Best 20A IEC power cord

Ozfly,

I also own the Denali amps (2 used in monoblock configuration) on which I use a TG Audio HSR i2 power cord. They were my original 15A cords that Bob Crump reterminated with the 20A connector for $50.00ea including shipping. These power cords were recommended by Marty of Bound for Sound fame during his review of the Denali amp several months back. They are a very synergistic match with the Denalis. With that said, I am thinking about upgrading to the new TG Audio SLVR power cord (w/20A connector). Both cords list for $500/ea. Hope this helps.

Ken

So I take it that for most power cords, a simple switch from a 15 amp to a 20 amp IEC connector would do it? (Of course, even 15 amps is a lot of wattage so I wonder how often the cord would be called upon to deliver more) Are there any other design parameters that need to be considered with a larger end plug and a potentially higher current drain? Does the 20 vs 15 amp provide more current "headroom" only if the cord is designed for it? (I'm blindly borrowing a term from a different context here)

Thanks for all the comments so far.

Ozfly, my PERSONAL opinion is that any cord with a MINIMUM gauge of 12 gauge can be used for 20 amp service. The only "conditions" that i put on that statement is that the connections on the cord are extremely solid and the cord is of reasonable length. I would rather have a cord that is 10 gauge or heavier if running something longer than about 4' or so. 8 gauge would be even better. You can get away with less though due to the fact that most music is of a dynamic nature and the power demands are typically not of a continuous nature. This is quite the contrary to what most electricians will tell you though. Sean
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Ozfly, From a very simplistic view, we can use the equation P=VI where Power = voltage times current. Using the Denali specs (from their Website) of 400W at idle and 2000W max, at idle I (current) = 3.44Amps and at the extreme, Imax = 17.24Amps. Granted this equation is used to calculate dc power, but it serves to show the worst case constant current draw from the Denalis. 17.24 amps is excessive and not very realisitic, so I would not be concerned with exceeding the 15A rated spec of the standard power cords. I agree with Sean that the bigger the wire gauge the better. I recall seeing a chart that list the wire gauge vs current carrying capability. The trend was the larger the wire size the higher current capability. Just my .02

Ken