Power cables do they make any difference to sound quality

Never bought into the cable hype myself...YMMV.

 

That is not what s said. Read my post again.

 

In my experience, having the same brand of cable throughout the system has benefits. But the biggest improvements have come from using quality outlets, a very good line conditioner, and good AC cords. I've also heard great systems that have excellent power cables from one brand like a LessLoss or Shunyata and another brand for usb, phono, interconnects, and speaker cables.

Since I live in Atlanta, I cannot reliably comment on whether the larger blades in UK gear have an advantage.

I've been surprised how much impact a good power cable and outlet can have on sound.

 

You can't possibly be telling the truth if you say you've been reading these forums for a long time then start this thread. There was just a power cable thread a few days ago.

 

Should have said cleaner/blacker background.

 

Once your backgrounds go black, you never go back.

 

I can't say I've heard a difference in power cables, but I haven't really swapped them out much to compare. I did hear an improvement when I replaced my 50 year old outlets. I didn't really expect that, to be honest. When I moved to high efficiency speakers, swapping IC cables was a very noticeable change, almost as dramatic as swapping preamps. Mainly in the high frequencies. I'm now using $20 Mogami microphone cable that makes the Blue Jeans and Audioquest cables I was using sound rolled off. It's immediately apparent.

 

Another thing to consider about the UK and Europe is the higher AC mains voltage. Here the step-down ratio of the power transformer in a given audio component will be twice the ratio of the same component in the USA.

This means that mains-borne noise that is inductively coupled across the transformer windings will be attenuated by 6dB more in the UK than the USA. (This depends on the frequency response of the power circuit and the type of transients and noise coming from the mains however.)

I wonder whether the sceptics on these threads tend to reside in higher voltage territories, and the supporters in low voltage republics?

 

In my experience yes power cables do make a difference, but mainly for source rather than amp. I made my own power cables a long time ago, over size wires, shielded so grounded at wall end, wattgate plugs etc. My partner at the time who really didn’t care, noticed a big difference immediately not really knowing what I’d changed - clarity, more/better bass, less harsh, bigger soundstage. That was my mid range Cambridge Audio CDP. My amp not nearly as much, but I thought everything was a little clearer with that. I still use them. I made a dozen or so and sold them on eBay as well. Yeah someone paid for them, expectation bias more than my own, but I got really good feedback all round. Most people had budget or mid range Hifi kit, and I sold the cables for £40 each for a small profit of about £15 after materials and postage.
Interestingly the equally big improvement as the CDP was the LCD TV I had back then. The picture was way smoother and blacks were less grey...

 

My experience has been different. Both are improved. The furutech gtx-d (r) I just installed probably improved the power amp more than anything else but I can hear it in the needle drops so everything must benefit.

The guys that have been posting in the outlet thread that got me going on this upgrade, most are saying that for month or more they keep getting better and better. Wrap your brain around that. I believe them and from what I've heard so far expect this will be my experience.

Mind you I went from having the cheapest outlets to arguably the most expensive.

 

I bought several Pangea cables and surprisingly they did make a difference and they are insulated too which helps.

Of course you could buy some Belden insulated wire and make your own as I did for my subs and preamp

 

I've got some Pangea cables coming in to play with.

 

hi
i have only ever read regarding music media ie Best recordings available regarding bob dylan, the police steely dan and others i have never read anything on here regarding power cables.

 

A simple search of “power cables” yields 24 pages of results.

 

I don’t get this forum sometimes - so someone missed a similar thread, so what? And if it’s that annoying a new one pops up that’s nearly identical to an old why bother to spend the time reading it and posting on it, especially when others have already posted with ideas and suggestions that are useful? It happens on so many threads, people moaning there’s been a similar one, or even accusing people of lying as on this one. Just ignore the thread and move on!

 

Does that have butter on it, and can I have some? It helps me enjoy the show.

 

Rabbits do great things with power cables.

 

He said he has never read anything on this forum about power cables, as unbelievable as that may seem, so I pointed out the way to find all he could want. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas.

 

I think one of the foibles in the cable controversy (which has been ongoing now for how many decades?) is the belief that spending a lot of money on cables is an easy, immediate upgrade without doing more. I'm of the belief that getting the system set up properly in the room, getting basic good practices on electrical service to the system, having a good working knowledge of things like turntable set up, component matching and the like not only pay dividends, but are really first orders of business. It's very tempting to say, 'hmmm, i'd like more veils lifted and have the performers in the room, and have my jaw drop' per the review hyperbole, so i'll order these fancy cables and see if I experience that. Aside from expectation bias (a usual criticism of subjective evaluation), it's like a quick, sometimes expensive, and often easy "solution" that may or may not improve things, but doesn't address the underlying issues of good power, good set up and good placement in the room. The 'snake oil' criticism is often aimed at cables but I think the truth is, the problem isn't the cable or what it does or doesn't do---it's the belief that there is an all purpose remedy that takes no time or effort other than to buy the product and use it.
I've compared cables many times over the years in my system and have heard differences. If you have to strain to hear it, or question whether you are imagining things, stop. Work on the basics first. There's no easy, one size fits all panacea here. And what works best in a given system is not measured by price. In one system I have the fancy audiophile wire. And in another, home brew. Both fit with the systems and both have proven to work better than the alternatives given the particulars of each system, including the value proposition-- whether the money spent was well spent given the system and the level of OCD-ness I put into each to optimize them. And part of that equation is my personal choice about how deep into the weeds I'm willing to go, and how much time I'm willing to spend, to obtain some modicum of improvement/dollar. I suspect in some cases it wouldn't make much difference. And at that point, why spend the money?
Certainly no harm in home trial if you can return. But, my experience has taught me to address the fundamentals first. I think once all that is squared away, any improvement yielded by better cable, including power cable, should be obvious. And if it isn't, return them.

 

It really irritated me the first time I heard a power cord improve the sound of a system (at CES in 1991).

Since then I've heard it many times. But- a lot depends on the equipment you have. I think tube gear is more susceptible, simply because the main thing that causes differences in power cables is voltage drop across the cord. Of course it could be happening in the house wiring too, but house wiring is solid core and a lot better performance on that account. Its illegal to sell solid core power cords...

So the way to measure the effects of the power cord is this: measure the power output of the amp, its distortion and output impedance, using different power cords. With class A amps and tube amps this is easier to do. I've seen a power cord rob an amplifier of about 30% of its output power, so this can be significant! As tubes cool off as the AC line voltage drops, so does their transconductance. Its not unusual to see 2-4 volts dropped across a power cord. If your cord or wall connections are heating up, that is a sure sign that the cord is at the very least affecting output power.

But if you have a low power solid state amp, you might not notice so much. So while you might think its all confirmation bias, which is a healthy way to look at things like this, its also something that is easily measured!

 

I'm glad there are measurable, provable differences. As I have zero interest in tube gear outside of my guitar amps, and am strictly solid state when it comes to home audio, I'm glad to be an 85%er who thinks most of the voodoo is just that. Some guys love to fiddle with this stuff; that's their hobby. Mine is listening to music on a pleasing system and not fretting about cables, wires, vinyl vs. CD, etc.

 

Since you asked, rhodium as a plating material is a poorer conductor of electricity than copper, silver, or gold. It is ten times more expensive than gold, but I don't see how rhodium plating could make a difference in sound quality on AC plugs. Some people think more expensive must be better, but I don't see it.

 

Thanks Ralph...this was the kind of explanation I was looking for. On my Japanese domestic amps the cable is nice and thick whereas my US ones have comparatively much thinner cable.

 

To the latter, I agree 100%.

You can measure similar differences on solid state amplifiers as well. The bigger the amp, the bigger the difference the power cord will make. Its all Ohm's Law; power cords are no exception.

 

I don't believe this is true, at least when it comes to connectors. Some of my highest performers use rhodium connectors.