Does Wire Mangement Work?

audiobliss

Yes, it does! I've fairly consistently had a hum in my system...always. Now that I've hooked up my new Parasound HCA-1000A amp and have been playing with my system, I noticed that hum yet again. As for what I think of the amp...and my system now...I'll save for another thread, if I can manage to think of such a grim, discouraging thing for long enough to start the thread. At any rate...

When I hooked up the Parasound yesterday, there was hum. And a few other things, so I was slightly disappointed (not necessarily in the amp, mind you). Then, late that night after having had it on all day, the hum and a few other problems seemed to have been resolved all on their own. However, when I turned my system on today after the amp being on standby all night last night...everything was present again, including the hum.

So, this evening, I took it upon myself to brush up on some wire management. Upon discovering that you typically aren't supposed to coil IC's, I decided to focus on keeping the power cords on one side and doing my best to keep the IC's together without coiling them.

I must say I'm fairly proud of my wire management now. All my power cords are routed to the left side, where they are twist-tied together as the come out the back of the rack. Then, at the floor, they are all coiled up together and then twist-tied again. My IC's I manged to run together somewhat and twist-tie at several points. Overall, I think they're run pretty well, too.

But, more importantly, I have no hum!!!! I can't believe it. I turn the volume all the way down, and there's....silence. Nothing but dead silence. It's awesome!!

1. Here's my amp line up as it is now. Parasound on the lower end, Wave 8's on the tweets.
2. Here you can see the power cord for the right Wave 8 that I ran over to the left side of the rack by taping it with packing tape to the bottom of the rack's top.
3. There's all my power cords hanging together.
4. Just chilin'
5. Some mo'. I hadn't redone my IC's at this point, yet.
6. There you can see them all twist-tied together at every point where a new cable exits the back of the rack, and then where they're all coiled up at the bottom.

wingnut4772

I read somewhere that you are not supposed to coil ac cords. Why? I had my systems AC cords coiled all over the place.

brettw22

Coiling them basically builds up interferance. Basically, think of the signal going through the cord and it's no big deal.......but if you have any interferance that's going through multiple passes of the same route (the coil), you're going to get more and more interferance and that can be sent through the line......

okiepolkie

This is how it was explained to me:

Q: How is a resistor(which impedes current) created?
A: Wire is wrapped around and around and around a core.

Q: What are AC power cords made of?
A: Wire

Q: So in some aspects, what are you creating when you coil the AC wire?
A: A Resistar

RuSsMaN

Coiled wire = air core inductor (as Lou eloquently explained above)

audiobliss

I have no hum. It sounds really nice. I'm happy.

:D

okiepolkie

Lou, who is Lou?

RuSsMaN

Sorry, thought you were ohskigod broham, my bad.

VR3

Not you I presume...

If I coiled all my power cables - Id have a nuclear plant.

Look good AB.

okiepolkie

RuSsMaN wrote:

Sorry, thought you were ohskigod broham, my bad.

I just thought it was funny, because the other Russ PM'd me today thinking I was Lou as well.

jmwest1970

This is the same concept used in car audio for years when using external amplifiers. Typically, you would run the power cables down one side of the car and the interconnects and speaker wires down the other.

It works, not to mention the WAF goes up when there isn't a rat's nest in view.

dholmes

Ive had a problem with a slight buzz not a hum in my system, I grounded the pre-pro to my Panamax surge-suppressor & it helped. Wonder what it is?

steveinaz

I'm a BIG wire mangement believer, my system is dead quiet--at any volume. It makes a difference.

scottvamp

Great job, WM is a great pratice. Now all you have to do is plug those power cords in!;) Hope you got something better than that little power strip.......

audiobliss

Unfortunately I don't. Even if I could make up my mind between Richard Gray, PS Audio, Blue Circle, Monster, Belkin, etc, I still wouldn't have the money.

Hopefully it won't be too long.

organ

Great to hear AB. Didn't know you scored on a Parasound amp. How do you like the sound? I'll be interested if you ever decide to sell your Wave 8's:).

Keep your IC length as short as possible. You'll hear an increase in dynamics and clarity.

Sherardp

nice setup there, the cable management looks great. I would invest in a better surge protector if thats the one youre using on the floor.