Agreed. Not a cable any cable company should be selling based on the safety issues clearly evident here. Not trying to be difficult here OP. Just not my nature. Rather, trying to nicely make it clear that this design is not safe or prudent in my opinion. I have built many, many cables over the years.
Serious Question About Silver vs Copper Conductivity for Power
Yes, I realize that this topic is going to bring out the sharks, but if I get at least one serious response, it will all be worth it.
I understand that silver conducts 7% faster than copper. I also understand that using a dielectric insulation like Teflon is best at keeping the wire from overheating, stopping signals entering and stopping signals from leaving the conductor. I understand that a certain amount of math is involved in selected gauge of wire depending largely on how much power the component is going to take, and how much the amperage is (20 or 15).
My question is regarding certain features applied to either silver or copper conductors that may or may not have an advantage over one or the other.
I have the Kimber Kable P14 Palladian. This uses 14awg copper conductors insulated in Teflon. Then it adds a massive filter that attempts to mitigate the standing wave ratio to as close to 1:1 as possible. I had Kimber’s Ascent power cable prior. It’s identical to the Palladian, except the filter. I have heard the difference between using those two cables. Apparently, mitigating the standing wave ratio lowers the noise floor significantly. However, any filter that chokes the signal and will slow the electrical current.
As I understand it, the amplifier works by opening the rectifier to allow the capacitors to fill with energy that the system will draw from. Being able to keep the rectifier open and fill the capacitors as fast as possible, reducing lag time, has the effect of creating more realistic and detailed sound.
With that said, changing to a power cable that uses pure silver insulated in Teflon, will ensure that power is delivered potentially faster. Although, the silver power cable will NOT have a filter. Therefore the standing wave ratio will not be mitigated and the electrical signal will not be choked either.
So, would the amplifier benefit from faster electrical current or slower, but cleaner electric current? Since this signal isn’t directly applied to sound, the concepts of “colder” or “warmer” sound should not apply.
Can someone help me out without poking fun at the question? Additionally, I am not interested in having a cable-theory debate. If you don’t believe cables make any difference, I will not debate or have discourse on that topic.
Showing 9 responses by grannyring
If you must do this, and it is fun to DIY, then consider these tips. Solder the proper sized spades to each leg so the plugs clamp down on the spade. Don’t simply clamp down on the bare wires as these thin silver strands will easily be compromised. The plug clamps will cut into the wire and easily compromise the connection, sound and safety. Use pure silver spades if you like. Crimp or crimp and solder if you like. Just be sure and use spades. Reconsider using an outer jacket for safety. |
I would not build your power cable with these 28 gauge, solid silver conductors. The combined gauge per leg is only 20. Not enough! Also, using solid core this thin will be prone to break over time and handling. Not safe. I would also place in a proper outer jacket for safety in the event of a break or Teflon breach for safety. Lastly, the sound will lack weight, body and bass. It just will. Not a good idea for all of these reasons in my estimation. Food for thought. |
One should never use a power cord under 16 gauge in a stereo system. 20 gauge runs have no place in a stereo system. 20 gauge is fine for some low wattage lamps and LED lights, but not a stereo component. Yes, it is a potential fire risk. It will also blunt dynamics and bass performance. It will sound lean lacking body and proper weight.
Now you can use 20 gauge on 5,9 and 12 volt DC power cables. The ones used to power modems, ethernet switches and such off of a linear power supply Solid core conductors should also not be used. They stress and break over time with handling and use. This is especially true of thin 28 gauge conductors. Lastly, it is not safe to rely on the thin Teflon coating of these conductors as the sole material between the L, N and G runs. Any small nicks, breaks, cracks in the wire can cause shorts and possible electrocution.
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@guakus , Best of luck. I hope they build the cable more robustly then you have described here. I am pretty sure they have an outer jacket and that is good. You have been given “the facts” about the rated max current load of this thin power cord. Not one I would ever use or build. My little LPS would max that cord out!
If your amp or whatever piece of gear this cord is plugged into has an issue, please know the cord will potentially fault before the 2-3x higher rated fuse blows. This alone should be sobering. |
I have owned all manner of systems from ones like yours to massive power amps driving large Soundlab speakers to 3 watt tube amps driving horn speakers. I have built hundreds of cables also. I know more than you think or than I care to argue about. I shared truth about the cable design dangers. These are facts and I don’t care to argue in the manner you enjoy. I do see the value in being intentionally curious and we can agree that this power cord is one example of being curious and experimenting. It’s just not safe or prudent. |