Power cords - snake oil?

Because they sound better. And that's really all you need to know. Not that I do know, but I do know. Try a good one, and you'll see, and then you won't know either, but you'll know. That's the best I can do, hope it helps.

Stock cords are 18AWG cost like 3 bucks.Aftermarket cords are 14/10 AWG have high quality plugs and IEC.
Take two Kettles.One stock.Cut the cheap plug off one.Put on a high quality Hubbel or equall on the other.Plug them in.Stock unit takes 3 minutes to boil water.Unit with better plug boils water in 1 minute.hy.I will leave it up to you to fugure.

I am also a skeptic when performance claims are made for which there is no objective support. Our hobby, however, is not always predicated on "scientific proof". My attitude is be skeptical, but remain open to experience, and -- most of all -- listen to what your ears tell you.

There is some "objective" basis for high-quality power cords providing better performance. At the least, they behave in much the same way a transformer does to buffer out problems in the electric power. Additionally, high-quality power cords certainly have heavier wiring, which makes it possible for amps to draw more power, cleanly.

I recently upgraded the power cords on my Bryston power amps. I bought AudioQuest power cords which are equipped with either 2 or 3 ferrite units, which reduces the amount of RF transferred through the cord. There was some improvement, but I'm not sure I'd call it dramatic. However, since I bought the cords on sale from HCM Audio (check their Web site -- www.hcmaudio.com -- because the sale is still on), I think the investment was a good one.

I have been restling with this upgrade for awhile. My curiosity finally got the best of me. I bought two MIT-z cables and 1 MIT z-II cable. Have not heard a big difference. I just ordered 4 more MIT-II cables to upgrade every cord in both H/T and Stereo system. Should be getting them soon. Then I will know if this up-grade is for real. I will post if I here a noticable difference.

Depends how you look at them. They certainly make a marked difference in many but not all systems. Both good & bad.

What you have to be careful of is buying expensive power cords that actually sound a lot worse than the stock cords!