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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
unfairlane's avatar
unfairlane
140 posts
 

boxer123,472 posts11-28-2019 6:56am"Question? In your humble opinion, what is the best Power Cord and what do you like about them from prices that range:"

$50-$100 / None
$200-300 / Oyaide (DIY)
$400-500 / Cerious
$600-$1000 / Acoustic Revive
>$1000 / Jena Labs

Obviously I haven't tries all cables available but these are the ones I've left in my system for any given time due to sound quality. It goes without saying that this is only my opinion. Yours will vary.  "

---------------------------

Not true. The best powercord is the one that does less harm to the electric power/signal. No conductor can improve anything, even if they`re priced out of this world. 

The only way to avoid any kind of detoriation is to use single solid core conductors, on primary site as well as on the secondary site.(=speakercables)
12awg is a minimum on the primary site (a poweramp might need moore) while 9awg is a minimum to avoid dynamic loss on the secondary site. (yep, nothing less)

I know this is not what your local stereo-priest tells but it is the thruth. 



cd318
2,636 posts
 
I wonder whether only audiophiles are susceptible to Paranoid Cableitus?

Would it be also possible to sell $1000+ RJ11/ethernet/router power cables too?

Probably not as virtually everyone already understands that the actual broadband supply (and to a lesser extent) the kilometres of cabling to your home are far far more important than whatever’s cabling the last metre or so.

What’s that I can hear being said?

Something about a sow’s ear and a silk purse?

Drat, and double drat!
Foiled again!

Oh well, it’s back to the power of suggestion again.

I wonder what a Tom Cruise or Taylor Swift cable endorsement would cost....?
Outside budget you say? Then affordable non committal fancy marketing will have to do.

Oh how I long for the days when all it took was a semi undressed beauty to sell your stuff...



douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Got bias? 
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
unfairlane / Thanks for your opinion

cd318 / No "Paranoid Cableitus" here. Great sound reproduction though
mitch2
3,941 posts
 
@unfairlane
Just curious, which single wire, solid core, 9 awg cable/wire do you use for speaker cables?
On the power side of things, you basically described Romex, which some well-regarded folks actually believe would make a good power cord.
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