Post by optical on Jan 24, 2022 9:55:15 GMT
For a while now I've been wondering what can be done to improve upon the humble mains adapter's that go about providing power to our rigs.
A few evening discussions with our host Oli led us both to conclude that something could and should be done, and for not much outlay too.
There are a few schools of thought regarding this but I'll illustrate the one I subscribe to through experience.
From listening, power is not just power. If you're in a relatively quiet area (mains wise) - detached house - new(ish) standard wiring - possibly on a separate spur from your large power sapping and noisy appliances - then you may not benefit hugely or even at all from any sort of power conditioning/filtering or any such device. I have always found (even with digital components that some say do benefit from some form of filtering) that unfiltered connection or indeed going straight into the wall socket always sounds best. Filters and the likes tend to 'strangle' the sound dynamically for me and because most filters add some resistance and extra wiring to proceedings, that makes sense.
So with that mantra in mind I've been thinking about my current extension sockets and how to improve them.
Physics dictates that you're never going to improve upon the power coming from your wall socket, not without buying a very expensive power 're-generator/conditioner' and even then results can be up for debate. I can't afford a proper one anyway so they're out of the question.
So I set about making sure that conductivity take precedent here, it being the only element I can really upgrade without spending my way to oblivion . . . .
That means copper, lots of high quality copper with the least 'breaks' or material changes as possible from source (wall socket) to component.
If you open up a lot of these mass market 'power supplies/conditioners/mains' type boxes, they are very simple and mostly of cheap dubious quality. Components tend to be made of brass with live conductive parts being screwed onto each other rather than soldered/crimped. Also the sockets aren't particularly well made and again have poor conductivity in comparison to copper outlets or indeed no outlets at all.
I converted all my plugs to Schuko type quite a while ago as the theory of removing as much as possible from the circuit appealed to me. Going Schuko basically removes around 10 fuses from the system. The internal fuses inside the components remain (I haven't got a death wish) and the mains plugs going into the wall still retain their high quality standard 13A fuses, however there are still a few issues.
Firstly, it's a pain in the arse to orientate the plugs by eye making sure the prongs are the correct way round so as to feed the L & N with the correct polarity. Obviously not a problem with UK plugs as they only fit one way.
Secondly, there is still the question of the quality of the plug itself and indeed the socket/outlet is it being plugged into.
Then it's also quite likely that the IEC inlet on the chosen component is not up to much . . . .
So . . . get rid.
Remove the sockets, remove the plugs and replace any poor quality IEC inlet on any component. Then worry about the quality of the wiring/power supply downstream from there.
The aim here is to make the power feeding all components emulate as closely as possible to just being plugged into the wall, as that is how they all sound at their best, to me at least in my system.
It's a design well tried and tested with products such as the 'Hydra' mains cable solution, but tweaked in a few areas to really beef it up a bit so cable gauge is thickened as well as using the copper busbar's instead of just having a mains cable splitting into thinner cables.
Construction has been relatively straight forward so far. The copper busbar's can be cut into 3 equal lengths and drilled with 7 X 3-4mm holes on each one (one for the main supply cable in the middle and six for the outlet cables).
I got lucky with the chosen distribution box too as inside it has 6 equally spaced 'nubs' to place some spacers on, then cut slits in spacers to slide in the busbar's and support them. Obviously hard plastic is best being non-conductive. Just a pain to size all of the slits correctly to hold the busbar's in place without them moving about, but I got there. With the inlet gland clamped onto the main inlet cable they cannot move around anyway so they are very secure.
(Don't laugh at the severe lack of accuracy of my hole drilling . . . or I won't speak to you again . . . )
The main supply cable coming from the wall socket is high quality OCC cable with 4mm gauge with a copper shield. The cables which branch off from the busbar's are also high quality OCC cable but are 2.5mm gauge so as to be a little more flexible and easier to position and solder inside the box. All connection within the box are soldered directly to the busbar using high silver content solder.
(Also please don't laugh at the slightly exuberant amount of solder required to ensure a non cold connection between a 4mm gauge cable and a 3mm thick copper busbar, it aint easy!).
It adopts the 'star wiring' philosophy as each cable coming from the distribution box has it's own L/N/G supply from each busbar connected directly to the 4mm mains cable.
As I run Martin Logans's along with dual active subwoofers I require quite a few outlets, 12 to be precise to run all my equipment including a digital EQ and digital re-clocker. 12 outlets just to have 1 digital input and one analogue (vinyl) input does sound a bit silly doesn't it, but that's how it's got to be!
Obviously I don't really want this project to break the bank so it still has to be made of budget materials, but that doesn't mean they have to be low quality.
Amazon was a good place to start here.
Cable glands: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08CDHH86S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Copper Busbar: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0773J26BK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Enclosure: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XH6X3LC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
Also got some replacement wall sockets to replace the 'switched' ones on ebay: Sockets:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175045526742
Everything else I'm using came from Ali Express:
Cable: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002913033150.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Plugs: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002213060749.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
IEC outlets: www.aliexpress.com/item/32808981336.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Inlets for components: www.aliexpress.com/item/32786416825.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Unfortunately the outlet cable has been delayed from Ali Express so that will be a little longer to wait but the rest of the parts (plugs, IEC outlets/inlets) should be here this week so I can at least crack on with them.
Interested to hear what people think! (Please note this is just a cheap(ish) project, soldering could be neater, holes could be straighter etc etc, if it works and it a success I'll probably make a swish one!).
- ALWAYS TAKE EXTREME CARE WITH ANYTHING DIY AND ELECTRICAL -
A few evening discussions with our host Oli led us both to conclude that something could and should be done, and for not much outlay too.
There are a few schools of thought regarding this but I'll illustrate the one I subscribe to through experience.
From listening, power is not just power. If you're in a relatively quiet area (mains wise) - detached house - new(ish) standard wiring - possibly on a separate spur from your large power sapping and noisy appliances - then you may not benefit hugely or even at all from any sort of power conditioning/filtering or any such device. I have always found (even with digital components that some say do benefit from some form of filtering) that unfiltered connection or indeed going straight into the wall socket always sounds best. Filters and the likes tend to 'strangle' the sound dynamically for me and because most filters add some resistance and extra wiring to proceedings, that makes sense.
So with that mantra in mind I've been thinking about my current extension sockets and how to improve them.
Physics dictates that you're never going to improve upon the power coming from your wall socket, not without buying a very expensive power 're-generator/conditioner' and even then results can be up for debate. I can't afford a proper one anyway so they're out of the question.
So I set about making sure that conductivity take precedent here, it being the only element I can really upgrade without spending my way to oblivion . . . .
That means copper, lots of high quality copper with the least 'breaks' or material changes as possible from source (wall socket) to component.
If you open up a lot of these mass market 'power supplies/conditioners/mains' type boxes, they are very simple and mostly of cheap dubious quality. Components tend to be made of brass with live conductive parts being screwed onto each other rather than soldered/crimped. Also the sockets aren't particularly well made and again have poor conductivity in comparison to copper outlets or indeed no outlets at all.
I converted all my plugs to Schuko type quite a while ago as the theory of removing as much as possible from the circuit appealed to me. Going Schuko basically removes around 10 fuses from the system. The internal fuses inside the components remain (I haven't got a death wish) and the mains plugs going into the wall still retain their high quality standard 13A fuses, however there are still a few issues.
Firstly, it's a pain in the arse to orientate the plugs by eye making sure the prongs are the correct way round so as to feed the L & N with the correct polarity. Obviously not a problem with UK plugs as they only fit one way.
Secondly, there is still the question of the quality of the plug itself and indeed the socket/outlet is it being plugged into.
Then it's also quite likely that the IEC inlet on the chosen component is not up to much . . . .
So . . . get rid.
Remove the sockets, remove the plugs and replace any poor quality IEC inlet on any component. Then worry about the quality of the wiring/power supply downstream from there.
The aim here is to make the power feeding all components emulate as closely as possible to just being plugged into the wall, as that is how they all sound at their best, to me at least in my system.
It's a design well tried and tested with products such as the 'Hydra' mains cable solution, but tweaked in a few areas to really beef it up a bit so cable gauge is thickened as well as using the copper busbar's instead of just having a mains cable splitting into thinner cables.
Construction has been relatively straight forward so far. The copper busbar's can be cut into 3 equal lengths and drilled with 7 X 3-4mm holes on each one (one for the main supply cable in the middle and six for the outlet cables).
I got lucky with the chosen distribution box too as inside it has 6 equally spaced 'nubs' to place some spacers on, then cut slits in spacers to slide in the busbar's and support them. Obviously hard plastic is best being non-conductive. Just a pain to size all of the slits correctly to hold the busbar's in place without them moving about, but I got there. With the inlet gland clamped onto the main inlet cable they cannot move around anyway so they are very secure.
(Don't laugh at the severe lack of accuracy of my hole drilling . . . or I won't speak to you again . . . )
The main supply cable coming from the wall socket is high quality OCC cable with 4mm gauge with a copper shield. The cables which branch off from the busbar's are also high quality OCC cable but are 2.5mm gauge so as to be a little more flexible and easier to position and solder inside the box. All connection within the box are soldered directly to the busbar using high silver content solder.
(Also please don't laugh at the slightly exuberant amount of solder required to ensure a non cold connection between a 4mm gauge cable and a 3mm thick copper busbar, it aint easy!).
It adopts the 'star wiring' philosophy as each cable coming from the distribution box has it's own L/N/G supply from each busbar connected directly to the 4mm mains cable.
As I run Martin Logans's along with dual active subwoofers I require quite a few outlets, 12 to be precise to run all my equipment including a digital EQ and digital re-clocker. 12 outlets just to have 1 digital input and one analogue (vinyl) input does sound a bit silly doesn't it, but that's how it's got to be!
Obviously I don't really want this project to break the bank so it still has to be made of budget materials, but that doesn't mean they have to be low quality.
Amazon was a good place to start here.
Cable glands: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08CDHH86S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Copper Busbar: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0773J26BK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Enclosure: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B06XH6X3LC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1
Also got some replacement wall sockets to replace the 'switched' ones on ebay: Sockets:
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175045526742
Everything else I'm using came from Ali Express:
Cable: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002913033150.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Plugs: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002213060749.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
IEC outlets: www.aliexpress.com/item/32808981336.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Inlets for components: www.aliexpress.com/item/32786416825.html?spm=a2g0o.9042311.0.0.42024c4dmB3354
Unfortunately the outlet cable has been delayed from Ali Express so that will be a little longer to wait but the rest of the parts (plugs, IEC outlets/inlets) should be here this week so I can at least crack on with them.
Interested to hear what people think! (Please note this is just a cheap(ish) project, soldering could be neater, holes could be straighter etc etc, if it works and it a success I'll probably make a swish one!).
- ALWAYS TAKE EXTREME CARE WITH ANYTHING DIY AND ELECTRICAL -
Where's me photo? 
Where's me photo? 