luddite Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 I work in a hospital and have access to extra/leftover hospital grade cables. We have always been told they were better shielded than standard cables, to reduce the potential for EM interference with equipment, and to lessen the potential for shocks, sparks, fires, etc. I was wondering if these cords would be an improvement over the standard power cords supplied with my components. What makes a power cord an upgrade? Why pay $$$ for the lines advertised as upgraded? And, how can I tell if the “hospital grade” cords I can get would improve my systems? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 My understanding is they simply had a better "grabbing" system where they'd hold (and therefore maintain better contact?) with a plug. Oh, and don't they have a dot on them?!! I've got them all over in my system however, they were free....given to me by my (electrician) brother in law. My wife however, nearly broke into tears (of pain) when she saw all the orange outlets...... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panelhead Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 I use the hospital grade outlets and power cords. They are low cost and very well made. Should outlast us. One of the surplus stores here had a bucket full of Hubbell isolated grounds wall outlets for 2.00 each. Still installing these when needed. Use Eupen cords for low current apps, and 14 ga hospital grade cords for big amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryC Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 The higher grade outlets I used came in orange, gray, or white. I wondered if the orange versions weren't necessary for commercial use, but to help builders and stores spot them quickly. The color wasn't required by anyone. -- Larry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlthess40 Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 If you selling any cables. Message me Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 27, 2020 Moderators Share Posted August 27, 2020 1 hour ago, LarryC said: I wondered if the orange versions weren't necessary for commercial use, but to help builders and stores spot them quickly. The color wasn't required by anyone. - I think it was mostly for hospitals with equipment that may have a problem with grounds, the orange with the green triangle are isolated grounds. Red would be battery power. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjptkd Posted August 27, 2020 Share Posted August 27, 2020 3 hours ago, carlthess40 said: If you selling any cables. Message me Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Guy turned me onto these a few years back can buy them new fairly cheap on ebay varying lengths and thickness. Quality cables for sure with very secure plugs on both ends. https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=hospital+grade+iec&_sacat=0&LH_TitleDesc=0&LH_PrefLoc=0&_fcid=1&_sop=10&_odkw=sunfire&_osacat=32852&_stpos=98028 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnA Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 The only way to tell is to try them. Mostly blarney. Tighter connections with the wall socket is good, less resistance from larger actual contact area. Shielding could be good. Do you live beside a high power radio station? Are the power supplies in your electronics defective? IOW, is there a *reason* to need shielded power cords? My house actually has a separate (isolated?) safety ground bus. Never saw that before. Does yours? Otherwise, I don't think you would benefit much since the neutral is connected to the same ground bus. How large are the conductors in the cords? I wouldn't bother if they weren't 14 ga or heavier, even if they were cheap. The OEM cords are all the units need. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luddite Posted August 28, 2020 Author Share Posted August 28, 2020 I did a quick look to see the requirements for hospital grade. The plug housings are larger than standard, and square shaped, in order to lessen the chance that the conductors of one plug could accidentally contact those of another plug. The grounding pin is solid, rather than hollow, or U-shaped, so that it is less likely to bend or break if the plug were stressed at the junction with the outlet. The plug housings can be solid, so the wire to blade/pin connections remain stable, and the housings may be clear, in order to see the connections. And lastly, the covering of the cable is heavier. All these measures seem to be to preserve the integrity of the cables in heavy use and high stress environments. The requirements did not seem to address any sort of improvement in the wires themselves. In fact, the cables I did find around just had 16 and 18 ga wire listed inside. So perhaps hospital grade cables are stronger, but not necessarily better, than the ones I have on my components. That still makes me wonder why one can pay serious money for an "upgraded" power cable. What are you paying for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I work in the medical field. I have scavenged a number of different medical grade cables. They vary in thickness and various plugs. They are built to a higher quality than most. They are free to me so why not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 If you simply say “bigger cables sound better”, you will ignite a fierce “discussion” that can last for days. If 16 or 18 gauge wires were good enough for the pioneers of audio, they should be good enough for anything used today, or so the thinking goes among a fairly vociferous group. If the hospital cables are inexpensive, why not go for it? The better shielding may give you inky black backgrounds due to a lowered noise floor, or some such. For improved dynamics, you have to increase the wire size at least two steps for it to be audible, e.g., 16 gauge to 12 gauge. And that’s all I’m saying about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I don't believe power cables do anything to alter sound. Crock-A-Hooey.. I use them because they look nice and are free. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 28, 2020 Moderators Share Posted August 28, 2020 26 minutes ago, seti said: I don't believe power cables do anything to alter sound. Crock-A-Hooey.. I use them because they look nice and are free. My belief also, and look nice and free is a good incentive. If new stereo equipment does not have adequate quality or size to properly power what they selling they are not worth having. If it's just a better type of thing or the last 1%, that's different but if it comes down to a power cord it sounds like everything is as good as it can get. Like the room, recordings and on and on and on. It never really ends. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iteachstem Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I just smile and shake my head when people spend thousands on power cables the size of fire hoses.... They mustn't think about what's actually behind the plug on the wall. Yes, that's right, 99.9% of the time it goes into 12 gauge wire (and sometimes 14 gauge, if someone wired it wrong) for varying lengths...sometimes runs nearing 100 feet depending on the size of your house. Then, usually into a rusty and often damp breaker box, through a $5 single pole circuit breaker, etc. But hey, that last 3 feet from the wall to your power conditioner or amp really makes a night and day difference.... just ask the guy who spent a mortgage payment on their power cables... they'll tell you all about it using fancy words! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seti Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I have friends who spend big money on power conditioner and megabucks on amplifiers. If you spend big money on amplifiers and the power supply in that amplifier can't filter or clean the soiund then why are you spending big money on an amplifier with a crappy power supply???? On my DIY amps my friend helping me build spends more time on getting power supply right than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 14 hours ago, Iteachstem said: I just smile and shake my head when people spend thousands on power cables the size of fire hoses.... They mustn't think about what's actually behind the plug on the wall. Yes, that's right, 99.9% of the time it goes into 12 gauge wire (and sometimes 14 gauge, if someone wired it wrong) for varying lengths...sometimes runs nearing 100 feet depending on the size of your house. Then, usually into a rusty and often damp breaker box, through a $5 single pole circuit breaker, etc. But hey, that last 3 feet from the wall to your power conditioner or amp really makes a night and day difference.... just ask the guy who spent a mortgage payment on their power cables... they'll tell you all about it using fancy words! Yep. And how about all those junction boxes between the outlet you're plugged into - which are connected to a bunch of other outlets and switches along the way to the breaker box, connecting wires all just twisted together with cheapo twist-on wire connectors, not to mention the bare electrical supply cable buried in your yard - or the one hanging in the air like an antenna. Yes Sir. Some really expensive power cords & connectors will compensate for all that. 🤡 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 Sometimes I get bad electrons by the bushel full. I store them in the garage in case of power failure. Well bad electrons are better than no electrons. JJK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I want my power cables to do what they're designed for, provide power. If they are designed to somehow alter the sound in any way, I'm out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted August 30, 2020 Moderators Share Posted August 30, 2020 On August 28, 2020 at 3:08 PM, JJkizak said: Sometimes I get bad electrons by the bushel full. I store them in the garage in case of power failure. Well bad electrons are better than no electrons. JJK Smart to save them, because at times there better than none. Pesky electrones, the suckers tend to do just what they want, they could care less about we think, they just do there thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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