John Dunlavy On "Cable Nonsense"

You are limiting the performance or "difference aspect" of a power cord to simply altering the "tone" of the system. That is NOT all that they MIGHT do.

We are talking about differences in the noise floor. This in itself effects apparent dynamic range, the ability to "pick out" small details that might have otherwise been buried in the mix, "more correct" harmonic structure, etc...

While i know that it is hard to set aside years of teaching and "hard line" technical aspects, there is no "right" or "wrong" when it comes to something like this. You have to remember that music and music reproduction is both personal and subjective. As such, your looking at it from "it all measures the same" ( which it might not ) or "theoretically, there should be no differences" while someone else may be saying "this sounds better" or "this sounds more natural". Both sides can present their "argument" with great passion, but the bottom line is that differences DO exist. Whether you choose to accept this or pay money for those differences is up to you. A person shouldn't harrass someone else should they choose to do so. That would be no different than me picking on someone that spent enough money for a Ferrari when everyone knows that a Yugo can get you from point A to point B in appr the same manner. After all, the only difference between a Ferrari and a Yugo would be the amount of attention given to "details" and what someone was willing to spend to get those "details". Sean
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Sean, you didn't answer the question.. Do you belive an AC power cord should be used as a tone control?

What's the right answer, Abe?

If you want to apply the phrase "tone control" to the sonic affect of a power cord (or interconnect, etc.) then you must accept that ALL power cords are in fact tone controls. If that's the case, which regrettably it may be, then I'll shop around for the tone control that works best in my system.

I'm still trying to figure out why it is that you are digging around at the local hardware store cobbling together electrical parts to make a replacement power cord if the stock cord is good enough. And doesn't the fact that you are doing that in the first place negate your entire bullshit argument anyway? If the hardware store cables you make don't sound any better (meaning they necessarily don't change the sound) why go to the trouble?

I imagine Sean didn't answer the question because there is no point in doing so. It's some strawman you've designed to prove some point that is in no way relevant. Now, I admit, you have already established for yourself that you are smarter than I am, and that I am unable to understand the superior wisdom and insights of your clever posts, but could you first explain why anybody should feel compelled to answer such a ridiculous question? Because you are very right about one thing if nothing else, I am having great difficulty in understanding the logic behind your statements, especially when all read together.

How about this, I'll humor you and give you the platform you seem to want here: Yes, Abe, why yes, I do think that power cables should be used as a tone control. Isn't that what everybody buys a power cord for?

Let's hear what you got to say there genius, it's all yours.

I didn't think such a simple question would anger and frustrate so many people.

To the person who asked why I built a power cord using parts from the hardware store, it had nothing to do with improving the sound of my system. It had everything to do with the fact that this particular stock power cord wasn't up to par in terms of wire gauge to handle the AC current draw. Why else would I go through the trouble of building a better AC power cord?

Why is there no point in answering this simple question? I'm not looking for a right or wrong answer. In YOUR OPINION do you believe an AC power cord should be used as a tone control? I am truly interested in seeing the responses.