Power cords - a BASIC question

What may seem like a basic question is frequently controversial because your question makes a lot of sense, and so do many of the answers and opinions posted here. The simple answer is that it makes a difference. I use 2 power cords that cost $150 each, and heard definite improvements, mostly in background levels and bass weight, but I sure can see the point of being skeptical about all the hype and psuedo science as well. Let me relate this one experience that pertains directly to your question. A friend returned a favor by giving me 4 power cords to choose from for my main power source. I had no idea what they cost. All made differences, but not necessarily improvements, one stood out from the crowd and gave my system a touch of magic and soul, (if you will forgive the vagueness of such a statement) it turns out that the power cord I chose was worth around $1500. Being a gift, I was happy to be able to keep that PC for my $2200 receiver. Now if I was shopping for a PC I might look at power cords in the $100-300 price range for it. The difference the PC made was like a jump in class level for my system, and well, it should be at that price, but as Brucel pointed out in another post I also think that you get more bang for the buck by spending the higher percentage of budget on hardware (speakers, amps, sources, etc.). That said, some power cords may have some filtering capabilities that help clean up the AC from your wall a bit, so the fact that power may become distorted by traveling for miles is not the point, the point is that we can do something about it on our end.

So how bout rewiring the house?
I mean it can't just matter at the "last meter". If the opportunity exists to do so, why not just rewire the outlets that you're using for your amps and high end components. Typical house wire is 12guage. These outlets could be rewired with 4gauge wire. Granted, it would still terminate at the same breaker box. But with a higher quality, higher gauge wire running through the house and then using a high end PC to terminate the last meter, I'd think that would make a difference. Thoughts?

Mcoker, many Audiogon members have successfully done just that, but it can get a bit complicated. In previous posts Albert Porter has gone into some details on the subject, and if memory serves me well, uses a dedicated ground. Fritz's question is really a matter of degree. How much can power cords help and at what price do you get diminishing returns? Many posters have had good results with some fairly inexpensive brands, so money is not the real issue. It makes sense if it works. If a listener is certain after
listening carefully that a particular power cord helps get the most out of their system, why not? It is his or her money to spend.

I have found that what I perceive as the conditioning effect of a good power cord can become too much in a long length. There definitely is value in using very thick guage and high purity copper in the wall, and other stuff that has been discussed elsewhere, but when I once tried running very long runs of high-end PC from the switch board to my amp the sound was not good.

It's a basic question that needs a basic answer. Start with going to the powersnakes website (www.powersnakes.com) and reading the faq's section. A common assumption is that the power cord is at the end of the circuit. This is not true. Power runs from hot to neutral through the load. The load is the component. The power cord is in the middle of the circuit, with the component in the very middle.
Power cords do not change sound. They provide current. If they also filter out RFI and EMI, they will give a "blacker" background to the musical signal. Thus the music can change. Each system and locality may have differing quantities of RFI/EMI thus affecting the music differently.
All RFI/EMI must be eliminated for the effect to be at it's most effective. The RFI/EMI around the wires in the walls should be small enough and is not near to IC's and speaker wires to have an effect. Contact areas between power cords and IC's and speaker wires need to be kept to a minimum.
BASICS.