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The AC Power Principals In Action² |
Maxxwire
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Premium Member
Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
 |  Posted: 2006-12-19 16:42
This is a documentation of how the AC Power Principals of DOUG BLACKBURN and JON RISCH have proven themselves true and highly effective as applied in my Audio system.
I started doing rewiring for effect at the age of 12 on 12 v HO gauge slot car engines. I found that using varying numbers of turns of 28-31 AWG copper wire would dramatically alter the performance of the engine as did the quality of the polish on the commutator as well as how close the AlNiCo magnets were placed to the armature.
Its been many years since the young Maxxwire began to learn the value and effectiveness of wiring to alter performance characteristics and I responded to the AC Power Principals with a series of wiring Modifications that have proven to be much more successful than I had ever hoped they would be.
I am writing this for those of you who just like myself have a fine Audio system with great equipment, wiring, line conditioning, speakers and Resonance Tuning who are looking to realize its full potential by bringing it alive and taking it to the next to the next level of performance using your existing equipment.
This last summer I went in search of what the Ultimate Audio playback would sound like by listening to the Audio system in the home of one of America's premier Audiophiles which was featured in Stereophile Magazine. The perfect equipment with the perfect wiring in with the perfect set up in perfect room turned out to be very disappointing because I was hoping to hear something that was at least better than what I already had at home.
It was about 2 months later that I came across the AC Power Principals and I decided to take Doug Blackburn and Jon Risch up on their statements.
The first order of business was replacing the 14 AWG power cord on the Power Amp with a 10 AWG power cord.
Next I bought 4 Leviton 8215-C Hospital Grade AC Plugs to replace the molded plugs and to test out how the Preamp, Digital Processors and Sony CX 300 Megachanger would react to an AC Plug upgrade.
Three years ago just after I got my 3 high quality Line Conditioners I did a lot of research into AC Plugs. As a Metalsmith I have a specific set of criteria that I use when evaluating metals and everything pointed to my Dream AC Plug being the Furutech FI-11G with its Pure Copper Blades.
I am not saying that the Furutech FI-11G is better or worse than any other AC Plug in any specific application. This is not an endorsement or recommendation of the FI-11G over or as compared against any other plug because all situations are different and...
Your
Mods
May
Vary!
I replaced the Leviton AC Plugs on the Power Amp, Preamp and Sony CX300 with the FI-11G and left the Levitons on the Digital Processors because they showed no sign of improvement from upgrading to them from the molded plugs.
The Preamp was next with a trip to the Tech for a Power Cord and Analog i/o upgrade-
I wanted to take a minute to talk about Analog i/o's. Had no idea, but my Preamp was using steel pins to connect the RCA's with the circuit board which was killing my sound! The steel pin hookups can be seen in the picture below at the left of the picture...
My Tech installed some proprietary extra heavy duty RCA's that he brought from ModWright where he is now building Dan's new Tube Phono Preamps. After he wired the new RCA's in with Teflon Dielectric Silver wire the Preamp sounded absolutely fantastic!
The next order of business was to improve the connection from the PLC to the Digital front end and Preamp. I accomplished this with a new Power Cord which has a twisted pair of 5 AWG conductors and a massive AC plug and IEC to accommodate the oversized conductors.
This was one of the most significant improvements made and all by itself took the sound of the System to a much higher level.
Overall these upgrades have taken the sound of my Audio system to the level that I had expected to hear from the Ultra High End equipment that I heard which had been featured in Stereophile Magazine, but had been so disappointed by.
I will not bore you with a long list of Audiophile descriptors which we've all heard before because the potency of the AC Power Principals which has been released by the wiring Mods described above has not offered a series of incremental improvements as is usually the case, but have elevated the Sound Quality of this Audio System up a level of magnitude to that of Sound Quality² and has such a absolute genuine alivliness and realness that transcends description and must be experienced to be appreciated.
I wouldn't spend all of this time writing all of this if I wasn't fully confident that if you have stuck with this post this far you too also possess the desire to unleash the absolute full potential of your existing Audio system.
There is no such thing as a Magic Plug or a Magic Power Cord because all they do is simply connect things, but if you have laid the proper groundwork in equipping, wiring and Resonance Tuning your Audio system then applying the AC Power Principals have the potential to take your Audio system to SQ²!
~Maxx~
A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The linear relationship between outstanding performance and pricepoint can be nullified through the skillful application of knowledge.
Edit-
I encourage you to continue reading this thread because the amount of improvement in the Sound Quality and overall performance as a result of applying the AC Power principals in my Audio System has turned out to be comparable to the difference in picture quality between the Analog Mastered image below on top which I originally posted on this Thread and the Digitally Remastered image below it which were taken from the exact same Digital original and are offered here as a visual metaphor for the vast improvement in Transparency that both my Audio and Video equipment have obtained since comprehensively applying the AC Power Principals.
[ This message was edited by: Maxxwire on 2010-04-19 01:00 ]
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RickeyM
Premium Member
Rank: Sony King
Joined: Sep 09, 2004
Posts: 1408
From: Baltimore, Maryland
 |  Posted: 2006-12-20 00:25
Happy Holiday's Maxx. Allow me to pick your brain a bit. Why did you switch up to the Furutech FI-11MG? Is it because the gold plated copper is more conductive than the brass in the Hubbell?
What exactly in your system is your new power cord installed? What are you using for an IEC plug on it?
My CD player has the same type of steel pins on the RCA jacks. I cringe every time I look at them. Yep, they're on my list of "future upgrades" as well  . I wonder how copper wire connections would sound as oposed to silver?
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Graduate of Sony University, class of '94.
Support your local S.P.C.A. Adopt
If older is better, I must be approaching magnificence!
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Maxxwire
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Premium Member
Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-20 02:05
RickeyM- Yes, its been a very happy Holiday so far. With the exception of the PC Mod on the Power Amp I did all of these upgrades over this last week which turned out to be my Best Week Ever!
We talked about the Furutech FI-11G back in September and as I said earlier in this thread I chose it because of its highly conductive Pure Copper blades.
Pure Copper has a conductivity rating of 100 and the average Brass alloy has a conductivity rating of 25 so it was not a difficult choice to go with the Pure Copper Blades. I chose the Gold plated version over the straight Copper because I read that the FI-11Cu with Copper Blades brings Hyper-Detailing and I already have a sufficient amount of detail and I didn't want to over accentuate it.
Of all the upgrades I did this round the Furutech FI-11G AC Plugs provided the most substantial improvement in sound quality although the 5 AWG Power Cord was a very close 2nd with the Preamp Mod not far behind in 3rd!
The new Power Cord with the 5 AWG conductors is hooked up to the PLC and powers the Digital front end and the Preamp. Everything on the cord is proprietary and marked Patent Pending. Both the AC Plug and the IEC are covered in shrink wrap so any markings are obscured although for as much as this PC cost I don't think they used off the shelf parts.
You are going to have a very pleasant suprise in store for you when you replace those steel pin connected RCA i/o's with Gold plated OFC Copper ones! The increase in SQ is simply amazing!
As far as wire goes my Tech told me that Dan has him use OFC Copper wire on the single ended Gold plated OFC Copper RCA i/o's on the ModWright pieces he builds. After 30 years of experience my Tech personally prefers using the Silver wire in Teflon dielectric.
I don't know what the difference in sound quality would be, but I'm sure that you won't be at all dissapointed with using OFC Copper wire.
The most important thing is to get those Gold plated OFC Copper RCA i/o's installed because upgrading from the sound of steel pins is sublime!
~Maxx~
A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The linear relationship between outstanding performance and pricepoint can be nullified thru the skillful application of knowledge.
Dad's Pixel Painting #1
[ This message was edited by: Maxxwire on 2007-08-18 14:13 ]
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RickeyM
Premium Member
Rank: Sony King
Joined: Sep 09, 2004
Posts: 1408
From: Baltimore, Maryland
| Posted: 2006-12-20 23:56
You are going to have a very pleasant suprise in store for you when you replace those steel pin connected RCA i/o's with Gold plated OFC Copper ones! The increase in SQ is simply amazing!
The most important thing is to get those Gold plated OFC Copper RCA i/o's installed because upgrading from the sound of steel pins is sublime!
~Maxx~
Well, that just bumps this mod further up the list of future upgrades  .
I'd also like to try an imatation of a VH flavor 4 for my amp. Kind of a star-quad geometry using some Carol wire or something. Whatever I've got laying around .
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Graduate of Sony University, class of '94.
Support your local S.P.C.A. Adopt
If older is better, I must be approaching magnificence!
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Maxxwire
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-21 16:01
I've read a lot of glowing reviews of the VH Audio power cord with its four 12 AWG conductors which combine to create the equivalent of two 9 AWG conductors which I'm sure contributes to the great sonic reputation that this power cord has earned with so many Audiophiles.
One thing I found out about the Furutech FI-11G was that it is possible to fit 10 AWG conductors into them, but that's the upper limit for a single conductor although it will take two 12 AWG conductors each on both hot and neutral with no problem at all!
~Maxx~
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A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930
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RickeyM
Premium Member
Rank: Sony King
Joined: Sep 09, 2004
Posts: 1408
From: Baltimore, Maryland
|  Posted: 2006-12-21 21:37
I'm thinking of taking some Carol brand wire (12ga) and removing the rubber covering. Then twisting four of the conductors tightly together and wrapping that with teflon plumer's tape. Then doing the "counter spiral" ground wire thing and securing that with more tape. If this imitation Flavor4 is any good, I'll use it while I save up for the real thing .
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Graduate of Sony University, class of '94.
Support your local S.P.C.A. Adopt
If older is better, I must be approaching magnificence!
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Maxxwire
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-22 01:54
RickeyM- You could call your new power cord the Flavor 4 vRM.
Probably one of the most unexpected results of this round of AC Plug and power cord upgrades that I did was a phenominal increase in bass response. This is not flabby bloated bass either its very tight and articulate with great low frequency extension and at least twice as much volume as I was getting before.
When I asked my Tech about this he said "If you increase the Power Amp's access to AC Power you will get an increase in bass response because bass reproduction takes such a huge amount of power."
You've been upgrading power cords on your Behringer Power Amp for quite awhile have you noticed an increase in bass response as a result?
~Maxx~
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A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930
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kesa32
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 29
From: ballarat australia
 | Posted: 2006-12-22 17:29
Hi maxx, l'm just wondering , with all these ac mods we're all still plugging into a cheap sub optimum connection at the wall.....the wall outlet itself. l have dedicated 20amp power going to my ht and am wondering if there is a wall outlet on the market that will be a better connection than the stock standard ones out there, as it seems that could improve things again as currently everyones plugging their ultra good stuff into this final weak link in the power supply chain.............does this seem valid?
cheers ken
[ This message was edited by: kesa32 on 2006-12-22 17:44 ]
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Maxxwire
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-22 19:53
Ken- All of these improvements are important, but for someone who wanted to start off with the biggest bang for the buck upgrade I've found that the closer the improvement is made to the Audio equipment itself the more dramatic the results will be.
I still consider the AC Plug upgrade to be the single most effective improvement I've done although there are several other Mods that came very close in intensity, still the sum total of the effect of all of these upgrades and Mods together has proven to be so sublime that I'm still struggling to find descriptors that will do the results justice!
~Maxx~
A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The linear relationship between outstanding performance and pricepoint can be nullified thru the skillful application of knowledge.
Dad's Pixel Painting #2
[ This message was edited by: Maxxwire on 2007-02-15 22:07 ]
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kesa32
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 29
From: ballarat australia
|  Posted: 2006-12-22 22:04
Thanks for your quick reply Maxx, sounds like it was worth upgrading the wall outlet  . Over here as you know we run 240v , so as per jon's write-up the differences may be less noticable..still worth trying after l do other mods hey.
I'd love to try Mav's pc but cant afford the addmission price  , l might try making my own in time........in regards to my tada9000es would it be better to have it hardwired after the warranty runs out? as l dont want to start messing with it yet, or do you think it would'nt be worth the trouble?
l alsofinally installed the spikes on my main seas speakers yesterday and to tell you the truth l think they sounded a bit better without them when they were sitting on our thick carpet....l also moved the seating back another 1' so maybe that didnt help either.....have to do more listening.
l'll have to try some different positions too....never ending is'nt it!
cheers ken
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Maxxwire
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-22 23:24
Ken- A great Line Conditioner can bring out the very best performance in each and every piece of your Audio equipment! Maverick is a great guy and if you talk to him he may be able to come up with a more affordable version of his no compromise Mav's 3.1 PC Line Conditioner that will be able to do its Magic for your TA DA9000ES.
As far as hardwiring a Power Cord into your TA DA 9000ES I would say def-i-nat-leee! I had a talk with my tech the other day and he told me that although he installs IEC's for people all of the time he would never use one on his own Audio equipment.
Maverick even made a point in his information about the Mav's 3.1 PC that he silver soldered the 12 AWG wires directly into it for the best possible connection.
Have you tried an AC Plug or Power Cord upgrade on your TA DA 9000ES yet?
As far as Resonance Tuning your speakers goes have you tried different kinds of Rigid Coupling devices such as Black Diamond Pyramid Racing Cones? Every situation is different, but I know that my speakers responded very very well to them!
~Maxx~
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A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930
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kesa32
Rank: Sony Enthusiant
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 29
From: ballarat australia
| Posted: 2006-12-23 16:22
Maxx, no l have'nt done any power cord mods yet but will start in the new year!.......l will do 3 , one l will hardwire into my behringer ep2500 as the warranty has now expired, and the other 2 to my tada9000es and pioneer 969 universal player. Also do you know of any better quality i-link interconnects that l could try?
Thosa racing cones sound like their worth trying....l'll send Mav a pm soon and talk to him about his pc and also any other diy improvements he has done.
Have a great xmas Maxx and l'll chat again to you soon ok!
Cheers Ken
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RickeyM
Premium Member
Rank: Sony King
Joined: Sep 09, 2004
Posts: 1408
From: Baltimore, Maryland
| Posted: 2006-12-24 00:39
I've hard wired a better quality powercord into my Behringer EP1500 and it was an improvement over the stock setup. If the audio quality of the EP2500 is at least as good as it's "little brother" you should definately hear an improvement. IMO those nickel-plated connectors in the IEC socket and speaker binding post's are a hindrance to the performance of these amps.
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Graduate of Sony University, class of '94.
Support your local S.P.C.A. Adopt
If older is better, I must be approaching magnificence!
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Maxxwire
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-24 01:57
On 2006-12-23 16:22, kesa32 wrote: l have'nt done any power cord mods yet but will start in the new year! l will do 3, one l will hardwire into my behringer ep2500 as the warranty has now expired, and the other 2 to my tada9000es and pioneer 969 universal player. Cheers Ken
Ken- After doing the power cord upgrade on my 45 wpc Stereo Power Amp there was a nice improvement in sound quality, but when I replaced the Marinco AC Plug that came with the 10 AWG power cord that was straightwired into the Power Amp's power supply with a Furutech FI-11G AC Plug the sound quality improved by twice as much as the original installation of the power cord brought.
I'm not pushing any particular kind of AC Plug I'm just letting you know that in my experience a power cord upgrade will offer a sizeable improvement in performance, but by adding a good quality AC Plug you can raise the level of improvement by as much as 200% over what the original power cord upgrade brought!
I did some research into aftermarket iLink interconnects and I could not find a decent one available. I know a fellow here in Portland who makes cables and I want to talk to him and see if he would be interested in making up a .99999 fine Silver iLink cable.
~Maxx~
A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The linear relationship between outstanding performance and pricepoint can be nullified thru the skillful application of knowledge.
Dad's Pixel Painting #1
[ This message was edited by: Maxxwire on 2006-12-24 02:36 ]
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Maxxwire
Moderator
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Rank: Sony Adept
Joined: Aug 29, 2002
Posts: 25726
From: Portland, Oregon - USA
| Posted: 2006-12-24 02:15
On 2006-12-24 00:39, RickeyM wrote: IMO those nickel-plated connectors in the IEC socket and speaker binding post's are a hindrance to the performance of these amps.
I agree, nickel is a killer when it comes to conductivity because its only 15% as efficient as OFC Copper!
I had 32 nickel plated wires that were connected to the power Tube output sockets in my Power Amp replaced with OFC Copper wire and the sound quality of the Amp improved radically!
Its hard to beleive that they could save that much money by using nickel plated parts wire instead of OFC Copper, but it seems to be a common practice.
~Maxx~
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A Satisfied Sony Fan Since 1974!
The OCCC Furu-Charged Sony DB 930
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