about to jump into the power cord foray

Douglas, my next question to you (and others with highly resolving systems) would be: is all the time and cash worth it, given the questionable quality of many modern CD's?

Even with my basic system, many CD's sound superb. Yet I've found an increasing number of recent CD's that sound aggresively loud and compressed, and I tend to listen to these once or twice and give up.

Does having a much higher level system improve things, or render these poorer masterings even less listenable?

Carl, I listen to a narrow niche of music, mostly Smooth Jazz, Solo or small group Instrumental, and Synthesized instrumental. Many of these discs are from the past 5-20 years old, so they have escaped the "Compression Wars".
Most of these discs not to have the compression issues that are being encountered. So, I may not be the best one to answer from that perspective.

However, the principle is that a better system will sound better will all kinds of music, and with all media. In my experience the time/effort has been extremely well worth it, very well rewarded. The most rewarding of all was the investment of time and money to build a dedicated listening room. It took my experience to a completely new level, FAR more advanced than ever before. I have had manufacturers, distributors and enthusiasts comment on how good the room is for audio. I poured my heart and soul into it, and every single piece of equipment I use presents itself wonderfully.

In the cases where the music has sounded "worse" due to a major upgrade in components (which include cables!), I judge whether ALL music sounds worse, or just the poorer recordings sound worse. If it all sounds worse, the upgrade is no good, and the sooner you admit it, the better it is because you can move on. If just the poorer recordings that sound worse, it's because the equipment got better.

Just because you swapped out a component for another that someone says is better does not guarantee better performance. The whole system is just that...a system, and you can easily swamp some very likeable abilities with a component that has different atributes. Go back to where you enjoyed the music...that's the bottom line.

Rdylan
As to DIY cords… many are just that but we’ve missed calling them OPDIY… and just pony up the bucks for’em instead.

There’s a ton of power cords available for not much money… the key question remains though is it right for you and your system?

Given the expense, I guess it comes down to how you value your time and expertise in pursuing such an endeavor.

Try this link http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/archive/index.php/t-103597.html for some greater insights into power cords sonics from one perspective, it’s a review of 22 inexpensive power cords.

Carl109

Does having a much higher level system improve things, or render these poorer masterings even less listenable?

To answer you best I'm going to have to put it in my own perspective. Higher resolution can easily become the main thrust of a systems build. Been there and definitely ‘done that’. Yes, it severely limited my disc selection… and to some extent the times of day I could listen as well. I swore I’d not go that way again. I had all the analytical and sterile you could want… and darn little satisfying involvement to the musical recreation. tons of info but not much fun.

There is indeed a fine line between having a critical or analytical rig and owning a highly resolving musical system. Resolution and detail are required to retrieve ambient venue information, spaciality or dimensionality, if you will. In a word,’ Immediacy’ or another one could be ‘presence’.

There’s back ground who cares music, there’s the you are there! Type, and then there’s “They’re standing right there!” or as I call it “Could you make this out as to my best friend in the world?”.

The first two are way easier to be had than is that last one. I don’t get that last one with every disc but do on a good many… and that’s with tubes for power and preamplification.

The devil himself may well live in the details, for exploring details simply for their own sake yields lesser the involving experience if taken too far. IMO

A balancing act of a kind is required, contingent upon the whole of the ingredients. As 'Stringren' has just said here, it’s the whole of the gear being used, and not usually one item as a rule.

Pressing one’s arrangement of fine audio devices seems the way to go… extracting more of what’s in each component is done in many ways, but a safe and practical one is with external wiring. I’d say isolation follows, and acoustical treatments are needed too. Some however press on immediately to modding their gear. Some sooner, some later. Investigating the effects of power cords is a great place to start.

I have found when the resolution and detail becomes dryer, I’ve gone too far. When it becomes difficult to discern a performers geographical location, and/or the soundstage begins to darken up, or condense, I’ve gone too far the other way. There are other minutia, odds and ends, but those are the ones easily noticeable.

In audio, familiarity does not breed contempt, it breeds boredom… or so it would seem. It’s invaluable however. That well-known signature of your own stuff will lead you along and it is very honest in how it goes about telling you these things. It’ll pay you to listen to it more so than listening to others… when it comes to finding a ‘keeper’ cord or cable… or other component for that matter. I’ve found it very special to explore just what can be done with a certain device via isolation and cabling, rather than just pluggin’ in and out new gear if it doesn’t float your boat right off.

In the end those recordings which aren’t good, are sure revealed by high resolution systems. Will they go from so-so, or hmmm, maybe not tonight, to “Hey! Someone dial 911! I’ve gone deaf!”?

Probably not. It will sure make you a more discerning media buyer, I’ll grant you that much. In all, I can listen to everything I own on my main rig. How long and how often, is another issue altogether. It’s also why I have lesser systems at my disposal… though these others came more by way of trickle down effect, than a premeditated act. Well, that and the fact I’m a pack rat at heart.

So don’t be scared of high res rigs. Just ‘member, How high is high anyways, and ‘who’s high we talking about here?’

You’ll definitely know when you’re getting too much of a good thing, I assure you. The smile goes away, the knee quits bobbing up and down, and you start wondering what’s on TV.

Thanks gents, some very eloquent and thoughtful posts. Perhaps where I sometimes miss the point is by looking at my system as a collection of separate bits linked in a chain, when I need to consider the thing as a whole.

I suppose in some ways changing even a minor component (like an IC) is like transplanting an organ in a human body; it will still work as intended, but may have interesting, perhaps unexpected, effects throughout the entire body. By that I mean that even slight differences between two components become exaggerated once working within the whole system.

I know I will continue to raise a suspicious eyebrow at the extravagant claims and prices of many hifi components for years to come. But if I try to remember that like any 'machine', an audio system's performance has as much to do with the way the components interact with each other, as it does with the specifications of each individual part, my setup might not plateau quite so quickly.