Why do AC cords make so much difference?

Piezo: Your comments about low inductance to Audioengr are something that i've tried to stress to him in other posts. It is not so much the low inductance than can be helpful in low current demands as it can be the added capacitance that many such designs bring with them. If someone doubts the effectiveness of added capacitance, try sticking an AC rated cap into an outlet and measure / view the differences in the power provided at that outlet.

Redbeard brings up added capacitance in his post ( rightly so ) and also touches on the lack of filtering in components making the differences in power cords being noticeable. I agree with him whole-heartedly in this respect and am glad to see that someone else shares this view. Most products are NOT properly filtered, regardless of price paid or brand name "prestige", and that is why one can hear the differences with various AC delivery systems. The only problem with Redbeard's suggestion to install a power line filter / conditioner to remedy such problems is that they too are mostly under-engineered and end up being a "band-aid" rather than a "cure-all". As such, poorly designed filter based products can bring with them almost as many side effects / problems that they try to solve. Sean
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Redbeard - I suggest you measure the current in your power cords. I suspect that you will find spectral components higher than 20 kHz. Current, not Voltage ...Duh. Unless you have an expensive power supply that is designed properly in your component, this will always be the case.

Also, I recommend strongly against filtering, except on the ground lead to eliminate ground-loop currents.

I do not buy the capacitance argument. My cords add only a few hundred pF of capacitance, yet they are 10X lower inductance than the ROMEX in the wall. Until you have heard a really low inductance cord for yourself, you cannot know what the improvements are.

It's too bad that so many things in life have to be "protected" as intellectual properties. Otherwise, some real progress in technology / science / medicine / etc... might really be made by those with common goals yet different ideas and experiences. Sean
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Sean,

If you are right about the power filter/conditioners that are currently available then this would be a great opportunity for an enterprising entrepreneur to come up with an audiophile grade filter and make a killing in the market.

I think the reason this hasn't happened yet is that it is easier to come up with a fancy, whiz-bang AC cable than it is to do some basic engineering on a power filter.