Do power cords really matter?


I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum in the past, but while reading an ad for a power cord, I've had a very simplistic thought on which I would enjoy hearing other's opinions.
Case in point : The idea of dedicated lines appealed to me, but as we will be moving in the not too distant future, I just grabbed a left over roll of 14-3 Romex and strung about 60 ft. through the basement, and terminated in a box w/ a couple of audio grade duplexes. I did run the ground wire directly outside to a separate ground rod. (I realize for optimum performance I should have several runs to separate amp, digital, analog, etc.) My question is this: am I really to believe the last 6 ft. of power delivery can be that critical, when it has already traveled a much greater distance in ordinary wire. As we use outlets for convenience only, why not just terminate a 6 ft piece of Romex w/ high grade connectors? Are we just buying eye candy? Have we been duped w/ the hype?
Without having studied power conditioners, perhaps they can actually "clean" the raw power electronically?
Thank you for enduring my Sunday morning musings - all opinions cheerfully received.
Best regards,
Tom
tburn
Not this again. A power cord is not an extension of a wall outlet. It is an extension of the cable leading to the wall outlet. And yes, there are all sorts of ways you can play with that power. But not to worry, Tburn, you are not the only person in the world who finds the notion that this can affect the sound implausible. Still, there will be those who believe that it does, which is why such products exist.
I ordinarily defer to Sean in matters technical, finding him a knowledgable and reliable guide. But here he is wrong. The power cord is not an extension of the equipment power supply, it is the termination at the equipment of a long transmission line extending back all the way to the generation plant. All those miles and miles of copper, aluminum, transformers, switches, pole jacks, and various paraphernalia to the contrary notwithstanding there are, as bomarc notes, individuals who are convinced that the last 60 inches make a critical difference.
The best response to this I ever heard was it's not the last 6' that matter, rather it's the FIRST 6' that make such a big difference.
Will, if i get my act together here ( i'm working on it ), i'll soon be doing some testing that should be able to document the differences amongst power cords. Once i can do that, i should be able to come up with a design that is a more effective "filter". If the filter action is high enough and someone has enough "junk" coming into the line, the cord should be able to make an undeniably audible difference. Sean
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Many of us do believe that power cords make a difference. Some of us believe that they make a huge difference. My suggestion is that if you are truly interested in knowing/hearing the difference, try borrowing power cords from a few of your audiophile friends. Listen for yourself, then decide. (I'm assuming, of course, that you are unbiased enough to give it a try).

In my humble opinion, they make a huge difference.