Bottlehead Kits > Bottlehead Power Cord Kit
Shielded Bottlehead Power Cord, With Pictures
Grainger49:
I shrunk every picture to 70% in Photo Editor and they still spill over. I don't know why.
My first power cord went well, not as good as I would have liked. Notice I'm not posting the picture of it?
For my second power cord I decided to use the braided shield tubing I have. Can't remember what it was for but I had it.
I twisted each pair and stuck them down at the end and waited for the twists to "set".
This is the clamp for all three pair of wires:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0891-1.jpg&hash=687601f8dbef5488575f257701ababd136db6f2a)
This is how the other end looked:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0892.jpg&hash=2403c14f88fd35179a9c2372292c8be96aeec538)
I used some heat shrink tubing I had to hold the braided shield in place then finished the IEC end. In doing so I cut the white wires a little so there wasn't so much wire inside the IEC Jack. I didn't get a picture of this but you get the idea. I also soldered the wires together and really tightened the IEC connections down hard. This is the finished IEC end:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0895.jpg&hash=38f9b73f3e8444604bea881f6fe485cd34584766)
At the plug end I soldered a wire to the braided shield and then slipped some heat shrink tubing over it.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0896.jpg&hash=6f81c92a5224e907fe651c136d024e77bc5e51e5)
I could have put the Tech-Flex on now to make it prettier, but forgot. This shows the tubing to hold the shield in place and the end wires soldered together:
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0897.jpg&hash=3f1ce3a2381bca382b23f20561e5f4599d6b22bd)
Test now or you are in deep fecal matter if you need to swapped wires. If that is your situation you still can do it before you put the glue lined tubing on.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0895.jpg&hash=38f9b73f3e8444604bea881f6fe485cd34584766)
The finished product, a stubby Bottlehead power cord for my FP 2.
(https://forum.bottlehead.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi244.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fgg7%2FGrainger49%2FBottlehead%2520Equipment%2FIMG_0899.jpg&hash=4c852a491058d64d3259d7a68afb28ca72a89665)
To be fair I used a stock power cord to do my first listening then the new power cord. The results were much as the Eros, instruments separated, no confusion, the low bass had more kick, voices were clear and uncongested.
I had been using an aftermarket shielded power cord on the FP 2 and swapping that back in was a little of a step back. I think it is similar to Bottlehead's Power Cord but more expensive. I don't remember where I got it or the name. It, too, is a short cord.
porcupunctis:
Grainger, you have taken power cords to a higher form of art. The nice build pictures are quite inspiring and will be a nice help to a lot of people. Thank you for sharing your project.
Grainger49:
Randall,
Thanks! There must be some secrets about shrinking the glue lined heat shrink tubing. Both times it slid sideways on the AC plug and drooped on the IEC Jack.
There is also some secret to shrink the tubing and not melt the Tech-Flex. I used low heat on my first, long, AC cord and I made a mess of the Tech-Flex at the shrink tubing. Notice I didn't post a picture of it?
sl-15:
Grainger, nice work! did you do a comparison yet between your first build bottlehead cord and the shielded one? curious if you think the shielding made a sonic difference. i have a power cord on my way too for my seducton. thanks, stefan.
Grainger49:
Stefan, thanks! And, no, I hadn't thought of that one. I compared the Shielded Bottlehead to the stock and to the aftermarket I bought many years back (I'm pretty sure it is also shielded). I'll give it a try tonight. The Shielded is 1/2 of the length of the unshielded. I wonder if it will be a fair comparison.
The first, unshielded, power cord went to the Eros, the next to the FP 2 and the final one will feed the P300. The P300 is delivering <200W so at 117V that is less than 1.7A. There is some real heat loss in the P300 so I will measure the current to the P300 to see if the cord is safe for feeding it.
Edit: Yes, 1.7A is safe.
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