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The Truth About Power Cords and there "Real" Price to Performance

This is a journey through real life experiences from you to everyone that cares to educate themselves. I must admit that I was not a believer in power cords and how they affect sound in your system. I from the camp that believed that the speaker provided 75% of the sound signature then your source then components but never the power cord. Until that magic day I along with another highly acclaimed AudioGoner who I will keep anatomist ran through a few cables in quite a few different systems and was "WOWED" at what I heard. That being said cable I know that I am not the only believer and that is why there are so many power cord/cable companies out there that range from $50 to 20-30 thousand dollars and above. So I like most of you have to scratch my head and ask where do I begin what brand and product and what should i really pay for it?

The purpose of this discussion to get some honest feed back on Price to Performance from you the end user to us here in the community.

Please fire away!


 


128x128blumartini
mwoh419
54 posts
 
" that the price-performance ratio in part depends on what you are connecting the power cord to "

Yup... and at both ends.  It starts at the outlet, (and any power conditioners after it, and before the equipment).
mwoh419
54 posts
 
I'll also add that sometimes too much of a good thing... can be a bad thing.

After initially liking what I was hearing with my Shunyata investments... I kept going.

After losing most of my midrange, and the treble becoming pinched and thin... the majority of that stuff is in the closet.
mwoh419
54 posts
 
" So I like most of you have to scratch my head and ask where do I begin what brand and product and what should i really pay for it? "

Sometimes you have to look at the measurements and composition of the cords/cables.  Typically, (IME), cables with high capacitance and/or inductance... have deleterious effects on SQ.
mwoh419
54 posts
 
" Well, since the first 25 - 100' or more of cable in your house is most like 12 or 14 gauge solid core romex, shouldn't we just keep it all the same and use more of that? "

There's an old audiophile saying...  " don't think of the power cable as the last few feet... but the first few feet. "
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
Otherwise intelligent people with too much unearned money will buy a $16,000.00 power cord merely so they can tell their friends, "That power cord cost me $16K." Then, when pressed, they will make up some BS about why such a power cord could possibly be a good value.  None of which would have any real bearing on the cords ability to actually enhance the musical listening experience.

No one has ever conducted a verified A/B double blind test on exotic power cords where the result was any other than inconclusive.  Save some money and stick with the good stock cord the manufacturer provided.
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