Question for Atma-sphere, will expensive power cables improve your amplifiers?


The reason I am asking is I feel manufacturers of high quality components include all that is ever needed, power cable wise. Sure, some people buy power cables because they need special lengths or have some out of the ordinary "noise" issues that need extra insulation. Some even like the visual aspect of the aftermarket cables. I’m just curious why many spend thousands of dollars on such when the manufacturer has taken the power cable into account when producing the product. I cannot see a High-quality audiophile component maker (especially some that sell volume) pass on a few dollars for a better sounding power cable if indeed the cable improved their product. I cannot see a person buying that $7000 amp is not going to balk if the product was introduced at  $7100 (with the better cable). 

I wonder if Luxman, Accuphase, McIntosh, Gryphon...you name it "dressed" their power cables up to look like expensive aftermarket cables, owners would be so quick to "upgrade"?

I’d be curious to hear Ralph’s opinion on the subject

aberyclark

@atmasphere - thank you for your generous reply, Ralph : )
It has got me thinking of two more questions - your reference to bandwidth will obviously have to do with the bandwidth of the cable itself, since as you stated - ‘The bandwidth of the equipment used has nothing to do at all with whether or not the power cable will have an audible effect on it.’ This being the case, may I assume then, that aside from the measurable quantities of voltage drop and bandwidth of the cable, nothing else will have an effect on sound quality from power delivered by a power cable, everything else unchanged? And, how difficult is it to build a power cable with the greatest possible bandwidth? Thanks again for your kind replies.

 

In friendship - kevin

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@kevn it's starting to look as of this dumpster fire of a thread - starting with the original post - is aimed at putting @atmasphere on the spot - about cables, no less, a topic only a newborn or an imbecile would regard as safe and noncontroversial​.

The man operates a business. He'll discuss cables as much as he wants to of course, but it's like you keep poking at him for some reason. Maybe it's time y'all got off his back and let him run his business? Why don't y'all go ask McIntosh and Pass Labs and PS Audio why they don't include audiophile cables with their products? Be sure to let us know what they said 😂

 

@devinplombier in truth, very very few manufacturers would bother getting into discussions such as this, which is a sad thing. My questions for Ralph may be putting him on the spot unintentionally, but it is so that I, and possibly others, may have another data point to learn from in making relationships with other posts that either involve Ralph or not. I suspect that so many posts in audigon are made to fault find or finger point, that defences and policing immediately spring to action if so much of a hint of curiosity is raised - this is all so silly.

ive found it is only when we are each called to task and have to unequivocally state what we think or believe, that true communication is achieved. It is not to shame or disqualify, that directness of communication exists, but for the reason of learning, which I also believe to be a primary reason for audiogon’s existence.

in friendship - kevin

@kevn 

I respect - and share, mind you - your desire to learn more about cables, and more specifically which of their properties benefit sound quality and which do not.

I also think you're asking a person you should not be asking. The subject is fraught, I'm sure you'll agree. Now, imagine for a moment that you make your living manufacturing high-end audio components. Your entire customer pool is a few hundred people and shrinking. If you start opining on controversial, divisive subjects that your customers care deeply about, you know that someone is going to take umbrage, and possibly start sharing their displeasure with like-minded folks on social media.

Knowing that, would you feel compelled to state your beliefs anyway? And if you did, do you think it would help or harm your business?

ive found it is only when we are each called to task and have to unequivocally state what we think or believe, that true communication is achieved.

Around here, that's called bullying, and it is considered abuse. Just sayin smiley