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Here is a simple and inexpensive tweak to upgrade the performance of almost all power cords, headphone cables and SMPS. I call it "DIY AC Power cable wrap".
This tweak disperses the magnetic or electrical field that runs along the cable. Entreq has such a wrap also, they are about $140 each and generally are installed at one end or both ends of an AC power cable. My DIY version is a single wrap installed at the center of the power cable or SMPS cable. Also works at the amp side of headphone cable. I have tried what Entreq does and many other natural minerals, Magnetite by itself performs the best.
The tweak is simple. Using high quality natural Magnetite placed in a zip lock sandwich bag. Tape the edges so it does not break and either wrap fully around the cable or two sandwich bags used to sandwich the power cable. For a power cable you want the length of the bag(s) to be 6" to 7". Smaller bags for SMPS and headphone cables. The bags in the pic (one sandwiched and one wrapped around headphone cable) are about 4" long. If you like you can use Velcro to keep it all together. That is it, and works like a champ. To slightly tune the power cable you can slide the wrap up and down the cable. I personally just find around center to be best for power cables and SMPS. Effect is immediate and very audible.
In the US good quality natural Magnetite is inexpensive. Often available in bulk from eBay. If in the UK or across the pond, will be cheaper to buy synthetic Magnetite but is very messy to work with and IMHO does not perform as well for this tweak. This is the same Magnetite I and many use for my DIY passive ground boxes.
Here is one of the venders I buy mine from on eBay. He does run out from time to time, but does replenish stock. One of these 7lb bags will be enough for 3-4 power cables:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224300491368
Follow Ups:
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Magnetite sand subdues the electromagnetic field generated by AC power flowing through the cable to components which are then able to produce more clearly defined musical notes due to the smaller electrical ripples used in their production.
Securing a 7" long sandwich bag a third full of Magnetite on both sides of the cable at each end leads to live music clarity but also an exhaustingly shrill, high-contrast, treble sound. Inserting four 2.5"x2" bags each filled with four teaspoons of Rochelle salts between parts of the Magnetite sandwich wrap and the cable at each end (for a total of 8) appears to eliminate the problem without sacrificing instrument sound separation. Others may prefer the wrap position in the middle.
The only disadvantage to the tweak is the stress on the AC cable from the Magnetite wrap weight so a purer sand leading to reduced wrap weight is helpful.
Give the setup 48 hours or so to settle-in.
First the Magnetite AC Power Cable Wrap improves performance on "most" AC and SMPS DC power cables. I would not say all, I use these wraps on 6 of my 7 power cables in my headphone system. On one cable I did not what I heard. The effect is immediate and there is a 24-48 hour settling in.
Your question is a very good one. What is heard after installing a wrap will depend on the cable, system and component the power cable is powering. Generally improvements heard are benefits of lowering the noise floor:
* Less digital or a more relaxed analog presentation.
* Possibly improved resolution of micro, macro or both.
* Possibly improved soundstage.
* Possibly improved separation or delineation of what is heard.
* Possibly improved attack speed or decay.
* Possibly improved PRaT.
I think you get the drift. Think the benefits received when noise floor is reduced. The Magnetite AC Power Cable wrap offers about 1/3 the performance of a well built and installed ground box and ground cable. The Magnetite AC Power Cable wrap itself does not remove noise. What the wrap is doing is disrupting the electrical field generated by the power flowing through the cable. Disrupting the electrical field lowers distortion, thus improving the performance of the power cable.
"disrupting the electrical field generated by the power flowing through the cable."
There is equal current flowing in both directions (one direction in one of the two conductors and the other direction in the other conductor) and through a power cable or a speaker cable and that cancels the field you speak of so there is nothing to disrupt.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Electrical field outside the conductors. This is a thing.
This is easy, many have tried this tweak and love it. Entreq sells a retail version of this tweak. You can try it or don't.
"Electrical field outside the conductors"Yes. That field (the one that is outside the conductor) is caused by the current flowing in the conductor. The current flowing in each conductor is flowing in the opposite direction, one conductor vs. the other conductor, and that means the two fields cancel each other. So there has to be something else causing the change in sound that you are hearing.
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
Edits: 01/22/24
For any member waiting for a new supply of High Purity Arizona Magnetite, Fine Sand, -12 Mesh, 62-63% Fe, 7 Lb as recommended by CDC for his second tweak, it's just become available again on eBay and there's three left. The link is repeated below.
How is this high purity, as it says 62% magnetite. Why this mixed with sand?
There's natural magnetite available here, is this not the right kind?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/285644610318?hash=item4281bedb0e:g:po4AAOSwlelcFV4-
Never tried the Magnetite in your eBay link. But definitely the Magnetite in Dryginger2's link is very pure. Excellent for passive ground box mix or the DIY AC Power cable wrap. I am assuming the seller is out of stock because many from the DIY ground box thread buy from him for our different projects.
Hi, one thing I wanted to try thats way cheaper is to encase the cable in lead.When I helped my buddy a carpenter to do a few roofs there are sheets of lead you must put around the chimney,flashing.It's flexable.I thought of cutting 1 inch wide strips and bending them in half,length wise over the interconect and the speaker cable.This won't work for a married guy but would eliminate RF picked up by the wire...Mark Korda
You would have to try it, not the same as the tweak I am sharing. May have negative effects from reflection.
If yes how do you like it?
By the way on eBay, a different seller will from time to time also sell high purity natural Magnetite. This is in larger bulk like 30lb (for less per pound cost). Generally from another state that heavily drills for other precious metals. Just have to look out for it.
,
"disperses the magnetic or electrical field that runs along the cable"
I thought we lifted our cables up above the floor/carpet to keep the "magnetic or electrical field that runs along the cable" from being disturbed.
You seem to be doing the opposite?
Tre'
Have Fun and Enjoy the Music
"Still Working the Problem"
We raise cables off the floor to keep cables away from static electricity. The tweak disperses the magnetic field around the cable, which is created by the AC current flowing through the power cable.
I use snap-on magnets in my cables. Does the magnetite do a better job?
By a long shot. If you would like feedback on my DIY Magnetite AC power cable wrap, you can go to Head-Fi thread "DIY Ground Box". You can ask for feedback and the members I am sure will gladly share their thoughts. You can also search for feedback.
In most use cases will improve performance of a AC power cable, SMPS or headphone cable.
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