DIY Power Cord

Although I am very enamored with Kevin from Muse, I have to say that we should not be gunshy. Yes, there is an inherent danger involved in constructing a powercord(like many things in life). Certainly, you should know what your doing(also, like anything else). But, is there any more danger in rigging up a power cord for you audio equipment than for your other household appliances? A person who is a bit handy, and has done some wiring around the house, has nothing to be worried about. I believe with the right materials(high grade copper or silver), we can EQUAL the sounds of the megabuck cables at home. I will undertake such a project after I move. Variables I would like to explore are: one thick conductor(for each of the runs) versus multiple strands of individually insulated solid core wire, and silver versus copper. I feel that wire gauge should be somewhere from 8 to 12(I'll probably just go with 10). Price should be definitely cheap(a fraction of what many go for retail). Good Luck!

Allthough certainly possible, I am in agreement with the eesteemed Mr Halverson (wow!) in that it could be potentially dangerous for someone who is inexperienced with electrical work. I too, have heard numerous stories of an "incident" in which an expensive cable in one of the 2 or 3 "really really expensive" cable lines that are out there almost burned down the home of a reviewer.

This is a highly ill advised pursuit. The safety issues of trying to produce your own mains cord easily outweigh any benefit that you might perceive. I have seen equipment damaged by some of the "commercial" offerings from high-end manufacturers of mains cords. Dealers have related a number of stories of fires; I suspect that some of these are factual. This is not an area where DIY approaches should be considered. Kevin Halverson

Try the link below for a quick "DIY schematic" on a homebrew power cord from a guy that makes and sells cables. Bob was cool enough to give away the design of a very cost effective yet basic cable. Sean > http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/cables/messages/7885.html