Power cords

About Strads: every Strad has aged for a couple of hundred years and was played extensively in its lifetime. Is any new copy going to sound the same, even if made identically?

About power cords: audio electronics as a whole, including power cords, are made by ee's according to the same design principles used in all other areas of engineering. Because of the sensitivity of human hearing and the extension of the dynamic range envelope in high end design, many low level noise variables become evident that are off the screen in other applications. Audio design budgets are not big enough to do the kind of R&D, together with mathematical modeling and testing, that is routinely done for similar high resolution problems in areas like aerospace or medicine.

It's important to try to reduce issues like power and vibration control to a reasonably well understood set of principles because without it, you are simply doomed to tweak forever, chronically repeating the same mistakes from person to person. Individual choice and taste will not disappear during the gaining of understanding.

.........IMO, it may be a "matter of belief", but the belief is based on: 1. having an open mind 2. trusting one's senses 3. learning critical listening skills 4. having equipment capable of showing differences between/among wires, components, tweaks, etc., and 5. maybe other factors. Afterall, isn't listening to music what this hobby is all about? Cheers. Craig.

I think we can all agree, at least those of us who believe that pcs can make a difference, it is very component dependant. I have had some some success using inexpensive aftermarket cords on my preamp's power supply and my cdp but in a variety of cords costing $300 or less and yes I know there are many out there that cost big bucks which may "work" I have yet to "hear" any difference on my Bryston 4B-ST amp. That being said, I say try one or a few to see what if any differences there might be. If there are no differences then you'll have more money for software which I firmly believe will bring you more enjoyment than the "angst" of deciding on what side of the fence to fall on this ongoing cable debate...

Thank you one and all for your comments and suggestions. If I can add one thing at this stage, it would be my suggestion to end the discussion on this thread as, contrary to what I indicated before, Killerpiglet is actually incorrect in saying that it would teeter on the brink of chaos. Quite the contrary, on second thought, it is actually very predictable, in that lines are drawn exactly at the same point as for ICs, speaker cables and tweaks in general. I will not go over ground previously covered, although it is even clearer to me now that there are two schools of thought on audio (surprise, surprise), which are built on different premises, and then go on from there to elaborate a web of arguments which are interwoven in such a fashion that they almost become a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. As I have stated in one of my earlier comments, a whole sub-argument, sub-discussion could be generated on the "experienced" or "golden ear" listener notion, as postulated, inter alia, by Garfish. I am sceptical but not cynical. I just can't generate enough excitement from tinkering with the hardware side as in my early days in this hobby. On the other hand, finding a new artist, another good or great recording from one I already know and appreciate, or even a whole new genre (at least to me) of music, especially on my frequent forays to the local used CD stores, still makes me happy. Whatever your way of enjoying the hobby, go for it. This is neither promise nor threat, I may concentrate from now on the music threads instead of the equipment threads, since I have no wish to proselytise and my views, however one perceives them, are probably known by now and , generally, less than welcome on this site. Maybe a discussion on power chords instead of power cords next time around. Good day one and all. Now where's my Gene Ammons/Sonny Stitt CD...

Well, I admit I have my own opinoins on some specific issues re equipment. But I think it's important that we do not gravitate into different camps based on objective v. subjective, or ears v measurements, as this is a false dichotomy and leads nowhere. Anyone in audio needs to use BOTH. Ears and measurements are both important. I do not know anyone who makes a decent speaker, for example, who does NOT tweak the final product by listening. On the other hand there is not a single speaker or cable maker who does not set down measured design parameters for the product. Every part of our systems was made by folk who measure and do math (egads !)too. Take a look at the simplest introductions on some subjects, Dickason on speakers or Rosenblit on tube circuit design, measurements are here to stay.

I think it's very hard sometimes to correlate what you hear with a specific measurment. That does not mean measurements are not important and that we should stop trying. On the other hand, its not so hard to look at the design specs of a cable and ask intelligent questions about the specs and to also ask how much it should cost to make cables based upon those specs. My primary beef about wire is the rediculous price put on it when its used for certain applications and the fantastic hype by the industry that can only exist if we think of wire as some miraculous mystery. The hype, and especially the price tag, cannot survive a sustained look at the design paramenters of cables. If you hear a difference in cables fine...there is no excuse for the cost.

Maybe we can all learn from Henry Kloss who died only a few days ago. I quote from his obituary

" Mr. Kloss was guided as much by his senses as by his intellect. Loudspeaker manufacturers tend to stress the technical specifications of their product, which is like describing a wine by its level of alcohol and tanin or a chocolate cake by its calorie content alone....Mr. Kloss developed formidable technical prowess but avoided marketing by the numbers. Instead, he strove to design equipment for the ear and not the spec sheet." NYTimes,2/2/02

Formidable technical prowess in service of the ear...maybe his greatest legacy?

Sincerely, I remain