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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
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.
prof
3,474 posts
 
mrdecibel

I have no reason to respond to your ignorance or foolishness.


Why the insults?  Why can't you simply discuss matters about audio like a mature adult?  (What is it about AC cables...of all things!...that makes people's emotion run so high?)

My listening, my system, my music, my experiences, my money. Why do you care ?


I don't care what you buy.

This is thread where people are giving their own views on the merits, as they see it, of high end AC cables.

Guess what?  Public forums will bring people with varying opinions together.  If you post something, someone may challenge it.  I suggest you get used to the idea rather than complain. 



You posted about CJ and AC cables; I happen to have owned CJ products for many years, so I have something to say there.  Then you declared to everyone how "prof" doesn't "get it."

That's perfectly fine if you want to write that.  But don't get all upset if I actually respond to claims that I "don't get it." 


If your feathers are so ruffled by encountering alternative views to your own, why post in this thread, let alone monitor it?  It seems to only upset you.


(And btw, I don't need you telling me to "stay in my camp."  I feel quite free to end up in any camp I please.  I could be utterly in error in most of what I've written.   I'm open to the idea cables, including AC cables, can make audible differences.  I am not in a "camp" dogmatically, as you seem to be given your posts indicate you can not imagine yourself to possibly be wrong).



mrdecibel
3,065 posts
 
Prof, I just made clear of some human traits I see in others. On top of that, I am not upset in the least. What you or others believe, particularly in high end audio, makes little difference to me. Besides, you seem to be  clueless as to the " camps " I am speaking of, or maybe you do. Some of us hear things, and some of us do not. I do not know why that is, but it seems to be the case. Enjoy your holidays, be well, and....Enjoy ! MrD.
jafreeman's avatar
jafreeman
689 posts
 
xyobgyn,  

Man, you are so ridiculously off base, I can hardly bring myself to respond.  Where did you come up with an idea of people getting into trouble or being fired?  I cite the ARC manual for my Reference 210 amps, mention a respected cable builder and add that a top official at ARC uses his cables to help in product development, and you decide to build an investigation that comes off as a conspiracy case!  I have suffered through a lot of pomposity, tortured logic, and know-it-alls on here, but you take the cake with this one.  Please--don't embarrass yourself any further.  
prof
3,474 posts
 

mrdecibel,

What you or others believe, particularly in high end audio, makes little difference to me.


But the problem is you will still come here and comment on what you think my position is. And because you "don't care" you will continually misunderstand and hence make posts imply a position I explicitly don't hold.
For instance you wrote:

The fact that you claim to not hear differences, does not mean that differences do not exist,



Now, if you had "cared" for a moment what I ACTUALLY have argued, you would have noticed post after post I was explicit in not making that claim.  A selection from my posts in this very thread:


Now...that ISN’T to say other explanations aren’t correct, and that the power cord did in fact alter the signal audibly in the way you perceived
.

and:

As I already stated: I am not claiming everyone here is just experiencing a bias or placebo effect.

and:

Nor do I claim from my own tests, of course, "therefore NO audible differences exist between AC cables, and every positive anecdote is due to subjective bias." That would be far too rash and unwarranted.

again:
I have been very careful to say, explicitly, that I’m not claiming from my own results "AC cables make no sonic difference" and I have NEVER claimed that nonoise or you or anyone else DID NOT hear a REAL sonic difference.


Again:

I have no problem whatsoever with accepting I may be wrong.As I stated early on, I’m open to the possibility AC cables can change the sound of an audio system.


Again:

I could be utterly in error in most of what I've written.   I'm open to the idea cables, including AC cables, can make audible differences.



So, mrdecibel, if you "don't care" enough about my position to actually bother reading it, you could at least refrain from commenting on it since you are bound to misunderstand and misrepresent it.

Answer honestly:  Which of us has been intellectually honest and actually done more in this thread to concede "I May Be Wrong?" 

When you honestly contemplate this, reflect upon your desire to continually castigate others for being obstinate in their viewpoint.









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