Ideal power cord lengths?

Early in your journey, when you are stretching just to get into what may be barely considered “HiFi”, speaking from my own experience at least, your mindset is just on obtaining the gear you can barely afford. The last thing you want to hear is that you should allocate a portion of your budget for cabling, including power cords..  It’s far more convenient to believe it’s ridiculous that power cords have an effect, and it IS a ridiculous concept.

I believe this is partly what has driven people to be so passionate about this debate for so many years, using the same common-sense based arguments that don’t apply, and passionately doubling down while refusing to find out for themselves by doing a simple blind test in their local HiFi shop. It’s far more convenient, budget wise, to believe that aftermarket cords make no difference. Very few people won’t hear an improvement with premium cords in a blind test when they actually get to doing it, and you absolutely don’t need to be an audiophile to hear the difference (my wife and daughter hear obvious differences but couldn’t care less).

@ghdprentice

@soix

etc.

Thanks for the welcome, but it’s misplaced.  It's far from early in my journey... But thank you anyway.

Yes, indeed, ears as arbiter I understand very well.

I also understand confirmation bias.

But if spending even more money on a 20k product for a power cord is necessary for you to hear "large improvements"... well, er, then I’d call out the manufacturer on that one because the amp must have some design flaw, because with a good enough amp there’s no such thing as "large improvements" except for system synergy with speakers, maybe dac, maybe... subtle, perhaps audible or perhaps psychological, improvements perhaps... One hopes to hear "large improvements" when one drops $500 or $1000 or more on a power cord or an interconnect, and hope leads to belief leads to thoughts of even greater nirvana if only, if only...

And I also understand priorities, to each his own there, financially and otherwise.

But as an educator, and as an educated long-time audiophile on the side, I do not agree that ignorance is bliss... and I’m also aware of endless, self-imposed rabbit holes that intertwist and eventually lead to more rabbit holes and never a home. So, if that’s where people want to lead the OP down, and if the OP chooses to follow, well then that’s your priorities and the OP’s priorities.

In my considered and experienced opinion, if you’re not satisfied with the sound of your system, and if you have a well-designed modern amp, you’re better off trying different speakers that are more to your taste than dumping money into cords and interconnects.

So, yes, follow your bliss, and if that means pouring money into... cords... well, so be it. Myself, I’m not following into that questionable hole, however, and the OP will just have to weigh everything out and decide for him or her self.

@ghdprentice 

I agree with soix, very well stated and reasoned reply. I've reached a point where I don't bother with those who are skeptical of what others report with regard to hands on experience in High End audio. That's their choice and issue. Listening is the best method for deciding what does and does not produce meaningful results. This approach has served me well.

Charles 

All of my AQ powercords are under 2m. 

So, yes, follow your bliss, and if that means pouring money into... cords... well, so be it. Myself, I’m not following into that questionable hole

@curtdr Yeah, you’re obviously right and the rest of us who’ve found PCs to make meaningful improvements are just kidding ourselves along with the manufacturers of equipment who never, ever use stock PCs either. You keep rocking those black plastic throwaway cords and reinsert head back into that much more comfy hole in the sand rather than daring to explore ours. It really is so much easier for you that way — I’ll give you that. Enjoy.