I'm having a really hard time with: "Power cable reduced my soundstage"...

I am a little surprised you felt that strike at all, @tom8999 was it very close?


If so, I wonder if a shielded power cable would have done better?

A shielded power cord would have zero effect on taming a lightning surge. Truthfully, the lightning surge was mitigated by the sacrificial action of MOVs in the power conditioner. The damage that took out the Krell and its power cord also damaged house wiring and related components (panel, sub panel, receptacles, wiring, etc, etc,) and that means rip and replace all of that too. You should hire the services of a reputable certified electrical contractor to assess the damage to your home’s electrical system, and get in touch with your homeowners insurance provider ASAP. 

Hey @sleepwalker65 :

Truthfully, the lightning surge was mitigated by the sacrificial action of MOVs in the power conditioner.

The Furman Elite does not use MOV's for electrical surge protection (but may for coax, not sure). It is of a class called "series mode surge protectors." You can read a little more about those here:
https://inatinear.blogspot.com/2019/04/power-management-for-frugal-audiophiles.html

Lightning strikes cause damage in large part from an EMP pulse they generate, you can read more about that here:

https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4435969/Lightning-strike-becomes-EMP-weapon-

So, that's why I'm wondering. Hey @tom8899 - Was the power cabled due to the surge, or was this a mechanical problem?

Shielding, when done properly, can be effective. I say “properly” because most unbalanced audio cables use the shield as a signal-bearing conductor.

Exactly, and noise, as well as surges, can be induced from/to the power cables directly. An EMP pulse from lightning doesn't have to travel through the power company's wiring the power line to damage equipment.


Best,
E

EMP pulses from lightning are almost always induced on to utility (any kind - power, telecommunications, etc...) wiring that runs through areas where lightning occurs. It is the combination of very high levels of magnetic flux and the great length of cable that is exposed that results in the massive energy transfer. The only way to mitigate resultant surges is to use a secondary surge suppressor at the main electrical panel board and surge suppression at the equipment that we want to protect. These usually consist of voltage clamps that permit relatively safe levels (up to about 200 volts rms) to exist on the circuit. Most often these are MOVs, but can also include high current zener diode arrays and gas discharge tubes. It’s important to know that these devices are all sacrificial in nature, and need to be checked for functionality on a regular basis. It’s also important to have your home electrical system inspected for damage whenever a major surge is experienced, as extremely large amounts of energy can be dissipated in wiring, receptacles, circuit breakers, etc in the event of a major surge, causing permanent damage and potentially rendering the electrical system a fire hazard. The best measure of protecting our valued equipment is disconnecting from all sources of surge ingress in advance of lightning storms.