Fundamental importance of power management

After years of trying power cables of different cable geometries - here is the basics of my observations...

Source Components with poorly designed power supplies (generally, most source components under $1000) can benefit the most

More pricey source components ($1000-$2000) that have better desinged power supplies, still benefit from better power cables, but the degree of improvement is less

Well designed solid state amps with large power supplies show the least "amount" of improvement if looking at dynamic performance, bass slam etc - but generally do improve in the areas of clarity and micro details (like venue acoustics). But you need the best power cables around to achieve this.

Tube amps appear to be less sensitive to changes of power cables, because their "heavy lifting" is achieved without drawing large amount of current.

I have tried power conditioners, but found they are of little benefit when compared to a well designed distrbution box, like those from Furutech

Having a dedicated line is the first thing that should be acquired and a quality outlet also.

Quality plugs on all power leads also provide significant improvements.

If your power is really bad then perhaps a re-generator.

I have heard there are other devices that perofrm well, but I like to keep it simple.

I also have pretty good mains power, which helps enormously

Regards - Steve

@knownothing you have an electrical fire waiting to happen with a 30 amp circuit feeding your equipment. Your home owner’s insurance will not cover a fire due to illegal electrical work such as that. The highest rating for CSA / ULc / UL approved 120 volt AC receptacles is 20 amps. You need to replace that 30 amp breaker with the correct breaker for your receptacle. 

On the subject of power cords, always use the lightest wire gauge required for your components. For example, if your amplifier draws a maximum of 5 amps at 120 volts, you should use an 18AWG power cord. The reason why is that your amplifier’s power supply has noise filtering that presents a low impedance to high frequencies, essentially stopping them at the door. If the power cord presents a lower impedance than the power supply’s filter, it defeats that filter by dropping the majority of the noise across the power supply input instead of across the power cord. Most people are under the mistaken impression that a heavier gauge power cord is better. This is why it is not. 

@Eric>
We shouldn't put amps which can discriminate between power cords up on an altar, we should ridicule them as having woefully under designed power supplies.

Blindjim>
I agree with your insights on addressing various aspects of the system's power delivery. Unquestionably.

however....
regardless the amp, preamp, or source component, EVERY thing that gets plugged into the buildings electrical service is or can be afffected by several things...

impeadance, resistance, conductance, and capacitance, as well as those issues which detract from a pure electrical potential's delivery of a steady state voltage and the frequency at which it is maintained.

EVERY power cord adds an element of all those electrical atrributes. to the down stream device. REGARDLESS that device.

some will argue too that even the fashion the PC is constructed, its dialectric, its connectors/plugs, and even how the conductors are laced, adds yet more audible characteristics to which ever component it is attached.

perhaps…. dunno.

i really don't want to be seen as derogatory or starting another cable bonfire though I do feel the need to, as the OP alluded, underline the notion that from the power pole/service box, to the device (s), what ever can be done to mitigate anomolies on those lines is critical.

also as the OP said, one simply will never know the outcome of addressing this area unless they do it first hand to the extent they reasonably can!

the 'size' of the feed is not nearly as important as is the way its fed from the service panel to the outlet, meaning the breakers, and conductors carrying the electricity.

a dedicated power line, bundled up with two dozen or so more latex and paper shielded romex runs are not the last word in maintaining separation from inductance.

this is another item that adds unwanted issues.
 
isolation is the ticket when it comes to most things audio, or such is my EXP so far. the better I've isolated devices from electrical problems, the better the results! Period.

just dressing cables so their runs aren’t a bowl of spagetti helps.

I won't make a point of how systems are setup at shows, but will take issue with individual setups in friends homes and my own.

Pass Labs has been for damn near ever deemed an outstanding line up of amplifiers. VAC is as well. so are any number of other makers, Merril, Yipsalon, Gryphon, DCS, EMM Labs, Bel Canto, etc.

every one of these makers amps or sources responds to different power management schemes, or power cords, differently.

so exactly where is that line wherein we should begin blaming the makers for providing us with pooer power supplies within their products

my thor line stage has an outboard PS and it is affected by various power cables, acordingly.

, VAC statement products... their top best they can do products have external power sups for their devices. we're talking upwards of components running six figures here, and even these over the top PS are affected by conditioners and power cords. not to mention what is flowing on the incoming power lines.

as I interjected 'isolation' here, these items are as well affected by harmonics in genera. and why racks, platforms and stands are yet another area to consider when attempting to formulate a system that is shielded as much as one can from environmental forces so the purest audio signal possible can be produced.

naturally, we get in where we fit in. not many can afford $8K amp stands for each component, or PCs that are as costly. it is prudent then to take steps to address as much of the electrical issues and harmonics as one is able.

we don’t know what we don’t know, BUT we sure as Hell can find out!

and we should.

@sleepwalker65 that’s fundamentally good advice on breaker.  Sounds good but will replace immediately.

On the 18 guage cable.  Maybe.  I have heard very few modern amplifiers with 18 guage cables.  I think my old Kenwood amp from the 70s had a lamp cord.

I have only heard one stock power cable that performed on par with an aftermarket cable, and that was versus one I built myself with hardware store parts, and it was not necessarily worse, just different.  In every other case and with every other after market cable either purchased or assembled by me out of parts, the aftermarket cord sounded better.  Wondering what others have experienced?