Mains Kettle leads ..

[namuk]

I have seen these upgraded Kettle leads around for a while now and sometimes stupidly dear

Question is There a Differance? Or has anyone Bought one and seen a differance or not?

 

[Chris Muriel]

They are known as IEC leads, pr amins leads with an IEC connector.
A kettle type can safely also be used with PC or AV equipment.
The reverse is not always true; a kettle draws about 10 Amps and a kettle lead will be rated / constructed with this in mind whereas PC and A/V equipment tends not to draw more than 2 or 3 amps.
Other than that no big difference although you can also buy IEC leads with built in surge protection or RF/EMI filtering.

Chris Muriel, Manchester

 

[davepuma]

You're opening a whole can of worms there, so please do a search. Mains cables thread inevitably end in tears. If you fancy trying one, with an option to sending it back if you see/hear no difference try cleareraudio. MarkGrant also makes some that are very well made but no money back guarantee as far as I know.

So, rather than generate another thread that will go round in circles, try one for yourself.

 

[namuk]

They are known as IEC leads, pr amins leads with an IEC connector.
A kettle type can safely also be used with PC or AV equipment.
The reverse is not always true; a kettle draws about 10 Amps and a kettle lead will be rated / constructed with this in mind whereas PC and A/V equipment tends not to draw more than 2 or 3 amps.
Other than that no big difference although you can also buy IEC leads with built in surge protection or RF/EMI filtering.

Chris Muriel, Manchester

It is the Avr amp lead that i see allot and the one i mean .. i do have a Av Surge Protector that is suppose to limit all this Interference etc..

You're opening a whole can of worms there, so please do a search. Mains cables thread inevitably end in tears. If you fancy trying one, with an option to sending it back if you see/hear no difference try cleareraudio. MarkGrant also makes some that are very well made but no money back guarantee as far as I know.

So, rather than generate another thread that will go round in circles, try one for yourself.

I no what you mean it has the Hdmi Debait all over it
Will have a look Also Read a few reviews then Customers that bought, it is so in the middle .

tried searching but here the search engine is a Pain ..

 

[Trollslayer]

I no what you mean it has the Hdmi Debait all over it

"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

I would say that a very cheap lead may have poor quality contacts, something to bare in mind.

 

[namuk]

"Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!"

I would say that a very cheap lead may have poor quality contacts, something to bare in mind.

Understand the Contacts and all that.. Just want to no is there a Difference after swapping out lead ..

 

[piros]

I have always wondered this, especially when you read magazines/reviews claiming them to be super amazing and you shouldn't be without one! One day I might buy one for the sake of it just to see if there is a slight difference

 

[namuk]

I have always wondered this, especially when you read magazines/reviews claiming them to be super amazing and you shouldn't be without one! One day I might buy one for the sake of it just to see if there is a slight difference

Exactly What i am reading then online .. i may have to get one and try out also But it is allot of cash if you see or Hear no difference.. and that is only at 1 meter ..

 

[ben.bayliss]

The newly stickied 'What Hifi' thread at the top had some links to a couple of independent blind tests of mains cables in the final couple of pages.

Both found no differences between mains cables and regular supplied leads. The participants were not able to identify any difference without resorting to guesswork.

 

[lechacal]

I'm firmly in the skeptics camp, but for an alternative view on the value of blind testing read here:
Blind Listening Tests are Flawed: An Editorial | AV Guide
Apologies if it's already been posted elsewhere.

(I'm not necessarily supporting this, but it's an interesting POV)

 

[lechacal]

From the same chap, see also:
An Interesting Way of Looking at Evaluating Equipment Quality | AV Guide

This link discusses power-cord issues specifically. Note that he mentions he is an ex-mastering engineer. (I've always thought that 'engineer' is the wrong term to use for a job that most people acknowledge is less about objectivity and empirical methods than black magic, but there ya go...)

 

[Pug_WD]

I'm firmly in the skeptics camp, but for an alternative view on the value of blind testing read here:
Blind Listening Tests are Flawed: An Editorial | AV Guide
Apologies if it's already been posted elsewhere.

(I'm not necessarily supporting this, but it's an interesting POV)

From the linked piece -

Most such tests [...] are performed [...] by partisan hacks on a mission to discredit audiophiles.

So, if I ask my kids what sounds better, they're partisan hacks or just me?
Yeah, yeah... I know; only 'most such tests', not all.

 

[lechacal]

Quite. This is a strange attack. Also the target is an unnamed and generalised bunch of hacks so their arguments can't be examined either. We know they're rubbish though because they are hacks.

Also, those taking part in the Swedish survey are '"expert" listeners', again without any justification of the implied skepticism other than the asserted fact that they are wrong.

 

[ben.bayliss]

I think he has a limited point, but some of his claims/arguments contradict themselves.

He claims that hearing no difference between 44.1/16 and 96/24 is 'unbelievable', well is it really? Why is that any less believable than hearing the difference between two cables?
What about the amp test? What if, shock-horror, it really is possible to build a transparent amplifier for much less than what a top of the range model sells for? Just because a conclusion challenges your ideas doesn't mean you can instantly dismiss it as flawed.

I've said it many times before, but in my opinion almost all of what you can hear is a product of your choice of speakers and the acoustics of the room they're playing in. Anything else is only a tiny contributing element, if anything at all.

 

[MarkTaylor]

Im not sure this thread is going to go anywhere new.

Check the sticky post at the top of the forum as suggested.

You can usually get these cables on 'sale or return' so you can try them out in your own home with your own equipment.

If you are curious then give it a try with an open mind and the option to return when/if you don't hear an improvement.

I'll let this run a little further if there is new input, but if we start back over the same old ground it will be time to bring this one to a close.

 

[Mark Grant]

MarkGrant also makes some that are very well made but no money back guarantee as far as I know.

So, rather than generate another thread that will go round in circles, try one for yourself.

Hello Dave,

Anything can be returned for refund
Hardly anyone returns anything though.

And I agree, the only way to be sure is to try and make your own opinions.

Mark.

 

[davepuma]

Hello Dave,

Anything can be returned for refund
Hardly anyone returns anything though.

And I agree, the only way to be sure is to try and make your own opinions.

Mark.

I know that Mark, I'm more than happy with all my MG cable purchases.