[headshrinker2]

Morning all,
How many of you are using 3rd party power cords with your Bryston setup?  What are you using and are you happy with it?  What kind of sonic changes/improvements did the power cord bring?

[Anonamemouse]

I build them myself.

It's not that hard, a small screwdriver, some other tools, a deal with a Furutech supplier, some well shielded heavy duty power cable, and some time is all you need.

Why? It saves a TON of money, and I know of VERY expensive powercords that actually are so well insulated that even regular current doesn't flow through it anymore. I am talking $2000+ cables here.
My cables cost about $50 each, and they work like a charm: they move current from the electricity company to my equipment. I think that one should open the floodgates as much as possible without letting interference in, but I don't see why I should spend more on cables than on my gear...

Building instructions can be found here.

[headshrinker2]

Anonamemouse,
Very cool!  Thanks for sharing the link.

I build them myself.

It's not that hard, a small screwdriver, some other tools, a deal with a Furutech supplier, some well shielded heavy duty power cable, and some time is all you need.

Why? It saves a TON of money, and I know of VERY expensive powercords that actually are so well insulated that even regular current doesn't flow through it anymore. I am talking $2000+ cables here.
My cables cost about $50 each, and they work like a charm: they move current from the electricity company to my equipment. I think that one should open the floodgates as much as possible without letting interference in, but I don't see why I should spend more on cables than on my gear...

Building instructions can be found here.

[SoundGame]

But what do the DIY cable really offer beyond the performance of the OEM Bryston power cables?  My understanding is that Bryston does not endorse the use of any overly expensive audio cables;however, I'm not sure their stance on more affordable alternatives such as DIY?

[AvidHiker]

I build them myself.
Building instructions can be found here.

+1 on the Belden DIY mains. This cable is excellent quality (BTW - you can currently buy it by the foot on eBay at a MUCH better price than elsewhere) with a high degree of shielding. Just a word of caution - the teflon insulation on this cable can "cold flow", but is quite safe if used properly (NASA among others have ways to address this). I've never seen any hit of cold flow on my cables, but one should be careful when assembling them by not crimping the cable too tight (or exceeding the minimum recommended bending radius). One more tip - I have found that 3/8" techflex works much better than 1/2" on this cable.

Anyway, I like the DIY route because I can choose the terminations which I feel make for the best connection - I find using a good quality IEC connector frequently makes for a much more secure connection compared with some stock cables (but Bryston's stock cable is fine IME).

[Stu Pitt]

I'm pretty sure James' stance is do whatever sounds best to your ears.

I use a Shunyata Diamondback Platinum on my B60.  I originally used a Venom.  I tried out the Venom because I damaged the jacket of my OEM power cord.  Not a lot, but chafed the jacket enough wher I felt it probably wasn't very safe.  The Venom (and Diamondback Platinum) had a 100% money-back guarantee, so I figured why not?

I liked the Venom upgrade.  At first it sounded a bit rolled off in the highs.  After listening for a bit, I realized nothing was rolled off, the system just sounded more relaxed.  Kind of like it was breathing easier.  I'm not going to say there was more shimmer here, more bloom there, etc.  That stuff sounds like a bunch of fluff BS.  To my ears, everything sounded more natural and at ease.

2 years or so later, the Diamondback Platinum went on sale for 50% off with the same return policy, so I tried that out as well.  I figured that if it was better/worth the cost, I'd move the Venom to the DAC.  The Diamondback did everything the Venom did, but at a step higher.  I then added the Venom to the DAC, and it sounded better yet.

I paid $125 for the Diamondback Platinum and $100 for the Venom.  Both were pretty effective 'tweaks.'  I'm sure not everyone will like them, but that's how everything goes in this hobby.

I honestly didn't think power cords would have made a difference at all.  The Venom was bought as a might as well try it out thing when I needed a replacement anyway.  Tyring it out paid off for me.

[Stu Pitt]

Also...

I think some people get way too carried away with cables in general.  Some people spend as much, if not more money on them than components.  While I haven't heard couple thousand dollar cables on gear that I knew without them, my experience with cables is that they're more of a fine tuning thing than anything else.  If someone is going to spend $2k on a power cord, save it and put it towards a component upgrade IMO.  Unless of course you're at the point where an extra $2k isn't going to get you the next component up, and you've run out of options as to what to improve.

The only time I've knowingly heard absurdly expensive cables was in a Halcro/Verity system that retailed for about $100k for components and speakers.  No idea what cables were used, nor how much they cost.  The cables looked like car radiator hoses.  Couldn't have been cheap, especially in this hobby.  No idea how much they actually contributed and/or what they contributed to the overall sound, as I haven't heard that system without them.

[adol290]

I also make my own power cords.

I have used the  furutech f-28 and fi-50 ends.

I have tried shielded Neotech NEP-3001 cable,  but found it a bit closed in. It is also
 a very stiff and hard cable to work with.

I have also tried something completely different.
I took the Bryston SC4 speaker cable and ran the red and black to the positive terminal on FI's and the grey an white to the neutral terminal. so each terminal has 2-12 gauge wires.
I then ran a separate 14 2 speaker cable for the ground(2-14 gauage wires). Used CAIG DeoxIT Gold on all ends.

I found the bryston cable made my amps(28b's front right and left) sound even more clean/open and detailed. 

I created a special plug in, so I could burn the cables in on my furnace fan(which runs constantly).

You have to experiment to find out what sound good with your system.

[Elizabeth]

I use pangea power cords in all the equipment with IEC A/C connections.
I also use several powerline conditioners. And a dedicated A/C line just for my system.
Being a cheapskate i bought the conditioners used. and the dedicated line is a single 20amp outlet with it's own breaker with a handmade set of wires to my stereo. The Pangea are good powercords at a price no higher  than hand made ones.

So my Bryston amp is connected to the A/C via a 45 foot custom twin set of quad spiral twisted MilSpec silver plated Teflon shielded 12 gauge wires one set (of four) each to each powerline conditioner. The Furman REF20I is connected to the dedicated line with a several meter long Pangea 9 cable, the powercord from the Furman to the 4B-SST2 is also a several meter long Pangea 9 The Bryston BP-26 is connected to a PS Audio PPP with a pangea 14SE cord.
The pangea make a difference I can hear. All the A/C stuff does a good job for me.

Added: the cost of aftermarket cords IMO should  be only a small portion of the cost of the equipment. With the idea of spending much more than a small portion out of the question. As one should spend it on the equipment in the first place insted of on crazy wires. Almost crazy wire are, however Ok in my book, as long as they do not cost too much!
I personally am big on power conditioning. And five percent of my total cost (including video) is in power conditioners.

[Phil A]

I make my own as well.  I did try a couple of Pangea cords and they are excellent for the money.  I did get a long thick one that I couldn't use (wouldn't turn where I had it) where I wanted it but it is a well made nice sounding cord that is a sensible upgrade/

[jaxwired]

Using wireworld stratos 52s for everything.  They run $100 each for 2 meter cords (I paid less).  They are thin and flexible compared to most alternatives.  Quality 12 gauge OFC insulated wire with very nice molded connectors.   

[headshrinker2]

jaxwired,
How do the WW powercables change the audio?  The Stratos 52s seem to be an excellent value.  Did you ever have the opportunity to compare them with the next step up, the Aurora's? 

Using wireworld stratos 52s for everything.  They run $100 each for 2 meter cords (I paid less).  They are thin and flexible compared to most alternatives.  Quality 12 gauge OFC insulated wire with very nice molded connectors.

[jaxwired]

Also...

I think some people get way too carried away with cables in general.  Some people spend as much, if not more money on them than components.  While I haven't heard couple thousand dollar cables on gear that I knew without them, my experience with cables is that they're more of a fine tuning thing than anything else.  If someone is going to spend $2k on a power cord, save it and put it towards a component upgrade IMO.  Unless of course you're at the point where an extra $2k isn't going to get you the next component up, and you've run out of options as to what to improve.

The only time I've knowingly heard absurdly expensive cables was in a Halcro/Verity system that retailed for about $100k for components and speakers.  No idea what cables were used, nor how much they cost.  The cables looked like car radiator hoses.  Couldn't have been cheap, especially in this hobby.  No idea how much they actually contributed and/or what they contributed to the overall sound, as I haven't heard that system without them.

I completely agree.  I definately think cable matters, but I also think that the price to performance relationship with cable is the least reliable of all the hifi components.   I would never buy anything but so called "budget" cables.  Many are outstanding.

[jaxwired]

jaxwired,
How do the WW powercables change the audio?  The Stratos 52s seem to be an excellent value.  Did you ever have the opportunity to compare them with the next step up, the Aurora's?

The wireworld power cables jump up in price pretty quick, but as you move up the line they don't change much.  That's another reason why I feel like the stratos 52 is a bargain.  But, to answer your question, no I have not heard any of the more expensive wireworld power cables.   

[Diamond Dog]

I haven't to date done any experimenting with power cables on any of my gear but it's always interesting to see what those who have are experiencing. Do I really want to open this door? Yeah...

I think some people get way too carried away with cables in general.  Some people spend as much, if not more money on them than components.  While I haven't heard couple thousand dollar cables on gear that I knew without them, my experience with cables is that they're more of a fine tuning thing than anything else.

I think some people view the cables in their systems as a component. I have had a chance to hear what fairly expensive cables can do in a system where I was really familiar with what it sounded like without them ( my own system ) and in my case the improvement was remarkable. I think it was less a case of what they added to the sound but rather what they didn't take away. More a case of letting you hear what the components ahead of the cables actually were capable of turning out without having the sound coloured / smeared by the cables' own sonic signature. There is no doubt that as Stu said, some people use cables as "fine tuning" or as tone controls. My preference is for them to get the hell out of the way as much as possible. Hearing really good cables in my system did pose problems, though. As someone once posted ( think it was Pez ), once you've heard something that really impressed you, you can't unhear it. So you want it.
 Don't you just love / hate this hobby ?

D.D.

[Stu Pitt]

I don't use them as tone controls per se.  Not that I'm knocking others who do, but it just seems to that if they're changing the overall tonal balance, then they're doing something wrong.  I guess what I mean is that if they're increasing a part of the frequency response, it's almost always at the expense of another.  I'm not very articulate with this stuff, so take it all as you will.

A lot of people view cables as components. While they're obviously essential - there's no signal without them - I view their role as a tweak or a fine tuning thing than anything else.  I've never heard a cable truly make or break a system.   

[klao]

Like some of our friends here, I'm not really worried much about after-market power cords for Bryston amps, especially when the units of mine have got the latest transformers and caps.  Besides, I'm hooking them with the TorusPower.

Anyhow, for the sake of having to do something (I can't DIY), I bought some used JPS Labs AC Power+ cords and replaced their standard plugs with Furutech's rhodium ones, FI-28(R) and FI-E38(R). 

The cables are not that expensive (as second-hand) and have quite big gauge 8.  Good enough for me, I think.

[headshrinker2]

Stu,
As you know, many audiophiles consider their cabling to be an integral part of an overall system- and worth budgeting for.  Most of what I have read suggests that the role of good cable (or speaker wire) is to carry the audio signal as purely as possible without messing it up. 

There are clearly many variables in cabling making that can alter the sonic property of the audio.  Even within the limited number of cables I have had the opportunity to audition and compare in my own systems, there is wide variation in the resulting sound. 

Even if one doesn't chase down the "neutral" or "correct" cable, I would think that most individuals would have some kind of preference if they had a chance to compare different cabling in their system.  Life is definitely simpler if one does not do these kind of comparisons!  But for those of us who are seeking extreme pleasure in their audio, it's worth playing around a bit.

S

[Stu Pitt]

Headshrinker,

I'm not doubting the differences in cables at all.  I just changed my IC from an Audioquest King Cobra to a Kimber Hero with WBT locking RCA.  Very nice change for the better.

I'm just saying that cables aren't the holy grail in a system by any means.  I think they're more like fine tuning.  I wouldn't spend as much on any one cable as I have on any one component.  I have about $650 in cables in my system as it is, if that's any indication of my stance.  The total MSRP of my system (without cables, stands, etc.) is about $6k new.  That doesn't include my turntable which is unfortunately boxed up due to space constraints.

They make an audible difference to me.  Just not a component upgrade.  That's my main message.  I don't doubt that they're more of a priority for others.  We all have varying degrees of hearing and budget.   

[headshrinker2]

Stu,
I definitely understand what you are saying.  I'd love to see your Bryston rig, along with cable details.  Could you post a pic in the system pic thread?