I also decided to try adapters, and first contacted VH Audio about connectors like yours. The problem is that to work with the SDFB, one end has to be a male IEC, not a female (pictured). I found appropriate adapters at Home Depot, as I recall, but they were muddled sonically through burn in. If I've mistook what you've put together, a comparison with the Extreme Piggy would seem appropriate (I found the $99 Piggy not to be usable sonically). There is one other thing: As I read the Audio Sensibility site, each of those connectors you are using costs CAD 119, or two for $258, or about USD $179 at today's exchange rate. With the 1' Extreme Piggy at USD $199, the savings for several inches of length is at best $20.
Swiss Digital Fuse Box Anyone?
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I also decided to try adapters, and first contacted VH Audio about connectors like yours. The problem is that to work with the SDFB, one end has to be a male IEC, not a female (pictured). I found appropriate adapters at Home Depot, as I recall, but they were muddled sonically through burn in. If I've mistook what you've put together, a comparison with the Extreme Piggy would seem appropriate (I found the $99 Piggy not to be usable sonically). There is one other thing: As I read the Audio Sensibility site, each of those connectors you are using costs CAD 119, or two for $258, or about USD $179 at today's exchange rate. With the 1' Extreme Piggy at USD $199, the savings for several inches of length is at best $20.
First, it works. Look at the two sides of the SFDB. Second, you applied the currency exchange rate the wrong way too $119 CAD is only $82 USD.
Sorry, my mistake on the connectors in your photo. as I was looking at the Audio Sensibility site photos and it doesn't show any with a male connector, only female. I guess that's what they mean by custom on the 15A to 15A IEC option, i.e., not shown. Your connector looks like a double, which is why I doubled the AS amount. Did you get two for the price of one? Still, thanks for the information. For me, within reason the set up depends on what sounds the best, not price. Have you done a comparison? I don't see a return policy on their site.
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Yes, the custom option. Yes, they do offer 30 days. To me there was an immediate improvement on sound but I did not try A/B after a decent beak-in period.
I Audio Sensibility a photo and got a reply with the following:
We use the:
- FI-15 M (R) Plus Power plug
- Furutech FI-15 (R) Plus IEC plug
- 11AWG OCC copper internal wiring.
Price is $US200 including USPS Priority Mail shipping.
Considering the parts prices, I am not surprised. I recommend you call Steve if you have any doubts. He added the option after he made three custom for me.
The unstated point of my posting Steve’s reply was to show that the cost of the pair of adapters in your photo is the same as the cost of Extreme Piggy, which was my earlier point, which you said was not true (of course, I don’t know what he charged you). So while your find is a viable alternative, probably better than what I came up with from Amazon, other than several inches of length the difference comes down to the comparative sonics.
I agree that at 200 USD it is the same cost as the extreme piggy tale. Since I only have the base one, I cannot comment on sonic difference. In my setup, I prefer the shorter connection and since the components are of high quality, I assume it has at least equivalent sonics. Let's agree one one thing: we are not going back to fuses
I would think using the best pc for the bulk of the run would get the best sound I don't know if anyone with identical cords has tested placement. I'm using the Extreme Piggy's, 1' and 2', so those are connected to the regenerator or power conditioner and WyWires Diamonds make up most of the run.
In order for this to work, wouldn’t the SDFB have to be hanging off these adapters which are plugged into the wall outlet?
At a typical wall outlet, it’d probably need physical support. With a conditioner or regenerator, which are more stable, support might be optional for the SDFB itself but needed for the power cord coming out the other side, depending on its weight (thickness). That’s what I had to do when I tried a pair of Amazon adapters. With a power strip, hence a vertical orientation, it’d be tricky.
If you could post a picture of this orientation in your set up, I’d appreciate it.
If you could post a picture of this orientation in your set up, I’d appreciate it.
I now use Piggys. LuisMontreal’s setup might be a better example.
I am just gonna get a pig tail that matches exactly what I have, so there should be no sonic difference...only the enhancement of the SDFB.
Tom
Tom
I wish I could afford a second Dragon (for my case).
The Extreme Piggy is a good cord. I would pass on the $99 one.
Hello all and good evening to you. Tony, as you have probably concluded already, I have plans to get some of these SDFB devices. I do currently have a QSA Red and Black fuse in my amplifier and while that was quite the upgrade, I have read from more than two or three folks so far that they took out that exact fuse and replaced it with the SDFB/graphine sluggo, and the results were apparently quite a bit better than just the QSA R&B fuse alone.I wish I could afford a second Dragon (for my case).
One of my personal drawbacks and reason for hesitation for the SDFB was that the piggy tails seem to not match the performance of the product. I am glad to see that Audio Sensibilities has added yet another option, but I was wanting to push the envelope even further with an even higher end option. You may know from another thread that I am a very satisfied user of the Takshaka cables offered by Jonny, with Snake River Audio.
I had reached out to him earlier today to inquire about making me a custom pig tail in the near future, specifically for the SDFB. After mulling on it for a stint and thinking about it more, I put two and two together and figured that I possibly wasn't the only one who thought that the pig tails would/might end up being the throttle neck for the SDFB.
So, we got to talking this evening and I suggested that there might be others who would be interested in a higher end offering for the pig tail as well. Jonny surprised me and while we were talking about it, I was informed that they are already available on his website! Apparently, he has made 2 options available to the public. 8 inch versions of his Signature AMP Series and also 8 inch versions of the Takshaka Series PC's to fill the spot of the pig tails.
On a different note, @tony22, I have ran across a comment from someone who did have the AQ Dragon PC and ended up getting one of the Takshaka PC's for a head to head. The Takshaka was the preferred PC out of the two. FWIW. The point of what I am trying to relay here is that you will not be missing any of the quality of the AQ Dragon....while at the same time? You won't have to lay out the same cash for another AQ Dragon.
I'd also like to disclose that I have no affiliation with Snake River Audio whatsoever. I just thought I would introduce another option for those who may have shared the same thoughts as I did about the pig tail.....as it seems that the selection for higher end options were extremely limited to non-existent. That limit was my hesitation for getting the SDFB in the first place.
Tom
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