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anyone in UK using US plug mains?
#11
Here is my rationale:

The US plug is fuseless. (As is Schuko by the way)

I am using Furutech GTX-D NEMA wall sockets which have the tightest grip of any wall socket I've ever used.

Using US wall sockets meant I was able to use a cable with Furutech FI-50M mains plug which I wanted at the time. 

In my setup at home I have 8 dedicated spurs with a selection of different UK and US wall sockets so I get to experiment a fair deal. To my ears the US circuits consistently sound better.
 
I'm not trying to talk anyone else into doing this. It's best to stay safe and use UK.  Wink

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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#12
(10-Aug-2017, 09:56)Confused Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 09:32)Hifi_swlon Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 09:14)Pim van Vliet Wrote: You would have to have a very good reason to go from the worst plug in the world(US)  to the best plug in the world (UK).

Wouldn't that be the other way round? Wink

No, it's absolutely correct for an Aussie. Confused

Unfortunately I've left a life with SCHUKO plugs for the flimsy plugs here Down Under. As a guy who uses a lot of electrical tools I find myself straightening out plugs all the time. That doesn't happen with the SCHUKO and UK plugs, therefore I find them superior. 

Guillaume, I haven't listened to any differences so can't comment there.


BTW, I wouldn't move back to Holland just for the superior plugs. The sun's too good Big Grin
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#13
bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

personally, I prefer the 2-prong plugs (US or Schuko) and turn them around to get a fuller sound from the Ds ... (its the phasing thingee ... )
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#14
(10-Aug-2017, 10:33)audio_engr Wrote: bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

With respect, that is just your opinion, and one for which there is no objective justification as far as I know.

It's also dangerous to bypass the fuse in a UK mains power connection (the same no doubt applies elsewhere), and encouraging people to do so without considering the possible consequences seems rather irresponsible if you don't mind me saying so.
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#15
(10-Aug-2017, 12:34)thumb5 Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 10:33)audio_engr Wrote: bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

With respect, that is just your opinion, and one for which there is no objective justification as far as I know.

It's also dangerous to bypass the fuse in a UK mains power connection (the same no doubt applies elsewhere), and encouraging people to do so without considering the possible consequences seems rather irresponsible if you don't mind me saying so.

Once again: do not attempt without the full agreement of your electrician who must sign this off. 

Guillaume
Industry disclosure: UK distributor for Shunyata Research

220 PRO, totaldac d1 server with additional external power supply, totaldac d1-seven, Echole PSU for Totaldac, Wilson Audio Sasha 2, Shunyata Research cables, Shunyata Hydra Alpha A10 + DPC-6 v3, Various Entreq ground boxes and cables, Entreq Athena level 3 rack, 2 X SOtM sNH-10G with sCLK-EX + 10MHz Master Clock input + sPS-500 PSU, i5 sonicTransporter w/ 1TB SSD

UK
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#16
I've often thought about using the old 15A round pin plugs. These have an earth prong and no fuse. The plugs and sockets are easy to come by, new on eBay. I've got a double gang socket and two plugs floating around in the shed, so I could power both of my amps from them. The dedicated spur feeding the existing sockets has its own fuse, so it should be safe to use, I guess. I might get round to trying them one day!
Has anybody used these?
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South Coast England
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#17
(11-Aug-2017, 01:00)Axel Wrote: I've often thought about using the old 15A round pin plugs. These have an earth prong and no fuse. The plugs and sockets are easy to come by, new on eBay. I've got a double gang socket and two plugs floating around in the shed, so I could power both of my amps from them. The dedicated spur feeding the existing sockets has its own fuse, so it should be safe to use, I guess. I might get round to trying them one day!
Has anybody used these?


Are you referring to these ?
They are very good

Im my mains cables who fitted with plugs I use copper or silver plate that push the cable and than i solder it or use locktight to prevent the screw to open.
[Image: bdc3afa8155ee14f18d2ba31ed728887.jpg][Image: 4e03e7177bf22f69b602593ae2e720d3.jpg]
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#18
(10-Aug-2017, 12:34)thumb5 Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 10:33)audio_engr Wrote: bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

With respect, that is just your opinion, and one for which there is no objective justification as far as I know.

It's also dangerous to bypass the fuse in a UK mains power connection (the same no doubt applies elsewhere), and encouraging people to do so without considering the possible consequences seems rather irresponsible if you don't mind me saying so.

The RCCB is there ... whats the worry ?

(of course all UK plugs carry a 13A fuse) as its mandatory by the UK Electricity Board.
Roon Nucleus w/ Hypsos PSU & AQ Tornado + Roon RAAT  >  AQ Diamond ETH > etherREGEN using SFP + Hypsos PSU | CEC TL-5 CD Transport + AQ Z3 + 3 x Orea Indigo > AQ Diamond AES/EBU 
Devialet 440-Pro CI >  AQ Wel Sig  RCA-XLR | 6 x Orea Bronze, 2 x Synergistic Research Atmosphere PC | B&W 802 D3 {Bi-wired}  >  AQ WEL Signature (Biwire)
REL G1-Mk2 pair | PS Audio PP 12 + AQ NRG-1000 | Puritan GroundMaster + RouteMaster | SAM DISABLED - DPM OFF - Northern Virginia - US
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#19
(11-Aug-2017, 07:16)audio_engr Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 12:34)thumb5 Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 10:33)audio_engr Wrote: bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

With respect, that is just your opinion, and one for which there is no objective justification as far as I know.

It's also dangerous to bypass the fuse in a UK mains power connection (the same no doubt applies elsewhere), and encouraging people to do so without considering the possible consequences seems rather irresponsible if you don't mind me saying so.

The RCCB is there ... whats the worry ?

(of course all UK plugs carry a 13A fuse) as its mandatory by the UK Electricity Board.

It's the modern view on safety, such as SIL (Safety Integrity Level) reviews and similar.  It's easy to say, 'if the electrical kit has a fault then the circuit breaker will trip and all will be well', but you then have to ask the question 'what are the chances of the circuit breaker having a fault and not tripping'.  The answer to that is that they are very reliable but do sometimes fail.  So what if the circuit breaker does fail when the electrical kit has a fault?  The answer is the fuse in the plug will blow.  OK, the chances of the kit having a fault and the circuit breaker failing is low, but it is not zero.  What are the consequences of both the kit and the circuit breaker having a fault if you do not have a fuse?  Potentially fire, resulting in casualties and death.  Low probability of it happening, but very serious consequences if it does.  I guess that's why we keep the old fashioned, simple, and very reliable fuses in the UK.  You then have to consider how the power supplies in electronic products work, typically the electronics will be taking it's power from capacitors, not direct from the mains, so as long as enough current is making it's way to keep the capacitors charged, the electronics will work as designed.   A Devialet amp, for example, will work with anything from 110v to 250v, is it going to notice the tiny amount of resistance in the fuse?  I suspect not, but having said that I have listened to Devialet amps running from mains conditioners and the result was poor, with the mains conditioners sucking the life and dynamics out of the amps and music, so there is a limit somewhere, I'm just not sure if it is at the level of the resistance of a fuse.  Clearly from 'an everything matters' approach, getting rid of the fuses can only be of benefit or at worse cause no harm, so I fully understand the desire to take this approach, to have a system where every last detail has been optimised has obvious appeal.  But as others have stated earlier in this thread, do not forget safety, get everything checked out by a professional if electrical engineering is not your thing.  It's probably a better bet than burning your house to the ground and explaining to the kids that the kittens have been burnt to death or something. Confused
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#20
(11-Aug-2017, 07:16)audio_engr Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 12:34)thumb5 Wrote:
(10-Aug-2017, 10:33)audio_engr Wrote: bypassing the fuse of the 13A UK plug by either using US or Schuko plug, the sound is bound to improve ...

With respect, that is just your opinion, and one for which there is no objective justification as far as I know.

It's also dangerous to bypass the fuse in a UK mains power connection (the same no doubt applies elsewhere), and encouraging people to do so without considering the possible consequences seems rather irresponsible if you don't mind me saying so.

The RCCB is there ... whats the worry ?

(of course all UK plugs carry a 13A fuse) as its mandatory by the UK Electricity Board.

Let's just say it's not an argument I'd want to be having with my home insurance company after the fact.
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Warwickshire, UK
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