2. cables
  3. 150210-127647

I wonder why......

If power cables offer such dramatic improvements (not saying they do or don't), why don't component manufacturers supply them as part of a component sale? All high end components come with power cords that can be disconnected. The cost of a mid level aftermarket replacement cord is only a fraction of what the typical high end component costs so if sound is improved so much, why wouldn't a manufacturer want to "improve" the sound of their components by providing an upgraded cord at the point of sale? 

High end automobiles (Porsche, Ferrari, AMG, etc.) are typically supplied with the best tires available on the market. Often these are specifically designed by tire makers to the auto maker's specs. This is to extract every ounce of performance from their product. If high car makers did what audio manufacturers did, they would be supplying their cars with average, run of the mill tires expecting the buyer to upgrade on his own. Wouldn't audio component makers want to extract the best performance from their gear?

The only thing I can think of is that audio component manufacturers don't think so called upgraded power cables are worth the added cost.

What am I missing?

J.Chiappinelli
128x128jchiappinelli
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Nonoise, your friend reminds me a lot of this one audiophile I used to know. He couldn’t go two words about wire without turning it into some kind of rant or snide comment. Or for sure the eye roll or like you said, facial expressions and body language giving the truth away so no matter what he said you just knew he was convinced its all BS. Which I wish I had on video the time he brought his masterpiece homebrew wire over to demo, only to hear with his own ears just how pathetically awful it was. I mean there was no denying it. And he knew it. No matter what he said, the truth was as plain as the pain on his face.

This is what I really do not get. If you can’t hear a difference, why not just say you can’t hear a difference? Totally understandable. We all start from zero. Or if you can hear a difference but its not enough to be worth it to you, if you value your money more highly than your sound, why not just say so? Isn’t this the very basis on which to build a system? By putting together a bunch of components each of which are deemed the best value at the time? "Not worth it" is in that sense positive. Progress. Essential, even.

To be in denial though, that I do not understand at all.

The year is 2019. Four years ago Ted Denney came out with the 20th Anniversary Edition of his AC Master Coupler. 20th anniversary. Plus 4 years. According to my math that is 24 years. And Synergistic Research was hardly the first. They just happened to be the one to come out with a power cord so freaking good it sold for over 20 years and still commands high resale value even now.

That is an awful long time for there to still be people around so obtuse they still don’t get it. I mean that is the kind of dense known to warp space and time itself.


glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,689 posts
 
I've always wondered why there is a difference with a couple feet of power cord when there is literally thousands of feet-miles of wire between your power generator and your equipment. lets not even get into the wire in your house or what's inside your equipment i.e. transformers - hook up wire. . So why does that  few feet make a difference? I hear it and I'm still baffled by it. Why would direction make any difference in a power cord it is AC power after all. 


Maybe its real maybe its hopeful thinking but dam if I don't have an aftermarket power cord on everything..... sucker maybe, maybe not...but I'm not complaining when I'm sucked into my chair listening to music. 

After all its all about the music right? RIGHT!
jchiappinelli's avatar
jchiappinelli OP
117 posts
 
Couple of comments;

1. Never said aftermarket power chords didn't have an effect or weren't worth it. Just raised a question about why they weren't offered as part of the OE package. Raising the thought that perhaps OEMs didn't feel it was worth it was not a condemnation of those who buy and claim benefits from aftermarket cords. I haven't had that experience thus far.

2) Responses fall into the usual 3 categories; 1) those that address the question and offer constructive commentary, 2) those that miss the point of the question, and 3) those that have no idea what they're talking about.

3) Constructive responses (IMO) that I hadn't considered included granny ring's "what length?", millercarbon's "needed for component resale", and pgaulk60's " everyone loves options". All good points.

4) Several responses supported the "there is no point to aftermarket cords" theory.  Whether true or not, that was not the point of my original question.

J.Chip
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,882 posts
 
4) Several responses supported the "there is no point to aftermarket cords" theory.  Whether true or not, that was not the point of my original question.
It happens all the time here. 

helomech
1,694 posts
 
4) Several responses supported the "there is no point to aftermarket cords" theory. Whether true or not, that was not the point of my original question.
That may not be the point of your question, however, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s the truth.

There is no scientific evidence whatsoever, that backs up the claims of cable manufacturers, least of all the sort of claims we see from the likes of Synergistic Research.

For those who like the flat-earther analogy, you might as well ask why globe manufacturers don’t make them flat (well, there are one or two knuckleheads making them). And to answer as to why we should care, it’s because the perpetuation of pseudoscience in this country is leading to a state of regression.
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