Suggest me a power cable for my Schiit Aegir power amp.

[manek]

Thank you. I’m not a DIY person unfortunately. Still, I will explore the options.

building a cable is not rocket science. You can connect with me on IM to build a cable yourself (in case you want to). Else buy something that is thick or comes up in the classifieds. Save your money in making a good cable from the AMP to your speaker.

BTW I use a thick 15 amp cable with brass connectors which used to be supplied with very large laser printers. Bought it from Lamington road many many years ago. Have never looked back. Have built a few DIY ones as well. I like the laser cable . Cost a few hundred bucks.

 

[mbhangui]

BTW I use a thick 15 amp cable with brass connectors which used to be supplied with very large laser printers. Bought it from Lamington road many many years ago. Have never looked back. Have built a few DIY ones as well. I like the laser cable . Cost a few hundred bucks.

You have done the smart thing. It is simple Ohms law and as long as you keep inductance low (don't coil the cable) and capacitance low (each cable few cms from each other) you don't require to spend thousands of dollars. It is simple. It is just the LCR that matters and not the cost of the cable. As far as R is concerned, metals with higher conductivity will require a thinner cable. Hence for the same conductivity the thickness required for the same R Silver < copper < aluminium. Keeping R very low is important for low impedance device like speaker to transfer the maximum energy from the amp to the speaker.

When it comes to interconnects where the impedance is very high, the R doesn't matter as much as the C. Here it is important to keep the C very low to have the HF loss as low as possible. Here keeping the interconnects very short and using cables with bad dielectric constant is good. I use twisted pairs from ethernet cables. I have thrown all my costly interconnects and replaced them with short twisted pairs. A bad interconnect acts as a tone control cable and you hear people saying this cable gives good bass, etc, etc without realising that the cable is throwing away lot of your mid and HF.

 

[manek]

You have done the smart thing. It is simple Ohms law and as long as you keep inductance low (don't coil the cable) and capacitance low (each cable few cms from each other) you don't require to spend thousands of dollars. It is simple. It is just the LCR that matters and not the cost of the cable. As far as R is concerned, metals with higher conductivity will require a thinner cable. Hence for the same conductivity the thickness required for the same R Silver < copper < aluminium. Keeping R very low is important for low impedance device like speaker to transfer the maximum energy from the amp to the speaker.

When it comes to interconnects where the impedance is very high, the R doesn't matter as much as the C. Here it is important to keep the C very low to have the HF loss as low as possible. Here keeping the interconnects very short and using cables with bad dielectric constant is good. I use twisted pairs from ethernet cables. I have thrown all my costly interconnects and replaced them with short twisted pairs. A bad interconnect acts as a tone control cable and you hear people saying this cable gives good bass, etc, etc without realising that the cable is throwing away lot of your mid and HF.

Agree with your train of thought. On ethernet twisted pair cables nowadays I have an issue with the timbre of instruments especially string instruments e,g Violin. That is a distraction. Especially Molex. Siemens used to make a shielded ethernet cable many moons ago and that I liked a lot.

BTW Why did you throw your costly interconnects away ? You could have made a pretty penny selling them

 

[mbhangui]

BTW Why did you throw your costly interconnects away ? You could have made a pretty penny selling them

My wife would be the most happy person. In reality, I'm a lethargic guy and I just need to find the time to put it in classifieds and lift my lazy backside to courier it. I'm slowly cannibalizing the RCA plugs to make my own cables like this one below (cheap DAC cable from Hifimart which has bad high capacitance). This RCA plug has around 5 pF capacitance. The bullet plugs are the best and give around 2pF per connector. So for 4 connectors it is 20 pF vs 8 pF (for eichman bullet plugs) total capacitance just for the connectors. And these are unshielded, but the twisted pairs results in absolute hum free connection.

BTW, I think last year I replaced all my power cables with shielded power cables. Absolutely zero improvement. I have a post somewhere on how I made those power cables. Ok I managed to locate that post. It is https://www.hifivision.com/threads/where-to-get-shielded-3-core-power-cables.87845/page-2. IME the things that have made the maximum improvement are

1. Use thick cables for the speakers (12 AWG or lower). This easily beats my van del hul revolution silver cable. Lucky I didn't spend a fortune as it was pre-owned. Using a thick cable very much improves the dynamics and can easily be felt. You don't need to have golden ears.
2. Use short twisted pairs for interconnects with twisted pairs salvaged from a gigabit ethernet cable to get the lowest capacitance possible.

 

[availlyrics]

On a lighter note-

 

[availlyrics]

@mbhangui​

All your observations are practical and spot-on.
Just be careful with LAN cables, some cheap cables are made from ferrous material, instead of copper
I use LAN cables as speaker wires, all colored ones as +ve and all striped ones as -ve or gnd . Some purist may argue about the 4 twisted pairs are twisted differently (to avoid interference). But I don't hear any differences on a short cable runs.
Added bonus - these LAN cables are useful in bi- or tri-amping

 

[keith_correa]

... like this one below (cheap DAC cable from Hifimart which has bad high capacitance)....

I agree. These are just built to visually impress the dimwits. If weight would win prizes, these connectors would take home gold! They've been needlessly built for battle readiness but unfortunately are turds. A Rs.15 RCA plug bought from the Lamington Road roadside shops is way better. Unfortunately audiophiles hear with their eyes.

 

[availlyrics]

BTW I use a thick 15 amp cable with brass connectors which used to be supplied with very large laser printers. Bought it from Lamington road many many years ago. Have never looked back. Have built a few DIY ones as well. I like the laser cable . Cost a few hundred bucks.

An audiophool may say the sound output is dark, at times black in nature and monochromatic with hints of 50 shades of grey , especially when brass instruments are played with laser like focused sound stage under 15Hz, as compared to the colored sound reproduction of inkjet printer cables

 

[CKumar]

My wife would be the most happy person. In reality, I'm a lethargic guy and I just need to find the time to put it in classifieds and lift my lazy backside to courier it. I'm slowly cannibalizing the RCA plugs to make my own cables like this one below (cheap DAC cable from Hifimart which has bad high capacitance). This RCA plug has around 5 pF capacitance. The bullet plugs are the best and give around 2pF per connector. So for 4 connectors it is 20 pF vs 8 pF (for eichman bullet plugs) total capacitance just for the connectors. And these are unshielded, but the twisted pairs results in absolute hum free connection.

BTW, I think last year I replaced all my power cables with shielded power cables. Absolutely zero improvement. I have a post somewhere on how I made those power cables. Ok I managed to locate that post. It is https://www.hifivision.com/threads/where-to-get-shielded-3-core-power-cables.87845/page-2. IME the things that have made the maximum improvement are

1. Use thick cables for the speakers (12 AWG or lower). This easily beats my van del hul revolution silver cable. Lucky I didn't spend a fortune as it was pre-owned. Using a thick cable very much improves the dynamics and can easily be felt. You don't need to have golden ears.
2. Use short twisted pairs for interconnects with twisted pairs salvaged from a gigabit ethernet cable to get the lowest capacitance possible.

Rather me enjoying Blue and Red Connectors and wires and craftsmanship during building it , for me treat to eyes was, the pale yellow side glass.

 

[ajuvignesh]

BTW I use a thick 15 amp cable with brass connectors which used to be supplied with very large laser printers. Bought it from Lamington road many many years ago. Have never looked back. Have built a few DIY ones as well. I like the laser cable . Cost a few hundred bucks.

Thats nice.

You have done the smart thing. It is simple Ohms law and as long as you keep inductance low (don't coil the cable) and capacitance low (each cable few cms from each other) you don't require to spend thousands of dollars. It is simple. It is just the LCR that matters and not the cost of the cable. As far as R is concerned, metals with higher conductivity will require a thinner cable. Hence for the same conductivity the thickness required for the same R Silver < copper < aluminium. Keeping R very low is important for low impedance device like speaker to transfer the maximum energy from the amp to the speaker.

When it comes to interconnects where the impedance is very high, the R doesn't matter as much as the C. Here it is important to keep the C very low to have the HF loss as low as possible. Here keeping the interconnects very short and using cables with bad dielectric constant is good. I use twisted pairs from ethernet cables. I have thrown all my costly interconnects and replaced them with short twisted pairs. A bad interconnect acts as a tone control cable and you hear people saying this cable gives good bass, etc, etc without realising that the cable is throwing away lot of your mid and HF.

Saving this and your next post for future reference

@mbhangui​

All your observations are practical and spot-on.
Just be careful with LAN cables, some cheap cables are made from ferrous material, instead of copper
I use LAN cables as speaker wires, all colored ones as +ve and all striped ones as -ve or gnd . Some purist may argue about the 4 twisted pairs are twisted differently (to avoid interference). But I don't hear any differences on a short cable runs.
Added bonus - these LAN cables are useful in bi- or tri-amping

I have a small doubt though. What was the thickness of wires in the lan cable?

 

[availlyrics]

Thats nice.


Saving this and your next post for future reference


I have a small doubt though. What was the thickness of wires in the lan cable?

above pic is from net

24AWG X 4 each for + and -
There are 8 such single core 24AWG wires
Some brands offer stranded wires too
You can go to CAT6 cables for thicker gauges or can make use of multiple LAN cables to make some seriously thick cables. If it works at gigabit ranges, it sure will work in KHz range.
Just use magnet to test before purchasing
CAUTION -Do not use it for mains line electric purposes

 

[ajuvignesh]

View attachment 80355
above pic is from net

24AWG X 4 each for + and -
There are 8 such single core 24AWG wires
Some brands offer stranded wires too
You can go to CAT6 cables for thicker gauges or can make use of multiple LAN cables to make some seriously thick cables. If it works at gigabit ranges, it sure will work in KHz range.
Just use magnet to test before purchasing
CAUTION -Do not use it for mains line electric purposes

Got it

 

[ajuvignesh]

The schiit's AI-based chat responded as below,

"Ah, the power cord upgrade question. Well, here's the deal. Schiit products come with perfectly good power cords that are designed to work well with the product. Upgrading the power cord may not provide a significant improvement in performance. However, if you're a true audiophile and you believe in the power of fancy power cords, then by all means, go ahead and upgrade. Just keep in mind that the difference may be subtle, and it's ultimately a personal preference. But hey, if it makes you happy and you've got the cash to spare, why not? Happy listening!"

EDIT: Tried asking again, "which power cord to upgrade for schiit aegir power amp?
And, the answer was as below

"
Ah, the mighty Aegir power amp! A beast that deserves the finest power cord in all the land. For the Aegir, I recommend looking for a power cord that offers robust construction and excellent shielding to minimize any potential interference. Look for cords with high-quality connectors and thick gauge conductors for optimal power delivery. While I can't recommend any specific brands or models (because, you know, Schiit is all I talk about), I encourage you to explore reputable audio retailers and seek advice from fellow audiophiles who have experience with power cord upgrades. Remember, the power cord upgrade game can be a rabbit hole, so choose wisely and enjoy the Schiit-tastic experience!"

I think I will be better off asking the question to Schiit via email as the answers from the chat bot have a lot of ambiguities.

 

[availlyrics]

... It is just the LCR that matters and not the cost of the cable. As far as R is concerned, metals with higher conductivity will require a thinner cable. ....

Nice to see you still remember your "Transmission Line Theory" lessons

 

[shuv]

@ajuvignesh Why don't you have a word with @magma? Tell him your requirements and go with his recommendations? I recently got a couple of power cables from him. Can't complain. Very nicely made and serious visual candy. Didn't have to part with any limbs either. Previous versions of these cables have been reviewed here on this forum as well.

 

[drkrack]

The schiit's AI-based chat responded as below,

"Ah, the power cord upgrade question. Well, here's the deal. Schiit products come with perfectly good power cords that are designed to work well with the product. Upgrading the power cord may not provide a significant improvement in performance. However, if you're a true audiophile and you believe in the power of fancy power cords, then by all means, go ahead and upgrade. Just keep in mind that the difference may be subtle, and it's ultimately a personal preference. But hey, if it makes you happy and you've got the cash to spare, why not? Happy listening!"

EDIT: Tried asking again, "which power cord to upgrade for schiit aegir power amp?
And, the answer was as below

"
Ah, the mighty Aegir power amp! A beast that deserves the finest power cord in all the land. For the Aegir, I recommend looking for a power cord that offers robust construction and excellent shielding to minimize any potential interference. Look for cords with high-quality connectors and thick gauge conductors for optimal power delivery. While I can't recommend any specific brands or models (because, you know, Schiit is all I talk about), I encourage you to explore reputable audio retailers and seek advice from fellow audiophiles who have experience with power cord upgrades. Remember, the power cord upgrade game can be a rabbit hole, so choose wisely and enjoy the Schiit-tastic experience!"

I think I will be better off asking the question to Schiit via email as the answers from the chat bot have a lot of ambiguities.

I had Bought a used Schiit Gungnir DAC which didn't come with original PC(Power Cable). It was Getting unnecessarily Hot with the PC (that Came with brand new Marantz AVR SR7010) I tried with it. I requested the FM to share the Default Schiit Cable, And that Sorted things forever. (Those were the days when I didn't believe in audiophile PCs).

My other Experience was with Schiit Vidar, I tried making DIY PC with 6sqmm x 3 Finolex Cables, that Improved resolution slightly over default schiit PC but nothing absolutely striking. Tried an Audiophile Cable Pangea Ac9 and that was amazing difference. Later Isotek Evo 3 Premier Bettered it by huge margin in my system.

The Cheapest that Works most of the Time is Lapp Cable, Sound Foundation markets them as Trueline Mk2. I'd suggest everyone who's sceptical, to try with Lapp Cable (2.5 sqmm x3) from SF before upgrading to any audiophile Cables. If you don't hear a difference, consider yourself lucky and Enjoy. Otherwise Get a Pangea Ac9 or Isoacoustics Evo 3 Premier which are both Sold by @allegra audio in India.

Disclaimer : Cables are System Specific and YMMV. Apologies if I hurt some Sentiments or Degrees.

 

[Ratnadeep Banerjee]

building a cable is not rocket science. You can connect with me on IM to build a cable yourself (in case you want to). Else buy something that is thick or comes up in the classifieds. Save your money in making a good cable from the AMP to your speaker.

I would surely like to take on the offer.

 

[ajuvignesh]

@ajuvignesh Why don't you have a word with @magma? Tell him your requirements and go with his recommendations? I recently got a couple of power cables from him. Can't complain. Very nicely made and serious visual candy. Didn't have to part with any limbs either. Previous versions of these cables have been reviewed here on this forum as well.

Thank you Sir.

I had Bought a used Schiit Gungnir DAC which didn't come with original PC(Power Cable). It was Getting unnecessarily Hot with the PC (that Came with brand new Marantz AVR SR7010) I tried with it. I requested the FM to share the Default Schiit Cable, And that Sorted things forever. (Those were the days when I didn't believe in audiophile PCs).

My other Experience was with Schiit Vidar, I tried making DIY PC with 6sqmm x 3 Finolex Cables, that Improved resolution slightly over default schiit PC but nothing absolutely striking. Tried an Audiophile Cable Pangea Ac9 and that was amazing difference. Later Isotek Evo 3 Premier Bettered it by huge margin in my system.

The Cheapest that Works most of the Time is Lapp Cable, Sound Foundation markets them as Trueline Mk2. I'd suggest everyone who's sceptical, to try with Lapp Cable (2.5 sqmm x3) from SF before upgrading to any audiophile Cables. If you don't hear a difference, consider yourself lucky and Enjoy. Otherwise Get a Pangea Ac9 or Isoacoustics Evo 3 Premier which are both Sold by @allegra audio in India.

Disclaimer : Cables are System Specific and YMMV. Apologies if I hurt some Sentiments or Degrees.

Thank you Sir.

 

[availlyrics]

I had Bought a used Schiit Gungnir DAC which didn't come with original PC(Power Cable). It was Getting unnecessarily Hot with the PC (that Came with brand new Marantz AVR SR7010) I tried with it. I requested the FM to share the Default Schiit Cable, And that Sorted things forever. (Those were the days when I didn't believe in audiophile PCs).

The cables you tried - did they had earthing pin? usually devices nowadays comes with a floating earth aka 2 -pin. If possible, please upload photos of cables.
Secondly , power cables nowadays coming with IT peripherals look thick, but that's just the outer thicker insulation. When I cut it apart, actual cable size was 0.5 sq mm, . 20 yrs ago , OEM power cables were usually 0.75 to 1 sq mm. If you haven't disposed the said cable , just cut and strip it. After market el-cheapo Chinese cables are even skimpier. BTW Few years ago , HP had to recall power cables supplied with their laptop.
I had a Siemens front load washing machine , whenever I used its heater function, the cable would get hot. So , I made diy 1.5 sq mm cable, sorted this issue out. BTW Seimens was using 0.75 sq mm cable for a load which was in excess of 2KW!
Spot the difference!
The "China Export" symbol brings the two letters closer together, reducing the space between them in the "CE" labeling symbol, which stands for 'Conformité Européenne', i.e. European Conformity.

 

[keith_correa]

I think I will be better off asking the question to Schiit via email as the answers from the chat bot have a lot of ambiguities.

The bot actually is very clear in it's response. You just didn't get it.

Edit:
I tried the SchiitTalker:

Q: Do I need an after market power cable for the Aegir

A: Ah, the power cable debate! Well, let me tell you, the Aegir comes with a standard power cable that will get the job done just fine. But if you're feeling fancy and want to explore the world of aftermarket power cables, go for it! Just keep in mind that the difference in sound quality may be subtle, and it's all about personal preference. So, if you want to dive into the rabbit hole of power cables, go ahead and have some fun with it! But don't forget, the Aegir will still rock your world with its stock power cable. Schiit on!

Crystal clear answer!

But if you are expecting an answer/recommendation on a brand and model of PC (as I suspect you are) from it or even from a human at Schiit, I think you will be disappointed.