Installing DEDICATED power line to 2 channel system

[Sounding]

But won’t it help prevent EMI / RFI from entering the power feed between the switchboard and the power outlet, same as Gigawatt in-wall cable does, by being shielded and shielding earthed at the source end?

[bob_m_54]

15 hours ago, Sounding said:

But won’t it help prevent EMI / RFI from entering the power feed between the switchboard and the power outlet, same as Gigawatt in-wall cable does, by being shielded and shielding earthed at the source end?

It can, if you have some particular piece of equipment in your home that emits a lot of EMI/RFI, but that is unlikely and the damage is already done well before the switchboard anyway. The shielded cable will not remove any EMI/RFI already picked up by the power cable.

 

Edit: A bit more info.. In areas where you have high levels of EMI and RFI,  the main problem is that it affects signal cables. ie. unshielded interconnects or control cables, antenna feeds, and even unshielded equipment components at times.

 

Shielding power cables is done to prevent the power cables from emitting EMI, and affecting the signal cables. This is why VSD power feeds require shielding as they use a stepped triangular wave, which can emit significant amounts of EMI.

Edited March 6, 2023 by bob_m_54
more info

[Sounding]

I am proceeding with a dedicated power run from my meter box to my equipment.

My electrician was looking at a flexible shielded conduit for 4mm power cable.

I have passed him the data sheet for the VSD cable attached here.

I see the colours used in the 2 core plus earth are blue and black. I am unsure whether that meets the standards for building wiring, that’s my electricians job to know.

But if it doesn’t, another option I suggested to the electrician is the 3 core plus earth, as it has brown & blue plus earth, and a black which I figure can go unused or tie to earth.

I wait to hear back from my electrician, but thought I would share this here.

 

[Sounding]

My electrician replied, most of the cables are multi-strand, like what’s in an extension lead. Being multi strand makes it illegal to connect direct to the switchboard. However there is a Class 2 cable which is permitted, so he is pricing that. I will update when I find out.

[aussievintage]

19 minutes ago, Sounding said:

Being multi strand makes it illegal to connect direct to the switchboard.

 

Just wire the switchboard to a large current power socket immediately adjacent to it using the same wiring that is in the switchboard.  Then plug your dedicated line into that socket and run it to your sound room.

[Ryehifi]

I installed a direct feed to from the switch board to my stereo as I was already doing some electrical work and had to pull up the roof.

Probably cost me $200, mates rates 

 

Installed a 6mm cable, it definitely made a difference, not out of this world but definitely did.

 

If you can and it’s not to hard for the sparky, why not? Reasonably cheap upgrade 

 

Cam

[bob_m_54]

On 17/05/2023 at 11:49 AM, Sounding said:

My electrician replied, most of the cables are multi-strand, like what’s in an extension lead. Being multi strand makes it illegal to connect direct to the switchboard. However there is a Class 2 cable which is permitted, so he is pricing that. I will update when I find out.

 

What he probably said was that it is "Flexible Cable" as defined by AS/NZS 3000, and cannot be connected to the switchboard.

Quote

1.4.40 Cord, flexible
A flexible cable, no wire of which exceeds 0.31 mm diameter and no
conductor of which exceeds 4 mm 2 cross-sectional area, and having
not more than five cores.

 

Standard house wiring is generally multi-strand conductors.

 

[davewantsmoore]

On 06/03/2023 at 5:13 PM, bob_m_54 said:

it doesn't remove EMI/RFI from the power feed...

Yes, it just stops it radiating it, or picking it up.

 

Useful?  Would depend a lot on the equipment.

[PeterB7858]

I recently got my electrician to install a dedicated 6mm2 line to my stereo room. Dedicated RCD and new Hager powerpoint as well. Just over $400... 

Previously the stereo powerpoint was one in a line that ran a third of the way round the house and included 9 other outlets (several doubles)...

I have no doubt that the process has been worthwhile and that SQ has improved, even though the system was sounding very good, previously.

All the clichés apply - "a veil has been lifted", etc. etc. but undoubtedly very easy to detect.

And all for a cost less that just about every interconnect/power cable in my system.

Regards,

Peter

 

[Bass13]

Is this any good to use...?

 

6.0mm 2 Core + Earth Orange Circular Electrical Cable PER MTR

$4.45

 

Description

For Mains, Sub-mains and sub-circuits unenclosed, enclosed in conduit buried direct or underground ducts for buildings and industrial plants where not subject to mechanical damage. Suitable for glanding

 

– 2 Core + Earth Insulation Colours: Red, Black, Green/Yellow

– 450/750V V-90 Insulated, PVC Sheathed

– Sheath: PVC 5V-90

– Insulation: PVC V90

– Normal Operating Temperature: 90 Degrees

–  AS/NZS 5000.2

– SAA Approved

 

 

[PeterB7858]

11 hours ago, Bass13 said:

Is this any good to use...?

 

 

The cable my electrician used was white. I think it was Olex.

I'm not an electrician so I can't advise on the suitability of the orange cabling.

It's specs seems the same but apart from that I can't comment.

6mm2 was the largest diameter cable my sparky said he could directly wire  to a power outlet because of the size limitations of the outlet connection points.

The Olex 6mm2 is available at Bunnings, I think, but it obviously needs to be installed by an electrician.

Good luck with your project.

I firmly believe, in my situation anyway, that it is worth doing.

 

[POV]

6mm is really overkill unless you tend to run a commercial welding operation in your listening room so wouldn’t stress if your electrician doesn’t have it.  

[PeterB7858]

29 minutes ago, POV said:

6mm is really overkill unless you tend to run a commercial welding operation in your listening room so wouldn’t stress if your electrician doesn’t have it.  

 

 Yes I agree, but the price differential between 2.5mm2 and 6mm2 per meter is small in the scheme of things, unless you are doing a very long run, and, in the world of audiophilia, "bigger is always better" 

And you just never know...

[POV]

Just now, PeterB7858 said:

 

in the world of audiophilia, "bigger is always better" 

 

LOL…true that!

[Sounding]

1 hour ago, PeterB7858 said:

between 2.5mm2 and 6mm2

Another option is 4mm² 

I have gone off the idea of using shielded power cable to the outlets. Research suggests so little to gain I’d never hear it.

 

Preference now is a dedicated circuit with either 2.5mm² or 4mm² cable - either will supply ample current to my equipment.

[andyr]

On 15/08/2023 at 10:04 AM, Sounding said:

Another option is 4mm² 

 

Go for it!  

 

On 15/08/2023 at 10:04 AM, Sounding said:

I have gone off the idea of using shielded power cable to the outlets. Research suggests so little to gain I’d never hear it.

 

Agreed - waste of time, IMO.

 

On 15/08/2023 at 10:04 AM, Sounding said:

Preference now is a dedicated circuit with either 2.5mm² or 4mm² cable - either will supply ample current to my equipment.

 

Sure ... but as the power draw is not a constant 'X amps' - but, rather, a constantly varying draw, from low to high, why not use the thicker cable (to provide less resistance to this varying power draw)?

 

[Guest]

On 15/08/2023 at 10:04 AM, Sounding said:

I have gone off the idea of using shielded power cable to the outlets. Research suggests so little to gain I’d never hear it.

 

 

Why do hospitals use it? 

[playdough]

While chipping away at a hospital asked a similar question, why shield a power cable ? Curiosity question.

It's to keep RF and EM in, not out.

High frequency industrial switching motor drives, under high load, in sensitive to EM and RF Hospital areas will emit unacceptable noise to such a level it could interfere with sensitive equipment.

The Sparky suggested if there was no shielding these HF motor speed controllers would wipe out fairly well all radio reception on site. There was also a suggestion "don't you Audiophiles get silly ideas, or nic our cable"

 

 

[aussievintage]

8 minutes ago, playdough said:

The Sparky suggested if there was no shielding these HF motor speed controllers would wipe out fairly well all radio reception on site.

 

Apparently AM radios do not work in modern Electric Vehicles due to the noise from the high power motor control circuitry.

[playdough]

7 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

high power motor control circuitry.

If you had a monitored pace maker, my guess is stay away from this stuff.

[PeterB7858]

On 14/8/2023 at 6:28 PM, PeterB7858 said:

I recently got my electrician to install a dedicated 6mm2 line to my stereo room. Dedicated RCD and new Hager powerpoint as well.

 

In a very similar vein, yesterday morning we had our old switch box completely replaced.

My electrician spent a fair while tidying up the absolute bird’s nest of wires that had been added in over time (40+ years in the same house, two extension/renovations, PV system addition, spilt-system air conditioners, induction stove, Tesla battery installation, dedicated circuit to music room, etc…) and then replaced every circuit breaker with high quality Hager components.

 

Net effect - SQ has benefitted. Musical subtleties and delicate nuances are enhanced and more easily followed. Clear improvement.

 

I run wireless streaming to my Auralic Altair G1 so I can only assume that the circuit that feeds the modem/router/NAS setup benefitted from the changeover.

 

I’m not suggesting that everyone rush out and get this done but we needed it as we had no spare slots left in the old switchboard and we’d been told on several occasions the existing setup was a shemozzle.

 

Kind regards,

Peter

[ICUToo]

Does anyone have any 2core+earth 6mm orange helical lay they want to sell? Sydney.

I am after about 100m, I guess, but I haven't heard form my sparky- it's 2 runs to about 10m each but a LOT of up and down to get there...

Something like this https://www.middys.com.au/c/cable/power-cables?cat3=orange-circular

BTW, thanks to all for this thread- is there any recent development I should know about for ultimate overkill sound quality?

Edited October 23, 2023 by ICUToo
Location added.

[mfforever]

Hi all ........    been a while, but , as I been told, I do things slowly.

 

Got lots of great info from you all , so will begin in a week or 2 .....    will keep you posted re SQ.

[Jakeyb77_Redux]

I have two dedicated 15amp runs, one for each monoblock amp. (Suggested by manufacturer)

Amps turn on and stay on so that’s a good sign. 
As for SQ I can’t remember what they sounded like before

** it did clean up the spaghetti junction so that’s another win 

Edited October 23, 2023 by Jakeyb77_Redux

[mageak]

i asked a while ago at vaf. they talked about this cable being certified and shielded