@hbarrel Thanks for posting. I looked at these, but the reviews seemed a bit mixed, and I was not sure of the grip strength. If the Sonarquest don’t do the trick, I will give them a try.
An IEC with grip
I am sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, but I have not found what I am looking for yet. I have built several power cables and bought a bunch, but I am consistently disappointed by the IEC plugs and their weak grip. I have spent some bucks on Neotech and Wireworld plugs and cords, and they frequently have to be pushed back in place. One of the cords that does have grip is the Classic+ that I received with my Puritan PSM156, that holds quite well.
Any suggestions? I know that I can improve things by wrapping the plug in tape to make it stay put, but my interest here is finding something with grip that will improve the connection.
On a whim I bought an IEC connector and plug from Amazon. Needed a power cord. Damn these are nice quality product. They offer bare copper, rhodium plating of the copper, and gold plating. I have zero affiliation. Fully retired
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I use this one: Haisstronica, aka Amazon Special. It takes a bit of elbow grease, but it does the job: Really the important part for me is the ratcheting action.
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@ctromeo87 @williewonka Any recommendations for crimping tools for the fp209? It sounds like they are pretty tough to crimp. |
@zlone - another good iec connector is Viborg. Available on Amazon Very close to Sonar Quest. They also have silver plated copper versions. So, You can probably tell I am a fan of silver played copper. I have tried other materials but have found silver plated copper provides the most dynamic and articulate performance
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@zlone - I've tried solders with different silver content, which are better than normal solder, but I've found that eutectic solder performs better. It has a single constant melting point and solidifies very fast, which makes for a much better electrical path. Regards
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@williewonka that is very useful, thanks. I ordered the gold Furutech spades, any recommendations for a solder to use? |
@zlone re: crimp, solder or bare wire... There are several discussions in the forums around these options so a few years back I figured it was worth trying all three My preferences are...
The cable I used was a 13 gauge stranded from Furutech, but I have since used it on both stranded and multi strand solid conductor with great success. The other advantage is that using this approach provides very secure fastening method, preventing possible cable failure. Unfortunately, i only had my ears to judge the differences. So it’s just another opinion amongst the many🤔 PS, I did also try tinning the bare wire but this proved to be the least desirable of all the options Regards, steve |
@zlone For 10 gauge I’d crimp. Put some contact enhancer in there if I’m feeling fancy 🧐 |
@ctromeo87 thanks. Do you solder or crimp? |
@zlone Furutech makes some narrow spades primarily for power cables (though they’re also great for barrier strips). They’re the FP-209. They take 10 gauge wire no problem, and you can get them in gold-plated or rhodium-plated versions. They’re a staple in my little cable workshop. |
@williewonka thanks for the spade tip, I have struggled with jamming 10 AWG wire into clamps. Now I need to obsess over the “right” spade to use. 😀 I also ordered some Sonarquest plugs. Too bad they don’t have a US source, it will be a long wait. @ctromeo87 I did have to remove the grommet, even for the source cord. |
@zlone - one thing I forgot to mention - the Sonar Quest has an excellent internal wire clamping design. I use small spades on the ends of the wire and the Sonarquest allows you to easily insert the spade into the clamp - so there is lots of room. Spades make for a much more secure attachment making the cable very safe to use and they actually improve performance.
Regards - Steve |
@williewonka Thanks, I will give those a try. @ctromeo87 I am trying out the Iego's, and they do have a great grip and are well constructed, thanks for the advice. They are a tight squeeze for larger cords, 10 awg, so I may give something else a try for the larger ones. Great for source cords though. |
@zlone - I use Silver plated Copper Sonarquest from Ebay They grip like a vice SonarQuest C25-Ag(T) Aluminum Alloy CRYO AG Silver Plated Audio Grade IEC AC Power Plug Connector When you compare them to other plugs you wil see that the clamping contacts are much thicker These are the best IEC’s I have ever used in over 10 years of making my own cables Also, you might be interested in a couple of my other posts... I have tried many other brands, but Sonar Quest are the best mains connectors I have used and they are affordable Regards - Steve |
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Thanks for coming out of your shell to post @yada , I will put them on the list to try. |
This is what I purchase and it works the best. Most stereo IEC are C13 I have tens of thousands of dollars in power cables. This works best if you do not use cable support lifters. My computer helper friend uses these throughout his campus on the small stuff and told me about them. I am a sneaky reader and seldom post. |
"But you do not have any control what a manufacturer uses on his equipment.” +1 Why should we? I don’t have power connection issues using my Esoteric, Luxman, and Accuphase devices. If there will be such problems, I will buy original parts to replace failing ones. You may call me “originalist”! If I want something different than is offered by high-end manufacturers, I will build it by myself, and in that case I will have full control! Power connection is important, but it is not at the top of SQ impact pareto chart for users’ following reputable manufacturer recommendations. We also have no “control” on what transistor/capacitor/PCB-layout-materials/design/clk-jitter/wires/terminals/fuses/chips/etc. used to build our equipment. |
+1 @carlsbad2 "change the female out to a female of a good brand"
Fix it once, then enjoy your system... I now use Leviton 8380-W 20 Amp, 125 Volt, Decora Plus Duplex Receptacle, Straight Blade, Hospital Grade, Surge with Indicator Light ...which I purchased on Amazon ($55 each) // Excellent grip + some surge protection. |
Take a look here. |
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@jonwolfpell I hear you there on the jokes! Your wondering also might find an answer in the form of a joke by Randall Monroe: https://xkcd.com/927/ If you’re looking for a mechanical solution that doesn’t require replacing plugs or inlets, Furutech makes a “bracer boost” which is essentially a chunk of their NCF material with some adhesive. Comes in singles and doubles. |
There’s a lot of quite humorous but not very PC jokes that come to mind regarding the male / female plug matter which I will leave alone…. That said, I wonder why no one has come up with power cord locking devices similar to the older multi pin computer cables w/ a thumb screw on each side to lock the cable in place & thus separating out the mechanical & electrical connections? |
Totally feel you on this one. I have been very disappointed in many of the higher end power cables from Shunyata, Wireworld, and Synergistic. They do not trip well at all. In many cases I have had to place an object or 2 under the connection to the component so they stay in place and connected.
I highly recommend DH Labs. Specifically the Power Plus Cryo and Red Wave. These cables have a super tight and secure grip. The best I have experienced. Plus they’re amazing cables. I replaced a Shunyata Delta on my Processor with the Power Plus and what a difference! Solid connections! |
I am a little confused, and maybe it is just me. I have never had the male side of a power cord pull out, but have on several occasions had the female (component) side of a power cord come loose… particularly with upgraded PC with harder / larger plugs. I am never able to feel like they are fully seated. Is there a trick I am missing? |
Or there is the old jury rig - tape wrapped around the cable in cradle fashion with the loose ends attached to the top of the component thus holding up the plug and preventing sagging. The only drawback is having to loosen the tape sling when the component needs to be unplugged. I always use this technique on I2S plugs most of which have very inadequate bearing shoulders. |
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+1 @bugredmachine those inserts are a no brainer to have arround. I got a big bag on Amazon for cheap. If the help great, if not don’t use them. |
I have no issues w/ IEC, using original PCs, in my Accuphase/Luxman setups. Using third party cables could lead to tolerance / bad / incompatible metal contact issues. To avoid it, either replace receptacle and plug by respectful brand, ideal one series, or hardwire device! It worked for me to resolve many critical studio and stage equipment power noise issues. |
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IEC320 Male Over-Mold Contact Retention Inserts - Secure Sleeve Tab For Plugs
It can be frustrating when this happens. I'd consider removing the Puritan connector and transferring it to your target cable as an option. |
Above all things, avoid Wattgate, they don’t seat fully and are prone to suffer from cable leverage/weight pulling them out. I’ve had decent luck with Connex (the Parts Connexion brand) but it’s only relatively better than Wattgate. Avoid Rhodium plated connections. They are too hard and therefore don’t grip well. Stick to brass with silver or gold plating. They do make locking IEC plugs, but the one's I've seen are for "normal" diameter cables. They are meant for server rooms, not phat cable audio junkies. |