Power cables do they make any difference to sound quality

From my experience it is dependent on how revealing your system is and my system just about scrapes in to HI-FI.

In my previous set up a cable change wasn't that significant and the benefits aren't 'night and day', you have to know your system well, others may struggle to 'get' it.

Lots of sellers do trail periods, so nothing to lose except return postage cost.

If you're buying your system money spent on better equipment makes sense but if you don't want to buy new components it can make sense to improve it with a cable upgrade.

You can certainly get much more from other 'tweeks'.

I've had my power cords for some time and I believe they cost around £50 with inflation £63. At the time I was able to compare 3 different cords.

Adusa £40

LAT international £50

Nordost £ 250

Unfortunately the Nordost were the best but my wife chose the LAT.

 

Argument 1: specialist cables will open up a whole new world of audio nirvana and there are some really good options from fantastic, genuine sellers.

Argument 2: specialist cables will make absolutely no difference to the sound but will make a lot of sellers apoplectic with laughter and enable them to drive expensive cars.

Arguments 3 to several million: many more sensible and reasoned responses will ultimate say "...demo and allow your own ears to identify differences, if any".

Likely outcome of this thread: you'll not be much further forward than when you started . And some of the snarkier posters (I KNOW I'm right types) will eventually self-combust in self-righteous indignation that anyone DARE question their "expertise" or experience. Someone will inevitably (but rightly) post the "popcorn" gif. In fact, some of this may already have happened... *cough*. The thread then gets several posts deleted with moderator message about inappropriate posting(s) - of which, strictly speaking, this is one .

All that said, I really hope you end up with a system that works for YOU - whether or not with specialist power cables (or any other types of cable!) .

 

Away tae...

And a very merry Christmas from Scotland!

 

Some say yes, some say no.....

 

I’ve tried dozens of different power cords, interconnects and speaker cables. Did some of them make sound improvements, yes they did. Was it some night and day experience, no sorry. Much depends on your system components. If you are using expensive cables on a cheesy receiver and speakers, don’t expect much. Buy something in your budget and the right power cable rating. Don’t expect miracles, is the bottom line.

 

If you are unable to hear a difference between stock and aftermarket power cords, I suggest that you do not waste any money on MFSL or DCC pressings.

Tim.................

 

Start of fight...

You're comparing different masterings to a power cable? You know, the piece of fat copper that carries a 60Hz high voltage signal? The cable that feeds a power supply, that when correctly designed, filters out any crap on that 60Hz signal. Now maybe you're buying components with bad power supply designs.

 

My system is up look at it.

 

How about this question. If a group of 5 friends get together and listen to a power cable comparison, resulting in 3 people hearing no difference and only 2 people claiming they definitely hear a difference, how would YOU interpret that experiment. I, personally, would believe the 2 people, indicating the cable did provide a sonic difference. The other 3 just didn't hear it.

But if only one person heard the difference, and he was the guy that bought the new on, … well, then, I would be more skeptical.

 

To OP, funny I was just listening to Platinum SHM-CD Countdown To Ecstasy when I read your post.
Always wondered why they didn't issue Katy Lied, Can't Buy a Thrill and Royal Scam in the platinum series.

PS: All my power cords are DIY. Only way to go IMO. Good for you!
PSS: We'll leave it at that as I don't want to get involved in the vitriol this subject elicits.

 

"The Authority of Interpretive Communities"

 

I think the million dollar question is this: Is what I am hearing merely a difference or a bona fide improvement?

 

A valid question IMO and the answer frequently difficult to ascertain.

 

I used to be skeptical of these sorts of things but as I made a small change here and there I definitely noticed differences so from my point of view it's definitely possible. Whether it's a genuine improvement is going to be up to the listener. You may hate what someone else likes. Your system may not show the change that can clearly be heard in someone else's. For me I'm mainly curious as to how it works...is it a tone control? A noise filter? Does it open the flood gates for current that a lesser cable cannot?

 

Everything in your system has an effect. Over the years there was a time I spent a lot of money on cables. Sure tjet can make a difference it depends on your the rest of your system how much you will hear.

As draden said as you make improvements you will have blacker blacks. This weekend in fact I made the final improvement to my power. Having all the cords and conditioner I finally got around to upgrading my outlets. To me it's night and day. You may think differently. I posted a sample in the needle drop thread in the long winded section. I even posted 2 screen grabs you can see the blacker blacks in the RX waveform.

But I believe you have get good cables not sure about DYI I guess it could work.

 

Suggest the OP posts the Steely Dan question on the music forum:

Music Corner

 

Yep, so get some cables, toy with it and leave the rest of us alone

 

You have just indicated that it's possible for him to end up "with a system that works" without any cables at all.

Now we're gettin somewheres!

 

Thanks for everyone's responses I am currently listening to Neil Young Comes a time 7599-27235-2 REPPRISE and it sounds great. No special kind of mastering or super materials used to create disc as far as I know.
Can anyone put me in the right direction for the best sounding steely Dan Albums ? In your opinion
So far after another good listen the platinum discs are sounding great , it's funny on first listen the platinum discs were third.
I wish I had the knowledge to know what were the best steely Dan original masters and what CDs were mastered from them with a flat transfer, as pointed out on here it is definitely down to the original quality of the master tape maybe not the mastering process to put the music on the disc in general.
I'm glad the Japanese seem to be doing the best possible job given the material they have to work with and obviously the host has probably made the best sounding discs available.

I believe the Acrolink power cable definitely improved my listening enjoyment and it looks nice so I will be buying another one for my CD player I think £95 a metre plus the rhodium plated plugs justified it's cost.
When assembling the diy cable I choose the rhodium plated option, very shinny and costs more than the other options it's got to be the best choice because it was most expensive right or wrong ? Opinions please thank you or would this question be a new thread ?

 

I generally have used stock power cables but I had the good fortune to win a aftermarket power cord ($500 retail) a couple years ago. I plugged it into my integrated amp and turned it on. My jaw did not hit the ground. Since it cost nothing and looked great I was happy and pretty much forgot about it then and there. However, a week or two later, I remarked to my wife that I had really been enjoying the stereo lately and thought it sounded great. She agreed.
It was only later that I remembered the new cable and wondered if that made the difference. A more curious or scientific type would have swapped the old one back in to compare but I have yet to bother. I’m half afraid to lol!

 

I wonder how many of those noting all those differences with new upgraded cables take the effort of switching back to the old cables listening for the same differences they just 'heard'. On many occasions those differences are just heard because you pay more attention after swapping cables. When you switch back you will hear the same differences because you pay attention again.....
Ps; I also use some, 'low cost', upgraded cables but just because they look nice

 

Wow, you can’t hear a difference in Steve’s work without a botique power cable? You might want to go to an ENT doctor to get checked out. Either that or something’s wrong with your system, maybe you have a bad cable somewhere.

I can hear the differences from my iPad to wireless earbuds (so no external wires anywhere in the chain). I guess I just have ‘the ears’ then.

 

Yes, they do make a difference, cleaner backgrounds at least.

 

Yes, they do make a difference. Good power cords lower the noise floor and that helps bass, mids, and highs.

 

Is an even lower noise floor likely to result if in addition one has a dedicated ring main wired with the same cable as used in the wonder power cord? No doubt even better if the entire run to the electricity substation could be rewired similarly? Happen UK mains sockets and plugs will work better too due to the larger contact area. Should one have the contacts therein 24 carat gold plated to improve the connection?