Class D and Power Cables

Teletrout, I must correct you on part of your post.

"Does a power cord actually make a difference with these new digital Class D amps?"

Class D Amps ARE NOT DIGITAL. They are analog. The D has nothing to do with them being digital.

As far as power cords go for Class D amps. They can make a difference. It depends on the amp and the power cord.

Merrill Audio includes a power cord that they know will work well with and show how great their amp can sound. But there are other power cords that should bring even better sound to Merrill Audio Amps. Also there are several others that have included a quality power cord with their amps.

And as Plato mentions depending on the rest of your system and tastes you might like one cord over another.

But you still need to find a power cord that works well with your amp, as some will just rob the life out of it.

You might want to take a look at these:
http://www.cullencable.com

Yes Indeed! I just bought a 6 ft pr of Cullen Crossover PC's.
Never heard my tube amp sound so good. music comes from a "black" dead quite background right out of the box.
Better than my Pangea 9, Zu, Harmonic Tech 11's, Acoustic Zen Tsunami and MAC HC . Not by a little either.

It might depend on design of power supply. Some class D amps have straight linear PS while others (like mine) have switchers and some have switchers with power factor module. The most sensitive to power cable is perhaps linear power supply. Switching supply is less sensitive since it is regulated while Power Factor correcting type like Bel Canto Ref1000v2 have additional bank of capacitors minimizing short current spikes - a way that power supply normally takes energy from mains. All this is only my guess and I suspect that any amp can take advantage of better power cable. It is only to what extend.

Hifial is absolutely right - class D is analog. Outside it presents itself as as normal amplifier with about 1% of switching noise that is not audible but inside it operates on principle of Pulse Width Modulation (duty cycle of constant voltage square wave converted to average value of voltage). What is hard to understand is that duty cycle and not the voltage is analogous quantity (it is continuous without discrete steps)

Most of aftermarket cords are made the way they divert the sound and color it to make sure that consumer hears differences. They've been introduced into high definition audio as another layer of brainwash and source of ez money.