Power Cables... Do they really matter?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by PinkIsTheSky, Oct 7, 2019.

  1. motorstereo

    motorstereo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct.
    I'm wondering if anyone has tried this device that goes between the end of the power cable and the audio electronics?
    [​IMG]
     
  2. Ralph Karsten

    Ralph Karsten Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Paul MN
    I'll bite.

    This statement is false. It is based on declaration without measurement. All things electrical operate according to Ohm's Law which is not a law that can be broken like a speed limit. I invite you to make measurements proving your position. I have outlined how earlier in this thread.
     
    MGW likes this.
  3. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    OK, to be fair one side shouldn't convince the other and vice versa. I think that ABX tests are fun but in the long run not informative due to being too tiresome (our ears under pressure), too many variations with products turned on/off and the simple fact that as human beings we have better and worse days for listening. Still, my own ears have been telling me that power cords do matter. Not crazy input, but meaningful. Also I think there's no method of measuring them yet, which would give me the exact answer why I'm hearing what I'm hearing. I take placebo into consideration of course, but then again thousands of people into cable swaps have to be onto something. Eh?
     
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  4. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    Hey, limited experience is a lot better than no experience. Well, at least in the event of participating in a conversation which actually requires a degree of said experience.
     
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  5. MGW

    MGW Less travelling, more listening

    Location:
    Scotland, UK
    Surely all of our experiences are limited, it is simply a question of how limited.:)
     
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  6. Frost

    Frost Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    Ohms law would support the idea that the last 3 ft can’t matter unless grossly out of spec. V=IR. Voltage = current x resistance. The voltage is constant 115 give or take. The current is as demanded. The resistance is the series resistance of 3’ added to 100’ to the breaker and 150’ to the transformer. At that point we can neglect the miles to the power plant as the transformer is a buffer
     
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  7. Jvalvano

    Jvalvano Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    In my experience, yes.

    :cheers:
     
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  8. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    If upgraded power cables really made that much of an audible difference, why wouldn't all high-end audio equipment manufacturers include them as standard? It's like those clip-on magnetic fuel saver devices or plug-in OBD dongles that claim to improve your car's fuel economy by 20 to 25 percent. If such a big improvement was so simple, why wouldn't all of the automobile manufacturers include the equivalent of them built into all new vehicles?

    And yet plenty of people swear that these devices work as advertised, because as soon as they install one, whether consciously or not, they begin driving in a more fuel-efficient manner, in expectation of the great results they'll be getting with it. It's only if someone removes the magic device without telling them and their results don't change would they realize it's snake oil.
     
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  9. motorstereo

    motorstereo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ct.
    Ok apparently no one in the thread has any experience with the Furutech flux 50:shake:. Now I wonder if anyone has tried these ps noise harvesters? Aftermarket power cables are about quality current delivery with noise reduction and I wonder if these devices reduce noise similar to a quality power cord?
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. Just Walking

    Just Walking Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    From Furutech's site the filtering in the Flux50 is done using GC-303. From other places in google land which describes a Furutech distribution board, GC-303 is "A special material that Furutech layers and bonds to the interior bottom-plate of the chassis" Whatever that means.

    So it is not a filter in any conventional sense of the word. At around $1000 for this Flux-50 Filter | FURUTECH it is not the sort of thing you'd buy just to see if it makes a difference.
     
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  11. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    Some manufacturers include cables better than stock cords. But in reality, those who don't usually:

    1.) say that their DACs or amps leave this door open for customers to experiment with cables if they feel like it. These companies can't possibly know in what setups their products will work.
    2.) state that their products are immune to i.e. power cords or conditioners due to their products' PSUs 'crazy good' etc.

    Whatever the case is, one can either do something about it or leave it as is. But personally, I wouldn't buy a speaker cable from a DAC maker, a DAC from a company into amps and so on so forth. I'd select items made by specialist operations to mix and match. That's why no quality power cord inside of a box with an expensive machine is actually quite OK to me.
     
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  12. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I have a couple of the PS Audio noise harvesters. However, I don’t have upgraded power cables in order to say whether they make the same, better, or less difference in terms of noise reduction. They do reduce noise in the line, and they are substantially less expensive than premium power cables. The concept makes sense to me, discharging the noise as light energy, and I do think they make a subtle difference. I’m assuming a dedicated circuit would make an even bigger difference, but not being prepared to do that at this point, the noise harvesters are at least something.
     
    motorstereo likes this.
  13. royzak2000

    royzak2000 Senior Member

    Location:
    London,England
    I first experimented with power cables in the 90s, a friend left one with me, yes one, I tried it first in the pre. as you would, I could hear differences but it was when I tried the CDP that I thought this is cool.
    I still don't understand the difference it made. For the better.
     
  14. petertakov

    petertakov Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sofia, Bulgaria
    @MGW I still don't agree with you about PC but after this cold shower I don't feel this is particularly important. I think we can both live happily in disagreement on this insignificant matter :)) I am sorry if I have offended you and @Just Walking in any way.
    Cheers,
    Peter
     
  15. MGW

    MGW Less travelling, more listening

    Location:
    Scotland, UK
    Agreed.
     
  16. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    Right? Digital ends are said to benefit the most not only from cables but power cleaners in general.
     
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  17. royzak2000

    royzak2000 Senior Member

    Location:
    London,England
    Why the question mark.
     
  18. onemug

    onemug Forum Resident

    Power Cables... Do they really matter?

    IMO... they do sometimes and to some people, and for a variety of reasons. Everyone gets to have an opinion and it's only a fact to 'them'. I started hearing about upgrading PC's about 10 yrs ago, hard to believe they could make any difference. Decided to try them out for myself.

    First up: A friend loaned me some very impressive looking homemade ones, thick cable/impressive ends. They made a difference alright, the sound was noticeably worse. Go figure.

    Next: I was demoing some 300 SET amps and found out the amp manufacturer's generic/black/14 ga cords were better than my generic ones. The amp's maker said he didn't know why, just that they sounded better, my kinda guy. They were made by Volex and I bought several more at $6 apiece for the rest of my equipment.

    End result was/is: I like a well made product and felt the DH Labs ones were right for me. Close to $200 yet far away from those that sell in the 1000's :yikes:. Good news is, you only have buy once. They don't wear out and if you divide the cost by the number of years you have them, they can be pretty cheap.
     
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  19. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    English isn't my native language, but the idea behind the 'right?' was to agree with you :agree:
     
  20. TheMan84

    TheMan84 Active Member

    Location:
    Poland
    There's no better way. No written or measured test gives as much. Plus, you had a fair point in saying that you buy it once and then that's the case closed.
     
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  21. royzak2000

    royzak2000 Senior Member

    Location:
    London,England
    Cool.
     
  22. hi_watt

    hi_watt The Road Warrior

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    Are you using the Encore, or Power Plus cords? I have mostly all DH Labs interconnects, and have been interested in their power cables as well.
     
  23. onemug

    onemug Forum Resident

    The Power Plus ones. :cheers:
     
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  24. Ralph Karsten

    Ralph Karsten Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Paul MN
    As I explained in my first post on this thread, the wire in the walls is pretty high performance. But its illegal to use it for power cords as it is inflexible. The wire going to the transformer is much heavier- Ohm's Law again. So yes, that last 6 feet can matter! Again as I mentioned in my first post in this thread, I've measured a significant loss of power (40 watts) in an amplifier that was simply on account of the power cord, which was itself within spec.

    My advice to anyone thinking a power cord can't make a difference is to simply measure the difference between a cheap standard cord and a good one. Do this by measuring the effect the cord has on the equipment. This is best done with a power amp and easily demonstrates what's up. If you don't have the measurements then you have a made up story- it really is that simple.
     
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  25. TarnishedEars

    TarnishedEars Forum Resident

    Location:
    The Seattle area
    Boy life was easier back when most power cords were integrated.... :sweating:
     
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