power games

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rikhav

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power games
« on: 20 Jul 2018, 04:24 am »
Hi all
I own a Odyssey stratos extreme +++ amplifier since about 6 to 7 years now and till date I feel I have not reached the actual potential of the amp
I bought it very lightly used which is a big thing in my country as imports are taxed very heavily and plus heavier the item the more shipping charges when importing
So the price shoots up considerably

Long story short.. I have build my setup very slowly due to financial reasons and call it lack of experience I always felt I should not bother much about power cables as my setup was not ressolving enough to show up sound difference between power cables
So I just bought some better cables then stock and never bothered to even check if anything improved or degraded
Luckily a month ago I got 3 acrolink cables on loan which I hard with my pre, power and dac
And the difference was nothing short of jaw dropping
The overall resolution, the tonality and fluidity in sound improvedd considerably

I was chatting about the recent improvement I got with a close friend and told him I have three phase power at my home which is sort of uncommon in resdiential flats in Bombay, India
He gave me the idea of dedicating one phase only to audio by running a separate cable from the distribution point
That phase won't be shared by any electrical point in the house
I got it done and used a LAPP cable 2.5 sq mm 3 core cable for this purpose
I was not sure what to expect but as I kept on listening I realized how much more into the music I could listen, sound became very more resolving and resolution increased tremendously
There was not a single track where I could not hear newer instruments or sounds

So overall the setup sound has gone up by few notches and I wanted to thank my friend Mr..Kishore for suggesting this tweak, klaus to make such a wonderful piece of equipment and other friends for regularly helping me out

Also anyone else having a three phase power supply please do try this tweak if possible
 

FullRangeMan

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Re: power games
« Reply #1 on: 20 Jul 2018, 04:31 am »
The tension are 360V? the phases are three of 127V each?

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #2 on: 20 Jul 2018, 04:44 am »
I am not good with power but we have 230 V in India
So each phase in isolation also provides 230 V
But in some situation like a water pump we can use a 3 phase one  which will take more then 230 volts
. generally we get three phase mostly in industrial area as it's required for some heavy machinery

We had divided the three phases equally in our house working part if house powered by phase 1, another by phase 2 and rest by phase 3

Whatever was powered by phase 3 I divided that amongst phase 1 and 2 and dedicated phase 3 only for 2 for wall plugs in the audio room which only power audio equipment

Even the lights, air conditioner and other wall plugs in the room are powered by the shared phase used by the whole house
Hope my explanation helps as I am not pro with power

A_shah

Re: power games
« Reply #3 on: 20 Jul 2018, 08:00 pm »
I am not good with power but we have 230 V in India
So each phase in isolation also provides 230 V
But in some situation like a water pump we can use a 3 phase one  which will take more then 230 volts
. generally we get three phase mostly in industrial area as it's required for some heavy machinery

We had divided the three phases equally in our house working part if house powered by phase 1, another by phase 2 and rest by phase 3

Whatever was powered by phase 3 I divided that amongst phase 1 and 2 and dedicated phase 3 only for 2 for wall plugs in the audio room which only power audio equipment

Even the lights, air conditioner and other wall plugs in the room are powered by the shared phase used by the whole house
Hope my explanation helps as I am not pro with power


Coming from that part of world ( your next door neighboring country, I understand the 3 phase issue I did the same in Karachi years ago , I own a custom made Klaus Kismet amp now that I live in the U.S. You are lucky and credit goes to Mr.Klaus  Bunge for have made an amplifier that has survived the electric fluctuation
in that part of the world as Odyssey amps need to be on 24 /7 in a dedicated outlet to really give you the SQ you are looking for ! I also had large 10KWA
power generator in my house when the electricity would go out.  What we call a brownout in this country
To protect my AV systems  I had what we call High end Stabilizers that would help protect the equipment from daily multiple  power surges
Let us face it, it  is really the power transformer that we really hear in our amplifiers , please correct me,  anybody ! if I am wrong and it does require clean power
I do have multiple amplifiers and multiple speakers and Klaus kismet  is among the  amps that I hope to keep for a long time ! my other equipment changes come and go  :D :)

Asghar
 

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #4 on: 20 Jul 2018, 08:12 pm »
Electricity in Bombay is very stable fkr most of the part
The idea to dedicate a phase to audio was to isolate the audio equipment from other electrical components in the house which cause noise in the power lines .

Still this method does not isolate the electrical  noise from other homes in the building but is better then before

FullRangeMan

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Re: power games
« Reply #5 on: 20 Jul 2018, 11:44 pm »
Wiki say India is 230V and 240V both 50Hz:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eletricidade_dom%C3%A9stica_por_pa%C3%ADs
I suspect both tensions are mono-phase.


rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #6 on: 21 Jul 2018, 03:39 am »
Wiki say India is 230V and 240V both 50Hz:
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eletricidade_dom%C3%A9stica_por_pa%C3%ADs
I suspect both tensions are mono-phase.

Yes you can simply say three lines of single phases
But can be also used for heavy duty water pumps or any other equipment which would need three phase power

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #7 on: 23 Jul 2018, 05:59 am »
Also cleaned all the contacts
RCA, speaker connectors
All pins of all power cables
All RCA and speaker connectors on the amp, pre and dac

Did not have anything special to clean them so used medical Spirit but the idea was to be nor too soft and nor too agressve so I don't remove any kind of playing

Made an obvious difference as I will admit I had never cleaned the contacts ever and our climate is humid

It was easily noticed that music had a better flow and highs wwere at it's best ever heard in the said setup

There was no kind of strain in the sound

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #8 on: 30 Jul 2018, 03:16 am »
Adding to what all power related tweaks I have made I even did some major operating system tweaking of the PC connected to my DAC
I know it does not match the thread title but thought it's best to add here as end result is similar, drop in NOISE FLOOR
My friend made me a tailor made application which can dedicate certain cores to music software and rest to all sevcies and process running on windows thereby isolating music software from all other processes / services running on windows
Result a big drop in noise floor
I can confidently say it's as big a jump as  you would get when you say for example get when you upgrade from a normal switching supply to a linear supply to power your dac

The instruments and vocals sound so much more real, very resolving sound and still no digital glare
All in all enhances the musical experience by a great deal

At the end of the day I can hear the Odyssey signature even more with the latest change and even after 6 or 7 years of use the sound puts a smile on my face

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #9 on: 30 Jul 2018, 12:26 pm »
With a 2.5mm Square power cable coming from the Wall Consumer Unit you are not getting the best results. You need to use 10mm Square copper power cable for this purpose. Trust me (big difference in sound quality).

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #10 on: 30 Jul 2018, 12:51 pm »
With a 2.5mm Square power cable coming from the Wall Consumer Unit you are not getting the best results. You need to use 10mm Square copper power cable for this purpose. Trust me (big difference in sound quality).

I am not even sure if we get 10 sq mm out here ;)
But it's surely much better then what it sounded before . It also has a phase dedicated to it
So maybe in future I will try a thicker cable but I really have my doubts on getting 3 core cable with each core being 10 sq mm thick

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #11 on: 30 Jul 2018, 06:00 pm »
10mm square is a common size here in the UK (Ebay link included below). In my hifi system I was using 2.5mm Square mains cable for years. When I changed to 10mm Square I easily noticed a vast improvement in sound quality; better dynamics, huge increase in holographic 3D Imaging. I bet you $1000 you'll hear a big difference in your system...


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10MM-TWIN-AND-EARTH-6242Y-PVC-GREY-CABLE-SHOWER-COOKER-CABLE-PER-10-METRES/111711809841?hash=item1a028af131:g:wKIAAOSwFyhZ8Y7B

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #12 on: 30 Jul 2018, 06:05 pm »
The extra copper allows for better electrical current transfer to feed your hifi system.

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #13 on: 30 Jul 2018, 09:07 pm »
@osib16

Very thanks for sharing the link

I don't doubt you at all since you are sharing your personal experience, just that I was not aware about a 10 sq mm mains cable

If you don't mind can you mention your complete setup

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #14 on: 30 Jul 2018, 10:42 pm »
Every component in my hifi system is heavily modified. I used top of the range parts. My system is listed below...


MARTIN LOGAN CLS IIZ ELECTROSTATIC SPEAKERS -
 (BLACK GATE AND MUNDORF SILVER OIL CAPACITORS, MILLS RESISTORS, IEGO SOLID SILVER IEC SOCKETS, SOLID SILVER RIBBON INTERNAL WIRING).



ODYSSEY FRANKENSTRATOS POWER AMPS -
(BLACK GATE & DUELUND CAPACITORS, MILLS RESISTORS, NEOTECH UPOCC 6 NINES COPPER AND 5 NINES SILVER WIRING, SOLID SILVER RIBBON WIRING,  FURUTECH UPOCC ‘6 NINES’ COPPER RCA SOCKETS).



TACT 2.2X PREAMP/DAC -
(FULLY MODDED BY MAUI MODS, FILLED WITH APPROX $2000 WORTH OF BLACK GATE CAPACITORS, KIMBER SILVER WIRING, IEGO SOLID SILVER IEC SOCKET, FURUTECH UPOCC ‘6 NINES’ COPPER RCA SOCKETS).



JOHN KENNY CIUNAS USB TO SPDIF CONVERTER -
(INTERNALLY REWIRED WITH UPOCC ‘6 NINES’ COPPER).



BK MONOLITH SUBWOOFER -
(FULLY MODDED, MUNDORF CAPACITORS, INTERNALLY WIRED WITH GOERTZ MI3 SPEAKER CABLE).



GOERTZ AG2 SOLID SILVER RIBBON SPEAKER CABLES.



UPOCC ‘5 NINES’ SOLID SILVER ‘DIY’ RCA INTERCONNECTS.



CARDAS ‘6 NINES’ COPPER DIY POWER CABLES.



NEOTECH UPOCC ‘6 NINES’ COPPER DIY POWER CABLE.



MINIX NEO N42C-4 MINI DESKTOP PC.



FLOORSTANDING ELO TOUCHSCREEN MONITOR.


OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #15 on: 30 Jul 2018, 10:52 pm »
My modified Odyssey Frankenstratos is here...
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=119268.0

rikhav

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Re: power games
« Reply #16 on: 31 Jul 2018, 02:57 am »
Now I remember :)

I remember reading about it sir
The FRANKENSTRATOS

Excellent setup and you have taken the pains to almost modify each and every component of yours

I one of my friends also owns ML electrostats
Will suggest him the mods you have done to it

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #17 on: 31 Jul 2018, 12:36 pm »
If your friend is interested in modifying his Martin Logan Electrostats my modifications with photos are here...

http://www.martinloganowners.com/forum/showthread.php?16884-CLS-IIZ-MODIFCATIONS-(Complete-Overhaul)

OSIB16

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Re: power games
« Reply #18 on: 31 Jul 2018, 12:44 pm »
And if you do go down the route of 10mm Square it’s best to remove the main grey PVC sleeve, then replace the bare ground wire with a single PVC covered 10mm Square wire. After that weave the 3 wires together every three inches. This helps to reject RFI (interference). All the best.