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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
turnbowm
353 posts
 
"I would be very surprised if anyone in the last 30 years ever said high capacitance or high inductance were virtues. So, I guess what I’m saying is what else is new? But surely we can agree there are other desirable cable and power cord characteristics. Please don’t tell me it all comes down to L, R, C. That horse has been beat to death."

GK,

I never said that "it all comes down to L,R and C." Material (conductor & insulator) properties and cable design are important factors, as previously mentioned.
turnbowm
353 posts
 
atdavid,

You never answered my question....

"Is there any scientific reasoning behind your choice of audio cables?"  
atdavid
736 posts
 
Very good shielding primarily on interconnects, and a properly connected shield and good connectors to ensure a proper connection. With the exception of a decade plus ago on a cable that intentionally colored the sound, I have never detected capacitance that would be impactful to sound in my components. As capacitance is so low, dielectric absorption becomes a non-issue, and since interconnects are no impedance matched, not worried about that either.

For speakers, heavy gauge with intertwined connectors mainly for shielding, though I have never perceived an issue. Again, not really worried about inductance as any cable inductance is buried in the noise floor of component values in the speaker. I did accidentally make a speaker cable with wickedly high capacitance that made an amplifier unstable, but that would not have been considered normal construction.

Now about those values of capacitance and inductance where they become an issue?

Post removed 
turnbowm
353 posts
 
"Now about those values of capacitance and inductance where they become an issue?"  

atdavid,

There are no specific values/limits for inductance and capacitance because of variables in the application. Your experience with amplifier instability using high capacitance speaker cables is a perfect example.

My preference for low inductance in speaker cables and low capacitance in interconnects is based on numerous listening sessions. There are other considerations, but these are my primary ones.
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