Do powercords make a difference in sound?

assuming this is not a gag of some sort, i for one was IMPRESSED with the quality of the power cords that came with the equipment i bought. and those are the ones i used for MANY years while changing other things around. i always used a power conditioner to protect from surges and that piece supposedly removed some noise from the line to begin with. i also invested $50 for a sturdy power outlet to prevent plugs from drooping too much from the wall. the conditions warranting a really heavy-duty esoteric power cord seem to be limited to situations that i personally can't easily imagine. but i did eventually buy a chunky cord for my monoblocks when i couldn't get both of them attached to the same outlet- I had to hook them up 1st to a power strip and then the aftermarket cord went into the wall. a dealer then told me that the arrangement was "restricting power" (he had other ideas to make a sale no doubt), and to this day i have happily ignored that advice. can PC's make a difference? i have some really nice gear but i would say after a lot of years and a lot of listening that i am still not one to ask. but i admit i picked up a few PC's later on that were on sale. but i am only "praying" that they strip some low level noise out of the sonic picture.
P.S.- a very high-end manufacturer's representative told me that their (amplifier) was tested for sound and performance with the power cord that came in the box, and that all of the specifications were met. he said that if they encountered a problem they pulled the AMPLIFIER apart to find out what needed improvement. i don't know what other proof one would need since their claims of sonic excellence were extremely high (and reviews of their equipment further confirmed those results).

I asked this question because my system sounded like their was a blanket over it and I just couldn't figure it out. I had narrowed it down to my IC's or maybe I needed to swap power cords or something (although I have always used stock). Changed my IC's and it DID make a difference in overall sound. Not night and day, but their certainly was a difference and now the sound isn't muffled.

I've never put much thought into the power cord dilemma, but this muffled sound had me down to two possible problems. I never believed too much into IC's either, but I was proved wrong. That got me thinking, maybe there is something to all of this????

Yes.
I never thought it could make a difference untill I tried one in my system. I now have after market power cords on all my equipment, and yes I'm crazy and like to try almost every tweak that I hear about, but if you add up all the little tweaks one does to their system it starts to make a big difference
Sometimes a huge difference sometime small.
Noticed a big improvment on power amps the most.
Joe

ah, another philosphical discussion. it has no conclusion. it generates heat but very little light.

i t does not matter what component you discuss, be self reliant, do your own research and answer your own question.
it has been said many times. use your ears thay are a useful appendage, especially in audio where the mouth sometimes can get oneself into trouble.

some questions don't have to be asked.

sometimes it is wiser to conceal ignorance. there are exceptions, of course, and health is the paramount one.

it is certailnly more important than a component.

This is the answer to your question:
There are 2 widely disparate "camps" about whether power cords can make a noticeable change in the sound of your system (assuming adequate gauges/capacity for the accompanying component)
There are those who swear up and down that there is NO WAY in the world there will be any noticeable difference and you can not convince these people otherwise...no matter how much anyone tries to prove to them it IS so...
Then there is the opposite camp who are absolutely convinced, with no doubt in mind because they have purposely proven to themselves over and over by trusting their own ears, that aftermarket powercords obviously make a considerable difference and marked improvement in their systems because THEY TRUST THEIR EARS.
I suggest you listen to NO ONE but YOUR OWN EARS, but please, do yourself a favor and TRY IT.
Then decide.
PS And keep in mind, the entire aftermarket cable industry exists because people CAN hear improvements and if they COULDN'T hear the difference it would go by the way of the Tice Clock (It's a DoDo bird from years ago)
Good luck! Try it!!