Suggestions on power plugs for DIY power cable

[MacCali]

Hey guys, back at it again, so I just got my first set up not too long ago. Many of you have helped me in the noobie section.

Wanted to get some power cables for my Marantz 7013, was shopping around, these people seem really nuts on these prices. I understand what it offers, but I am trying to purchase something more normal in price range without extremely the best quality, geometry, you name it.

I am definitely a DIY guy when prices get fanatic, just looking for some suggestions. I got a good deal on some power cord which looks like a fairly similar set up as the PS Audio AC-12 internals, 20 amp. My marantz stock cable is 13 A, not sure if it's just trash or that's what the amp needs power consumption wise.

Regardless, so yea I wanted to get some plugs. I have no clue if I should just buy junk plugs, or is it worth it to get a more premium options.

The youtube video I watched was showing the guy using Oyaide, he used both the real and fake making two different power cables. Real is like a 100, and fake is 20. Just wanted to get your opinion/thoughts or suggestions. Thanks.

 

[Darenwh]

Is there a reason you are replacing the stock power cable? Those after market power cables are snake oil. Take a look at the Audioholics YouTube video on power cables. Save your money or spend it on other items that may make a difference.

 

[MacCali]

Is there a reason you are replacing the stock power cable? Those after market power cables are snake oil. Take a look at the Audioholics YouTube video on power cables. Save your money or spend it on other items that may make a difference.

I watched the video, and I would have to agree. I think though what he is saying is accurate,but I plan on purchasing a power conditioner and I think that is where the benefit may begin.

As shown an EMI, your standard wall plug does come with a lot noise.

The cable I purchased is UL compliant and just the way I see it. The cable these companies are providing, like the ps audio is about 1500 @ equal length. This is only going to cost me 120 with plugs. Which is obviously a lot of money if you’re not gaining anything. But depends on what you plan to do.

So either I’m getting foolish riped or riped for chump change. But like I said I plan on getting a power conditioner so this goes hand in hand.

Lastly, if I feel there’s no audible difference I can just sell it for a 100 easily. So I’m not sure where I can go wrong.

I was looking for a video I’ve seen before where the guy shows the frequency of sound with the basic freeby power cable and higher end one. It showed a much more steady performance. Not sure what that accounts too when it comes to audibility.

Im not a professional or experienced, and I fully accept your recommendation. Much appreciated, just would like for you to consider my reasoning. Again not that my reasoning is correct, but if it turns out to be no different I’ll just sell it and have nominal loss

 

[Speedskater]

You shouldn't watch dumb videos like that.

 

[ryanosaur]

Unless you live somewhere with seriously wonky electricity (think very old apartment building, Victorian in San Francisco... you know, wired in the 1920s) you likely don't need a power conditioner.
You definitely don't need an after market power cord. Because you still have all the other wiring in your house... do you really think that 3' stock power cord is what's going to ruin your audio experience?

If anything, the appropriate strategy is wiring your house for Whole Home Surge Supression at the entry point to your home (electric panel) and using good quality UPS to plug your vital electronics into.
The UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) will take your gear off the main line if there is any anomaly detected, and gives you time to properly shut it off and disconnect it if necessary.

Regardless of that, your walls are simple Romex cable, not some Crystal-Aligned, Low Capacitance Audiophool BS, so how is a cable inserted into the chain going to improve things? (Hint: IT WON'T!)

Unless you do something drastic and rewire your whole home starting with the Power Pole!

Obsessed Audiophiles in Japan Are Installing Their Own Power Poles To Improve Sound

To an audiophile, there’s no such thing as ‘too expensive’ if it means an upgrade to their setup could improve their listening experience. And in Japan,

gizmodo.com

 

[highfigh]

I watched the video, and I would have to agree. I think though what he is saying is accurate,but I plan on purchasing a power conditioner and I think that is where the benefit may begin.

As shown an EMI, your standard wall plug does come with a lot noise.

The cable I purchased is UL compliant and just the way I see it. The cable these companies are providing, like the ps audio is about 1500 @ equal length. This is only going to cost me 120 with plugs. Which is obviously a lot of money if you’re not gaining anything. But depends on what you plan to do.

So either I’m getting foolish riped or riped for chump change. But like I said I plan on getting a power conditioner so this goes hand in hand.

Lastly, if I feel there’s no audible difference I can just sell it for a 100 easily. So I’m not sure where I can go wrong.

I was looking for a video I’ve seen before where the guy shows the frequency of sound with the basic freeby power cable and higher end one. It showed a much more steady performance. Not sure what that accounts too when it comes to audibility.

Im not a professional or experienced, and I fully accept your recommendation. Much appreciated, just would like for you to consider my reasoning. Again not that my reasoning is correct, but if it turns out to be no different I’ll just sell it and have nominal loss

EMI is everywhere- whether it's a problem depends on a lot, such as magnetic orientation of the source and anything that is near enough to "feel" it. If the source is a right angle to the conductor, object, circuit, etc, it's not going to couple to it (induce anything in the circuit).

If your Marantz needed a heavier power cord, it would have come with one- UL listing requires adequate conductor size.

While a heavier gauge won't hurt anything, it's unlikely that it will help much, if at all.

If you try this and are involved in any way WRT connecting/not connecting the new cord, you can't be seen as 'unbiased', so any improvement will come from you expecting some kind of change. Your house's wiring, outlets and other parts have more influence on this than a power cord- crap in, crap out.

An athlete won't run faster if they change their shoelaces.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you need a custom length for a power cord I could maybe see making one if you couldn't find one. Agree with the others that a fancy power cord is not going to do anything but perhaps improve the aesthetic if you tend to gaze at your power cords at the expense of your wallet....it's electricity, not magic. You can find a good selection of well made power cords even on Amazon....where I got one recently, Tripp-Lite brand, for an amp that I bought used and the guy forgot to pack it. I took the opportunity to get one a bit longer than the one it would have come with....

Power conditioners aren't going to improve your audio particularly either, the power supply in your avr is plenty good for filtering.

 

[ryanosaur]

An athlete won't run faster if they change their shoelaces.

This! Ha!!!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

EMI is everywhere- whether it's a problem depends on a lot, such as magnetic orientation of the source and anything that is near enough to "feel" it. If the source is a right angle to the conductor, object, circuit, etc, it's not going to couple to it (induce anything in the circuit).

If your Marantz needed a heavier power cord, it would have come with one- UL listing requires adequate conductor size.

While a heavier gauge won't hurt anything, it's unlikely that it will help much, if at all.

If you try this and are involved in any way WRT connecting/not connecting the new cord, you can't be seen as 'unbiased', so any improvement will come from you expecting some kind of change. Your house's wiring, outlets and other parts have more influence on this than a power cord- crap in, crap out.

An athlete won't run faster if they change their shoelaces.

What!!!! (5yo kid voice)My shoes are faster than yours!!!!!! Lol

I can’t imagine wasting any money on power cables. In almost every situation the AVR filters anyway, and imo if ANY AVR manufacturers thought there was benefit I can’t believe they wouldn’t sell their own upgraded cables, or endorse an aftermarket one. I think of power cable guys like this...

So @MacCali, I believe you are about to get ripped, and my hope for you is that you decide t keep your money for something with actual benefit.

 

[highfigh]

What!!!! (5yo kid voice)My shoes are faster than yours!!!!!! Lol

I can’t imagine wasting any money on power cables. In almost every situation the AVR filters anyway, and imo if ANY AVR manufacturers thought there was benefit I can’t believe they wouldn’t sell their own upgraded cables, or endorse an aftermarket one. I think of power cable guys like this...

So @MacCali, I believe you are about to get ripped, and my hope for you is that you decide t keep your money for something with actual benefit.

I would never say that EMI/RFI don't affect audio equipment, but in my experience, it has never been the power cord that caused it to enter. It's always a grounding/shielding issue and if the connection from the circuit's shield to the negative aren't resistance-free, the shielding won't work as needed. Similarly, if the chassis neutral and ground aren't resistance-free to the ground stake(s), the voltage will not be what it should and any interference that should be shunted or filtered will remain on the circuits. I have heard audio from radio stations, Ham radios and other interference in my stereo and guitar amps over the years and every time I addressed dirty controls & switches, solder joints or the outlet connections, it stopped- I live very close to an 'antenna farm' located at a local park and they cause reception issues for FM/TV signals but I haven't heard interference in a long time. I have had problems when I used bad cables from guitar to amp, usually through effect pedals- one cable suffers from Triboelectric effect to the point that just handling the cable causes noise- it's very microphonic.

 

[highfigh]

If you need a custom length for a power cord I could maybe see making one if you couldn't find one. Agree with the others that a fancy power cord is not going to do anything but perhaps improve the aesthetic if you tend to gaze at your power cords at the expense of your wallet....it's electricity, not magic. You can find a good selection of well made power cords even on Amazon....where I got one recently, Tripp-Lite brand, for an amp that I bought used and the guy forgot to pack it. I took the opportunity to get one a bit longer than the one it would have come with....

Power conditioners aren't going to improve your audio particularly either, the power supply in your avr is plenty good for filtering.

Tell Munster Cable- they used to (maybe still do) have a device called 'Dr Noise' that dealers could use to show the filtering effect of their crappy power stuff. I borrowed one- without a power surge strip, I was listening to a Milwaukee Brewers ballgame broadcast and with the cheap Munster piece, it was decreased but still audible. I then connected my $7 strip from OfficeMax and it was totally silent.

I use a Panamax for my system because it shuts down below 90VAC and above 140VAC- if any large spike occurs, I'm not gonna see smoke.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Agreed. My point wasn’t that emi can’t be a problem, but rather that unless it’s IS, it normally isn’t. Like in most installations. If MacCali isn’t having a noticeable issue I doubt there actually is one.
I’ve also had similar experience to yours. My neighbor, rest his soul was a Hamm radio guy. It was crazy, every morning he’d get on and start talking and I could hear him in my subwoofer!!! We tried everything, as he felt really bad and offered all kinds of solutions. Ferrite beads and coil isolators etc. turns out it was my subwoofer cable. I had changed locations, and needed a longer one. The one I got couldn’t handle the RF and I ended up using some RG-6 that was super shielded and whatever. The part that sucked was I spent a LOT of time tucking the old one under base trim, and under carpet!
Anyways, yeah it can definitely be an issue but as you said, likely won’t be from the power cable. Satellite systems are notorious too...

 

[lovinthehd]

Me too in the case of an actual problem with emi/rfi....but that's not something that's been an issue in all my setups and all the places I've lived. It's a very overstated issue in audiophilia....

 

[mazersteven]

Last thing I'm doing is a DIY power cord.

 

[mazersteven]

Ferrite beads and coil isolators etc. turns out it was my subwoofer cable. I had changed locations, and needed a longer one. The one I got couldn’t handle the RF and I ended up using some RG-6 that was super shielded and whatever.

Should have just wrap the old Cable in aluminum foil that's stuff solves everything

Really dumb cable question.

Aloha, Apolgies for my lack of insight, but what would happen to a cable that you decided to modify from the outside by wrapping it with different things? Could you wrap a power cord or audio cable in tin foil and "shield" it? Would that create inductance inside the cable? Could you wrap it in a...

www.stereophile.com

 

[mazersteven]

An athlete won't run faster if they change their shoelaces.

Are you sure? These will make you hit the ball further and straightener

Golf Laces

Men's golf laces for your boring shoe holes. These shoelaces may not change your game, but they will change your shoes. And let's be honest, you gotta start somewhere.

www.whiskerslaces.com

Athletic Shoelaces | Shoelaces Express | Sports Shoelaces

Shoelaces Express has the Sports & Athletic Shoelaces that you need, when you need them! We carry a wide variety of athletic shoelace brands & styles. Shop now!

shoelacesexpress.com

 

[highfigh]

Are you sure? These will make you hit the ball further and straightener

Golf Laces

Men's golf laces for your boring shoe holes. These shoelaces may not change your game, but they will change your shoes. And let's be honest, you gotta start somewhere.

www.whiskerslaces.com

Athletic Shoelaces | Shoelaces Express | Sports Shoelaces

Shoelaces Express has the Sports & Athletic Shoelaces that you need, when you need them! We carry a wide variety of athletic shoelace brands & styles. Shop now!

shoelacesexpress.com

IIRC, PF Flyer or Keds advertised that we would run faster and jump higher in their shoes.

Lyin' bastiges!

 

[mtrycrafts]

...

An athlete won't run faster if they change their shoelaces.

Interesting. I guess this may need to be tested?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Last thing I'm doing is a DIY power cord.

And the first thing you'd do?

 

[MacCali]

Unless you live somewhere with seriously wonky electricity (think very old apartment building, Victorian in San Francisco... you know, wired in the 1920s) you likely don't need a power conditioner.
You definitely don't need an after market power cord. Because you still have all the other wiring in your house... do you really think that 3' stock power cord is what's going to ruin your audio experience?

If anything, the appropriate strategy is wiring your house for Whole Home Surge Supression at the entry point to your home (electric panel) and using good quality UPS to plug your vital electronics into.
The UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) will take your gear off the main line if there is any anomaly detected, and gives you time to properly shut it off and disconnect it if necessary.

Regardless of that, your walls are simple Romex cable, not some Crystal-Aligned, Low Capacitance Audiophool BS, so how is a cable inserted into the chain going to improve things? (Hint: IT WON'T!)

Unless you do something drastic and rewire your whole home starting with the Power Pole!

Obsessed Audiophiles in Japan Are Installing Their Own Power Poles To Improve Sound

To an audiophile, there’s no such thing as ‘too expensive’ if it means an upgrade to their setup could improve their listening experience. And in Japan,

gizmodo.com

Yes, I got those points from the video.

First off, my building was built in 1932. Not that it’s ancient.

I actually have two cyber power UPS’s, PR1500LCD and CP1500PFCLCD. Way prior to any of my audio equipment. I can’t do a whole home electrical change.

I agree with all of your points, I’m not here to debate that.

I just hope you guys are getting my point, to lose 20 or 30 40 dollars isn’t a huge factor. I saved 1100 on my receiver. Especially after considering that I’m going to and already invested so much money in equipment.

I feel like all of your points are valid, but would be much more considerable if I was going to spend a 1000 dollars on this cable or any cable for that matter.

That’s all I’m telling you guys to consider.