Dmg,
Nice player. How do SACDs sound on your system?
I have some suggestions to dabble your toes in the power cord pool without shocking your wallet. I was agonizing a bit recently over the purchase of a "budget" cord for my CD player and ended up purchasing a Shunyata Diamondback at a discounted price because it would bend around the tight places in my cabinet. I was so impressed with what that did for my CD player, I made a 12 gauge wire for my integrated amp out of parts purchased from Home Depot. Without going all mushy about it, my system really sounds a lot better after adding the two wires.
In purchasing a Power Cable for the 840A, I think you should take a few things into consideration-
1. How much space do you have at the back of your system? If your amp is more than a few inches away from the wall, then you can use a stiffer cable and not have to worry about kinking it. If your amp is fairly close to the back wall or back of the cabinet, then you will need a more flexible cord, and that will limit your options.
2. How long is the run to your AC source? If you are using the stock cable, then you are probably 6ft. or less away. If you can use a shorter cord, you can save a few bucks on each foot of wire you don't buy.
3. Shielding - for an amplifier, you don't really need a shielded cable. In fact you may not want it.
Some suggestions:
Stiff wires-
Signal Cable MagicPower, $59.00 for 3ft.
http://signalcable.com/magicpower.html
VH Audio Flavor 4 Power Cable, $169.99 for 3ft.
http://www.vhaudio.com/flavor4.html
Voodoo Audio Mojo Power Cable, $175.00 for 3ft.
http://www.thecableco.com/product.php?id=6385
Not so stiff wires-
Audio Art Power Cable, $145.00 for 3ft.
http://www.audioartcable.com/Articles.asp?ID=131
JPS Labs GPA 2 Power Cable, $199.00 for 6ft.
http://www.thecableco.com/product.php?id=1136
Kimble Kable Powerkord 10, $210.00 for 4ft.
http://www.thecableco.com/product.php?id=1633
Shunyata Research Diamondback Platinum Power Cable, $250.00 for 5ft.
http://www.thecableco.com/product.php?id=6049
Many of these cables (and many, many more) are available from one vendor, the Cable Company (http://www.thecableco.com/index.php). The nice thing about them is they allow you to borrow and try cables before you buy.
All these cables are considered budget wires - if you can call a $250.00 wire "budget". For this level of product which mostly use similar grade connectors, cable gauge, conductors and geometry, any real differences are usually in the insulating material and any cryogenic treatment. Given the general similarities, I would try the Signal Cable first to see if it does anything for you. $59.00 is a nice dinner out these days - for one.
