New mains spur - improvement?
Posted by: Gary S. on 20 July 2006
Inspired by others, particularly the brilliant post written in the form of a newspaper article (which I now cant find), I recently set about installing my own separate spur.
After the initial frustration of tracking down an appropriate 32amp MCB to fit my consumer unit, I started chasing out walls and drilling holes etc. I choose to use 6mm cable rather than 10mm for the ease of drawing the cable, but I still managed to take the skin of every knuckle on both hands - boy is that stuff stiff.
Anyway, by the close of play a week ago Saturday, it was in and connected. I was so knackered I just flopped onto the settee with a beer and prepared to be amazed. But it was all a bit of an anti-climax, there appeared to be no great improvement to start with.
The following morning however, things seemed to be singing and I began to reconsider. The trouble is, I often find my hifi sounds great on a Sunday morning for some reason, so I remained open minded.
Since then I have been very busy and have barely listened to anything, but tonight I have sat down for a good listening session and have had time to swap the plug between the spur and the ring main and there is definitely an improvement. The difference is not as great as I had hoped, not the "better than a new black box" improvement that I have heard others talk about, but an improvement is an improvement and it only cost me about £50 for all the bits which can't be bad.
By the way, before anyone starts shouting about the dangers of DIY electrics, I should say I do know what I'm doing and it will all be covered by a Building Regs Part P certificate in due course.
The interesting thing is the improvements are more noticeable using the LP12 as a source rather than CD, which I hadn't expected. The Lingo is still on the ring main and therefore hasn't been improved as such. I assume the phono stage in the pre amp appreciates the better supply?
The improvement in sound is a slightly gutsier bass and improved detail/separation although it varies track to track. I also fancy my foot's tapping that bit more
, which is always my acid test.
Regards
Gary
After the initial frustration of tracking down an appropriate 32amp MCB to fit my consumer unit, I started chasing out walls and drilling holes etc. I choose to use 6mm cable rather than 10mm for the ease of drawing the cable, but I still managed to take the skin of every knuckle on both hands - boy is that stuff stiff.
Anyway, by the close of play a week ago Saturday, it was in and connected. I was so knackered I just flopped onto the settee with a beer and prepared to be amazed. But it was all a bit of an anti-climax, there appeared to be no great improvement to start with.
The following morning however, things seemed to be singing and I began to reconsider. The trouble is, I often find my hifi sounds great on a Sunday morning for some reason, so I remained open minded.
Since then I have been very busy and have barely listened to anything, but tonight I have sat down for a good listening session and have had time to swap the plug between the spur and the ring main and there is definitely an improvement. The difference is not as great as I had hoped, not the "better than a new black box" improvement that I have heard others talk about, but an improvement is an improvement and it only cost me about £50 for all the bits which can't be bad.
By the way, before anyone starts shouting about the dangers of DIY electrics, I should say I do know what I'm doing and it will all be covered by a Building Regs Part P certificate in due course.
The interesting thing is the improvements are more noticeable using the LP12 as a source rather than CD, which I hadn't expected. The Lingo is still on the ring main and therefore hasn't been improved as such. I assume the phono stage in the pre amp appreciates the better supply?
The improvement in sound is a slightly gutsier bass and improved detail/separation although it varies track to track. I also fancy my foot's tapping that bit more
, which is always my acid test.Regards
Gary
quote:Originally posted by prowla:
What's a fuse?
A device that's lit at both ends.
Kindof like this thread then?quote:Originally posted by Stephen Tate:quote:Originally posted by prowla:
What's a fuse?
A device that's lit at both ends.
quote:Originally posted by Chillkram:
I'm definitely not up to a diy effort myself and it may be a while before I can persuade the missus that someone carving channels in to the wall is a good thing!
Mark
Mark
In my last house, I suddenly got the urge one Saturday morning whilst my wife was out, to chase some cable into the wall. So, out came the angle grinder and off I went. Within a few minutes you couldn't see more than a foot in front of your face. I opened all the windows and the dust started billowing out. At about that time, my wife returned and thought the house was on fire! I hadn't put down a single dust sheet or made any attempt to cover anything up and I am still not allowed to forget it 12 years later
At least this time I didn't use the angle grinder, but I still made a lot of mess!
Gary