Why does an audiophile grade power cord matter?


probably another beaten horse topic but I cannot find answers to quell my question.

Basically, most of us have homebuilder standard supply solid core copper wire with nylon, plastic or rubber sheathing that runs the length of our homes from some cheapo metal utility company supplied junction box to a 5 dollar leviton outlet Joe General Contractor buys at Home Depot. So the current at that 5 dollar outlet is what it is until we hook it up to our system.

So why does plugging in a 1.5 meter or what ever length of audiophile grade xxx hundred dollar power cord matter to go that last couple of feet to our components???
photonman
Photonman,

I would tend to agree with Bryston about plugging your amp directly into the wall. Amps have some pretty good filtering already BUT there is always a chance that "your" electricity and/or environment may be so bad the it "could" benefit by being in the Furman. I really doubt it but you can't damage anything by trying both ways and see/hear what's best.

The Pangea 9 is a 7 gauge cable and very heavy. Make sure that both ends are not going to strain what they are plugged into.
Photonman - when current is dumped from the amplifier to the load, the amplifier reserve has to be re-charged, and the quicker it can be re-charged the faster it can dump current. This is the reason a power cord matters. Audition a high silver content conductor, and for sure the geometry has to be twisted to prevent RF.

More surprisingly, and I'm not sure how this works yet, try placing a VPI brick near your outlet where your audio power cords enter the wall. Have someone move the brick away while you are listening, and then move it back to the floor approximately 6" away from the outlet. Hear the incredible change in the sound stage. Don't know why it happens but boy is it an eye opener. While I agree with plugging a power amp directly into the wall - it appears some kind of filtering is advised. The VPI brick won't affect high current flow and seems to improve the situation somewhat. But this is why they sell $6000 power conditioners I'm sure. (Not that I can afford one.)

As onemug states - all of this is probably greatly affected by the quality of your power. I live in an apartment in NYC :-(.
05-27-13: Nonoise

"If you can't hear a difference, you're either deficient in hearing acuity or your system isn't revealing enough or you don't feel it's worth it and refuse to come clean even though you do hear a difference (which seems to be the underlying reason)."

You can hear a difference in power cords for the same reason that a sugar pill can cure a headache if the person ingesting it believes it's medicinal.
Just received my Pangea 9SE cable and whoa, this thing is big.

After reading up, I am going to be unplugging the amp from the Furman and go straight to the wall.

Will sound test it soon.
Danoroo,
I admit that I do like sugar but my ears like music and an aftermarket PC makes it all the more enjoyable. You don't need to spend a lot to get a lot. Like I first stated, take the time to go back and "read" the thread I mentioned and then see how your statement stands up. You'll find yourself in a distinct minority.

All the best,
Nonoise