Most Beneficial Cable Upgrade

Schipo,
I think your expalantion is logical, it makes perfect sense. How could the last 6 feet of cable attached to the electrical outlet make such a difference when there a several hundred feet of standard wiring in the walls and out to the street that are not specially designed to improve conductance or filter out RFI.
There is a lot of marketing hype about how the expensive after market power cables improve sound by improving condutance and rejecting/filtering out RFI. Have there been any objective (scientific)studies that proove these claims? Have there been any BLIND listening tests which where listeners can consistently identify a power cable change and describe how it improves the sound? Many of the high end power cables can cost thousands of dollars! For that kind of money, it better make an obvious sonic improvement.
My dealer is going to loan my some power cables to try out (Kimber, Krell, possibly others). I plan to use them in the R/L power amps, pre-amp, CD/SACD player.I don't believe I will be able to detect an improvement.

You know, the job of a power supply is to convert the AC to DC, and filter out whatever kind of noise might be prone to occurring on any of its outputs, including ground.

If a power supply successfully does this, there is no need for any power cord beyond that which can convey enough power.

If a power cord TRULY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, there's something wrong with the power supply its attached to.

Schipo,

I suspect you are correct.

High end audio manufacturers like Krell, for example, are in a very small, competitive, nitch market. Krell started marketing their own power cables only wihin the past few months. I know Krell is very concerned about how their products (as sold) compare to their competitor's products. If these high end audio companies felt expensive high end power cables significantly improved the sound of their products, they would be selling their products with high end cables to give their products a competitve edge. Only a few years ago Krell made all of their amps with non-removable power cables, they didn't want people tampering with after market cables because they felt it could compromise the performance of their products. Krell proudly stated that their power supplies were superb and would adequately filter out noise. After market cables would not improve sound of their amps, and could be harmful.

Krell power supplies are still superb. But, they now sell great amps, pre-amps, etc. with removable power cables. And, they sell power cables. What has changed? Unfortunately the high end audio business environment is now extremely tough due to social economic issues (poor economy, rampant use of Low-Fi products like I-Pods, lack of interest in high end audio by a large portion of our society). Closing of many high fi audio shops has made high end retail marketing tougher than ever. Companies like Krell (and don't get me wrong, I love and own Krell products) need to tap every potential source of income. They are riding the cable market hype, created out of necessity by the cable companies, in my opinion. The margin on high end cables must be enormous. It is inexpensive and low risk to add power cables to their product line-up. If people will buy it, they will sell it; it's a matter of survival.

I have not seen any objective power cable reviews with blind comparison. Any cable review that is done without blind comparison is useless. The audio differences (if any) are simply too subtle. Placeb effect is too influential.

I challenge anyone with a great high end audio system to consistently, blindly identify a power cable change and describe how it changed/improved the sound(stock cable to any high end cable, both in excellent condition). In ten trials how many times do you think the change could be correctly identified by anyone of us? Would you be guessing or would you honestly know the difference without looking? I predict if a hundred experienced audio nuts (like me) did this test, the average would be 50% correct, which is meaningless. Unless you can detect an improvement with a blind test, what difference does it make? The answer; none whatsoever. That is why reviewers don't do objective, scientific, blind testing with cable (or anything for that matter). It would interfere with their ability to promote their advertisers.

As stated earlier, I am a non-believer in power cable upggrade. I do have several dedicated power lines with a dedicated elctrical power box for my audio system. Dedicated lines are extremely helpful. But I think the power cable upgrade issue is nothing more than market hype. I will try some high end power cables soon just for kicks. I don't think I will detect a difference. I will report back.

Stanwall: "...anyone who can't hear the difference between power cords in (sic) either profoundly deaf or has a crappy system." THERE is an unintelligent statement. Because you can hear a difference, those of us who can't are deaf or have lo-rez systems? I have to work hard at hearing some of the things my golden-eared friends can hear quite quickly and easily. Give us break, Stan; we're not all as golden-eared as you.
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FWIW, Joe Harley, Audioquest's long-time #2 man, says he can hear more and larger differences among powercords than among ICs.
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Matjet: thanks for the kind words.Here is a price list of what usually goes into most very high priced esoteric power cords..I wish they really did work magic. But alas only in fairy tales.

1. 1 Schurter 10 amp IEC - $5
2. 1 Hubbell 15a 3 prong plug - $5
3. 6 feet of Black, Green and White 14g THHN 600v Building Wire - ~$0.30 /foot = $1.80
4. 6 feet of clear braided garden hose - ~$0.50/foot = $3
5. ~1 pound of ferrous metal powder - can't find a price, I'm sure it's dirt cheap
6. a stick of hot glue - the Hubbell connector had a hole drilled in it and was filled with hot glue, the female end was just glued to the hose.
7. Approx. 6 inches of electrical tape
8. Large size heatshrink
9. Techflex

now does this look like high end science to any of you...lol