Hi Jason.
Re your first post, most of us keep our ESLs connected to power full-time. So when OP switched cords the speakers were already fully powered with electricity supplied via the low quality cord.
The low quality electricity is what comes through the low quality wire. OK my tongue is a little way into my cheek. The high quality comes through the allegedly high quality wire. LIke in your book, wire is wire in my book, when it comes to power cords.
The capacitor starts full of 'low quality' electricity because that is already in there via the low quality wire. The high quality electricity arrives only after the high quality wire is connected and replaces the low quality electricity over a period of time, related to the capacitor's storage capacity. This is quite large on the CLXs at least, demonstrable by disconnecting the power while the music is playing. So at the start of his AB on the trick cord, OP was still listening mainly via the low quality juice and was tricked by expectation bias.
I'm just going out to buy a £3000 power cord to run my record player... NOT.
But I might get one to power the lamp that lights the player. It will surely sound better under better light.
