2. cables
  3. 152345-18277

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
dimora's avatar
dimora
61 posts
 
Imagine if I made two cords to prove my point that have the following construction:

  • 3 feet of 12AWG Romex that plugs into your wall outlet with a Marinco or Wattgate  plug...or even wired directly to your mains box.

  • The other end of that Romex would go into a junction box.  Inside that junction box will be a Marinco or Wattgate 3 prong plug that plugs into a hospital grade outlet (which is wired to the Romex) and coming out of that box would be 3 feet of a fancy twisted pair, cryo treated silver conductor, blah blah blah cord that terminates in an IEC plug that goes into your gear.

  • The second box would be Romex all-the way.  Same junction box.  Same plugs.  Same outlet.  Just 6 total feet 12AWG Romex all the way to your gear.

Are any of you willing to tell me you could hear a difference?  Because that is how your house is wired.

I am confident nobody could not pass an A:B comparison noticing any difference with any consistency.
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
JS:  Unearned money can be from a number of sources...inheritance for instance.

MAM says:
I began with the CD (OPPO-105) connected to my power conditioner using the stock cord. The sound was unlistenable.
I have an OPPO-105 and I use the stork cord.  I have never, not even once, thought it put out audio that was unlistenable.  At one time the 105 was the most popular disc player on the market...tested with a stock cord.  My, your ears must be very picky....or a fan of high dollar accessories.  Confirmation bias?
faxer's avatar
faxer
165 posts
 
The entire setup with the Pass XS gear feeding the GT Audioworks speakers were all Triode Wire Labs obsession power chords on the amps and TWL speaker cables and interconnects - this resulted in the best sound at show- don’t believe me read Herb Reichert’s review on Stereophile  where he said that this system can go toe to toe with cost no object systems. Thanks Pete great product at an unbeatable value in all of high-end audio.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/gt-audioworks-loudspeakers-pass-laboratories-eletronics-basis-au...
atdavid
736 posts
 
Of course, that had nothing to do with the GT audioworks speakers working reasonably well in typically awful trade-show rooms, nor the designer undertstanding how to get the most out of his speakers in that situation .. nor all the other good quality components? 

Best of show is like having a least ugly dog show. You have different grades of awful and best sound is far more indicative of a particular speakers interaction with a room, and/or how much effort the exhibitor is willing to put into ad-hoc room treatments. I have heard $250K+ systems sound awful at shows, and $20K systems sound stunning.
atdavid
736 posts
 
dimora,
Did you know the instaneous voltage drop on a 50 foot run of 12awg can reach 3-4 volts when you get the 30+ amp peaks of some power amplifiers?  You had not mentioned whether you were discussing cords or house wiring at that point as well, and you have brought up the other wire as well. 


More critical to the gauge of the wire in the cords would be quality of the equipment to equipment ground connections. There has also been real evidence of noise on AC lines coupling into signal lines in "typical" audio setups, so shielding also makes sense.

You will note I have not said either way that cords can or cannot produce audible differences, but long runs of Romex can in amplifiers depending on how well their power supplies are designed, and it is a poor assumption that boutique audio amplifiers and other equipment is well designed.


More to discover