Radial vs ring wiring

I wouldn’t let the socket limit the wiring. Get the wiring and then get a socket to fit, otherwise the tail is wagging the dog.

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Agreed but having spent so much on the socket I wouldn’t want to dispose of it. The socket itself brings its own sound which is really good. If it’s a compromise between a standard socket that accepts 10mm2 or the Furutech NCF with 6mm wire I think the latter may bring a better sound. Thats how good the socket is. Total guess of course.

Check their respective websites. They will state the cable capacities for each socket.

I used Schneider sockets which could take 1 x 10mm2 or 2 x 6mm2.

DG…

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It’s the old question of whether anything can improve what comes before, or just compromise it less. I’ve never got into fancy sockets, and have the same old Crabtree socket that was fitted about 25 years ago. Naim advised me to get 10mm2 and I’m glad I did. Maybe you could get the sockets on your Furutech drilled out to take 10mm2.

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Like this.


DG…

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I used 10mm Lapp cable and a thinner Belden cable with one Furutech socket and one other good socket with very good measurements and sonic results:

"The thin Belden cable had a circuit impedance of 0.08 Ohms and the fat Lapp cable measured 0.04 Ohms.

The Earth loop impedance of the Belden radial was 0.07 Ohms, of the Lapp cable was 0.06 Ohms, and the house ring main was 0.41 Ohms."

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I suspect that’s partly because they want you to also use more expensive cable

Whether 6mm2 cable will fit will depend on the number of copper cores in the conductor: Solid core 6mm2 (=rods!) has a diameter fractionally under 2.8mm. A large number of strands might minimise air space to be not much more, but in the common 7-strand t&e cable used for mains wiring in Britain each of the conductors of 6mm2 has a diameter maxima of approx 3.1 mm in three places, so won’t fit if the hole is actually 2.8mm. It might be possible to bore out sufficiently, but whether advisable is another matter.

If you’re lucky the socket spec will be wrong, or have poor manufacturing tolerance, with a larger capacity than specified. From this query and the response that appears to be possible:

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The Furutech will go to 8.2mm. Trust me, I’ve done it.

I was once in a similar situation about a decade back. We’d bought a new build in a new condominium and I’d paid for several dedicated circuits. The one in the living room was done wrong and commoned to the LED lights. But fixing it would have involved moving out and $50k worth of reflooring and walling.

I just lived with it and focussed on the music. Why worry about what you can’t change.

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In two days from now I’m completely replacing my lounge ground floor. Hifi will move from a smaller dedicated room into it. I have a great opportunity to run a new electrical supply and have a Carte Blanche with regard to configuration.

After reading a lot of old posts (DB’s views were very valuable) adding my own experiences and conferring with my Electrician (who will be terminating the runs and sign it off) I’ve decided to go with :

Existing 4 x 32amp breaker consumer unit which is tailed off from a Henley block.

32 amp RCB 4mm Ring connecting 2 double switchless sockets (my sparky has experience of terminating those 4mm doubles at the socket end without any issue)

32 amp RCB 6mm Radial into 1 double ……

32 amp RCB 6mm Radial into 1 double……

So 4 double sockets with 3 RCBs used. All runs will go individually through some of the blue 50mm water pipe that I bought in a large reel and is good for this purpose.

This config provides options to switch between the ring/ radials. I will begin with the ring as the “dominant feed” as I feel that this may well be the superior option. A 4mm ring is equivalent to a hypothetical 8mm cable so resistance will be very low and keeps everything (bar switches) on the same circuit.

I plan to plug the 3 x 500’s into their own sockets with my M6 block into the 4th ring socket feeding S1, 2 x Supercaps, 2 x 555, PowerARRAY. The radial sockets will feed my Farad3 /EE8, Phoenix Net, Core and TT P/S. Just does it.

I will report back in the future on how it works out.

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I can"t wait to see pictures of your new set up! The wiring configuration looks spot on.

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Remember this one?

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Thank you Dan.

P.S looking great in the cap :+1:

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I do Jim. However I really have had great results with standard T&E and slow trip RCB’s. I think that I pontificate about set up enough without becoming obsessive :crossed_fingers:.

A turning point for me was when I followed what seemed like wise forum advice, by taking my sofa out of the dedicated listening room, replacing it with a basic chair and completely fill out my rear wall with absorption. Sadly neither worked.

I will stick with the plan.

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When my electrician did my dedicated radial circuit, he put in RCBO Type C breakers to deal with the in-rush current , that way, did away for the need to use additional RCDs.

Also consider going to 6mm2 or 10mm2 if possible.

Whatever you end up with, you will enjoy the improvement.

DG…

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Where the heck do you put your drink if you listen from the centre seat of a sofa?

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Thanks Diggy. I have the same circuit breakers as you :+1:

As you know the reason for going with the larger gauge cable is to lower resistance. A 4mm Ring is equivalent to an 8mm radial resistance wise, is easier to work with and has the benefit of creating that single circuit for just about all the kit. Dark Bear even prefers 2.5mm in a ring feeding his virtually soon to be identical to mine entire system.

I’m sticking to the plan and just glad to have this opportunity. +1:

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“ I hear ya” as our friends across the pond would say :grinning:

Not that I suggest you change anything, as anything above 2.5mm Cable is good. But just for information, in normal PVC cable it’s worth remembering that the earth cable is smaller in diameter compared to live and neutral, which may be one of the reasons Naim suggest 10mm to get max earth size.

Earth cable on 4mm PVC is 1.5mm
Earth cable on 6mm PVC is 2.5mm
Earth cable on 10mm PVC is 4mm
Earth cable on 10mm SWA is 10mm

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One of these works great for that very purpose :wink:

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