Power cords and soundstage

A properly designed power cord(ie: Teflon dielectric, counter-rotating geometry, etc) will reduce or eliminate intra-conductor interactions that add noise and distortion to audio signals. The right geometry will cancel unwanted magnetic interaction. The same technology is used in many interconnects, but is even more important in a PC, given the much higher currents and stronger fields dealt with there. Most high-end cords will have an EMI/RFI trap built in also. The bottom line is the same as the benefit of a good power conditioner: cleaner, quieter power to your system, which lets you here more of the info on your source material(more apparent detail/better focus/greater ambiance retrieval).

If you want to learn what different power cords can do in detail, see my reviews on Dagogo.com of the various cables I have used. There is plenty of technological information explaining how they operate. In my experience conductor, geometry, and total gauge are the primary influences of what a cable will do.

I appreciate your being candid: "I'm really curious because I was never totally in touch with Jylee's discription, and could not offer a ready explaination [sic] of why he experienced such a change."

Here's an explanation for you regarding total gauge, just one variable in cables which comes into play. Typically a PC with higher total gauge will clean up, tighten up the bass very nicely, so well that it's easily discernible. Solid core conductors are better at this than stranded. Geometry also influences how well this works. I have found that multiple smaller conductors in their own dielectric, yet having large total gauge, yield the cleanest presentation and highest detail (This also was true of the exceptionally flat sheet conductors that Magnan Cable uses).

(Now I'm sure someone somewhere has a funky cable that doesn't operate that way; I'm not interested in debating it with you as well! This is the typical result from increased gauge, only one variable in PCs)

There's only one thing I need to say about phase, and that is when the rig is out of phase the sound is more indistinct, more fuzzy, less refined, a bit expanded and disjointed - the exact opposite of what Jylee explains. He consistently discussed more detail and sharpening of the sound. If we are agreed that PCs do not change phase of a system, then the influence in this case can't be the phase from merely switching two PCs.

I perceive Jylee's description as that of the PC cleaning up the signal so as the bass has less bloat (perceived size), better phantom image (less width) and deeper sound stage. These are all quite possible with PC changes. If the two PCs he changed are not identical then he will not know what the effect of each is. If he had two of each then he'd likely know quickly which he prefers. If a person has a mix of stranded and solid core conductors they will never know what they really have in terms of sound of their cables.

I have argued that two power cords were changed, and stated that they can produce such differences in sound. Now I have provided the link to my writings that people can read about the technology which influences such differences. Possibly the Wire World article will be the most helpful.

Douglas, Perhaps the roots of this correcpondence goes to our differing perception of the description of what I considered a dramatic difference between the sound of his system before he put in the new PC.

His description, to me, suggested that he heard sound sourced to or around the speakers with a weak center image and boomy bass. This description is quite similar to what occures when 2 speakers are wired out of phase - a sound which when heard by novices causes them to think they are hearing a huge soundstage and really don't note that they have lost all specificity until they hear a solo instrument/voice which should appear from the dead center.

When the wiring to each speaaker is connected correctly, what do you get, a strong center image, a sense of specificity, a sense of depth, easy location of instruments in space, the disappearing of the speakers as a direct source and a tighter bass.

Based on that senerio, and I think that is a reasonable interpertation of his comments, I said that PC's could not be responsible for the before and after effects he had experienced.

If I had thought the changes were minor, assuming a degree of hyperbole in his description, I would have bought into changes brought about by inhancing the resolution capabilities of the electronics and thus enhancing speaker performance. I apparently should not have taken him literally.

I've consistently said, and I continue to say, I was never disputing what wire can do, only when and how much.

FYI, most of my PC's are solid core heavy guage (at least 10ga) wire. I've been using them for years and I stopped doing A/B comparisons for years. I've been happy with what they do.

But I don't know why I feel I must say this, but I must. In my experience PC changes do not perform HUGE changes. They can enhance the performance of a well set up good quality system which benefits from what they have to offer. Thats my opinion. Jylee, and all others for that matter, are intitled to investigate these matters for themselves and reach what ever conclusion they wish. Nuf said I think.

If I could add some clarification in the changes I made, I removed two PCs, one from a component not being used, and one from the MCH power amp responsible for powering the center and surrounds with MCH material. Then I moved the PC from the main amp to the component not being used, and added two new PCs for the main power amp, and MCH power amp.

When listening to stereo materials, the only change made to the setup is actually the PC to the main power amp. MCH power amp is not being used, and the unused component is, er, still unused.

Perhaps I wasn't being clear about the sound _before_ the change. I understand the effects of one speaker being wired out of phase. But my setup was not wired out of phase. I had a clear center image, but very WIDE soundstage. That was one of the things I liked about my setup, big and airy soundstage, which I thought has diminished after the PC change, which in turn surprised me quite a bit. As the soundstage shrunk, the focus seemed to have improved. The change I heard was not as drastic as correcting a speaker being wired out of phase, but pretty significant considering the only change made was to the power cord..