Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 8:47:58 GMT
Hi all, I really hate having to do this sort of post, but when things like this occur i feel it's a moral obligation that i must report and raise some awareness. A few days ago i was given access to a number of AF Audio's mains cables. A friend of mine had purchased some £40 Aliexpress mains cables as he bought a few more hifi bits. He ended up doing a direct comparison with the AF Audio mains cables and was very shocked to find that the Aliexpress cables were miles ahead in his system (His opinion) He decided to open up the Chinese made cable and one of his FIVE AF Audio mains cables and investigate for himself as to what the differences were. Upon opening the AF Audio mains cable, this is what he found:    Obviously, i don't really need to say anything as the pictures demonstrate the horror adequately. However, i will say that they are by far the poorest cables i have ever seen from a construction point of view. My friend has five of these cables, and he tells me they were £60 each. These cables are not compliant with the UK regs, and certainly do not inspire me with any confidence that they are even remotely safe. I have advised him to remove them from his system until he has checked them all, which he has. UPDATE: Cable 2 One end of cable two has been removed and the earth wasn't screwed Into the terminal!!!!  image hostingCable 3: Another splice job where a different piece of wire has been added on! It is also covered in the wrong colour sheath  Cable 4: It's not getting better.   |
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Post by firebottle on Feb 16, 2022 9:46:31 GMT
Oh dear, it looks like conductors inside heatshrink covers, is that correct?
What a bodge.
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Bigman80
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Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 9:52:12 GMT
Oh dear, it looks like conductors inside heatshrink covers, is that correct? What a bodge. It looks like the cable he was using was too short so he has tacked a bit of something onto the end. They are supposed to be Silver plated, but quite clearly the one cable is copper at the end. Its absolutely scandalous to cut corners and use unrated bare cores for mains. Chucking a sleeve over a bare conductor does not meant it's safe. A sleeve that's the wrong colour btw. Electricity is serious stuff and this bloke is not. |
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Post by firebottle on Feb 16, 2022 10:47:09 GMT
You are absolutely correct on all points, these are atrocious.
I'm guessing the short brown tail was just to identify it as live.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 11:00:55 GMT
You are absolutely correct on all points, these are atrocious. I'm guessing the short brown tail was just to identify it as live. It's just unacceptable. He has been confronted about this atrocity by the owner and he has quickly offered a refund. I have advised him to send them all back for a refund. |
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Post by macca on Feb 16, 2022 11:01:35 GMT
were all the AF cables like this or just one of them?
What does the £40 Ali Express cable look like inside? Is that UK compliant?
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Bigman80
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Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 11:20:50 GMT
were all the AF cables like this or just one of them? What does the £40 Ali Express cable look like inside? Is that UK compliant? The pictures are from one of the five cables. However, i see no reason why it should matter. Even if this is a one off, to send that out for use is unacceptable. It's a total bag of shite. The £40 Chinese cable is using 4mm2 conductor, has PVC insulation and is very nearly using the correct colour scheme. Green wire for earth, rather than green and yellow. However, it is well made, properly insulated and terminated neatly, and had no issues that i can identify. |
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Post by macca on Feb 16, 2022 11:32:31 GMT
well it matters as to determining whether it is a one off Friday afternoon effort or if all their product is just as shoddy.
A one off bodge job could possibly be forgiven, in a wider context, if it really is just a one-off.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 11:36:43 GMT
well it matters as to determining whether it is a one off Friday afternoon effort or if all their product is just as shoddy. A one off bodge job could possibly be forgiven, in a wider context, if it really is just a one-off. Nah, not for me. If this was an interconnect or speaker cable, yeah, OK...not the end of the world. Disappointing, but not necessarily dangerous. Not with mains cables though. IMHO you cannot be sending out mains cables like that. I don't care if it's Monday or Friday. |
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Post by macca on Feb 16, 2022 11:46:38 GMT
I totally agree. Means nothing to me since i don't use any aftermarket mains cables but for those people with one or more AF mains cables currently deployed it might be useful for them to know if it is worth examining them. If it's only one of the five which are like that then they are probably fine but if several or all are like that it's time to unplug and get rid.
Potential fire risk if they are in the habit of leaving equipment switched on when they are not present in the same room. Or, god forbid, leaving it on all the time.
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Post by brucew268 on Feb 16, 2022 11:46:38 GMT
The assembly is atrocious but without the gaffing tape it looks like he may just have run out of brown wire and so substituted earth wire, then put some brown sleeve over the end to identify it. If so, there would be no safety issue, just ugly as sin and not worth selling under one's name. The others are worth looking at for comparison.
Then again, that black heat shrink to join the insulation sleeves could be a safety issue, dodgy.
What IS that 2nd photo?
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Post by lurch on Feb 16, 2022 11:55:40 GMT
If more than one in this condition then trading standards needs to be notified to stop their sale completely + seller made to contact and recall as many peeps not as well versed/conscious as your friend.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 12:04:29 GMT
The assembly is atrocious but without the gaffing tape it looks like he may just have run out of brown wire and so substituted earth wire, then put some brown sleeve over the end to identify it. If so, there would be no safety issue, just ugly as sin and not worth selling under one's name. The others are worth looking at for comparison. Then again, that black heat shrink to join the insulation sleeves could be a safety issue, dodgy. What IS that 2nd photo?
There is a minimum insulation size per mm2 for current carrying cable. It has to do with how long the cable can withstand a fault before bursting into flames. This cable is an abomination in my opinion. Whilst it may work ok in normal circumstances, it may not if/when there is a fault. If this thing started a fire due to it's construction, Mr Andrew Foster would find himself in jail for negligence and possible manslaughter if the worst happened. Just to make £30 on a cable. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 12:05:09 GMT
If more than one in this condition then trading standards needs to be notified to stop their sale completely + seller made to contact and recall as many peeps not as well versed/conscious as your friend. I absolutely agree. I have asked my friend to take another apart and see what they are like. I will await the pictures. |
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Post by brucew268 on Feb 16, 2022 12:18:06 GMT
The assembly is atrocious but without the gaffing tape it looks like he may just have run out of brown wire and so substituted earth wire, then put some brown sleeve over the end to identify it. If so, there would be no safety issue, just ugly as sin and not worth selling under one's name. The others are worth looking at for comparison. Then again, that black heat shrink to join the insulation sleeves could be a safety issue, dodgy. What IS that 2nd photo?
There is a minimum insulation size per mm2 for current carrying cable. It has to do with how long the cable can withstand a fault before bursting into flames. This cable is an abomination in my opinion. Whilst it may work ok in normal circumstances, it may not if/when there is a fault. If this thing started a fire due to it's construction, Mr Andrew Foster would find himself in jail for negligence and possible manslaughter if the worst happened. Just to make £30 on a cable. Well pointed. |
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Post by misterc on Feb 16, 2022 14:30:07 GMT
Just for your own interest 90% of audiphile cables would never pass a CE test as the max current allowed is 13 amps, bigger conductor size is 1.5mm cross sectional area, no silver at all and the cable must be multi-stranded not solid core and the permissable number of strands is 78. Plenty of other standards applicable to this like re useable plugs, dielectric constant etc. This refers to BS 1363 standard.
Interesting observatins here you can purchase the IEC and UK mains plugs with a BS approval on it and attached a BS/CE approved cable BUT this does not make it CE (Or UKCA) approved or passed. need to be submitted for testing or you type approve after rigourious testing and include this in the build manual.
BTW that is NOT the worse mains cables I have seen at all, the very worst came from the USA
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 14:45:44 GMT
Just for your own interest 90% of audiphile cables would never pass a CE test as the max current allowed is 13 amps, bigger conductor size is 1.5mm cross sectional area, no silver at all and the cable must be multistranded not solid core and the permissable numer of strands is 78. Plenty of other standards applicable to this like re usebale plugs, dielectric constant etc. This refers to BS 1363 standard. Interesting observatins here you can purchase the IEC and UK mains plugs with a BS approval on it and attached a BS/CE approved cable BUT this does not make it CE (Or UKCA) now approved or passed. need to be submitted for testing or you type approve after rigourious testing and include this in the build manual. BTW that is NOT the worse mains cables I have seen at all, the very worst came from the USA Good info T. As always 👍 |
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Post by antonio on Feb 16, 2022 15:22:02 GMT
When I saw the photo, I wondered what he'd done, you pointing out he maybe tried to lengthen the cable seems possible, but why not sell it as 0.75m than to f--k around like that. Well done in bringing this to our attention. I had to Google AF Cables not knowing who they are, and already AudioAddicts is one of the links shown.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 16:07:52 GMT
When I saw the photo, I wondered what he'd done, you pointing out he maybe tried to lengthen the cable seems possible, but why not sell it as 0.75m than to f--k around like that. Well done in bringing this to our attention. I had to Google AF Cables not knowing who they are, and already AudioAddicts is one of the links shown. As I said Dave, I don't like doing this sort of thing, but imo they are dangerous and I felt compelled to raise some awareness. This one is two years old apparently, so I am hoping he's bucked his ideas up, but the other cables are being dismantled later so I will add further details then. Good or bad. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 17:14:10 GMT
Looks like it wasn't a one off
Original post now updated.
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Post by pete on Feb 16, 2022 17:33:12 GMT
Unbelievable, I am lost for words!
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 16, 2022 18:05:29 GMT
Unbelievable, I am lost for words! Me too Pete. Flabbergasted |
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Post by antonio on Feb 17, 2022 3:53:14 GMT
Shocked (pun intended) He needs reporting.
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Post by macca on Feb 17, 2022 8:34:07 GMT
welcome to the hi-fi business - all bullshit and bollocks.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 14, 2022 17:00:02 GMT
Just a quick update, Andrew Foster, (the maker of these bodge job nasties) has refunded my friend. I have been asked to make his some cables to replace them. I was given free reign over what to make, so he's getting PC-CCC with pure copper contacts in the plugs. Rock solid, super sounding and a damn site better build quality.    |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2022 17:31:53 GMT
I thought those plugs would be outlawed since Brexit?
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 14, 2022 18:04:33 GMT
I thought those plugs would be outlawed since Brexit? His system uses Shuko mate and to be fair, China will sell anything lol Don't think Shuko plugs have ever been legal here? |
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Post by sq225917 on Mar 14, 2022 19:03:48 GMT
I'm not a cables guy, but those plugs look bloody good, excellent connectors and clamps.
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Post by rexton on Mar 14, 2022 19:59:02 GMT
Just a quick update, Andrew Foster, (the maker of these bodge job nasties) has refunded my friend. I have been asked to make his some cables to replace them. I was given free reign over what to make, so he's getting PC-CCC with pure copper contacts in the plugs. Rock solid, super sounding and a damn site better build quality. Internally very similar to the Furutech's I use on my system. |
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
AA Founding Member & Bigbottle Audio Creator
Posts: 16,109
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Post by Bigman80 on Mar 14, 2022 20:46:38 GMT
Just a quick update, Andrew Foster, (the maker of these bodge job nasties) has refunded my friend. I have been asked to make his some cables to replace them. I was given free reign over what to make, so he's getting PC-CCC with pure copper contacts in the plugs. Rock solid, super sounding and a damn site better build quality. Internally very similar to the Furutech's I use on my system. It is Furutech PC-CCC So it should be similar lol |
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