Power Cables on Subwoofers do Matter


I read an opinion somewhere on this site that swapping the power cable on a subwoofer has a minimal effect and may not be worth it. I have a very different opinion. Power cables can completely transform a subwoofer’s performance.

I have an SVS SB-2000 powered sub and my preferred power cable, a Zavfino Fina, has made it sound like a different animal altogether. It has much more punch, freq response linearity, and liveliness. The manufacturer included power cable makes it sound slow, bloated, and almost out of tune just because it’s sloppy, in comparison. The only drawback to the Fina is that slam below 30-40 hz is a little recessed but it’s not major and is still clearly my choice. I also compared five other aftermarket power cables from other components in my system and they ALL had a different effect on the sub. For testing, I used various crossover points and most of the testing was with the loudspeakers off in order to isolate the sub for critical listening.

Cheers!

128x128gladmo

Actually you are wrong.

Alternative current is actually a sinusoidal wave and it's not moving back and forth. 

It doesn't really matter what cable you are using for powering your amplifier: if it did then a 10.000 euro amplifier would be sold with a better cable than the generic one (let's say a 500 Euro cable). 

Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction.

 

Try a new power cord, or don’t.....they certainly make a difference. All you need to do is listen to them and decide if you can hear a difference or not. If you can’t....good for you. But you might be surprised. Have a nice day.

To the dedicated skeptics and the sincerely questioning, the audible difference is as clear, obvious, and irrefutable as the contrast in pitch between two different keys played on a keyboard. I tried to convey this point previously in this discussion. Therefore, I need not respond to any conceptual argumentation, especially those inchoately formed. Subjectivity itself is the ultimate substrate of any sense of authority, whether or not one is playing with thoughts/concepts/ideas, or simply observing a thing without commentary. One can feel and appreciate the sun's heat without the extraneous requirement to achieve a post-doctoral researcher's understanding of its most subtle physical properties, nor expecting all other sunbathers to be at that level of scientific sophistication. 

@coralkong  has a gracious attitude about it, which I appreciate. I would simply add to his comments that some people who are musicians or have been practicing critical listening for a long time have a markedly different listening experience due to the acquired capacity for acute auditory discrimination, which develops as a result of the neuroplastic proliferation of signaling pathways in the brain. These neuronal configurations can also begin to develop as a consequence of routine exposure to classical music when very young, and, I personally believe, even while in the womb.

 

@lemonhaze  Different connectors aren't available via the website, but you could ask Raymond about a custom cable with your connector. As for the slightly smaller gauge Fina vs The Magestic, it's not worth the price of the upgrade for me.  I have the Magestic on a different part of my system and the larger gauge does have a noticeable effect there.  My sub does fine with the Fina, lol. Another way of looking at it is that the enormous value I already extracted from the Fina purchase vs other, sometimes much more expensive power cords, is seen as an sonic advancement that is far beyond the additional cost of upgrading to the Majestic (same design, just bigger gauge) or an even more expensive Zavfino cable.

 

@rodman99999 I don't think I can answer your question as it was phrased.  What qualifies as "right"? And you want a percentage of knowing when it is right? Perhaps if you rephrased the question, I could try to respond with substance. 

In general, I can say that I consider a large part of the rhythm section's ability to coherently express a precise swing is typically what I find to be satisfying and reflective of rhythmic virtuosity. Maybe the term "swing" encompasses the "feel" you mentioned.  I don't see any distinction between performing vs listening on this topic.

@gladmo,  I am not surprised at the increase in performance you achieved with your SVS sub. We are, after all, just listening to a modulated power supply.