New expensive power cord for amp and no change in sound?
I bought new an expensive(for me) well known and reviewed power cord for my very good amp and plugged it directly onto the wall socket. After a couple of weeks of daily use I hear no change in the sound quality from a $500 cord. I don’t want to name it for fear of getting my thread deleted. You would know it or at least be aware of the company. Did I throw away several thousand dollars? Before I get the snake oil answer I want to let you know that I bought an upgraded cord for my pre as suggested by the pre’s manufacturer and am pleased with the results.
I guess for full disclosure the amp’s manufacturer said don’t bother. But I had had good luck with the pre so I thought it would be a good idea.
Anybody else have this happen to them?
@roadcykler , if you read the OP, he states that he did hear a difference when he replaced the power cord on his preamp. What I am interested in is whether he heard a difference when he replaced his OEM power cord with the $500 power cord. |
+1 Boxcarman hit the nail on the head. You can upgrade to any power cord you wish, but you need to get the best power to the cable that you can. I'm not going to discuss power conditioners, as that is not what I am referring to. I used several power cables in the $300 to $700 range new and used, and heard subtle improvements. I found a thread here that was talking about dedicated lines, power receptacles, etc. I decided to try some of this to see if it was real or snake oil; anyways it couldn't hurt. I had two dedicated lines installed for about $400, one for the power amps, and one for the signal components.....and that was more of an improvement than any cord I installed. Then I tested and upgraded the power receptacles, and WOW now we're talking. There was an even bigger improvement. Not only that, but now I could hear the difference between cables and could decide which ones provided improvements. I tried about 11 or 12 (can't remember exactly) power receptacles over several months from Furutech, Acme, Oyaide, Cardas, Leviton, Hubbell, PS Audio, and Synergistic Research. All made at least some improvement, and others provided great improvements. Here are some thoughts The Acme receptacle which is heavy silver over high copper brass/cryo treated/CFC treated, is much better than any base or hospital grade I tried (and a couple of the audiophile models listed above)....and well worth the $55 each. Great option for those on a tight budget. The cream of the crop (and what I currently have installed): Furutech GTX-D(G) gold plated, Furutech GTX-D(R) rhodium plated, and the Oyaide R1 (not the SWO-XX series). My personal favorites in my system are the Furutech GTX-(G) and the Oyaide R1, but I can see how the GTX-D(R) would be preferred by those looking for more detail that they have in spades.....too much in my system, but by some accounts the the rhodium need over 200 hours to break in. The Furutechs and Oyaide are list price between $200 to $260, but I found the GTX-D(G) and R1 for about $130 on sale, and the GTX-D(R) for $170 Your mileage may vary, but for less than the cost of a new cable, pulling dedicated lines and upgrading the receptacles provided a very noticeable improvement. It also allows me to hear the differences in cables, that I couldn't before. |
@immatthewj , So would I, and also if it was the exact same length, strung in the exact location across their room and compared based on the same source playing at the same level. Finally, changing any other characteristic of the room, including having a friend there to corroborate the findings and they, not necessarily the OP, being in a different place in the room, can have an effect on changes that in some cases may be very subtle. |
Can anyone hear the sound difference with my PC comparison video? (28 posts below), Please help! my previous post |
