One Cord To Rule Them All

And for those that only look at the measurements and demand measured proof: http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/shunyata_visit_interview.htm

And here is the updated piece on misconceptions: https://shunyata.com/2016/06/27/power-cord-misconceptions/

MISCONCEPTION #3: There is up to a hundred feet of wire in the walls, so the last 6 feet of power cord can’t possibly make any difference.

Answer: The PC is NOT the last 6 feet as stated in #1 and the local current and EM effects directly affect the sonic performance of the component. The power cord is not the last 6 feet, it is the first 6 feet from the perspective of the component. The further a noise source is from a component, the less of an impact it will have on the components power supply. The high-frequency noise sources that have the greatest impact on audio and video performance are the system components themselves — which are usually all in close proximity of one another and all emit radiated fields of high-frequency noise. A well designed power cord can act as a noise-isolated extension of the primary winding of a component’s power supply and will help isolate the power supply from the fields of radiated RF and EM noise energy that is ever present in all electronics systems.

Thanks for the article links @thyname 
I always enjoy opportunities to learn something from folks who actually research these things and build stuff.
Using larger 7awg power cords did make a noticable, audible difference/improvement when used to connect my 650 wpc monoblocks.  Each amp is connected to a 20A dedicated electrical line, wired with 10 awg romex.  As explained in one of the articles, power supplies pull current in pulses, not steady state.  Power cords that are better at allowing/transmitting larger instantaneous current pulls can conceivably perform better. 

Interesting article. Caelin Gabriel moved out here to Bremerton back in the 90's to be near my great mentor Stewart Marcantoni who played a key role in helping launch Shunyata. Caelin even came over one night and did a demo of some of his new Powersnakes for a bunch of us. His Cobra is still on my Melody. 

His comments about diodes and their switching noise is insightful and mirrors what I have been saying for a very long time now, diodes are really important and contribute (or detract!) a lot to sound quality. The idea of the power cord as an extension of the power transformer and power supply is the kind of thing that happens when you devote whole decades of your life to something.

Thanks @mitch2 

@millerccarbon: exactly! Once someone introduced to me the concept of power cord being an extension of the component’s power supply, the first few feet, not the last, it was much easier for me to explain rationally what I was hearing. That was some 12-15 years ago or so.

“Once someone introduced to me the concept of power cord being an extension of the component’s power supply, the first few feet, not the last, it was much easier for me to explain rationally what I was hearing.”

@thyname,

Exactly! I always believed, power cables are the most important cables in your system, followed by speaker and interconnects. At the end of the day, they all make a difference in a well put together systems.