Nice Warm AC cord for a PLC

Interesting dialogue on the above two threads; I appreciate your input Abecollins. I, too, am a person of the scientific community. Unfortunately, things I see everyday at work do not fit into the scientific "mould" that I was taught. Yet these phenomena undeniably exist.

Yes, I am new to audiophilia nervosa. I don't claim to have as much experience or technical background as others. Yet, despite my healthy skepticism of many things in the stereo world...I have heard things I cannot deny (cue X-files music).

I agree that things like cables and cords are outrageously priced. My dealer wanted me, at the beginning, to audition some Kimber Silver Streak. I balked at paying THAT much for wire and bought PBJ's instead. Now I am plunging deep into stuff I would've mocked myself for several months ago. I think that although profit margins are large, most manufacturers exist on relatively low volume. I can't begrudge them for trying to make a living. The high volume-high price guys are the ones that bug me (are you listening Sony SACD players? Mr. D'agostino?)

I also know this...My very own tin ears, as do those of my non-believing, mocking wife, HEAR differences in cords and cables. Are you saying that you don't at all?

I don't want this to turn into cables do/don't do things type thread. I just wanted to hear about other peoples' listening experiences with power cords on their PLCs!

Mapleleaf, we seem to share a similar perspective on cables. Somewhere there has to be a point of diminishing returns, though I don't claim to have pushed the envelope enough to know its boundaries. I have explored enough to know that cables can make a marked *difference* (sometimes better, sometimes not) in a system's sound and that experience has been supported by those familiar with the evolution of mine. What I am willing to pay for the right cables (and everything else audio oriented) has increased with the passage of time, but that's attributed to a mild case of audiophilia nervosa more than anything else. Certainly not common sense. ;-)

As to the original question, I, too, have a VansEvers Model 83 and put a Synergistic Research Master Coupler on it. Didn't add or subtract any warmth, but it certainly "unclogged" something. There was an improvement in overall dynamics over the "stock" cord (the Model 83 was bought used and I strongly suspect the cord wasn't the original one). Everything but the amp is plugged into it, so there's more than a nominal draw through it. It was well worth the money spent, even more so since it was bought used here on AudiogoN.

Fpeel, the Model 83 is indeed excellent. I bought mine recently from Mike VansEvers directly; no deal but he did some extra "special" stuff to it...hee hee hee. It sounds amazing, I thought that my gear was great at music before but the 83 blew me away.

Unfortunately, the 83 also triggered a viral like illness...I became, and still am, obsessed with the question "Can I make my stuff sound EVEN BETTER?". I am thinking that if I had never met the 83, I would've been so much happier and content. Now I am locked into a never-ending quest for improvement. (Is this a metaphor for life?)

The 83 shoulda had a VansEvers cord with it; its got red jacketing and yellow wall plug. Pretty distinctive looking. Nothing wrong with it...I just want MORE. More dynamics, more forever sounding decay, more soundstaging, more warmth....greedy greedy greedy!

I've got a Marigo Reference cord on the 83 right now. Improvement over stock VansEvers cord.

Mapleleaf, what bothers me about the whole AC power cord debate is why someone would spend hundreds of dollars on a colorful fat cord when most homes have standard cheap wiring behind the AC outlet. The power cord carries 60-cycle AC current to the gear (in the U.S.) and it surely cannot be the focal area for making tone adjustments to the sound that comes out from the speakers. There can be benefits from an AC power cord of sufficient wire gauge to handle the current draw but beyond that (mysterious wire geometry's and such), I refuse to sample the expensive snake oil. What is the benefit of a fat colorful AC power cord of enormous conductor size or fancy "geometry" when plain solid 14 or 12 gauge copper (at best) is typical in most house wiring?

Abe: We have been through this debate a zillion times before here. I am certainly not an advocate of the thousand dollar cords as I have a very modest system; I have however purchased 3 cords for use in that system at around $200 (used) a piece, and view those cords as critical components after hearing the difference between them (and numerous others) and the stock cords. My suggestion to you would be to go to the Audioasylum web site, pick up the recipe for the Bob Crump DIY cord (or Asylum cord as Audiogon member Kevin markets it) and build one for the sum total of about $25 in parts. Try it out and see if you can hear a difference-if you can't you're out $25. If you can, then you can get into more expensive snake oil, as you put it.