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budget PC for powered subwoofer?

152.11.88.1
Posted on July 15, 2016 at 08:16:43
boodles
Audiophile

Posts: 354
Joined: January 22, 2005
 Hi everyone,
I'm looking for suggestions for a high quality yet affordable PC for my powered subs; either commercial or DIY are both good.
The subs are about 9ft from the outlet, so costs get very high very quickly with many of the usual "suspects".
Thanks in advance for any tips!
Chris

 

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RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 09:16:54
Tweaker456
 Pass & Seymore 5266 with 10AWG or better yet 8AWG silver plated military grade wire from Apex Jr. If you need a female IEC the polished bare copper cryoed Sonarquest aluminum shelled IEC sounds great and has excellent bass compared to what I was using before. Just shy of bass depth and or fullness to the P&S is the bare copper aluminum shelled Sonarquest ac plug which is much clearer smoother with way less distortion than the P&S in the midrange and treble. Probably clearer and somewhat faster bass also. Just not quit as full in the bass but very close. Duster, if I remember correctly stated that he thought the P&S had the deepest and or fullest sounding bass of any plug in his experience thought not a high end plug. The Sonarquest blows it away in most respects. Tweaker

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 09:34:58
boodles
Audiophile

Posts: 354
Joined: January 22, 2005
 Hi Tweaker,
Thanks! Just to be sure I understand correctly; is the mil spec wire a single conductor that I would need to order 3 lengths in different colors and braid (or some other arrangement?) for the hot/neutral/ground, or is it a prebundled cord with all 3 conductors inside?
Thanks again,
Chris

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 10:40:12
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 I said out of all the inexpensive hardware store variety AC plugs, the Pass & Seymour tends to present the biggest sounding bottom end in comparison with the rest of the frequency spectrum, with notably subdued treble energy. It is not a well-balanced sounding connector, to my ear. There are Audio Grade AC plugs that present a more refined sounding deep and full-bodied bass, along with more balanced high-frequency characteristics for full-spectrum applications. In addition, it might seem that an AC plug with "the biggest sounding bottom end" would be ideal for a subwoofer application, but this does not tend to be the case, in my experience. In fact, since all but the lowest frequencies are filtered, and the subwoofer output level can be independently adjusted, choosing an AC plug with a quick and tight sounding bottom end can actually be a better option for a subwoofer. Otherwise, the sonic signature of the subwoofer can sound inarticulate with poor dynamics if the AC plug is functioning like a "bass booster". It's best to allow a subwoofer to perform that vital function on its own, and use an AC plug + AC outlet combo that helps to deliver a tight & tuneful bottom end rather than cause excessive tonal bloom with poor dynamic contrast. Furthermore, a very large gauge DIY mil-spec power cord will only contribute to a false sense of fullness.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 10:55:41
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 I built a 9 foot DIY VH Audio Flavor 4 for a subwoofer application, and find it to be an ideal affordable option for the high-current application. Even though I use expensive Oyaide 004 Beryllium AC connectors, you can choose a more affordable set of AC connectors as long as they will allow two 12 AWG conductors (9 AWG effective gauge) to be inserted into each the live, and the neutral termination slots, and a 10 AWG ground conductor inserted into the ground termination slot. What is your target budget level?

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 11:10:51
Tweaker456
 It is multi stranded wire, single run. If you are going to us a ground you don't need wire as thick and stiff as the ac wires. T

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 11:22:05
Tweaker456
 As to thicker wire contributing to a false sense of fullness I disagree. Boodles, consider doing a super cheap experiment and make up a junk set of cords, one with say 14AWG and one with 10awg and decide for yourself what is false or not. Or I can decide right here and now. It's all false since it's not live music. No argument with using a higher grade plug than the P&S. The P&S is probably the way to go for a low budget alternative, which is what you asked for. Welcome to the rabbit hole. Tweaker EDIT: Duster is recommending an effective 9-10Awg, close to what I recommended. So the 14AWG experiment, while still instructive might not be necessary. I would still say that a giant power cord, like 4AWG would sound better but no need to go there, way to much trouble.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 11:26:07
Tweaker456
 You are recommending an effective gauge of 9-10 Duster and you still have to find fault. I said 8 or 10. Hard for me to see any big disagreement here. Tweaker

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:02:33
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 The reason for my comment is in regards to a large gauge silver plated DIY mil-spec power cord, not the effective gauge in and of itself. Of coarse, a large gauge power cord tends to be very beneficial for a high-current application such as a subwoofer. It's the type of conductor which presents even greater unnatural tonal bloom as the gauge of the silver plated mil-spec conductor increases, in my experience.

For the record, the VH Audio Flavor 4 features two 12 AWG unplated/bare copper conductors per pole (L & N), wired via a self-shielding star quad geometry for a 9 AWG aggregate/effective gauge power cord. The Flavor 4 provides a very solid bottom end with excellent dynamics for a high-current application. You should build one for yourself instead of championing silver plated mil-spec wire for a DIY power cord project in the forum.

It's remarkable that you tend to protest so vehemently against the use of silver for audio applications, but seem to enjoy a wire that presents a very silver-sounding sonic signature.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:08:03
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 Again, it's not the effective gauge of the power cord that is in question, it's the silver plated sonic signature of the type of conductor in question which increases as the gauge of the conductor increases, IME.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 14:14:15
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 The ground conductor of an AC power cord should be at least the same gauge as the current carrying conductors in order to provide an instantaneous, low-impedance path to ground.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 16:13:14
Tweaker456
 #1 He asked for a BUDGET option and I gave him one. VH products tend to be very expensive. Nothing implied that it sounds better than your suggestion. #2 IMHO silver used in the power supply is not bright or glarey or unnatural as it can be or is in the signal path. Nothing remarkable about it. #3 I don't protest vehemently about the use of silver in the signal path by others. It can or does things that I personally don't like. Like maybe adding a little extra sparkle like you mentioned silver solder could do. Not only do I personally don't want a little extra sparkle in my stereo I don't think I want any sparkle. When I listen to live music I don't hear sparkle hardly if at all. What sparkles? Maybe I'm missing something. If others like the sound of a particular silver product in the signal path it's fine with me. Tweaker

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 16:16:43
Tweaker456
 Ok, It looks like I may have gotten that one incorrect. Not totally sure and I don't understand all the issues. Lots of equipment has no ground wire at all. Tweaker

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 19:00:37
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Chris- which brand of sub do you own?

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 15, 2016 at 19:18:03
Tweaker456
 The owner of Apex Jr. who sells the wire I brought up told me that people made $400 power cords from it.

 

RE: budget PC for powered subwoofer?, posted on July 17, 2016 at 14:31:17
Tweaker456
 What's the difference in impedance between a 8-10AWG 6 foot run of wire and a 14awg 6 foot run of wire that would make a short to ground not quickly blow a fuse??

 

RE: budget PC for poweoed subwoofer?, posted on July 17, 2016 at 14:54:42
Tweaker456
 The resistance of 6 feet of 8awg is .004 ohms. The resistance of 6 feet of 14AWG is .015 ohms. An added .011 ohms or there abouts is not going to allow for the circuit breaker to blow in due time with 120AC on it??

 

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