I just checked to see if my profile was still filled out. It was. I think this is the most common reason for most of us. Just my opinion, of course. I have less than $5,000.00 of equipment, yet I have heard a definite improvement in sound quality with my "oversized" power cord. Not sure what that means. Maybe the power at my place is really really bad?
Some reason to think it may act as a capacitor of sorts, storing and releasing energy for peak demand. And, there's flat out insulation. If the insulation is thick enough, it does lessen its interaction with other cables in the area. How a cable design filters for 60Hz, IDK. I know wire size CAN be conducive to particular frequencies, so maybe you avoid a wire size as conductor that is optimized for 60Hz? Or choose wire sizes that have an odd node relation, in theory canceling 60Hz noise?
Paul McGowan (PS Audio) just did a video bit this week on snakeoil in audio, he chats a bit about the Lab Cable... Not super enlightening, but interesting timing-wise. Is any vendor so confident they'd offer a no risk trial? Send me a few to try out for a month, with a no questions asked return/refund policy? Of if a local shop had a few of them, let you "leave a deposit" to try them at home (used cable would already be broken in, right?). If I like them after a few weeks, I bring them back and buy my set of new ones, fully convinced. But then, must I have one on every component? Do some pieces of kit benefit more than others?
The Cable Company has a cable lending library that lets you try cables for free and they represent many different manufacturers. They also just started the same deal with headphones.
My first experiment with after market power cables was in 2001. I had been reading about this new (at the time) tweak and though to myself that this cannot possibly work - it's the mains cable. My dealer lent me a Cardas Reference power cable for the weekend. Arcam Alpha 9 CD player, Arcam Alpha 10 integrated, Paradigm MiniMonitor speakers. About $2500 - six months old. The Cardas PC on the Arcam CD player made a world of difference. How could this be?
Here are two files, the first with standard power cable, the second with a more expensive. Dropbox - Bruce.Intro.wav Dropbox - Bruce_Intro2.wav.wav
Great timing on this thread. Now, for me, I have been interested in power cords for both my Manley Chinook, and VPI Classic. I hope the guys at Stereo Unlimited also loan these cords so I can hear the difference.
Russ Andrews has a 60 day money back policy. Bought my Powerkord discounted in their sale a few years ago and had the option to return.
There must have been over 100 threads like this in this forum alone. Yet about once every two months someone innocently asks about power cords and it starts all over again and history gets reinvented. A bit like that Memento movie, no? A guy wakes up in the morning and does not remember anything, so he has to start from scratch. Except there the guy has no choice, while here there is this thing called search engine. That nobody cares about, naturally.
I woke up this morning to find a tattoo on my forearm that said "Google it!" in a font that "Image Search" could not identify! To all, I've said this before, so forgive me for repeating myself. The first time I heard I heard the difference between power cables I was genuinely angry, because I knew it was going to cost me more money. Spend what you can afford. Try to give your money to those that are trying to make an honest living, and try to avoid those that are not. If you can not hear the difference, consider yourself blessed.
Can this rule be enforced on other threads including music threads where people are continually complaining about vinyl mastering faults ?
The title of the thread is "High end power cords do make a difference". $180 is low end when it comes to power cords. It buys a lot of chocolate, though, unles you are into Lindt etc.
Interesting. I just a bought as used Magnan top of the line power cable and it is a 12 footer. I clearly hear an improvement. I did buy used for a fraction of retail.
My power amplifier will keep making music for over 20 seconds after I unplug it from the wall, so it would be easy to set up an experiment with a stock power cord and a fancy power cord both plugged in to the same receptacle and available for switching out at the back of the amp with no interruption in the music at all. Since I have never experimented with power cords a question comes to mind for those of you who have. If I try this with a friend, if I sit on the couch and listen while he switches out power cords, when should I expect to hear the change in sound, immediately upon switching, or 25 seconds or so later after my amp's power supply capacitors refill with juice from the new power cord?
