Power Cords Snake Oil ??


Having been a long time audiophile living with countless high end compnents I have to wonder about the theory and practicality of high end power cords.

I have yet to hear the difference a power cord makes. Ive owned, synergistic, Shunyata, BMI and cardas. I in no way can detect any sonic signature or change. Give me a pair of interconnects and I imeadiately notice a difference somewhere in the sonic spectrum. Not the PC though. I have accomplished 4 blind tests with my friends. 3 out of the 4 they did not know their cord was replaced. All 4 were using a stock factory supplied cord. Each of the 4 tests were done on different components. Amp, CDP, Preamp & dac.

My electrical backround tells me that provided you supply the component with its required voltage bet 110vac or 220/240vac its happy. Now, change the incoming frequency from 60hz to say 53hz and watch how quickly your soundstage collapses.! This is often the case during the summer months when home air conditioners are in use and the utility company power output is taxed to the max. A really good power conditioner should however take care of the frequency fluctuations. But 110vac is still 110vac regardless of the conductor it passes through as long as its remains 110vac when it reaches the intended circuit. Does your 8k amp or preamp know the difference of the path the voltage took to reach it ? Many an audiophile will use a dedicated 20amp circut for their equipment.That is a good idea as voltage & frequency fluctuations will occur in the home circuit to to other loads on the main breaker panel but again, A power cord simply is the means of transporting the voltage from the wall to the component. IF there is a clean 110vac @ 60hz at the wall socket, no matter what the medium is to go from the socket to the component, it will still be 110vac @60hz.

Could somebody expand on this a bit more. I just dont understand it. ??
128x128jetmek
Agreed.

All scientific theory aside, maybe Corona will allow you or I to listen and determine if they work in our situation.
Tonight I went to a formal salsa dance. I was wearing a suit that was ten years old, since I've lost 25 lbs. Like the Men's Wearhouse TV commercial says, "You're going to like the way you look". Wool jacket and spiffy pants, deerskin shoes w/ leather soles. The first band was more jazzy/mambo; softer in sound. I thought my system could do a good job at conveying the illusion of what was being played. Then Sammy De León's band went on stage--Ouch! the entire horn section is composed of young Anglo guys who are incredible jazz performers (sax, trombone, two trumpets). Sammy is THE best modern timbales player--period. There is NO way any system can convey THAT. By the end I was dancing with a HOT mami in her early twenties, with native American indian features, golden brown skin and a good set of hooters. I am 41 years old and let me tell you, audiophools...THE WORLD CHANGED.

Albert, I've taken your advice to heart.

With psychic power and primal intensity,
Zaikesman, "untestable String Theory"? What are you referring to? You can look at a simple instrument as guitar and you know why all 6 strings sound different. That's the simplest test on string theory. Have that in mind, you can then apply to a more advanced electric guitar. Have that in mind, wire a 22 ga. solid core hookup wire vs a 24 ga. stranded hookup wire on your CD player output, if you can't hear the difference in your system then maybe your system is not neccessary an ideal system to have the true sound revealed.
S23chang. I’ve been following this thread and I believe Zakes‘ problem began with Corona’s post on 12-14-03.

Any of you Audiogoners that not yet investigated “String Theory” check it out on the “net”; its implementation is what’s going to divide the past from the future.

If I’m wrong, no doubt he will correct me. By the way, I think Zakes got a pretty nice system. I think you two are just on different topics.

If it’s any consolation, I’ve been confused by this thread for several days.
Zaikesman:
Z, I respect your input but you’ve got your needle stuck in the same old groove. Think about this: We are generating an electromagnetic null down the center of the power cable, the field effect of the two conductors in opposition are then neutralized, you now have two polarities in electromagnetic isolation. This whole movement is created by a manipulation of field resonance; this is “String Theory”. Do we have enough proof to satisfy the scientific community? No. We*DO* have the technology to create a product that works like nothing has before. We are advancing the state of the art. We are *NOT* in search of a Nobel Prize. Our business is producing cable products that yield extraordinary results but somehow this is not good enough, you are more concerned about the bottle than you are about its contents. Now if you can supply us with a better explanation I would like to hear it. Or, I think, you once said it would be better if we gave no explanation; for you that might be acceptable but for many others that just would not do.