What are your experiences, views, or advice on IEC power cords for vintage tuners? What advantages have you realized going from a two wire factory cord to a grounded and shielded power cord? I'm wondering if it is a wise move to hack up the back panel of a tuner and if it will unecessarily devalue the tuner in the long run or if it is best to leave well enough alone.

Tis best to invest in a good antenna. What makes you think the last 4 feet coming from your wall socked will help any thing.

I've tried doing this on a receiver and thought I had done a good thing. It turned out that I had actually introduced a hum in the receiver plus interference in my TV's picture whenever the receiver was turned on. I cut the ground wire I had made and the problem went away.

leave well enough alone :)! you don't need an iec shielded 3 prong power cord. as maron stated, get a good antenna! if you do change the power cord, stick to the original plan and don't butcher the back of the tuner (it may affect its resale value in the wrong direction). just make sure the hot lead of the power cord goes to the fuse.

What are your experiences, views, or advice on IEC power cords for vintage tuners?
Gross overkill. Especially considering that the noise picked up over the airwaves will negate any potential noise reduction a decent power cord might offer. The biggest single improvement anyone can do for their tuner is a good outdoor antenna.
Tom

leave well enough alone :)! you don't need an iec shielded 3 prong power cord. as maron stated, get a good antenna! if you do change the power cord, stick to the original plan and don't butcher the back of the tuner (it may affect its resale value in the wrong direction). just make sure the hot lead of the power cord goes to the fuse.

Um, if you stick strictly to 'the original plan' for a vintage unit, which lead is hot is dependent on which way the plug is stuck into the wall. If that wasn't important 'back in the day', is it important now?

Just asking. :confused:

Bob

If you place your tuner near a arc welding unit, a sheet metal spot welder, industrial induction furnace, military air to ground radar installation or perhaps Van de Graph generator or even a large Tesla Coil you would gain something from a shielded AC line cord.

If none of the above apply go to Rat Shack and spend 20 dollars on a better antenna. This is the best way to receive measurable improvements in your tuna.

JMHO.

sdz

Hill, it's always been important :)! it's safer too as the fuse gets the electrical jolt first instead of the power transformer when you incur (very rarely) voltage line level variations. yes, on vintage gear that is 2 prongs, all you have to do is reverse it in the a.c. receptacle. it also sounds better.

btw, the power/speaker cable's sleeve has a clear way of identifying which is which. i'm sure you know that one half of the sleeve is ribbed and the other half is smooth. i always use the ribbed connector as my "hot" connector.

you'd all be surprised to see how many components can be wired out of phase (even the newer components) and it can lead to more noise, a harder edge to the sound and in some cases, ground loop problems ( 3 prong connectors for hum mostly). my own power amp is connected out of phase ( the hot is tied into the tranny). just reversing that connection opened up the sound ( the hard edge was gone), i simply felt like the gear got out of the way!

this thread could also be moved to the "thinking out loud" section as it has more to do with cabling issues lol

Get the best you can afford. Especially the TOTL Cardas. At least that is what Art Dudley tells us in the latest Stereophile. Of course, is only important if you hang on their every word. Read his column and see what you think. And, audition on your tuner before you purchase. Several of the sellers of such cables have money-back guarantees. I tried a PS Audio power source and didn't find it worth the cost and sent back. They refunded my funds immediately upon receiving it back. They will do the same for their power cords. Not sure about Cardas, though.

I haven't bothered on any of my tuners and they sound great.

I am thinking of doing it on my TU-717 along with fancy RCA's and adding the F-Connector, but mostly for fun, not because I anticipate any sonic benefits.