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Why Power Cables Affect Sound

I just bought a new CD player and was underwhelmed with it compared to my cheaper, lower quality CD player. That’s when it hit me that my cheaper CD player is using an upgraded power cable. When I put an upgraded power cable on my new CD player, the sound was instantly transformed: the treble was tamed, the music was more dynamic and lifelike, and overall more musical. 

This got me thinking as to how in the world a power cable can affect sound. I want to hear all of your ideas. Here’s one of my ideas:

I have heard from many sources that a good power cable is made of multiple gauge conductors from large gauge to small gauge. The electrons in a power cable are like a train with each electron acting as a train car. When a treble note is played, for example, the small gauge wires can react quickly because that “train” has much less mass than a large gauge conductor. If you only had one large gauge conductor, you would need to accelerate a very large train for a small, quick treble note, and this leads to poor dynamics. A similar analogy might be water in a pipe. A small pipe can react much quicker to higher frequencies than a large pipe due to the decreased mass/momentum of the water in the pipe. 

That’s one of my ideas. Now I want to hear your thoughts and have a general discussion of why power cables matter. 

If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. There a time and place for that but not in this thread please. 
128x128mkgus
prof
3,474 posts
 

So, while I am enjoying these improvements in sq in my listening, they are still battling it. 

Or, an alternative possibility is that you have wasted money on a product whose performance was oversold to you. 

And we are getting just as great results without wasting money.(Remember: I've tried well regarded power cables).

It is the loss of the naysayers.


The people who chase better AC cables never consider that, if they are wrong, they are throwing away time and money fretting about and buying expensive AC cables.


I know: that's a possibility you refuse to consider.   ;-)

(Reminds me of the audiophile version of that old fallacy, Pascal's Wager...)
analogluvr
859 posts
 
I’m sure the improvements were obvious to everyone when you told them you had subbed in a larger gauge power cable and that it would sound much better. 
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,897 posts
 
More like Poe's Never Bet The Devil Your Head.
As in: I'll bet the Devil my head that you're just hearing things, or you're just trying to justify the costs. And then this old man shows up out of nowhere with a power cord.... 😈

All the best,
Nonoise

mrdecibel
3,065 posts
 
prof, I indicated to you, and others, that I have no reason to respond to your ignorance or foolishness. I am never " sold " on anything, as I seek to " buy ", as, there is a difference between the two. My listening, my system, my music, my experiences, my money. Why do you care ? Stay in your camp, and I will stay in mine. The fact that you claim to not hear differences, does not mean that differences do not exist, as I certainly do hear differences. I am not trying to prove to you anything, as I do all of this buying, trying, tweaking, and of course, ultimately, listening ( which is why I do not listen with an Aiwa mini system or a boombox ), and, it is for me, and for me alone, as there continues to be more recorded information to be heard from within my music. I will move on, as it is best. Enjoy ! MrD.
xyobgyn's avatar
xyobgyn
42 posts
 
Joe, 
i respect the part of your posting here as helpful when you relay the following:

At some point in time, and we don’t know it’s duration or if it remains so, an aftermarket PC cord was in use, and preferred by a tester at ARC. We know also that the makers of that cord have gotten him to state so in public, on their official website. 

You should have left left it at that.  Your inclusion trying to extrapolate that one individual’s opinion to represent ARC policy as shown by your quote in their manual is simply wrong. I’m sorry you can’t see that you twisted the ARC official words dramatically to support your (and the tester’s) opinion. 

For all we know your friend got fired for presuming to speak on behalf of ARC. 

On the flip side, if you had in print from the official policy or manuals from companies of these high end products, it would be appropriate to post up. Your quote of the ARC manual doesn’t support it, and I’m not surprised to see an ARC tech quoted on the maker of a cable’s website.  But I also wouldn’t be surprised if that sort of thing doesn’t get employees in trouble.

I am open minded about power in the lines being dirty enough that some people with poorly designed power supplies in their equipment can hear it. 

Can a pc fix that?   Opinions vary it seems.
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