Romex to your amp?


One of my good friends, a non-aphile, asked me an interesting question...
I was discussing with him why my new pc made a nice improvement in my SQ.
So he asked me this question:
Why not take the Romex all the way from the wall and connect it to the amp...instead of
using an after market pc? His logic was that the in-wall cable is Romex and therefore a straight run to the power amp would be better ( or at least as good) as a break at the wall plug and an after market pc to the amp. Does he have a point??
daveyf

Showing 1 response by skipskip

For the sake of any posters within the U.S. who have other dwellers in your listening perimeter, especially younger ones, I would suggest running these "ideas" past a licensed electrician before running to Home Depot.  It will be worth the $200 for the consult and that's small change for what people pay for interconnects.  The mentions of "having a pro electrician do this of course" is just simply a pro would walk away from that request.  Also misused UL Listing means this and that.  And Romex is not "brittle".  Solid copper wire is not brittle.  Neither are spoons and knives.  Romex is a brand name for NM (non-metallic sheathed) wiring rather "conductors" usually with a ground wire.  NEC code is also not a mechanism of "best practices" whether something violates the "code" or not.  The "code" is a recommendation that can be waived by jurisdiction authority.  NEC (code) is not based in how to do things, it is created and revised based upon histories of sources of fires from when fire inspectors go through and figure out the origin of the fire or issues that could cause a fire hazard.  Shock and safety and survival via exit distances and number of entrances are there as well as mostly for commercial situations, but these discussions about merits of running solid unsecured wiring in the open within dwelling areas is scary.  Solid wires are NOT brittle but as a paper clip can be broken by repeated movement so can solid electrical wire.  It could still function, but eventually could arc within the shielding and cause a fire.  Hence why all power cords are stranded cable. They are tested over time to be safe for use in situations where the wiring/power cords are being moved or bended other than installation or maintenance.  And it take more thickness of stranded cable to equal solid cable.  But solid cable does not get as affected by oxidation as stranded cable either.  Unless your circuits are protected by arc fault current interruptor breakers you may arrive home someday watching red trucks dousing your homes.  Normal breakers and even GFCI won't provide any protection.  New home built four or five years ago have these pretty much everywhere but it's still a hazard and hassle having solid wire running loosely where human traffic is involved.  I agree most discussions require no moderators at all, some of these need them desperately.  When your house burns down it doesn't matter how great your golden ears remembered how well the last "improvement" sounded.  Pretty much any of the "evidence" of what these types of changes do, or the equipment otherwise suggested is simply provided by the manufacturers of those items in the first place.  I think some of these posting are hyperbole just goading people into something unwise.