Let's talk power cords

Power cords definitely make a difference. I was sceptical, so I made cheap DIY cords. I heard a difference. Then I made great DIY cords and heard a bigger improvement. Supplies for the basic cords were around $30/cord and somewhere around $60/cord for the great cords, including connectors.

This was not about politics but about culture. And I do like the States, and spend a lot of time there. America’s top research universities and research institutes are a haven for innovative research and academic freedom. But there is a counter current of disrespect for scientific facts and expertise, and I observe it here too.

Speaking of FACTS, willem, you haven't presented any. Science is simply an interpretation of reality. Real science doesn't pretend to know everything. It's only an approximation of reality. Real science is not arrogant but curious and investigatory. I broke two laws of science just yesterday. No biggie. I suspect the bigwigs of science probably have too much on their plates to start a whole investigation into audiophile power cords or fuse directionality. Just in case you might consider contacting NASA, MIT, AES or DARPA or NIST the next time you're in the states and see if they would settle this dispute. ;-)

In the many threads that have addressed this subject over the years here, IMO the best and most informative single post that has been made is the following one by Atmasphere, which I'll quote in its entirety from the following thread:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/audiphile-power-cords

It should be noted, however, that his comment pertains mainly to power amplifiers.  And nothing in his statement means that a very expensive power cord will necessarily outperform a much less expensive cord.

With power cords its all about voltage drop across the cord. Some of that is at 60Hz, and some of that is much much higher- well above 30KHz-100KHz depending on the power supply in the unit with which it is being used.

I've seen a 2 1/2 volt drop rob an amplifier of about 30% of its output power. The cord was rated for 10 amps, and the draw was about 6 amps. This measurement was done with a simple 3 1/2 digit Digital Voltmeter.

The more insidious problem is high frequency bandwidth. The power supplies of most amplifiers have a power transformer, a set of rectifiers, and a set of filter capacitors. The rectifiers only conduct when the power transformer output is higher than that of the filter caps. So:

When the caps are fully charged the amp is able to play. As it does so, the caps are discharged until the AC line voltage waveform gets high enough again that the rectifiers in the power supply are able to conduct. Depending on the state of charge of the filter capacitors, this might only be for a few microseconds or it might be a few milliseconds. Either way, the charge is a spike which has very steep sides- and requires some bandwidth to make it happen.

If the power cord has poor high frequency response, it will current limit on these spikes. This can result is subtle modulations in the power supply or even a sagging power supply voltage.

Romex wiring found in many buildings actually works quite well. So it really becomes all about that last few feet and also how well the power cord is terminated- molded cords generally are not terminated very well. If the ends of your power cord get warm after a while, you know you have a problem!

This can be measured, its quantifiable and also audible as many audiophiles know. Anyone who tells you differently probably has not bothered to do any measurements- please refer them to this post.

I can go into more depth but this is it in a nutshell. Incidentally, Shunyata Research is refining an instrument that does a more in-depth analysis of what this is all about. At the link you will see that their tests essentially confirm what I have said here.

http://www.theaudiobeat.com/visits/shunyata_visit_interview.htm

Regards,
-- Al
 

Hi!

Following a couple upgrades in amplifiers and one or two in speakers, I changed out one pr of ICs. I heard that difference.

I changed another pr of ICs to the exact same version as before and violin… another gain in overall presentation. Albeit, not quite there IMO.

Next I began meddling with speaker wires. Found some I liked. Again, quieter and nicer less grainy and stark.

Now semi convinced wires do seem to do something besides pass signals and electricity, I heard here of power cords.

Sure, the debates were prolific. Intense and varied. So what? Its not unlike any other topic. Cars. Guns. Bikes. Trucks. Tires. Canoes. Kiaks. Tents. Boots. Steaks, fishing gear, power tools, toaster ovens, Knives. Flashlights. Etc.

Until you get out there and try several from several makers, you ain’t ever gonna know for sure. Well, I actually tried only one toaster oven. It got things hot so I was OK with it.

Yep. Having a decently appointed rig, and its resolution being above average is key.

Following PCs for the sS amp, I opted for passive power line conditioning. What I had been told about it/them was right. Less noise. Things began to pop in the sound stage.

I tried more power cords. Different ones. Then went back to ICs. Made some gains there. Then back to power cords and another passive line cond. From another maker a little mo’ better model. Then went OFF on some spaker cables.

And all of this rhetoric means squat… until… one finds out if its all bull or not by doing some first hand evals in a system that tells you of any changes in the upstream gear, wires, isolation, etc.

The Cable co as suggested is cool. It will cost a bit but consider it education.

Many power cord makers have a trial period. Find one or a few. Buy em. Try ‘em. Send em back. Do it again. Then go back and buy the ones you felt had the attributes which complemented your arrangement, based on your notes.

The last thing I’d offer here is this… just as with any other component wire folks have figured out how to charge for increasing levels of influence and or gains. Consequently, as prices rise in wire land, so will performance. Arguably.

Then too, there is that synergy bit. As I said, try some from several makers or brands. At about the lower middle on up usually, is where distinctions between them becomes more evident. Just like pushing the pedal down in a Corvette is different than pushing it down in a Cadilac. Some will be more subtle.

The deal here is trust your own judgement, your own ears, take notes, don’t rely on memory and above all be honest in your assessments changing but one thing at a time..

Very lastly…I’ve found many preamps don’t need the level of pc one might add to a source or amp (s). just decent ones there will usually do.

EX:
In terms of MSRP only
Amp & source = I tend to choose about the same level of costs here, though each pc may be vastly different in brand and model.
My DAC has a $1K pc
Amps = $750 pc ea.
Preamp = on my line stage it’s a $600 pc.
Power cods… here it varies for a few reasons. My main PLC has a $1600 pc on it.
None of the above began where they are now. Initially, all were under $400 - $600 . the very first ones were only $200 ea. And those were sent back quickly.

Enjoy.