A stupid question(s) about power cords
As the title indicates, I admit that this is probably a stupid question. But since I don’t know (for sure) the answer, I am asking it anyway.
The recent power cord thread got me interested in a power cord upgrade (from the stock cord) on my Maranzt SA10 (SACDP). The power cord receptacle on that particular component does not have a male equipment ground pin--only the neutral and hot pins. Therefore the cord supplied by Maranzt is a two pole (if that is the right terminology) cord. But because I have done it this way before, I do know that it will accept a power cord with an equipment ground as well as a neutral and hot.
Question 1: I went to musicdirect and looked at some power cords and I saw one (an open box Audioquest NRG Z2) that they were calling a two pole cord. The end that plugs in to the component only has a neutral and a hot, but the other end, the end that plugs into the outlet in the wall, does have an equipment ground blade (so that end has three blades). Why would that be?
Question 2: (and this is the stupid one) if a power cord has an equipment ground pin plugged into the wall, even if it is not plugged into an eqipment ground in the component itself, that cord is still connected to the neutral bus bar in the panel, right? So that being the case, since the equipment ground wire in the cord is right next to the hot wire, is there a way unwanted stuff (rf or whatever, my understanding of this is quite limited) can that dirty up the power that is traveling on the hot wire in the power cord?
I think that the answer to the last question is probably going to be ’no’? And if the answer is ’no’, that means that I really don’t need to shop for only two pole cords, right? And I see this as sort of important because if I buy a two pole cord, the ONLY component I can use it on/try it out on will be my SACDP--there will be no playing around with a two pole cord on my preamp or my amp.
And ALSO, if I don’t feel constrained to shopping ONLY for two pole cords, I would probably have more options to consider.
TIA for legitimate insight to this, and to all others, feel free to ridicule me and my question--I don’t mind.
@dill , yes, if an improvement, even one so small that I will not IMMEDIATELY hear, can be made for around $150, I'll give it a try. And if not, que sara, sara.
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@dill , what are you implying ? Matt is going through a growth spurt with his system, if you have been paying attention to his threads. Unfortunately, making the power cable change and discussing any differences, will not be valid, since at a similar time Matt changed speakers. What he is hearing is a combination of the cables and the speakers, making it hard for him to distinguish any improvement between the supplied cables and the Chinese cables. I am glad he bought the 3 cables, because they are superior to the cables that come with the product and they will allow his gear to " open up " more, which is a real, positive characteristic we can all agree on. My best, MrD. |
I've been on the anti-rhodium bandwagon since the first time I saw it advertised. Using a 3 prong plug is good business as it makes a more solid connection (physical, not electrical) and it makes sure you are properly polarized. Most cords will have a ground anyway. Don't bother shopping for one that doesn't. Shielding isn't often discussed, and many of my power cords are not shielded, but I agree with Erik, it is a good idea. Jerry |
So here’s the thing with Rhodium plated connectors in my system…it can get too much. At one point I had all Furutech power cables with FI-50 and FI-50 NCF Rhodium plated plugs plugged into Furutech GTX-D NCF outlets. In addition my speaker cables, Audience AU24SX had Rhodium plated spades. As I added more Furutech cords with R connectors, the tonal balance shifted slightly to become a bit artificial. I kept the NCF outlets but sold the power cables and got Nordost Frey 2 (a pair on Pass mono amps), Nordost Heimdall 2 power cable is currently feeding my Pass XP-22 preamp. I’m expecting one more Heimdall 2 for DAC. O continue using speaker cables with R plated spades, Furutech DSS-4.1. I sold the Audience AU24SX sp cables. The balance is just right as I’m listening. |
@mrdecibel , @dill , I’ll just weigh back in here quickly to say that in a few more (three or four) weeks (or maybe less) when I have accumulated 100 hours on the new speakers and the cords, I am going to unhook the speakers and put the B&Ws back into the system and see what differences I then hear. From reading @audphile1 ’s posts, I know that my ears are not in the same league as his; however, if it turns out that I cannot hear a difference from the speakers that I spent 3k on, I will not say que sara, sara on that, and they will go back. At that point in time, I may even play around with the power cords which should then be burned in. Going back to a previous post I made (and I have no doubt that this is fuel for derision, but what do I care), I think that certain sonic improvements can happen for some people (and I include myself) that they (meaning me) cannot immediately consciously identify; however, the improvements are recognized in the subconscious and result in increased listening pleasure over time. And I also believe that these small sonic improvements add up. A few years ago I was talking to one of the guys in sales at Cary (they will actually talk to you on the phone if you want to buy something) about some Amperex Bugle Boys 6DJ8s they had, and in the course of the conversation he told me, "Tube rolling can make you neurotic." Tubes are easy to take in and out and with certain tube swaps sonic changes are easily and instantly recognized. It’s a bit more work to get behind my gear the way I have it and then get to the outlets that I put in a bit of an out of the way place, and if tube rolling could cause neurosis, I think that a whole lot of time trying to A/B power cords might put me into full blown psychosis. However, with that typed, if I had spent several hundred to a k or more on one power cord, I would be definitely trying to hear a difference, |
