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[Arf! Mastering]

There is some discussion about hospital and audiophile grade IEC power cords elsewhere on PSW.  I'm willing to believe just about anything to do with audio short of Shakti Stones but can there be any basis for an IEC power cord affecting the sound of analog audio equipment?

[Helge Sten]

I have not tried any of these so I can not comment from experience.  Here is a link to Silverbirch Mastering and what they say about the Requisite AC cable:

http://www.silverbirchprod.com/news.php#Dec,%202002

[Joe Crawford]

It’s a lot easier to just spread your cables further apart, or re-route them so they don’t parallel each other too close for too long a run than is to pay $500 for a power cord.  Besides, if you can’t fix the problem by re-routing, you can find shielded power cords a lot cheaper than that.  So is conduit as a last resort.

Joe Crawford
Stony Mountain Studio
Shanks, WV 26761

[spankenstein]

What does the last 3 ft of copper do? Does it really have such a huge impact that you can forget the miles of high voltage wire and the hundreds of feet of romex in your walls?

[Brian Roth]

spankenstein wrote on Mon, 04 April 2005 19:35

What does the last 3 ft of copper do? Does it really have such a huge impact that you can forget the miles of high voltage wire and the hundreds of feet of romex in your walls?

IMHO.....NO!  <g>

Bri

[ammitsboel]

spankenstein wrote on Tue, 05 April 2005 01:35

What does the last 3 ft of copper do? Does it really have such a huge impact that you can forget the miles of high voltage wire and the hundreds of feet of romex in your walls?

It has something to say, but i also think it has a lot to do with the equipment it supplies. So your will just have to try it to see if it makes no, little or an important difference.

[davidstewart]

FYI

http://www.vansevers.com/

There is a white paper here...check out the one called "Ruminations..."

http://www.vansevers.com/technical.html


(For what it's worth...I want to be clear that by posting these links I am not endorsing any of this. Links are provided for your info and/or entertainment. However I do have some first hand experience with some of the product (years ago))

David Stewart

[Bob Olhsson]

Hospital grade cords have heavy duty contacts that really grip the sockets and a clear covering over the AC connections so that you can observe any physical damage or arcing that has occurred inside the plug. All of the ones I've seen were shielded too.

I seem to remember being told that Dan has designed medical gear so maybe he can comment about why these are used.

[Brian Roth]

Bob, I sure won't argue with using hospital grade mains cords.  They are pricier than "vanilla", but not insanely so like the "audiophool" stuff that sells for hundreds or thousands of dollars for a 3 or 6 foot mains cable.

Bri

[Bob Olhsson]

You could easily spend $50 to $100 on parts and labor for top of the line connecters and well shielded #12 copper cable. It would be overkill but not crazy. I was surprised how much the parts for good AC power cables cost today compared to the '60s. Copper has gone through the roof and you really don't want to know what's in lots of today's cheap stuff.

[New Orleans Steve]

"Hospital Grade" refers to the chemical resistance; it has nothing to do with its electrical performance at all. I operating rooms, and to a lesser extent, the whole hospital they use some wicked disinfectant. This stuff literally can eat up power cords.... So 'hospital grade' is a designation for cords that can withstand the cleaning solution without becoming a shock or fire hazard. Just think for what a fire alarm is like in an ICU!
 Now those cords are a little more expensive to make, so they don't go with the cheapest possible everything else. They tend to at least be one step up from the bottom with all other regards.
 There are code designations on all new cords. That;s the letters embossed on the cord it's self. They can't be printed, that could rub off, so they are embossed. They are tighter code regulations now.
 Ever try to find a Black extension cord? It's tough.
Steve

[Gunnar Hellquist]

In my mind, if it makes a difference on the sound, the equipment it improves on is broken. Throw it out instead and use the money on working equipment.

And, yes, I have met the audiophile guys. They are sort of funny in small doses, and annoying if you meet them in longer stretches.

Anyway, let those guys keep buying that stuff. I know where to put my money (not the same place).

Gunnar