Why do I need power management if I have a great power cord?

I’m going to go ahead and cautiously hazard that invoking the works of Kafka in this context is a bit, um… ambitious? 

I would agree on general principle @rfnoise.

At least by providing the list of the 13 reasons is appearing like more than Kafka got during his trial.
And Kafka was the one trail “without reason”, whereas what we have here is a trail, but no actual dependent having been nominated.

So maybe it’s just forward thinking to come up with the arguments against the naysayer(s), before they had even appeared in the thread?

I am sure that there are a few people somewhere in the middle, that want to know if the devices work, and when they are needed… Rather than reading vilifications against people who discount the devices who are not yet even present. It seems like it sets a bad tone for dialogue to start out with an attack using the baker’s dozen.

• How are we to know when to use a device?
• How are we to know which style of device to use?
• How are the devices designed to work?
  • Noise suppression
  • Voltage stability / reshaping
  • Under/over voltage protection
  • etc
• How does one know when they do not need such a device?

I assume that I do not need one because I have a lack of any noise/hiss etc when it is on, but not playing any music.

And when it is playing simple sounds it is clear and sounds pretty good.
Or is there more to it?
And if so what is it?

@holmz     "I assume that I do not need one because I have a lack of any noise/hiss etc when it is on, but not playing any music."

Thank you Holmz, brilliant point, assuming you run it loud.  You are quite lucky if you hear nothing at all at top volume setting.  My system and most others has a little low level white noise at that level.  One can measure how far down it is.  And test if a $1500 power cord removes or reduces it.  It won't, so try a $15,000 cord.  A mains conditioner might.

Changing a power cord can do nothing apart from deplete your bank balance.  It makes no measurable difference to the power entering your amplifier.

Adding a conditioner can clean up your power if it is dirty.  In such case it can make a measurable difference evidenced by removal of low-level noise artifacts.  In extreme cases such difference can be heard, like if you're running a fridge on the same circuit.

All else is hogwash.  And a lot of hogs are getting washed.

 

@holmz "I assume that I do not need one because I have a lack of any noise/hiss etc when it is on, but not playing any music."

Thank you Holmz, brilliant point, assuming you run it loud.

I do when I am assessing whether or not there is a noise issue.

You are quite lucky if you hear nothing at all at top volume setting. My system and most others has a little low level white noise at that level. One can measure how far down it is. And test if a $1500 power cord removes or reduces it. It won’t, so try a $15,000 cord. A mains conditioner might …

…

I have had some issues in the past.

• I recall once a slight ground hum that was cleared up with rerouting wiring and star grounds.
• I had a bad hum on the that was the result of the lighting circuit in the ceiling above that room
  • But only affecting the TT
• Most of my gear is still on a 230–>115v transformer, so maybe that acts like a choke to limit noise or harmonics?

Or is my current preamp or amp just an odd ball low noise case?

It does make a hum on the TT input, with that starting at about 2-3 o’clock on volume (6:30 to 5:30 is the total swing of the volume… so starting ~ 3/4.)

I usually never run it past ~1 o’clock as that is about 95 dB(A) in the slow setting… depending on the music.

However on other inputs there is no hiss even at max volume.
This is with the head down in front of the left speaker.

The inside SPL is ~40-45 dB(A) with the front door shut, and the refrigerator running in the other room is the majority of the humming background sound.

With the front door open is 52 dB and the with the AC on is ~55dB ambient SPL background noise level.

I can hear the buzzing of the outside insects n such. But relatively quiet.

Why do I need clean water if I have good quality copper pipes? 

It‘s not a question of removing audible hum hiss and noise. I have no such issues yet have garnered definite audible improvements with the use of a PS Audio P10 and an industrial 1KW isolation transformer (used individually) upstream on certain system components.