Power cord craze What should I get for $100

Contact Ernie. Audiogon member "Subaruguru"

I was also looking for a "budget" power cable a couple weeks ago and ended up getting the Synergisic Research A/C Master Coupler here, thinking that if I don't like it, I can always resell it easily. I have to tell you that I was very skeptical with the power cord hoopla before I finally decided to give it a shot, and as a result, I'm keeping the cable. Compared to the stock cable of my cdp, the soundstage became wider, especially with music that has a lot of ambience in the background. The lower detail is more revealing, the bass gets tighter, and everything just seems so much clearer and open. That said, I'm not a believer and would advise you to give it a try. Worst case, you lose $10. Best case, it takes your system to a different level.

Now I wonder what a PS Audio P300 Power Regenerator can do to my system....

My gear:
Rega Planet 2000 cdp
VAC Avatar Tube Integrated amp
Sonus Faber Grand Piano speakers
Nordost Blue Heaven IC/Bi-wired speaker cables
and the new addition...Synergistic Research A/C Master Coupler.

Steve

I agree with Stevenkc and others who recommend the SR A/C Master Coupler. In my system it was better than any DIY cord I tried and many more expensive ones.

If you are on a tight budget there are a few things to keep in mind.

* DIY projects can potentially cost quite a bit more than expected.

* The results are often less than expected.

* The resale value of a DIY power cord is almost nothing.

Advice would be to try cords with a "30 day return policy" or go with something like the Synergistic MC.

I know $200-$300 seems like a lot of money in comparison to the cost of your gear, but it's still better to spend that, than $100 on something that really is not very effective. But in the $100 range you could look at PS Audio Prelude, Audio Magic X-Stream Silver, Custom Power Cord Company Hi Value, Cardas Twinlink, and MIT Z-Cord. I don't see anyone getting too exited about anything in this group, but if you go to say $200- Harmonic Technology Pro AC 11, Kimber Kable PowerKord 10, PS Audio Power Plus, Custom Power Model 11, Shunyata Diamondback, and Cardas Cross are all very good. Try some of these to see if they make enough difference to justify the money, regardless of what you paid for the amp. If you go to the $300 tier you can consider an Synergistic Research AC Master Coupler, or one of many, many, more excellent options. Your ahead of the game anyway, because you only need one PC for an integrated instead of two.