Power Cords Snake Oil ??

1) The most relevant thing I can say about power cords, I suppose, is that my wife and I can hear differences in double blind tests, but the interconnects must all be up to snuff and all the cords plugged in correctly vis-a-vis their polarity orientation.
2) The only light I can shed on why "string theory" matters to cable design is, to summarize string theory.
String theory is a theory for a unified description of the fundamental particles and four fundamental forces in nature, which includes gravity. Now, I think, that since it would relate how the two nuclear forces, and the metallurgy/chemistry of a cord effects its electrical properties and how they, themselves, are effected by its vibration, i.e. the cord's gravitational responses (environmental and otherwise), a cable designer could, in theory--if he now knew all the mathematics, etc. of the different forces' interactions--finally design a cord which is wholly without "guesswork", and close to perfection.
This suggests particle physicists make good cable designers, I suppose.
It further suggests that its many of today's "white papers" that are the snake oil, (but not the cords, they work) because any "white paper" actually accounting for these quantum-level type "mechanisms" which operate in cables and cords would be so technically scientific us non-physicists wouldn't fullly understand it.
Does this mean we shouldn't believe what we can understand?
Why not? We believe in what we can't. It's called faith.
Happy New Year.

Albert: Maybe Corona will take you up on the audition offer, but I already stated previously that I am not interested, as a rule, in checking out products which IMO are marketed using specious claims. And oh, yeah, my system's alright I guess, but I don't know that even one at the exalted level of your own is up to testing whatever it is that S23chang is talking about (and I play the guitar... ;^)

Actually Chang, if you want to extend String Theory to guitar playing, there's an example of what we might call "Cord Theory": Albert Collins, the great, late Texas blues stringslinger, always got a distinctly unique guitar tone that no one else gets. I've read many items speculating as to why this was so, ranging from his idiosyncratic unconventional-open-tuning-plus-capo instrument set-up, to his Telecaster-fitted-with-Gibson-humbuckers axe, to his pick-less thumb-and-forefinger pluck-slap right-hand technique, and all of this undoubtedly does have something to do with his personalized tone. But some time after I saw him in concert at DC's famed (but now-history) Cellar Door in about '82, I realized what his real secret was. He used a custom-made, 100ft. long cord so that he could perform his trademark walk-out-of-the-club-and-keep-right-on-playing-out-in-the-street showmanship routine, which he began doing way back in the day years before cordless radio instrument/amp-connection systems were available. But he kept on using that cord even after they were, and used it in the studio too. One day after seeing that show, I happened to be playing somewhere away from my usual rig and had to plug in using something like a 30ft. cord, the longest normally sold. Lo and behold, I heard a faint trace of Albert's trademark tonality coming through - it was presumably the cord's extra capacitance vs. the common 10ft. or 15ft. cords at work.

Anyway, as I understand it (meaning in no way technically), "String Theory" is a grand, entirely mathematical, theoretical physics construct designed to possibly provide a 'unifying' framework for connecting the four more-or-less-observable fundamental types of force at work in the universe, namely gravity, electromagnetism, weak nuclear force, and strong nuclear force. I think the math is supposed to work out to imply that matter-energy actually consists of infinitesimally tiny elemental units of existence described as being 'strings' which manifest as the various types of more-or-less-observable members of the 'particle zoo' through their different 'resonant' states, and which constitute the 'fabric' of space-time within 12 or so 'looped' dimensions. And this math, if correct, is supposed to apply in all instances and conditions right back to the moment of the Big Bang, unlike the equations of Newton, Maxwell, Einstein, Bohr, etc. Or something like that. The theory may never be confirmable through scientifically testable means. But regardless of whether or not these 'strings' actually exist, they (as of now) have nothing directly observable/dectectable to do with our everyday world of guitar strings, power chords, or power cords.

Zaikesman, are you saying we audiophiles are being strung along? :^)

If so, perhaps a better name for Corona’s new cords would be “Silly String.” I’m about half serious, it would disarm most people with a laugh and maybe drop their defenses long enough to give them a listen.

Albert: That's why you are a better audiophile than I. :-)

I think... still think.. one of the most important non-Corona-related points on this thread is as follows:

Most systems respond to power cords, often far too much so -

The original poster of this thread, long forgotten, stated that power cords did not produce audible differences in his system.

Audioengr stated that from his experience, correct design or modification of power supplies greatly reduces power cord colorations.

If mods of this sort can be demonstrated and quantized, it should lead to next generation equipment with less performance variability. The best way to defeat the need for expensive cables is to define conditions where they become unnecessary.

Any alternative thoughts on this?