Why does better power = better sound?

I agree with you, Lacee. I'm a big believer in improving the quality of AC power. IME, it can have a wide range of positive effects on sound quality, including lower noise, larger dynamic range, greater resolution, more realistic instrument timbres, better imaging focus, etc.. The improvements can be summed up as greater "naturalism."

Bryon

IMHO, there is no denying that cleaner power = better sound, the question comes to how far one is willing to go. I went to a fellow audiophiles home to buy an amp and he was kind enough to show me his various systems. WOW!! The most incredible setup I've ever seen in my life!! It made my $100K system feel modest by comparison.

He had even gone to the trouble of installing commercial grade isolating transformers in his basement. These puppies weighed over 500 pounds each!! He claimed that after he installed these he could no longer hear any sonic differences between power cords. Hmmmm.

His analog setup is a story for a whole other thread.

500 pound isolation transformers? Awesome!!

I think what we’re doing here is redefining the meaning of the term “source component” from turntables/cartridges and CDP’s/DAC’s to power line conditioning components, and rightly so.

Reading this thread convinced me that if I wanted my system to “always” sound as good as… like at night… that I had to feed it cleaner power to begin with. Because my system already included a dedicated 20 amp circuit, Oyaide R-1 Receptacles with WPC-Z Faceplates, and last but certainly not least an Audience adeptResponse aR6 Power Conditioner, it’s not as if up to this point that I was l ignoring the power source.

Sooooooooooooo, I once again opened my wallet and purchased an Audience adeptResponse aR6-TS Power Conditioner. Those who have read my posts know that I don’t glorify or gush over the attributes of one piece of equipment over another, but the Audience aR6-TS is an exception.

With the Audience aR6-TS in my system, it’s as if I can walk through my speakers and literally shake hands with the musicians. If I ever get the opportunity to meet John McDonald, I’d give him a standing ovation.

"With the Audience aR6-TS in my system, it’s as if I can walk through my speakers and literally shake hands with the musicians. "

I have a lot of problems pulling the trigger on power upgrades in my case.

I know cleaner power can make a difference. I heard it clearly when I first plugged my gear (other than power amps) into a modest Monster power strip. The problem is my gear still sounds great and I can do the walkthrough the speakers trick pretty well as is.

To me its like a white dress shirt. Its either clean or it is not. There is at point at which it technically might be considered cleaner if say inspected under a microscope maybe, but practically, it is clean.

So my best estimate is my power is clean enough to sound perfectly good to me. I might hear a difference were it cleaner, but it is not so important to me that I gotta go out and upgrade now. I probably will at some point once I feel educated enough to make a good decision. Making a good decision becomes harder once you get into the realm of diminishing returns.