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Power Cord Challenge

I've got a couple of weeks off before starting a new job. As I clearly fall into the camp of those who suspect no purely audible differences exist (except in pathologic cases of too-small cords or RFI interference), here's a challenge:

If you live in the San Jose, CA area, let's get together and put this to the test. Your system, your choice of music, I supply a stock power cord to test against your exotic. We play both cords blind (identified as A and B) for a reasonable amout of time; I then play one of the two (randomly chosen through a coin flip) for a reasonable amount of time and you identify it as either A or B. We'll do 10 trials for some statistical significance.

Given that some claim drastic and easily heard differences ("blacker background", "music is more alive", etc., etc., etc.), it should be trivial to get right and shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes per trial. The kicker: you get 9 or 10 right and I'll give you $500! The downside: 8 or less correct and you donate $250 to the Red Cross. Hey, I'm even giving you 2 for 1 odds!

Regardless of the outcome, we post the results to this site. Any takers?

Cheers,
JHunter
jhunter
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,411 posts
 
Yes, Late June sounds like a good time for me and by then I will have additional PC's which we may use in the tests. I should also have my system (which will include new goodies such as the Neuance shelving and hopefully the 47 Labs cabling) up and running by that time and would like to have a few people over that are interested in these products as well as PC's. PC's will include the BMI Whale, a new silver PC by Vantage Audio, the Stealth HAC and Absolute cords for lower price comparisons and in addition I will ask Bruce to supply one of his FIM PC's. This will be kind of a duplication of the first shootout (as these PC's will be available for it as well) but will also include other interesting and reasonably priced (I think) products.
jhunter OP
45 posts
 
Tsquared -

Your comments re: fast switching are right on. This is the only proven way to hear subtle differences. Hard to do with power cords, though it might be possible to rig up a rapid switch box.

Cheers,
JHunter
jhunter OP
45 posts
 
Looks like no takers for now, and I'm back at work next week. Tomorrow is golf, with no audio except for the "woosh" as I wiff. The offer stands for those in the San Jose area, though we may need to do some work setting up a time.

Brulee and others in SoCal - let's try to figure a date in late June/early July for some listening, as formal or informal as we like. It'll be fun in any case.

Cheers,
JHunter
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,411 posts
 
OOps: Forgot that Bruce is also using the Neuance and may be using the 47 Labs cable as well. Anyway, we have a lot of art and old plastic souviner snowdomes to look at.
massvm
126 posts
 
Jhunter, I hope you are able to pull off this "PC Challenge". Sounds like it may be fun no matter what the outcome.

You state that you are from the "BAD" camp, in that you don't suspect that there should be an audible difference between stock (or what have you) PCs and aftermarket "exotics," but have you ever listened to any? Your writing implies that you haven't given one a test drive. I find it interesting that you would put up $500 in cold, hard cash for a 2 for 1 offer (which given 0 return to you, and the tax write-off to the loser if you are right isn't really accurate either) if you hadn't tried one of those "exotics." The same applies to Stevemj who is willing to up the ante to 4 to 1; have you ever tried one? 500 clams can buy an awfully nice PC on the used market.

Let the games begin!
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