I have had great success making power cords . On eBay I found a vendor selling Oyaide Black Mamba V2 ( 12 gauge ) and Tunami V2 ( 10 gauge ) cables by the meter . The copper used is their 102SSC , the highest purity copper commercially available . It is copper foil shielded with a drain wire which you connect to the ground lug of the input plug . Google Oyaide 102SSC for the full story .
The Neotech connectors I used are no longer at the vendor I found , but any brand with gold plated copper conductors ( not brass ) at the lowest price you can find will do .
Commonly used brass has only 16% the conductivity of copper . A good search might read " copper US mains plugs " on eBay . Most connectors will handle the 12 gauge wires, but check closely if you go with the heavier 10 gauge wire as not all take that size . This 102SSC wire has slightly smaller outside diameter than all others due to their unique stranding and will fit more easily into connectors . YMMV
You will want to make the IEC end FIRST, since on the other end you cross the insulated wire to maintain correct polarity ( between hot and return ) and there is more room to do this at the power plug connector than at the IEC plug . Learned the hard way ! Work carefully and insure there is not one loose strand of wire shorting to another ! Get help if you need it .
So for about $650 I made myself 4 power cords, none longer than 3 feet , better than I had any right to have and probably better than many very pricey commercial power cords .
The improvement in sound quality , and especially quietness and impact were unreal .
I have no financial connection to any brand mentioned , I'm only a 70 year old audiophile with military electronics training .
The Neotech connectors I used are no longer at the vendor I found , but any brand with gold plated copper conductors ( not brass ) at the lowest price you can find will do .
Commonly used brass has only 16% the conductivity of copper . A good search might read " copper US mains plugs " on eBay . Most connectors will handle the 12 gauge wires, but check closely if you go with the heavier 10 gauge wire as not all take that size . This 102SSC wire has slightly smaller outside diameter than all others due to their unique stranding and will fit more easily into connectors . YMMV
You will want to make the IEC end FIRST, since on the other end you cross the insulated wire to maintain correct polarity ( between hot and return ) and there is more room to do this at the power plug connector than at the IEC plug . Learned the hard way ! Work carefully and insure there is not one loose strand of wire shorting to another ! Get help if you need it .
So for about $650 I made myself 4 power cords, none longer than 3 feet , better than I had any right to have and probably better than many very pricey commercial power cords .
The improvement in sound quality , and especially quietness and impact were unreal .
I have no financial connection to any brand mentioned , I'm only a 70 year old audiophile with military electronics training .