Brian, i hear ya and know where you're coming from. My brother gives me a hard time because most of my gear still has all of the IEC's on them ( even though i know better ). He has hard wired all of his components. The big difference between he and i is that he has had the same amps, preamp, etc... for quite some time. I do a lot of buying and selling so making "semi-permanent modifications" is somewhat a waste of time and detrimental to resale value. Then again, if and when i EVER get all of these systems fully dialed in, i WILL hardwire them. Probably won't be anytime soon though : )
As to a product "passing spec", that does not carry much weight with me. I see the spec's for various gauge wiring and how much current it is rated for and i have to laugh. They say that 10 gauge is sufficient for 30 amps of current. Ask any certified electrician and he'll verify this ( Oh Glen, where are you ???? ). I know better though as i measure this type of thing on a daily basis. Try passing 30 amps through even a relatively short run (15') of 10 gauge and measure the voltage drop / feel the heat coming from the jacket of the wire. NO WAY is 10 gauge sufficient for 30 amps in my book, especially in a long run. I can measure a voltage drop using 8 gauge at the same length with a steady 30 amp draw. What is "usable" and what is "optimum" are VERY different things in my book.
With that in mind, what gauge are the connecting pins on an IEC and how much tension is there at their mating surfaces ? It is not a very low resistance connection, nor is there enough surface area there ( in my opinion ). Manufacturers should be using Hospital Grade Twist Locks like Hubbell and other commercial manufacturers make, especially on BIG amplifiers. Not only do these haver larger contact / lower resistance connections, they are seated in place due to the "twist lock" design. FAR superior to anything that anybody in audio is using. Then again, if someone was willing to take this step in manufacturing, you would need to convince the buyer that they needed better wiring in the house to take full advantage of the amp. Talk about going out on a limb and catering to the "esoteric" market.... Sean
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