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If Power Cords Don't Matter...

First of all, I don’t own any high-end power cords, mostly because I can’t fit them behind my rack. Second, I am not trying to stir up controversy, as you will see from my question. I understand that the people who believe power cords make no difference argue that once the power gets into the component, the AC is converted to DC and the power supply of the component takes over completely. I think I have that right for the most part. So it that’s true, and it probably is from a traditional EE standpoint, why is it that I have not heard anyone say that power conditioners make no difference? I am not aware of anyone with a decent system ever saying that a Niagara or Triton or Audience teflon conditioner didn’t affect their sound, for good or for bad. So if the EE theory is true, wouldn’t power conditioners make no difference either? I have an Audience AR6T for almost 10 years and I think it made a big difference. BTW - I am not talking about Power Plants, which deal with voltage stabilization, which is a different topic.  Obviously, if your AC voltage is way off, it's going to cause problems.  
chayro
erik_squires
16,652 posts
 
I wrote about this at length here:

https://inatinear.blogspot.com/2019/04/power-management-for-frugal-audiophiles.html
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Everything makes a difference power cords are a great upgrade to any high resolution system.
elliottbnewcombjr
5,795 posts
 
In my youth, taking things apart, looking at the lightweight common wiring, soldering, parts inside vintage equipment (speakers, preamps, amps, receivers, tape recorders) (McIntosh, Fisher, Scott, Thorens, SME, Viking, Garard, AR, Sony, Panasonic, Teac, Onkyo ...) from late 50's and early 60's, then SS late 60's, 70's, up to current stuff convinced me that MOST (not all) upgrades that came along are like a religion: It works, IF you believe!. Stop Believing, You're Out!

That was the period when those 'now inferior' parts resulted in great success and long lasting reputations for makers. No special fuses, cords, just darn good audio engineering/manufacturing using currently available parts, transformers a big defining characteristic. Specific audio designers solutions yielded small but perceptible differences.

Later, SS, the miniscule traces on circuit boards, the thin fuse wire, the miniscule diameters of cartridge guts, jumpers, and tonearm wiring make you wonder: A FUSE is going to alter the sound? "You better believe it".

Nonetheless, 'why not try?' sets in, and an industry exists. I probably could change my speaker wires back to lamp cord, my Phono Cord back to the temporary $6. one I used while waiting for the $400. Ortofon one. My interconnects back to .... and my system would sound great because the preamp/amp/tubes are noise free, make the preferred difference, the coloration, and the speakers/space make the huge difference revealing anything and everything.

Avoiding or solving problems or mismatches, finding and replacing errant parts, tube type selection, gets you back to great. Upgrading, tighter specs, hmmmm.

Find efficient speakers you love, and then find the color you want to feed them with.





 
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