Which Power Cords: I Need Some Informed Guidance

Nasaman,

Did not directly compare because DIY cord is hard-wired to amp, i.e no IEC connector to swap. BUT in general, I would say that the DIY cord has a less sophisticated but very relaxed sound compared with any of the Shunyata cables. The music just flows now. If I was to try to rank performance, I would say I like the DIY "better" than the the Shunyata Venom, but don't think it can stand up to the Diamondback or higher cords. The Taipan Helix cords are clearly a much better choice with more air, better spatial cues and much tighter bass.

If I were to use better quality wire (say with Teflon dialectric and cryo treated) and connectors (say moderate to high level Furutech), I think its possible to make a rear-kicking cord for well under $200. I would call my current experiment (HA HA) with the amp cord a whim driven by how pleased I was with a recently purchased Shunyata cord for my CDP, and what I was able to find on the shelf at the local Home Depot. At under $18 and about 30 min. work, it was well worth the effort.

hi folks,

please, not wanting to distract from this fascinating diy discussion. i'd certainly like to hear more. where do you get plans for assembly, what raw materials and tools are needed, and how do you decide on materials. i would imagine that the materials are dictated by application.

i would also like to provide an update, and ask for more ideas...

hooked up the new powerchord "e" last night (utility --> conditioner), and got in about 2hrs listening. the taipan helix is conditioner --> integrated. boy was i disappointed. granted the powerchord is new out of the box and needs some time, but it seemed as if i took a giant step back in the direction of edgy narrow and shallow brightness. tried again this morning. now with about 5 hrs, the music is making a comeback. patience says to give it time, and i will. figured i'd test it a little though, so i put on leo kottke's "6 and 12 string guitar" to see what i'd get. well let me tell you, i can feel the wood character of the hollow body acoustic coming through on deeper notes. string plucking and strumming is coming through with definition, and the soundstage is opening up again. audience must burn in their cables prior to shipping, as i think this should be taking a lot longer. i know it still has a ways to go before plateauing.

so, i'm getting a bit out of control here, but changes need to be made, now that i've committed to the cable upgrade path. i bought some au24 speaker cables, and i'm very much looking forward to hearing them. i believe the choices have been spot on so far, and i will then happily get off that merry-go-round for a spell (knowing full well that there definitely must be many different stunning combinations available).

i now need interconnects, and would like to run some possibilities by you, in no particular order:

audience au24 (don't know if i would spring for the "e")
purist aqueous anniversary
kubala sosna fascination

consider this an official solicitation of your varied and welcomed opinions.

thanks,
gary

Neutron, I may have missed it, but what P/C do you have to use for CDP?

Neutron, boy, you have jumped off into the cable deep end! Not much to add on the ICs.

As for building power cables, I have rudimentary experience with wiring and electrical circuits, so in terms of construction of power cables have been trying to educate myself about materials and what factors are really important. In terms of assembly, there is nothing really tricky about it, but if you really screw up you can blow a fuse or some tubes at best, or start a fire in the worst case.

On that cheerier note, here are some sites where you can get some more information pon building your own PCs:

VH Audio: http://www.venhaus1.com/diymains.html and http://www.vhaudio.com/index.html

DIY Audio Projects: http://diyaudioprojects.com/Power/diyMains/

DIY Cable: http://www.diycable.com/main/default.php

ok nasaman, you got me there. i'm getting a little ahead of the game, but an opportunity arose to buy the audience speakers, so i jumped at it. right now, i still have the stock pc on the cdp. earlier on, knownothing suggested the taipan vx, and i'm presently leaning in that direction (especially since i've tossed the budget out the window), but acquiring another audience "e" is not out of the question.

now i also have some interesting reading with regards cable construction. i think it'll be helpful getting acquainted with some of the fundamentals.

but right now, i'm like that little electron whose been bitten by some energy and jumped headlong into that higher shell. pretty soon though, i'll emit enough light (or spend money, in this analogy), and dutifully fall back to my original state, where i'll be content.