Power Cord Length

It depends on the cord and gauge. In any case you need to get power to where ever the component is so your stuck there. Anyhow I think the best thing is to get a good power center with a big capacitor in it and have it near the components. or a little one like the ps audio ultimate outlet and have it near the sub or whatever so then run a short cord off of it. This will provide a little power in resorve by the componment so if it draws alot there is a bit in reserve A larger guage power cable also helps here for the same reasons. Vs. running a long cord from the power center to the component.

If you are just coming from the outlet just get a decent shielded cord.

Okay...I wasted my undergraduate tuition for my physics degree if I said anything other than "a power cord needs to be longer than 5 feet to be a clean conductor? What are you smoking?!"

What I *have* heard, though, is that some manufacturers (myself included, when I used to put together my own lab cables) use particular kinds of casings and antistatic/insulators that can actually pinch the conducting core if the cables are so short that their curves are of some, often small, angle or less (pinching). Thus, if you have a cable of "sufficient length" cabling loops are allowed, as long as they're not too tight. This generally describes home-grown, and often *cheaper* cables, though, not high end lab/mil spec/a/v cables...

I seriously doubt that such precarious storage/use requirements were employed by the company you used: after many years in a lab, I've only used one material - a flexible carbon fiber-aluminum hybrid - whose characteristics for best signal passage demanded relatively unkinked runs. It cost ~$2200/6". Thus, unless that was one, well, really costly power cord, I'd say it is unlikely a realistic concern for you.

Sheesh...

Seriously (if there is such a thing in this hobby??), I 'm sure some of us will be led to believe there is truth in this (marketing reasons or otherwise) but the link below does suggest digital cable lengths are affected by it, not sure about PC though since it is not passing signal/information??
spdif

Oops....the link below suggest digital cable lengths are affected by it........
http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue14/spdif.htm

Mahalo to everyone for your input. I can buy into Ivyinvestor's explaination of cable pinching. There maybe some stiff high end cords, which require more length to provide for gentle curves to meet installation needs, but otherwise I'll keep using with the shortest power cables possible.