IEC Inlet Questions

Hermitism

I'm looking into doing this mod to my Pio SC-05. I want something with set screws to install the wires. I read a post by F1 where he mentioned that "if the female end of the power cord is copper, then the Rhodium socket is the way to go as the copper would leach through the gold plating on the Gold socket and the fact that Rhodium conducts better than the gold plating."

I found this, but wanted to get some more options and opinions and perhaps a cheaper alternative. I sort of expected them to run about ten bucks. Also opinions on Gold vs. Rhodium plating. "Furutech FI-10 IEC inlet is very easy to install, and does NOT require any soldering. The wires are simply screwed into the inlet. The Furutech Rhodium-plated FI-10R IEC Inlet sounds clean and nicely down-the-middle, where the gold plated model sounds a bit warmer."

From Soniccraft's website: http://www.soniccraft.com/index.htm
"The Furutech FI-10 is an excellent chassis mount IEC connector. The body comes in your choice of ny-glass or Teflon. The conductors are eutectic cast Brass contacts plated in Gold or Rhodium. As with most Furutech parts, they have been processed with Furutech's Super Cryogenic & Demagnetize treatment. The FI-10 is rated at 15 Amps. The FI-10 (G) is $27.35 each; FI-10 (R) is $34.99 each." Plus shipping

They have archaic purchasing options. No online purchases. Placing an order may be done by phone, fax, E-mail, or snail mail. That's sooo 1990's.

From Revolution Power's website: http://www.revolutionpower.com/
FI-10G is $27.35
FI-10R is $35
Shipping $6.80 for one.

Any recommendations on brands/models of IEC inlets are welcome. But I would prefer something with set screws for wire installation.

F1nut

I read a post by F1 where he mentioned that "if the female end of the power cord is copper, then the Rhodium socket is the way to go as the copper would leach through the gold plating on the Gold socket and the fact that Rhodium conducts better than the gold plating."

I'm not sure why I said the copper would leach through the gold plating. Sounds like something Furutech told me. However, it is true that Rhodium conducts better than the gold plating.

They have archaic purchasing options. No online purchases. Placing an order may be done by phone, fax, E-mail, or snail mail. That's sooo 1990's.

I made 2 friends by calling them for my orders. Something that will never happen placing an order online.

Hermitism

Do you think the FI-10 would be a good choice for my application? And would you spend the extra $$ on the rhodium?

F1nut wrote: »

I made 2 friends by calling them for my orders. Something that will never happen placing an order online.

Sure! How did your side of the conversation go???

Hello, I'd like to place an order. What are you wearing? How much will the shipping be? You have a sexy voice. My address? Yes I can give you my address. Are going going to visit me? Do I want that shipped priority mail? Sure, I like things fast, but could you talk a little slower? Yeah, that's it. Oh...dead puppies, dead puppies, dead....oops.

F1, you sly devil!! You've got game!

Hermitism

Yep, I hate you most of all!

Hermitism

DSkip wrote: »

Back when we were corresponding, it was like you had a fear of posting on the forum. Glad to see I'm no longer your one source

I had to start posting. You blocked my email address.

F1nut

I did buy the rhodium IEC's, but I prefer the version you solder.

BTW, if you get Jeff on the phone, sit back for an hour long conversation and don't worry, he talks slow.

BlueFox

I added the Furetech FI10R to my TV so I could upgrade the power cord. Works great. I got it from The Cable Company.

http://www.thecableco.com/Product/FI-10--R--IEC-Inlet

headrott

I highly recommend Oyide's "Inlet R" IEC. I installed one on my BAT VK-200 and it made a positive difference, especially in tone and bass.

Chris Venhaus has it for $35.99. Go to this page and scrool all the way down: http://www.vhaudio.com/connectors-ac.html

Not sure if Sonic Craft carries it or not??

Hermitism

If I do this, I'll need to drill two holes to anchor the inlet. Since I'll be drilling into metal and not plastic, I have one question. My experience with drilling in to metal has always been the same. When you first start to drill, the drill bit immediately starts to slide and you have to take a center punch and hammer to make an indention for the bit to sit in. Obviously I don't want to take a punch and hammer to a delicate piece of electronics. Since this is aluminum, will the bit dig in and hold it's place because of the soft metal or will it still want to slide?

I have very little experience with soldering. Do you need a certain type of solder for electronics (is all solder the same) and do you use flux on the wire and the stem that the wire will attach to? Would set screws not give as good of a connection? Or will the screws slowly loosen up from the heat of the unit? The only time I've ever used a soldering gun was when I built one of those remote control car kits 20+ years ago. So my experience is extremely limited.

ZLTFUL

For drilling metal, a small pilot hole helps immensely.

pitdogg2

F1nut wrote: »

I'm not sure why I said the copper would leach through the gold plating. Sounds like something Furutech told me. However, it is true that Rhodium conducts better than the gold plating.

This will be a first... Jesse I can't help but dispute this. I was told by a knowledgeable person in the field that the ONLY thing Rhodium brings to the table is that it is incredibly hard and should only be used where where and tear are concerned as it is not a good conductor of electricity. That is one reason I have avoided it and either went with silver,copper or gold. In conductivity Rhodium don't even make the top 12-13 in metals


http://www.lunarpedia.org/index.php?title=Electrical_Conductors

Hermitism

headrott's inlet is plated with platinum and palladium. I guess I should first ask this question, since I'm using an AVR and not a dedicated two channel system, will the results of this mod (inlet and power cable) still be noticeable? Everyone always talks about how a dedicated two channel system is more revealing, and how noticeable upgrades are. Do upgraded power cables and inlets yield positive results on an all-in-one AVR? Does a unit that doesn't draw as much power as a separate amp still benefit from an upgraded PC? I assume so if people do this mod to TVs. I guess anything benefits from cleaner power. The cord on the SC-05 is literally as small as the one on my VCR. I should do this mod to the VCR that I plan on sending nbrowser, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. So is this mod about cleaner power or more power? Or both?

pitdogg2

Hermitism wrote: »

headrott's inlet is plated with platinum and palladium. I guess I should first ask this question, since I'm using an AVR and not a dedicated two channel system, will the results of this mod (inlet and power cable) still be noticeable? Everyone always talks about how a dedicated two channel system is more revealing, and how noticeable upgrades are. Do upgraded power cables and inlets yield positive results on an all-in-one AVR? Does a unit that doesn't draw as much power as a separate amp still benefit from an upgraded PC? I assume so if people do this mod to TVs. I guess anything benefits from cleaner power. The cord on the SC-05 is literally as small as the one on my VCR. I should do this mod to the VCR that I plan on sending nbrowser, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. So is this mod about cleaner power or more power? Or both?

In an Ice amp like that I would not think it would matter as much as a big amp with huge tranny. On my Carver TFM45 I took out the 18ga. power cord and replaced with IEC and 12ga. cord. What I found is that the power transformer seems to whine a lot less as if current is rushing in faster( at start up) with less resistance. Which on the face of it it is. Better cord cannot hurt but I wouldn't expect night and day difference myself.

Hermitism

It would be perfect if I went with a Furutech inlet because I just found out that Doug carries their products and I just sent him one of my cables yesterday to have him modify it. Since we're "besties", he told me his secret ingredient to making cables. He uses magic fairy dust.

Skip, I love that blu-ray player. It's not the fastest unit ever, but it sure puts out a nice picture and sound. If Pioneer does end up closing that part of their empire and only sticks with car audio, do you think they will still put out firmware updates for their units? I have to give them credit for updating their firmware regularly. Blu-ray players seem to have lots of issues with certain movies and discs and are always in need of updates. Although I've never had a single issue with mine.

Hermitism

Skip, I saw where you recently bought two Pangea AC-14SE cables. Do you notice a significant difference between those and the non-SE model?

iskandam

DSkip wrote: »

You should get noticeable improvement because its basically an integrated. The PC is going to affect the pre/pro moreso than it likely will with the power amp. Your CDP is the BDP-51, a blu-ray player. You noticed big gains with that, didn't you? The Pre/Source are the two biggest impacts for PC's IME.

This has been my experience as well. I recently replaced the stock IEC inlet on the power supply of my media player and my pre-pro with the Furutech FI-10G. There's a small improvement in sound quality in both components, but the improvement is more dramatic with the source than the pre-pro.

F1nut

pitdogg2 wrote: »

This will be a first... Jesse I can't help but dispute this. I was told by a knowledgeable person in the field that the ONLY thing Rhodium brings to the table is that it is incredibly hard and should only be used where where and tear are concerned as it is not a good conductor of electricity. That is one reason I have avoided it and either went with silver,copper or gold. In conductivity Rhodium don't even make the top 12-13 in metals


http://www.lunarpedia.org/index.php?title=Electrical_Conductors

I was lied to....damn.

Speedskater

First: It's Gold plating on base Copper that has problems. There is an intermediate plating step. If they don't do it correctly, they will have the same problem that computer memory chip connectors had a decade ago.

Second: Gold is a great contact for low voltage, low current circuits. But it's not very good for high voltage, high current circuits. Also if you ever plug in Gold plated contacts while the power amp is turned on, you will blow the Gold plating off the connector.

Hermitism

If I go with a solder version, it looks like this might be the version I need. They don't have a model number, they are just listed as "Furutech Inlet".

http://www.furutech.com/2013/01/29/899/

$21.59 rhodium
$12.50 gold

Can someone explain to me the purpose of the holes in the tabs that you are going to be soldering the wires to. Are you supposed to pass the wire through the holes before soldering?

headrott

Correct about passing the wires through the holes before soldering.

I still recommend getting the Oyaide "Inlet R" though. I have used both Furutech and Oyaide and the Oyaide is definately better, IMO. I am not saying the Furutech is bad by any means, however.

Hermitism

Thanks headrott, can you tell I'm a little out of my comfort zone on this one. Even with as little soldering experience as I have, I don't think I can screw up that part. Do you think someone with untrained ears like me will still be able to distinguish between inlet models/brands?

A couple years after I bought my PSW125, the amp went out. Polk changed the amps that they were using and the new one they sent me uses what I think is called a C7 connection. So I still have the original cable to the old amp that I can use with the correct connection, so I won't be without a cable while I shop around for a good cable. Radio Shack carries an inexpensive nibbler that should suffice for this one time need. I've never used one before and dont have any sheet metal to practice on. I'll take step by step pictures so you guys can make fun of my cutting and solder jobs. Duct tape fixes everything, right?

headrott

Tough to say if you will hear a difference between IEC inlets. I will say the differences in them are audibly "subtle" but distinguishable. Soldering the wires to the IEC inlet is fairly easy. Hell, just duct tape the wires to the blades. You don't even need to mess with soldering!

Seriously, for solder type most Polkies highly recommend Cardas Quadeutectic. Excellent stuff and very "easy" to use.

If you are not sure if you will hear a difference, just go with the IEC inlet that will hold the power cable best and be of good quality. I probably wouldn't go too crazy with it then. You can upgrade if/when you get a seperate amp/pre-amp.

Hermitism

nbrowser wrote: »

No sheet metal to practice on ? uhm a piece or two at the local junkyard can't be too hard to scare up for practice materials. Highly recommended and if you bugger up a few holes in practice, the final product will be good cause we all learn from mistakes.

Excellent idea! I think you can sense I'm not overly confident about cutting a hole in a perfectly good working unit.

headrott wrote: »

Seriously, for solder type most Polkies highly recommend Cardas Quadeutectic. Excellent stuff and very "easy" to use.

Exactly the kind of info I need!

Hermitism

CARDAS Quad Eutectic Solder, so I found ten foot pieces for sale on eBay for $4.50/free shipping. That will last me a lifetime, so I see no need to buy a spool full. So this stuff has a resin core flux incorporated into the solder? So no prep work or flux needed before hand? Just melt it with a solder iron and your good?

helipilotdoug

Hermitism wrote: »

CARDAS Quad Eutectic Solder, so I found ten foot pieces for sale on eBay for $4.50/free shipping. That will last me a lifetime, so I see no need to buy a spool full. So this stuff has a resin core flux incorporated into the solder? So no prep work or flux needed before hand? Just melt it with a solder iron and your good?

Don't buy it. I'll send you some when I send your cable back. Cardas Quad is really the best, and is the only solder I use.

Hermitism

You're awesome.

Glen B

Hermitism wrote: »

If I do this, I'll need to drill two holes to anchor the inlet. Since I'll be drilling into metal and not plastic, I have one question. My experience with drilling in to metal has always been the same. When you first start to drill, the drill bit immediately starts to slide and you have to take a center punch and hammer to make an indention for the bit to sit in. Obviously I don't want to take a punch and hammer to a delicate piece of electronics. Since this is aluminum, will the bit dig in and hold it's place because of the soft metal or will it still want to slide?

You won't have bit wandering if instead of a punch, you pre-drill a tiny hole with a small bit like a 1mm - 1.5mm. Use a variable speed drill. Start slowly and increase speed and pressure as the bit starts penetrating the metal.

Hermitism

I know when drilling into steel, you have to lubricate the bit with oil. As soft as aluminum is, will I still need to lubricate the bit with a drop of oil to keep it cool? As thin as the sheet metal is, I can't imagine it taking long to go through.

headrott

Hermitism wrote: »

CARDAS Quad Eutectic Solder, so I found ten foot pieces for sale on eBay for $4.50/free shipping. That will last me a lifetime, so I see no need to buy a spool full. So this stuff has a resin core flux incorporated into the solder? So no prep work or flux needed before hand? Just melt it with a solder iron and your good?

Yep, no need to use flux. BUT! Don't melt the solder with the iron. You should heat the object you are soldering to a temperature that the solder melts onto it (them; i.e. IEC blade and wire). Does that make sense?

Yeah, I thought i would only need a small spool of it! I have bought 2 big spools of it since. Once you start soldering, you won't stop. Too many mods and too much fun!

helipilotdoug wrote: »

Don't buy it. I'll send you some when I send your cable back. Cardas Quad is really the best, and is the only solder I use.

Another kind gesture frm Doug! You rock Doug!

Hermitism

headrott wrote: »

Yep, no need to use flux. BUT! Don't melt the solder with the iron. You should heat the object you are soldering to a temperature that the solder melts onto it (them; i.e. IEC blade and wire). Does that make sense?

Doug just sent me a pm telling me the same thing. Great info guys!

Hermitism

Are you guys starting to get a feel for just how much I used to drive DSkip crazy with questions? Dealing with me is like raising another child. You know, it's really Skip's fault. He found this AVR for me...he's the one that picked out a unit without a removable cord. lol