Upgrade Power Cord for FM Tuner

@hickamore 

I bought some Gotham Audio 85015 to try out on low level components - its 16awg.

Well worth a try - even on some of your other components. They have been around for years and supply many of the classic European manufacturers - Telefunkin, Rhode & Schwartz etc. I wanted some smaller gauge high quality shielded pc’s for my high end MC head amps - and they worked very well.

As an aside I always use power cords 6ft or 2m length. The reason is if you use a short pc less than 2m/6ft the cable is seen as part of the mains power loop, whereas if you have a pc 2m plus, the pc behaves electrically as a spur off the loop.

I was amused recently on another forum where some folk tested some pc’s using lengths of only 1 metre, and I thought - well, you aren’t hearing what the cable is actually doing at that length for the above mention reason.

I also keep all my power cables the same length to keep the paths to ground equidistant, which can help minimise ground loop noise.

Dover, I give up. In what way can a 14ga cord be disadvantageous for use with a low current demand component?  Not that I think 14ga is anything special, but it’s to satisfy the perceived need to improve on an 18ga cord, in a cheap way. That was the unspoken rationale behind my advisory. 16ga or 12ga or anything even bigger than 12ga. would not hurt so far as I know. You could buy cheaply some 10ga house wiring and attach the proper plugs at each end, too. Some prefer solid core vs stranded.  There's that, too. There's copper v silver, and teflon dielectric, too.

Some prefer solid core vs stranded.  

Good idea - if you use solid core for a power cord and one leg breaks you could end with a live chassis and electrocute your wife or grandchildren. Just make sure they have a life insurance policy.

I recently sold my MD-108T (have 2 other tuners). I do not remember the tuner benefitting much by any PCs I used on it. The more important thing was the MD Signal Sleuth and the interconnects and of course, the MD ST-2 antenna.

The MD-108 does not have the best signal tuning, but the sound is top notch when you get a strong signal.

I disconnected (not removed) my Marantz 10B’s OEM PC to experiment just a week ago with an alternative.

I was astonished to find a substantial change in presentation so you might like to experiment. I used Acoustic Revive-tripleC 8800. I have ordered Oyaide “Vondita” as final step in the experiment, that I will also try on an octal valve RIAA stage.

Immediately noticeable was reduction of noise to near blackness by comparison with standard, but note I live in the middle of a city of 9 million, and very occasionally would catch stray communications signals, along with "regular" other noise.

Freshly soldered in, and for a cable not used for three years, the sound may need some hours to “break in”, yet I think I hear still more open rich sounding live FM broadcasts with this change. Some of the prior comments that some / many cables will add colouration seem right. The stock cord was good enough for Marantz in the early 60’s, and sound is even handed, yet in my system, perhaps lacking weight / scale. The substitute cord filled this out.

For the experiment, I am feeding the PC in from underneath with cover removed. With no children, pets, or cleaning staff (that would be me), I will be careful. If I retain a new thicker cable, I’ll reinstall the cover, and work out a sympathetic adaption of the original chassis). Though how long will FM last (in England) before this becomes an expensive weight. A Government committee is debating this now.