[Double Ugly]

By and large, the last few posts in this thread are reasonable, well-articulated and cogent beyond my wildest expectations.  I wish those who will inevitably come here to tell others what they do or (more likely) do not hear would read and heed, but I know better.  As well as this thread as turned out, there are those who will not be swayed, nor will they be silenced.

Regardless of what will come, I thank you for your part in helping this thread to fit the descriptive text above.  That's a first for me and I'm grateful.

Double Ugly
Facilitator, Audio Central

[avahifi]

What happens if all (or just one of) the components in an AVA system loose power all at once?

The system stops playing.  Nothing else and nothing bad.

All AVA preamps and DACs have on and off transient suppression circuits that prevents any nasty pops or thumps in the even of sudden power loss or from turning them on or off into an energized power amp.  The power amps make no nasty on or off transients themselves.  The system is protected.  Restore power and enjoy the music again, no drama.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[Niteshade]

When in doubt, make a good power cord with garden-hose size 12-3. Most house wiring is 12-3 and bringing that same gauge right up to the amp can't hurt. From what I have seen, issues arise when the plug and socket are poor quality or not hooked up solidly to the wire. Those problems create noise and high resistance.

There's nothing wrong with integrated power cords that are well fastened (electrically & mechanically), have a good plug and use the proper gauge of wire. How can one go wrong with fewer contacts in the electrical supply chain? That clear benefit alone can outweigh many IEC so-called benefits.

What I like about IEC cords: They're easy to replace!

Since I like either fixed or IEC cords, you won't find me leaning towards either side. It's 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other in regards to pro's & cons.

Just remember this fact: You can have $100,000 wire and it won't mean a hill of beans if the contacts on either end of it are poor! Since IEC sockets are molded- well.... it is what it is.

If you ask me, it's time to move on!   What about a twist-lock setup that can be made to be self-cleaning? Or at least something like that...

[DaveC113]

I've noticed some components show more or less differences in sonics due to cables used. An example: my Trends T-Amp can sound very different as a result of changing speaker cables. My class A SET does not. If you tried to do a comparison of speaker cables in my house, you'd come to very different conclusions depending on which amp was used. This has NOTHING to do with how "resolving" or whatever the system is. You'd have to be deranged to think the Trends is the superior amp vs the SET. I think there is a possibility that equipment that changes sonics depending on what cable is feeding its ps or what cable it's driving may have an inferior ps or output circuit  

[Brown]

I've noticed some components show more or less differences in sonics due to cables used. An example: my Trends T-Amp can sound very different as a result of changing speaker cables. My class A SET does not. If you tried to do a comparison of speaker cables in my house, you'd come to very different conclusions depending on which amp was used. This has NOTHING to do with how "resolving" or whatever the system is. You'd have to be deranged to think the Trends is the superior amp vs the SET. I think there is a possibility that equipment that changes sonics depending on what cable is feeding its ps or what cable it's driving may have an inferior ps or output circuit  

BINGO!!!!!!!!!  Have been down the powercord road. Some were affective others not. If I was buying components from Frank I would respect his opinion and design options as a package. Save the cost of three powercords and upgrade my components. If I really desired a component that offered an IEC than that would be the one I'd buy.
   Either way just enjoy the music.

[konut]

The other variable that needs to be considered is the power supply of the component in question. The first thing that pops into my mind when a power cord is touted to have day/night improvement, is to question the quality of the power supply. IMHO a well built supply ameliorates power anomalies inherent in real would situations. If the cord has THAT much of an effect on sonics, how well was the supply designed? Was it built to a price point? Is a power cord like applying a band aid to a problem that should realistically require surgery? Having stated ALL THAT, I'm also in the camp that believes that many, small, incremental improvements go a long way to bottom line improvements in SQ.

[bummrush]

im pretty sure frank has quite good power supplies,as they cope with as he says Mn brownouts and he takes all that stuff into account in his products,sooner or later i have to try one of his amps again.

[wilsynet]

What happens if all (or just one of) the components in an AVA system loose power all at once?

The system stops playing.  Nothing else and nothing bad.

That is excellent Frank.  So are you saying that the first reason you gave for not having an IEC outlet (you said it would be bad if you just lost power because the connection came loose), are you saying that the reason isn't a good one because AVA components are okay when that happens?

Because otherwise, it would seem contradictory for you to say that "I won't use IEC outlets because bad things happen when the connection comes loose" and at the same time say "Nothing bad happens when connections come loose".

So there's no way you'd be saying both of those things at the same time ...

[wilsynet]

Second, inasmuch as we supply the units with polarized two conductor power cords, for both electrical safety and ground loop hum protection, this "feature" would allow circumventing these design safety features.

I agree, it is important that there's proper ground for the equipment, for safety reasons.  There are some power strips for example that will indicate ground faults using a little light.

It's as easy to plug the AVA equipment into an outlet which doesn't provide proper ground as it would be to install the wrong kind of power cord if you had an IEC outlet on the equipment.  In the interests of safety (I don't know enough about electronics to know if it's even possible really) are you going to be building in a circuit to detect a ground fault and refuse to power up if such a thing is detected?

[jhm731]

If you ask me, it's time to move on!   What about a twist-lock setup that can be made to be self-cleaning? Or at least something like that...

Try these:

http://www.neutrik.com/fl/en/industry/203_1970434001/PowerCon%C2%AE_group.aspx

Audience uses them on their power conditioners.

[whubbard]

What happens if all (or just one of) the components in an AVA system loose power all at once?

The system stops playing.  Nothing else and nothing bad.

That is excellent Frank.  So are you saying that the first reason you gave for not having an IEC outlet (you said it would be bad if you just lost power because the connection came loose), are you saying that the reason isn't a good one because AVA components are okay when that happens?

Because otherwise, it would seem contradictory for you to say that "I won't use IEC outlets because bad things happen when the connection comes loose" and at the same time say "Nothing bad happens when connections come loose".

So there's no way you'd be saying both of those things at the same time ...

Wilsynet,

I think that Frank is saying that we obviously don't want the music to stop because a power cord fell out. He doesn't feel and IEC is necessary, so would rather not have the extra connection. He is not saying that the gear will be damaged, just that he doesn't want the music to stop. Quite poetic if you ask me 

-West

[satfrat]

What happens if all (or just one of) the components in an AVA system loose power all at once?

The system stops playing.  Nothing else and nothing bad.

That is excellent Frank.  So are you saying that the first reason you gave for not having an IEC outlet (you said it would be bad if you just lost power because the connection came loose), are you saying that the reason isn't a good one because AVA components are okay when that happens?

Because otherwise, it would seem contradictory for you to say that "I won't use IEC outlets because bad things happen when the connection comes loose" and at the same time say "Nothing bad happens when connections come loose".

So there's no way you'd be saying both of those things at the same time ...

Wilsynet,

I think that Frank is saying that we obviously don't want the music to stop because a power cord fell out. He doesn't feel and IEC is necessary, so would rather not have the extra connection. He is not saying that the gear will be damaged, just that he doesn't want the music to stop. Quite poetic if you ask me 

-West

Frank is very lucky to have someone like you West explaining to everyone what he's saying and thinking.  


Cheers,
Robin