Please assure me I'm not going to burn my house down.


I recently bought some new mono class D amps to replace a stereo class D. I had a pair of identical diy power cords connected to the stereo amp and my preamp.

Well, with monos I was obviously going to use the identical power cords. So I needed a new PC for my pre, as the older diy version I had laying around just used thhn wire from Lowe’s and didn’t sound great. So, after some thought and research, I decided to make a PC out of cat 5 plenum cable. I kept it in its blue sleeve (containing 4 twisted pairs) and then I braided 3 lengths together for each conductor. I then took those three braids and braided them. What I have sounds incredible and I’m fairly confident that it is safe electrically.

Please reassure me. Or tell me I forgot about x, and that I should cease and desist. Or laugh at how cheap I am...

But really, I’m not going to start a fire here, am I? 8 conductors per length x 3 lengths for each conductor equals 24 strands of 24awg. Which equals 10awg for each conductor...
128x128toddverrone

Showing 1 response by steakster

Yes, calculations and specs must be factored.  Terry9 nailed the concern about quality of the insulation and the quality of the mechanical wire connections.  Have you ever felt a really cheap extension cord that was carrying a large electrical load over an extended period of time?  The insulation is warm to the touch.  If the load is beyond the cord's safety specs, it is actually hot to the touch.  A serious safety hazard is imminent!   You can try the same thing with your DIY pc's.   A simple un-scientific test is to create as much load on the pc's as possible by pushing the amps to play loud, dynamic passages for a while.   Are they warm to the touch?  If so, dump them.  They should be room temperature.