Do powercords make a difference in sound?

11-20-12: Almarg
...we are here to share information, ideas, and experiences, which hopefully will be mutually beneficial as we try to guide our investments of time and money in directions that stand the greatest chance of being rewarding.

I for one agree completely with this statement.

Audio is a hobby and people are entitled to approach it however they please, whether it's scientifically or impressionistically. Having said that, many opinions that might be mistaken for scientific are in fact impressionistic. It seems to me that Al was pointing out such an opinion.

Of course this hobby is not a science. But many of the methods and values characteristic of science can be brought to bear on the pursuit of satisfaction in this hobby... methods like controlling confounding variables, careful attributions of causes, explicit and precise definitions of concepts, repeatability as a standard for the validity of conclusions, and so on.

It's also worth pointing out that many conversations that take place daily on A'gon raise issues with strong parallels in the philosophy of science... issues like the role of perception in knowledge, the various forms of explanation, the nature of truth, controversies about how beliefs should be justified, the relation between speculative theories and more established bodies of knowledge, interlevel relations in complex systems, reductionism, emergence, and so on.

For some people, myself included, the "scientific" approach to this hobby enhances their enjoyment of it. It's not only the enjoyment of having a system that is more suited to your preferences, but also the enjoyment of the PROCESS that the "scientific" approach encourages - a process of both discovery and understanding.

Bryon

There is no mathematical equation to follow for good sound, but there is a lot of relevant science that can help....a lot!

Well said Al. Why have a discussion forum if we just share our experiences without questions?

Tbg, I'm in tech field and my experiences are very different than yours regarding to experiments. If my products fail, it's a matter of life and death. I guess in your world, it's just a failing grade.

Almarg and Knghifi, I appreciate that you have kept this civil. I am all for sharing personal experiences, but I view them as anecdotal or the weakest form of assessment. But it has some value. If many say the same thing, it has credibility for me. I might have questions.

What I don't like is people saying that this violates the laws of physics or that this is just a scam. We don't know all the laws of physics and certainly quantum physics has taught us to have difficulty understanding some things.

So I am merely saying that it is largely a buyer's decision. It is entirely appropriate to encourage that they hear both speakers in the same environment.

As to what the value of forums, I am somewhat uncertain. I wax and wain in terms of monitoring them. Seldom do I read anything that intrigues me or where I think I can help. Most of these are like audiophile meetings where the topic is always, "mine is bigger than yours." Don't expect agreement on anything in these forums.

11-20-12: Almarg
why are we all here? Most fundamentally, as I see it, and as I believe most of us see it, we are here to share information, ideas, and experiences, which hopefully will be mutually beneficial as we try to guide our investments of time and money in directions that stand the greatest chance of being rewarding.

That is what it is all about. Almarg with his background, is always helping people match up components, and helping them diagnose a problem. A lot of us (myself included), learn a lot more from his posts.

He has enough knowledge to make a statement about the use various accessories, and other things that may influence the sound of a system.

I myself still have not seen any test results of any kind, that shows they work. Manufacturers of audio amps, and all kinds of other components, have to prove what their equipment can do. Not so with these types of tweaks.

Also, the tests, and science used to make audio gear, has way more consistent results, than human observation does. Eyewitness testimony is a good example of human err.