Budget Power Cords For Tube Mono Amps ?

VAC products have a lot of experimentation and voicing behind them, and the stock cords with the amps were chosen for a reason. Aftermarket cords have utility with cheap products sold with improperly shielded power cords, but they can really mess with high frequency reproduction on elite products and have to be chosen with great care.

The current capacity of a power cord that is only six feet long and connected to a tube amp that draws at most 10 amps on peaks is a non-issue (the stock cords are 14-gauge, which is more than fine for the length and the product -- if you have to run 75 ft. to a big Krell, that's another matter, but no need here). Kevin claims to have tried some thirty power cords with my VAC Renaissance 140/140's monoblocks before choosing the stock cords -- if you want the amps to sound like they were designed to sound, stick with the stock cords.

Tvad and Raquel,

I tried a few "esoteric" cords on the VACS and hardly noticed any difference.

My mid-fi solid state back-up amps (much cheaper power supplies) is a different story.

Thanks for the darned good advice.

About the only power cord that made a difference for me was Granite Audio---The thing humms like crazy.

Go to HD and get some 10AWG Carol cord. It's a twisted three conductor stranded copper heavy jacket cord. While you're there, get a nice hospital AC plug (they even have right angle ones at HD!) You'll have to order an IEC plug for the other end from one of the many, many sources online, unless you have a good electrical parts house in your town. Put it all together and your in biz for under $50.

My point is, that for amplifiers, ANY AMPLIFIERS, what you want is BIG conductors for FAST energy transfer. I'd bet the cord I just described (for use on an amp, that is) against ANY megabuck power cord with only 16, 14, or even 12 AWG conductors. If you want something better than what I described, consider something like a Purist Dominus, Virtual Dynamics Genesis (6 AWG!!), etc, and prepare to spend north of three grand.
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