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An interesting experience with power cable.

I’ve read a lot about power cables throughout the years and finally took a leap of faith and bought 1 silver-plated power cable. Of course I immediately plugged it in my amp and turn on everything for a listen. I could hear a tiny improvement but honestly was underwhelmed. I plugged the basic cable back into the amp. I plug the upgraded cable into my DAC for fun.

 

WOW, immediate and significant improvements. I gained a substantial amount of smoothness and sweetness and perceived clarity was also improved. I have alternate the upgraded power cable into the amp a few times, each time I get the same results, underwhelming, not as dramatic as if the cable went into the DAC.

 

So that was unexpected, I’m not saying power cable for amps are not significant. What I’m saying is, if you have only 1 upgraded power cable, the rest being stock basic, then plug it in your DAC, you might be surprised as well. Thanks for reading fellas.

 

Very curious to get a 2nd cable for the amp now.

128x128samureyex
ghdprentice
7,019 posts
 

OP,

 

Thanks for the additional info. All cables must be taken in the context of your components. It seldom makes sense to spend 50% of the value of a component on a power cord, for instance… because that money applied to a component upgrade is typically better spent.

My amps cost $34K, so spending $4K on two Hurricanes makes sense. But spending that on a $5K amp would not make sense. This is why all decisions are so system dependent.

 

raysmtb1's avatar
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raysmtb1
800 posts
 

I have found a great way to break it power cords. Temporary hook them up to run your stove. Are usually leave them on for about a month. My wife usually makes dinner every night. Then I hook them up to my mono block amps. It makes the music have kind of a roast beef smell…. Yummy.

ghdprentice
7,019 posts
 

I have an extra refrigerator in the basement. I got a converter plug so I can use a power cord as an extension cord and let it power the refrigerator to break in a new power cords. 

samureyex's avatar
samureyex OP
165 posts
 

It has recently come to my attention that my amp has something that might've affected my experience with power cables. But first I want to confirm that my experience with power cords have been very positive. All stock cables the sound is meh. Worse than meh. Pc into the amp the sound is better but still a bit rough and edgy. I've left the cord in the amp for a few days to listen to music and banish the thoughts of cables but always reminded the sound is meh and I'd go out of my way to put the power cord back into the dac instead. Beautiful sound.

Ok so I found out my amp came with the synergistic research blue quantum fuse pre-installed. That might have affected my experience in some way. Reading up on the fuse was interesting and it's nice to be told that X component will dramatically improve your sound.

But every time SR releases a new fuse they say this fuse is the biggest jump in performance they've ever had. Going to purple = biggest performance jump ever. To blue to orange = biggest performance jump in the history of the company. Reading about it got old real quick and made me a bit skeptical 🤣

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