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The Truth About Power Cords and there "Real" Price to Performance

This is a journey through real life experiences from you to everyone that cares to educate themselves. I must admit that I was not a believer in power cords and how they affect sound in your system. I from the camp that believed that the speaker provided 75% of the sound signature then your source then components but never the power cord. Until that magic day I along with another highly acclaimed AudioGoner who I will keep anatomist ran through a few cables in quite a few different systems and was "WOWED" at what I heard. That being said cable I know that I am not the only believer and that is why there are so many power cord/cable companies out there that range from $50 to 20-30 thousand dollars and above. So I like most of you have to scratch my head and ask where do I begin what brand and product and what should i really pay for it?

The purpose of this discussion to get some honest feed back on Price to Performance from you the end user to us here in the community.

Please fire away!


 


128x128blumartini
audioman58's avatar
audioman58
4,178 posts
 
I have been an Audiophile for  over 40 years and owned a audio store.
i will say without question cables are by far the highest profit margin ,speaking of high end cables ,that being said a 
good power cord brings much more detail and dynamics to the audio chain .
i took a $500 power cord ,and a $900
one one on my digital front end ,and one on the integrated amp, then switched them , the better power cord made the power amp noticeably better 
at the output , on the ampsection.
that being said , two top power cords payed dividends.i have found some smaller boutique companies can compete pretty well. The $1k AQ
is fantastic ,but Triode Audiolabs for example for $500 makes a excellent 
power cord. Or you can buy top Furutech connectors ,and buy bulk 
reference cable$50-$400 per ft
that give you = to 3x more value per
dollar spent. These are just an example of possibilities.
mahlman
433 posts
 
Too funny and I love some of the trolling here. In the memory of "insearchofprat" we now have BluMartini and his buddy anatomist here live discussing yet another one of audios money making schemes and wealth transfer scams. The deliberate mis-spellings are hilarious. It is theater of the absurd in every way and Monty Python would be hard pressed to best some of these threads. Troll on brother you do serve to reveal the preposterous nature of some of the self anointed golden ear audiophile silliness.
mahlman
433 posts
 
"Wow, this has been an excellent thread thus far. I never know where things are headed when I post a thread, its like being blindfolded on a roller coaster ride! I am thankful to all of you who have contributed as we all can always learn no matter how large or small your system is or how much you know or think you know there is always someone who knows more than you! Now as far as the "Kamikaze’s" out there dive bombing with snide remarks and negativity please be more respectful to the group some of us are here to learn.

Thanks again to all.

Cheers! "
U Go BLU!! Pot stirring with flair. Or is that flare?
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
I hate to judge before all the facts are in but it appears none of the $50 power cord folks have run across any of the great many reviews of the AudioQuest Hurricane Power Cord, or other Storm series power cords, mostly on audio forums and Facebook and right here on Audiogon. Could all those reviews be paid advertisements? A coincidence? A global conspiracy? A prank? Or is it evidence that there is in fact life after $50?

Positive Feedback review, trigger warning ⚠️

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/audioquest-storm-series-and-niagara-ac-power-...

“I looked for evidence but I was unable to find any.” - Naysayers’ lament
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
delkal
But my personal experiences are just anecdotal. Someone will always say my system isn’t revealing enough or I didn’t know what to listen for (or I am just ignorant). So that is why I keep asking.........why can’t find I any reliable sources on the internet where someone can repeatedly tell a difference when listening blinded? Or why can’t the people who claim a cable "instantly transformed their system" do the same test, do it blinded with someone else switching it, and tell us about it? This should have been proven long ago.

>>>>Good questions! Who the hell knows? That’s just the way it goes sometimes.
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