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Power cable dilemma

I have to ask the community for an explanation to account for an issue I encountered this past week. 
 

I received a Mark Levinson ML-23.5 amp this past week. I plugged it in with a high end power cord I purchased years ago (because it looked better than the cheap cord that came with the unit. Lol). I switched from an ML-9 so I had certain expectation of the sound. After listening for about 30 minutes, I noticed that the amp did not sound very dynamic. I got up to go feel how hot it was and the heat sinks were barely warm. I turned up the volume and listened for another 15-20 minutes. I got up to check the temperature and the heat sinks were still barely warm. Also, I was playing the amp at volume level 28 on my Cambridge 851N. That is pretty high. The sound was still lifeless. I shut everything down and just sat there, dejected. Was the amp defective? Was it just a bad match? Were my expectations too high? I don’t know what made me try it, but I swapped out the power cord with a plain black cord and powered up the system. Unreal. I was now listening at volume level 22 to the same song, with staggering dynamic impact, at what seemed to be a similar volume. Furthermore, after about 20 minutes, I went up to feel the amp and the heat sinks were very toasty! So the question is: what could have possibly been wrong with the original cord that would result in lower volumes and no heat buildup? It is like it was throttling the current. To me, a cord either connects or it doesn’t. It works or it doesn’t. There should not be an in between. Does anyone have an explanation for this?

jrimer
akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,274 posts
 

@jrimer

”ALL I ASKED WAS EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE THAT POWER CORD TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE A QUANTUM LEAP IN THE LAST 5 YEARS. That’s it…”

@whipsaw kinda nailed it succinctly. +1 . Simple “NO”.

(1) CARDAS ,for example are a very fine cable supplier who has patents on their bespoke cable designs , and use their own custom bespoke OCC copper source But even they don’t pontificate with such hyperbole claims.

Price has no bearing on whether a different cable will or will not be an improvement in your system synergy.
"Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” -Warren Buffett

(2) As @whipsaw highlighted above, it is completely a bespoke trial and error experiment that cannot be measured neither empirically or otherwise.it may be better, or maybe not.

It’s unique for each user … full stop. Different cables have different sonic signatures

. Hence such aggressive claims cannot be accepted or generalized in the first part with any credence…. , and certainly entirely dismissable for any hyperbole claiming “quantum leap” improvements.

Here are a couple  YouTube videos on CARDSS cable construction differences among them vis a vis the other contenders and the pretenders …they may or may not stir your drink.

 

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,274 posts
 

 

soix
9,585 posts
 

If you can get off your high horse and find me some data to substantiate that claim I would be very appreciative.

I can’t, but there are certainly meaningful difference so I’d suggest you get off your arse and try some that seem to have the sound qualities you’re looking for. After all, cables are by far the easiest components to try in your own system either thru buying used or trial periods. Asking for measurements is really just silly. You can do it, but it ain’t gonna happen. I know when I first reviewed AZ cables they purported to have very low capacitance and actually sent me numbers that I don’t have anymore, but I couldn’t find similar measurements of other cables so in the end it mattered not one bit.  No cable manufacturer I’m aware of publishes specs. Time to just take out your big-boy audio ears and decide for yourself.

jrimer OP
35 posts
 

soix…so you would agree that power cable technology has made “quantum leaps” in the last 5 years? That’s all I want substantiated. I don’t care about any other cables. I don’t care about sound comparisons. All of you fragile audio elites get way too defensive over all this cable stuff. I just want someone to publicly agree with this absurd claim so I and all rational audiophiles can have a good laugh. I don’t need “big boy audio ears”. I just need a good nose to sniff out this utter BS. 

goodlistening64
98 posts
 

@jrimer 

If McIntosh used lamp cord in 1990 and here we are today with a plethora of choices...that is a quantum leap IMHO. And to be frank, if you selected a $40 Pangea cable for your Mark Levinson amplifier - as you stated - you should re-evaluate your audiophile creed. God knows what cable your preamp or source uses..just stop...posting.

 

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