Dedicated mains for hifi system.

[mildmanneredjanitor]

When I was young The biggest factor affecting the quality of my £1,000 component Pioneer hifi was... My (then) girlfriend, she didn't appreciate the finer technicalities of 'Stereo Separation'

I quote - 'But it's tidier stacked on top of the speakers and hidden behind the sofa'



Now married and the 'big ugly black stereo' is confined to the loft, replaced with a £200 'pweedy ickle silver thing'

And you know what, soundz the bees bollo***.

We all move on, technology quicker than most!

DVD, 5.1! Yum yum! Even the wifey appreciates that! Just got to convince her about widescreen now, any ideas? She thinks food is more important!

 

[Big_Spark]

Couple of points after reading all this..

Multi-stranded O2 free copper cables are better for audio and video requirements. The greater the diameter, the lower the overall resistance of the cable to the charge, this means less loss of signal and therfore better definition. (simple explanation) There is an upper limit to size, up to about 150W RMS a cable with between 20 and 50 strands and a OS diameter of no more than 2.5mm (not sure what gauge that is and not 2.5mm CSA) is ideal. If the cable size is above that you will be paying out for no gain.

Regarding the seperate Consumer Unit for your Hi-Fi.

Tosh. It will make NO ELECTRICAL DIFFERENCE unless you install line filters and provide it with a wholly separate Earth connection via an Earth Electrode.

The background noise on the standard supply will still be there on a seperate board, as some have noted, and if anyone tells you different they are talking out of their rear orifice.

There is no reason why you could not install a seperate circuit to a dedicated socket for you Hi-Fi, it should be wired in 2.5mm T&E and protected by a 16A (Maximum) MCB. For the purpose you advocate a 10A would be sufficient.

Label both the socket and circuit to they are not used for anything else.

Then find your Local Newey and Eyre or similar Electrical Wholesaler (Not City Electrical..YUK!!) and buy an OLSEN surge and noise protected extension. You can buy others from DIY shops, but Olsen are industry rated and pretty much the standard.

Another way of doing this, instead of buying the Olsen unit, buy a 1000Va UPS. These are designed for computer systems, and they have line filters and all the surge protection you want in it.

Gold plated Bus Bars!! Whatever next....someone will say City's are a real wholesaler!!

 

[securespark]

No City are S****E.

Used to use them all the time when I was app. Go in for 10 things, walk out with 2.

Prices up the creek. No wonder the Stockport branch car park is full of regs ending CEF. Too much money to know what to do with.

I went there last year for security lighting controller couldn't get anywhere else. Wanted £65+ for it. Rang mfr what's list? £30 tops.

Rang City HO and ranted. Got profuse apology and huge discount.

NEVER will go there again. Rather eat my left ********.

But as far as separate CU's go, it is a recognised practice for computers to install a sterile supply - ie sep. unit and tails etc..

 

[Big_Spark]

No City are S****E.

But as far as separate CU's go, it is a recognised practice for computers to install a sterile supply - ie sep. unit and tails etc..

Trouble is since Hagermeyer took over Newey&Eyre and Wholesale Fittings, things have gone downhill there too!!

The computer supplies will always be fed via a UPS, this will remove all the background noise and chatter using line filters and surge arresters, so putting them on their own board is useful and intelliegent.

 

[Gees]

I told you all before.. get a great big UPS . Make sure its one thats ALWAYS online otherwise it will be on bypass and any advantages are lost

 

[il78]

No City are S****E.

But as far as separate CU's go, it is a recognised practice for computers to install a sterile supply - ie sep. unit and tails etc..

Trouble is since Hagermeyer took over Newey&Eyre and Wholesale Fittings, things have gone downhill there too!!

The computer supplies will always be fed via a UPS, this will remove all the background noise and chatter using line filters and surge arresters, so putting them on their own board is useful and intelliegent.

So its not just our branch then....

 

[Big_Spark]

So its not just our branch then....

Nope, it's all branches.

I have directed our Guys to use Edmundsons wherever possible, Hagemeyer give us better discount, but this fat use if they have b*gg*r all in stock.

I am currently attempting to negotiate a better discount package with Eddies area Sales manager, getting our Guys to use them more is the Carot on the end of the stick

 

[securespark]

Must stick up for WF a bit

They have always got everything I want, and if not, they have got it next morning.

Only ever been one exception. Very recently I ordered three Danlers timelag switches, and WF had not one in the co., so they ordered from Stearns. Stearns, it turned out had fallen out with WF because they've fallen in with Eddys. But they didn't tell me. So the crunch came and one of the lads had to drive from their branch to Stearns (30 mile round trip) with cash in hand to secure a sale. Now, that's Stearns being a bunch of ******s isn't it??

 

[Big_Spark]

It's probably more likely to be Hagemeyers accounting department taking too long to pay bills.

I know of a number of suppliers, both WF and N&E suppliers, that are fed up with waiting to be paid. One has been waiting 4 months and has severed any ties to Hagemeyer.

Many of the Guys in the N&E branches in this area are really miffed about this as it causes them problems when people give them stick.

Recently I opened an account with Rexel Senate to help to offset the problems.

 

[il78]

Newys is bad, dont get any bacon butties any-more or any nightouts......well suppose you have to use them first

 

[securespark]

Worked in retail in one of my many previous lives. A big chain (not to be mentioned, but then part of a big group named after a river bird) that sells stuff dirt cheap (cos it's crap as Gerald Ratner said once!) was and I believe still is notorious for paying its suppliers anything up to 9 months late. They really have a nerve. They knock the prices down to the level of a snake's scr*tum, and then pay 3/4 late!

Mind you, think of the suppliers to supermarkets next time you go shopping. All these BOGOF's.....don't think they're being extra generous, the supermarket does not pay, the supplier does.

And every product returned gets charged by the supermarkets. A well known supermarket chain (Shhhhh!!!!) charges £40.00 handling fee for every single item returned by a customer. Again, you see the generous guarantee on the packet, but they're not paying......oh no.

These are just two of the tricks they use to increase profits even further.

 

[adiwill]

i've just come across this thread and had to put my four pence worth in

I'm a pro live sound engineer, have been for years.. so i can speak with a bit of knowledge.. but i dont need to.. the answer is simple.

For the purposes of the next paragraph, were talking about expensive home audio systems and equipment, sold to audiophiles. You can fit all the OFC cables, dedicated power supplies, or top quality amps you want, but the resulting sound is only as good as the weakest component... and the nature of that component is that you can never get rid of or improve it.

What is it? Its YOU !.. the listener. human ears are toss.. as are the majority of people they are attached to. Dont waste your money. Your ears reached the limit of their capabilities way before you installed that dedicated power supply or ultra low noise amp.
Sure, the differences are noticeable in laboratory equipment where you can see the differences, but they certainly are not evident to to the home listener who A: has no idea what the hell a decent sound is in the first place, and b: has not the slightest idea of how to set up the equipment to get the most from it, and c: has cloth ears.

Sorry, tis true.. Dont be fooled mr audiophile.. you ARE being duped.

PS as a footnote, the seperate electrical feed has some relevance.. but not when were talking about the kind of power generated by a 40 watt bulb, or a TV. Feed a sound rig off the same supply as a 500 kw lighting rig, and then yes, you'll notice a slight hum

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Adiwill, these thread is from 2003/2004.

I have now locked it.

Mod Rupert
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