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Starting a new thread which can continue the dedicated discussion that was had here
http://www.hifivision.com/audio-video-cables/47036-power-cables-am-bewildered-25.html
Lets keep this thread as relevant to the topics discussed as possible as that way all of us can learn about cables, power supplies & other allied components. I hope we all can pick Kanwar's & other knowledgeable FM's brains on these topics & benefit from their knowledge. Lets keep the snake oil away as much as possible
At the end of the day, we must learn why certain companies give us crappy excuses & continue to give us sugar coated BS by saying that you may lose 'musical contact' if you eradicate hum etc...


Kanwar, pls do reply to these queries as noted below:
http://www.hifivision.com/audio-video-cables/47036-power-cables-am-bewildered-25.html
Lets keep this thread as relevant to the topics discussed as possible as that way all of us can learn about cables, power supplies & other allied components. I hope we all can pick Kanwar's & other knowledgeable FM's brains on these topics & benefit from their knowledge. Lets keep the snake oil away as much as possible

At the end of the day, we must learn why certain companies give us crappy excuses & continue to give us sugar coated BS by saying that you may lose 'musical contact' if you eradicate hum etc...



Kanwar, pls do reply to these queries as noted below:
Good would mean:
1) wire gauge is sufficient to supply the required current without heating up. If a cable heats up, it is a sure sign that it is carrying more current than what it ought to be carrying (assuming that there isn't sparking anywhere - which is infinitely more dangerous). Prolonged heat leads to gradual breakdown of the insulation. In extreme cases, it can lead to fire.
If you are using a power cord that came with your computer, you can check the power ratings of your computer. Let's assume 400 Watts is the SMPS rating. So the cable will be safe for 400 W. Now, check how much power is used by the device which this power cord is powering. If it's below 400W, you ought to be safe. Of course this considers only one parameter (see below points).
2) preferably twisted, for reasons already covered by Kanwar.
3) proper contacts - more than the cable's connector pins per se, the culprit is often the poorly designed contact within the sockets that does not tightly grip the pins. Any looseness in electrical contact leads to current jumping from the source to the nearest conducting body. This is sparking, and very dangerous. Indian 3-pin round pin-sockets standard is very bad in my personal opinion. Flat pins as used in American and British pins are better as the spring action of the socket conductors can have firmer grip than round conductors. Round holes need close tolerances (of both pin and hole) to make proper contacts. More often than not, a tight fit is wanting.
4) preferably shielded, so that it doesn't suffer more induced pollution from radiated emissions which may be present in the surrounding.
I'm not sure that we should take that as a complement![]()
hyeah:
Hmmm....
Kanwar? Having decided that size matters, should we worry about that .25 inch of titchy wire inside that fuse?
I never did before, but heck, there is stuff to learn.
I am eagerly waiting for your thoughts for the above two questions. Let's say the minimum criteria for a good cable is what jls001 mentioned (and also being twisted). I am repeating the questions again and trying to put them short and precise.
1. Apart from suppressing the "radiated emi" (and also assuming the cable is good enough to carry the required power and plugs fitting correctly/tightly into the socket), what other benefit does this "band-aid" solution offers for audio components with poorly designed power supply units ?
2. As Santy has asked, what is the difference between a $50 and a $1000 band-aid ?
This thread has been sharing more technical details and so I expect a technical answer as well.
so whats a bad power supply in an equipment?
What about a decent smps
what about a trafo/caps based regulated supply using 78xx or equiv regulators.
what about a trafo/caps based linear supply, with enough caps.
how would you improve the above mentioned supplies so that you dont need a band aid.