HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I am going to change some of the sockets I have on my hifi spur to unswitched 15A round pin types. They are superior to the modern 13Amp versions from what I have read here. Probably due to pin geometry and the fact there are no fuses in the plug

I have a dedicated hifi spur at home with about 3M from the consumer unit to the sockets

I presume it is perfectly legal for me to do so as they are still sold in the uk.

This is ok for my DIY stuff but NVA stuff comes with moulded 13A plugs and don't want to chop the plug off and replace with a 15A round type as you may not take it in return when upgrading (Doc).

The Doc will be along soon, but I'm pretty sure there was an option for the BMU at least to have the 'old' round sockets.

Of course I will take the return / trade it. Cut the 13amp plug off, and replace with 15amp for wall plugs and sockets. For the BMU I can't get 15amp sockets to fit I have tried. So I fit the second best but still miles better than the 13amp in the shape of the EU Schuko plug - if use is on a radial circuit.

Ok Doc.

I forgot about my BMU, it has 13A sockets

I do run an extension from the BMU so could still make a 15A extension block and change the gear plugs to 15A

No point but if you fit a radial circuit to the hi-fi just remove the fuses in the plugs and solder across or fit a copper bar. Now wait for the howls of "do you want to kill yourself" or equal stupidity. In every other country in Europe (apart from Ireland) they don't have the stupidity of fuses in plugs because they use radial circuits, not the dangerous half arsed cheapscate ring circuits we use. The Schuko is a very good plug, much better than our daft thing, The real stupidity is we threw away the best plug of the lot to go to that 13amp abortion.

BTW Stu it is always better to get the terminology right. If it is direct from consumer unit to the hi-fi and nowhere else it is a radial circuit. A spur normally refers to a branch taken from a ring. In this case a spur (which like the ring is inherently unsafe) should be treated as part of the ring and does need plug fuses. In reality extension blocks with leads are spurs.

Yes, I have a radial circuit not a spur. Silly me. My hifi at home is the other side of the wall from the consumer unit so was really easy to drill a hole through the wall and wire up to a spare output on the consumer unit. I don't need plug fuses then

How about swapping the live pin in the plug for a neutral pin from another plug ? Then the live wire can be wired directly to the pin instead of through the fuse holder and solid copper bar. Fewer connections has got to be good right ?

Cue the comments on other forums

Basically you can do what you like as long as you don't kill anyone or set fire to the house.

Worth considering though, if something goes wrong elsewhere, knowing what insurance companies are like, you might have problems. I have my components connected without plugs to a heavy duty three terminal junction box, then this is connected to a standard fused plug. Pretty safe but if something went wrong I often wonder if questions might be raised.

Insurance companies will always look for any excuse not to pay out - basically because they are crooks.