A better lamp cord for my stereo equipment?

@toolbox149,

As for your old 2 wire zip cord with a non-polarized 2 blade plug.
I have read on other audio forums, where guys didn’t want to modify, or didn’t have the room, to install an IEC inlet connector on the back of their vintage equipment so they could use aftermarket power cords. It was suggested if the old 2 wire power cord is not cracked, hard, or brittle the last few inches where it enters the piece of equipment, in other words in good condition, you can cut off the old cord leaving about 4" to 6" and install a male IEC connector on the cord. With the male IEC connector you will be able to use 2wire with ground after market power cords. You will not be using the equipment ground of the power cord though.

If you decide to go this route it is important before installing, wiring, the new IEC male connector to the 2 wire zip cord of the audio equipment to make sure you have the correct proper AC polarity orientation feeding the primary winding of the power transfer of the equipment. The equipment will sound better if the AC polarity is correct.

The neutral conductor of the Zip cord is identified by either a ridge or ridges down the entire length of the cord, or, the neutral conductor will have printing down the entire side/length of the zip cord. You can check your cords for the identified, neutral, conductor.
That does not guarantee though the correct AC polarity orientation is wired correctly to the primary winding of the power transformer. It can be checked using a mulimeter, set to AC volts, reversing the old non-polarized plug 180 degrees at the wall receptacle outlet. (If you decide you want to check for the proper AC polarity plug orientation post back and I will give the procedure you will need to follow.)
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Things that can influence an aftermarket power cord other than the size, wire gauge of the power cord.

Type of wire used.
Solid core conductor/wire or stranded wire.
Geometry, construction, of the cable. (Capacitance? Inductance? How does the geometry, construction of the cable affect EMI? RFI?
Shielded, non shielded.
The quality of the plug and IEC connector. Contact pressure of the female IEC connector. Type of plating material if used.

Jim

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jea48 wrote,

"Things that can influence an aftermarket power cord other than the size, wire gauge of the power cord.

Type of wire used.
Solid core conductor/wire or stranded wire.
Geometry, construction, of the cable. (Capacitance? Inductance? How does the geometry, construction of the cable affect EMI? RFI?
Shielded, non shielded.
The quality of the plug and IEC connector. Contact pressure of the female IEC connector. Type of plating material if used."

>>>>Ah, hem, you forgot one thing: wire directionality.


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If that older equipment is Class II double insulated then no service tech is going to play around with changing power cords unless the new cord fits into the existing grommet and the cord has no grounding conductor. So if that lamp cord on your unit is 18/2 then maybe you can find someone to replace it with 16/2. Not sure what benefit that would be.

Correct.  The owner/user of a piece of audio equipment can do about anything he wants to a cord and plug connected piece of equipment.

Anyone claiming otherwise can cite to the relevant law, statute, or regulation.

That doesn't mean that a repair facility can do it, or wants to assume any liability, and besides, as per the above post, it does nothing for SQ.

Reverse the plugs if you have noise.

If it’s been working all these years? Why mess with it! Upgraded old technology with new power cord seems like a waste.