove you are one"
Mark Twain said something like that...
You can start your own thread for A/c sound treatments, no problem.
Here your comment is not relevant.
🙄
Mark Twain said something like that...
You can start your own thread for A/c sound treatments, no problem.
Here your comment is not relevant.
🙄
Hi,
I must admit the cables are beautiful but I also second what TMM said. By connecting all wires in one cable together the separation/space between earth and the rest is increased and technically optimized to the worst. Have a look on those guys from Italy who also have a favour in braiding cables:
https://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/ttse.html
Best
A Million Dollar cable and connectors plugged into a 15 cent IEC connector.
Yea, sure, it will solve all of your Audio problems 🙄
My audio setup inwall is 4mm2, GigaWatt LC-Y EVO. Circuit breaker also gigawatt, i don't use thin wire fuse. And building is 6mm2 heavy gauge 3 phase wired per apartment, with trip breakers too. So i tend to use thicker gauge wires for my setup. At least i sleep better at night if nothing 😅
Thanks, I will try that configuration.
I should have mentioned that the cables are plugged into a Dynavox netfilter and feed 3 DAC/amps. I already noticed an improvement in the noisefloor over the stock 'licorice' power cables.
Can you extrapolate on 'increased electromagnetic emissions' ? The conductors inside the Olflex cable aren't actually twisted anyway.
https://products.lappgroup.com/onli...nd-numbered-cores/oelflex-classic-110-cy.html
Thanks! I'll be trying a few configurations for the terminations.
Had a look at that TNT link and while it seems like a legit build it looks fugly af, especially with those ferrites.
Huge thanks for that compliment that you think these look like million dollar cables!
They were actually built for less than $50 each. 😉
No, ChrisCables is just an example of enthusiastic hobbyist that fall victim to the 'audiophile' BS.
Look at the link to tnt-audio site, provided by S4m. You’ll find site with many useful topics, covering many different audio related areas. Seems that author(s) is devoted, knowledgeable and experienced. So, when he (or someone similar at other site) writes about braided power cables, surely there must be something to that. No? Oh boy, I can’t wait to build and hear those power cords:
“the use of the TTS provided unbelievable improvements. There is an impressive sense of enlargement of the soundstage. There's much more air around the instruments. The sound clarity has greatly benefited. Width increases notably, as focus does; yet, this effect is bigger on both dimensions.
It looks like the players are in a much bigger hall, with clearly more space among them. The most peculiar sensation is that it's like you've come closer to the speakers, even though you are far from them! There is a heightened level of my perception of detail, nuance and microdynamics. The whole presentation is wider, greater, more musical...
It is like someone raised a curtain that was somehow separating the listener from the players. Naturally, all of the other acoustic parameters benefited. Overall there is a cleanness that on first hearing leads you to think that the gain has been reduced, although the volume knob has not moved.” 🤣
Now, throw in loudspeakers cables and all interconnection cables upgrades and surely, on that account alone, system will sound 10 times more realistic than actual live performance. And so many other improvements are available.
Now, to be fair, there is a reason why sometimes there is a change in sound with different power cables. All electronics signal grounds are connected to power earth, usually through small resistor and diodes or simply through NTC resistor. DAC, preamplifier and amplifier power earths are connected to the common PE at the power bar. Audio signal is travelling between audio components partially through power earth wires as well, current distribution between interconnection cables ground wires and PE wires determined by Ohm law. Changing resistance of PE wires, changes that distribution and additional shielding reduces EMI interference through that path, so there could be lower noise floor experienced.
I would prefer NOT to be categorised or judged by people who do not personally know me.No, ChrisCables is just an example of enthusiastic hobbyist that fall victim to the 'audiophile' BS.
Don't forget that this thread started with a question about whether a thick conductor cable would be detrimental, nothing more.
OK, to that question my answer is 'no it won't', nothing more. 🙂Don't forget that this thread started with a question about whether a thick conductor cable would be detrimental, nothing more.
True... but how often does anything stay on topic around here? 🤔I would prefer NOT to be categorised or judged by people who do not personally know me.
Don't forget that this thread started with a question about whether a thick conductor cable would be detrimental, nothing more.
To answer the OP's question: it shouldn't hurt anything at all. Looks nice, probably fun and educational to do and, well, why not? Will it make any practical difference at all? Of course not, but there is nothing wrong with doing silly things just for fun.
Since you are ready, willing, and able to spend money on this project: consider spending a substantial sum on test equipment. Buy a desktop multimeter with 6.5 or more digits of accuracy AND with 4-point probe resistance measurements. For example the Keithley DMM6500 will measure down to one microohm, one millionth of an ohm. This will help you quantify the benefit of "not wasting copper" and, if you're the skeptical + curious type, will also help you discover how much worse the rear panel IEC inlet module is, than the (cable & connector) with which it mates. Of course you'd investigate the other end of the power cord too, with its connector to AC mains.
The DMM is only fifteen hundred buxx, it's an extremely snazzy looking piece of gear which will impress the heck out of your audiophile frenemies (and wife!), and now you have a reason/excuse to obtain it. Stat!
You'd be surprised at the number of DIYers who have earnestly thanked me for Quasimodo because it gave them an excuse to buy an oscilloscope.
The DMM is only fifteen hundred buxx, it's an extremely snazzy looking piece of gear which will impress the heck out of your audiophile frenemies (and wife!), and now you have a reason/excuse to obtain it. Stat!
You'd be surprised at the number of DIYers who have earnestly thanked me for Quasimodo because it gave them an excuse to buy an oscilloscope.
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As long as you cryo everything there should not be a problem imo.
And... no problems if you don't. Seriously, any good quality IEC cable will work perfectly fine - what you are doing looks very nice, though.
Perhaps I could have made myself a bit more straightforward when doing sarcasm.
No one cares how an A/C sounds and that's why we don't see snake oil BS around them.
Because of that you can't convince an audiophile by using A/C as proof to support "wire size don't matter" conjecture.
If I were an audiophile, I'd encourage you to mod your A/C wiring to experiment for possibly improved sound of it.
A prudent conductor size for home audio system use is 1.5 sq. mm.
4.5 is silly, particularly through that conductor, which does not look capable of handling the current capacity of a 4.5 sq. mm. wire.
Braiding wire, African corn row hair style?
YMMV...try it, keep yourself occupied.
4.5 is silly, particularly through that conductor, which does not look capable of handling the current capacity of a 4.5 sq. mm. wire.
Braiding wire, African corn row hair style?
YMMV...try it, keep yourself occupied.
From many of the previous replies, it's clear that being 'reasonable' and 'sensible' about wiring is the way to go.
And for good reasons.
When you think about a certain piece of equipment's internal construction, things like a pinhead-sized relay contacts, or a glass fuse's thin fusible wire, where the AC current has to pass through, it makes sense not to get obsessed with rediculous line cord designs unless superficial visuals to impress are required.
But who in hell looks at line cords?
And for good reasons.
When you think about a certain piece of equipment's internal construction, things like a pinhead-sized relay contacts, or a glass fuse's thin fusible wire, where the AC current has to pass through, it makes sense not to get obsessed with rediculous line cord designs unless superficial visuals to impress are required.
But who in hell looks at line cords?
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