Power cords: Anticable vs Mad Scientist

@mdrone - at that price I would look at Zafino cables, because they use OCC copper and employ more effective cable geometries and improved insulations.

They should provide

1. lower noise floor (due to the cable geometry)
2. faster dynamic performance (due to the OCC copper/silver)
3. improved clarity and details (due to the improved insulation)
   • which also results is a more spacious image
4. neutral colouration (due to the improved insulation)

Some believe that power cables should not impact overall sound quality mainly due to the fact the voltage is at a constant 50 Hz - but I have observed all of the factors mentioned above over several year of building my own cables that perform to a very high level

For details see  THE HELIX IMAGE" Power Cable | My Audio Alchemy (image99.net)

Hope that helps - Steve

I had AQ Monsoons and upgraded to the Anti-Cables. Much lower sound floor. 

After burning everything in through the Anti-Cable power cords and a AQ Niagara 1200, I had buyers remorse. I briefly unplugged everything and substituted decent shielded power cords. And then I listened. The difference was immediate and blatant. All of the noise was back. The difference is sort of like listening to a car while it is sitting in your driveway and then listening to the same music while driving. 

Anyway, I immediately replugged in all of the Anti-Cables and the AQ 1200.

Anti-Cables are good stuff, I also run some of their interconnects and would say that they are at least equal to or superior to the AQ Earths that I was running. 

Both are mediocre.

@ebm , Yes I concur , of the several alternative recommendations thus far at similar price point I would recommend Zavfino 

@ebm, @tsushima1

Could you elaborate?

I choose wires from heavily reviewed companies which I have experience with. So, over the decades: Harmonics, Staightwire, Transparent, WireWorld, AudioQuest, Cardas, DHLabs, … etc. I have tried some “new”… “unbelievable” wires and been very disappointed. Although I did buy a couple sets of fake Nordost interconnects just to try them. I have better things to do than buy off-brand stuff just to satisfy my desire to justify my choices, but am interested in hearing what your experience was.

I found many companies are able to cobble something together that has a couple of really great characteristics, but that really doesn’t have the whole spectrum of positive attributes required for great wires like companies like Transparent or Cardas that have put decades of research into their products.

I’d be interested in learning what the sound characteristics are of these off brands that causes them to fall short.