Moonwatcher, unfortunately, it isn’t safe to assume the home has 12 gauge romex. If the panel has 20 amp breakers, then the wire is probably 12 gauge. If the breakers are 15 amp, the wire is probably 14 gauge. This can vary by local codes and builder. Some builders try to save money and use both 14 and 12 gauge based on the intended use.
10 gauge power cord. Too much power for tube amp?
Tube amplifiers tend to be sensitive on incoming voltages. Is there a chance a bigger gauge power cord like 10 gauge may not be a good thing?
My amplifier tends to shut down occasionally upon start up. maybe moving to a higher gauge might be better. Does it matter?
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There are many posts here that assume that small tube amps don't need a heavy power cord. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hooked up a 6 wpc tube amp to a stock 14 awg power cord and was disappointed with the bass. Assumed it was just a fact of life with a small tube amp. a few days later a friend suggested a heavier power cord. I didn't think it would help but had one available. I was shocked. Bottom like, the power cord supports fast changing dynamics such as bass notes. tube amps often don't have robust power supplies that can supply this ready power and must reach back into the power cord. OTOH, if your amp has huge caps in the power supply, you may not see much difference. Jerry |
@moonwatcher power cables have mediocre connectors and stranded wire for flexibility soI like to go one size bigger on my power cable than the wire in the wall--except my dedicated circuit is 10 awg from the breaker box so I use 10 awg power cords. Jerry |
@carlsbad2 yes, if you have a dedicated 10Ga service from your junction box then no reason not to use a quality power cord having the same gauge. (10Ga on average has about 36% less resistance than 12Ga for the same length). But the differences we are talking about over a 6' length are in milliohms. |
@moonwatcher indeed milliohms (or less) and but we are talking about milliamps or less but they are changing over a time of picoseconds....how does this all add up? It is beyond my detailed understanding of electricity and if I didn't have a full time day job and several hobbies I might do some experimentation. I am a physicist with esperience in national labs. Instead, I tune my understanding of what is going on to match what I hear. and while I'd have to admit it is all theory at this point, it supports the facts. Take care, Jerry |
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