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Power cable

I’m going to start replacing my power cords. Any recommendations where to start? I’m on a budget so I’ll need to purchase one at a time. I just purchased a Transparent Premium Powerlink as a start. Thoughts on the most critical area to put it. Should it be placed powering my Levinson amp? Initially I thought either it could per the amp or preamp or dac etc. This when I started thinking and realized i have a Furman Elite 15 power conditioner. My Proceed AVP 2 preamp, Ayre Codex DAC and Bluesound Vault are all plugged into it. The only thing, it has an attached power cord. If that cord was replaced with a quality cord, does this eliminate purchasing separate higher end cords for each piece? Is there a way to do this?  Looking to be as economical as possible without sacrificing sound quality.
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alanholvey's avatar
alanholvey
96 posts
 
I myself use Audioquesr power cords.  I have found them far superior to Shunyata's offerings.  The better ones are not cheap, but far less from much of the competing products.  I have also over the last few years been ble to get perfect demo Audioquest power cords from a local dealer when he had himself have to replace his own demo power cords whenever Audioquest came out with newer models.  
luvrockin's avatar
luvrockin OP
208 posts
 
Interesting stuff, been reading a thin and learning a lot. Thanks to all.

 I recently posted a question about splitting or selection of Toslink signal in the Audiogon Digital section. Can't seem to get any takers. You guys know anything about this. Check out my thread and hit it if you can, maybe this will spark the lacking fire.
3tecate's avatar
3tecate
6 posts
 
I know this is an older thread but I want to throw in more support for BLE Design power cables (available on EBAY - somebody already posted a link in this thread).  Great guy making great, very affordable power cables.  I currently use three of his design along with three Zu Audio (2 - Birth and 1 - Mission).  I have mixed and matched gear and done A/B testing and can tell no difference between them and the Zu Birth cables (the Mission is new and I don't have any opinions yet).  Versus stock cables they opened my system up, added air and most significantly gave me a punchier more defined bass in both of my systems: Tekton Uruz in the main system and Elac B6's in the bedroom.  Highly recommended.
luvrockin's avatar
luvrockin OP
208 posts
 
Thanks for your input. May be a thought for down the line purchases
julianstevens
6 posts
 

As an avowed music and hi-fi enthusiast from a very early age, over several decades I've tried lots of different power cords (and interconnects), ending up with those made by Abbey Road/Studio Connections (not the very top of their range, but far from inexpensive).

After all these years, my conclusion is that expensive cables simply aren't worth what they cost relative to the differences they make.  Just about any good quality power cord using thick multi-stranded (or perhaps just 13A single core) copper wire is as good as you need.  I've found the same with analogue interconnects, both SE and balanced.  Those made by Van Damme are reasonably priced and as good as (almost) any others I've heard, the sole exception being a pair of stupefyingly expensive Crystal Cables that I was able to borrow for a week or two.  They really did make a noticeable difference but their price is strictly in the category of If you have to ask...  For what a 1m pair of those cost, you could buy an entirely respectable hi-fi system.

Perhaps surprisingly, the most easily discernible and critical differences are those imparted by CD transport to D:AC cables.  I bought an Abbey Road one of those (not cheap either, even pre-owned) but (admittedly narrowly) prefer one of unknown provenance supplied to me FOC by a well known and highly regarded designer/manufacturer of loudspeakers.

But, for all that, there is a large body of hi-fi buffs who do seem to think that fancy cables are worth buying,  All I offer here are my own conclusions.

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