IEC 320 CONNECTOR STANDARDS
This is a well-known and oft-used connector. But what is its official name?
The plug that us audiophiles probably use most has the international indication IEC320 C13. This is the plug at the end of the powercord, that goes into the component. The male side of this plug is mostly rated at 10Amps which most of the time is enough for any component, but not enough for an extensionblock into which you could plug 6 amplifiers. The plug at the other end of cable that goes into the wall, varies per country. Here in Holland it is the Schuko, from German: Schutz Kontakt.
This common plug also has a high power variant, the so called IEC320 C19. This connector looks a lot like the C13 at first sight but is larger and square, instead of rounded at the edges. Also the pins are positioned at another angle. This plug is used in places where more power is potentially needed such as with power distributionblocks, or high powered amplifiers. This connector is rated at 20 Amps.
The red square indicates where officially the phase (hot) should be on the plug side (not the inlet), mostly indicated on the plug by "L" for live.
All cables sold via audioadvies.nl are connected in this fashion.
Many manufacturers keep to this but not all of them. That's why it can be useful to decide by ear which orientation sounds best.
If in doubt: Just trust your ears!
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