hi jim.
there is no question in my mind that there is an extreme improvement with a good power cable...
my friend and i went to visit a buddy of ours who had a mac 6900 with med fed amp and b w 804s speakers...put on a sarah mclaughlin c d and there was an immmediate/noticeable improvement on the overall sonic tone and especially the bass...a ps audio statement cable...
i have an aragon 4004 amp ...sony 9000es cd...boston acoustics vmr-90 speakers...a quad 99 pre that is due shipped by sat. and am currently in the market for a set of this statement cable...
anyone that does not notice a differance...should have ther ears cleaned
sincerely...sean |
Rotarius, yes, the connectors make a big difference. Simply 'refreshing' your connections by plugging 'n unplugging can make a difference. But it's definitely not all there is to the PC phenomenon. That may be the case, I am not an electrical guy so I don't really ridicule someone else's opinion. Now some of the mumbo-jumbo I read on a'gon on vibration control, that makes me laugh at times. |
Rotarius, yes, the connectors make a big difference. Simply 'refreshing' your connections by plugging 'n unplugging can make a difference. But it's definitely not all there is to the PC phenomenon. |
I am usually skeptical about the hype in cable and vibration damping areas. I am an engineer so I know better than to pay a hundred bucks for a set of ball bearings sandwiched between 2 pieces of metal or something like brass cones. I recently replaced the generic pc used with my Aragon 8002 with a used PS Audio cable and at once noticed and improvement in dynamics. To try and understand why, I did a little experiment. I bought a cheap 14 awg extension cord from Home Depot and cut off the connectors and used a Cooper plug and a Schurter IEC instead. I heard the same improvement so I concluded that the sonic benefits achieved with aftermarket power cords have more to do with better connections/contact than the claimed use of better wire or insulation. |
Hifi111,
I live in Sac, but won't be back there 'til November. How 'bout I come by your place with some adequately-sized standard PC's, and blind-test YOU on your system? If you can't pick YOUR "Top-gun" cord, 4/5 minimum, then you go on record with the results (Audiogon). LOL
|
I was a power cable disbeliever for years. I intentionally avoided doing any comparisons, for fear I'd hear a difference where there "shouldn't" be one.
Then I bought a piece of gear that didn't include a pc, so I was forced to buy one.
And that was that.
Comparison to the other 'stock' pc's in my system revealed that power cables can make an extraordinary difference, perhaps only surpassed by interconnects.
Anyone who wants to stick their fingers in their ears and shout "lalalalalala" is simply missing out on the improvements a good pc can make. |
Power Cables as do I/Cs make or break a system. Most non-believers either have never listened to their system with upgraded cables, or they can't afford them and therefore
become haters.LOL
If any of you live near Sacramento California, I will personally bring cables to your home(not to sell you), to
show you first hand what they do.
Don't bash until you have tried, believe me they make an incredible difference. |
I have this amp and have used AU 24,PS Audio LabII and Signal powercords. All were better than stock. In my rig I liked the PS Audio best. Sold it though and am happy with the Signal. |
How is three feet of magic power cable supposed to upgrade the dozens of feet of standard household wiring in your walls, and the hundreds of feet of ordinary cable connecting your house to the nearest transformer, and the hundreds of miles of ordinary electric grid wiring?
If the power cord on your amp is undersized (unlikely) I could understand that it might make a difference at extreme volume levels--the properly sized cord wouldn't run as warm.
My amps (2-4004 and 2-8008BB, one channel not used in a 7.0 home theater) are connected to the house circuit breaker box using 25 feet of 10 gauge house wiring, and they are supplied by 4 dedicated circuit breakers and 4 duplex outlets. $250 for a three-foot power cord is TOTALLY INSANE. I have less than that in my house wiring upgrade for all four amps. The amps are rated for maximum current draw of under 1500 watts--read the back panel of yours to verify this. What I've described will allow each of the four amps to pull maximum power at the same time, safely, with minimum resistance/impedance/restriction. This system invokes electical engineering principles, not magic 'n' voodoo, to provide appropriate voltage/current to the input of the amps. By the way, I use $3 made-in-USA duplex outlets, not $60 magic duplex outlets. Call your electrician, and make a REAL difference in the power supplied to your amp(s). |
Jim- I still have my 4004 mk2., and it is still going strong. Very few manufacturers supply aftermarket cables with their products, but that doesn't mean the PC can't be improved on. Since you mention soundstage, I would give the Voodoo Mana a try. The Voodoo cables were the first PC I tried that made an immediate difference . The Mana is an 8 AWG, and is the cable on my 4004 now. It is hard to find a used mana here, but is under $250 new. If you can find a used Blue circle BC62, this is also a good choice, maybe a
little less money. Check their web pages. |
You will gain no sonic improvement w/an aftermarket IEC. Aragon knows a thing or two about building amplifiers (I like/have owned their amps, too), and if their amps sounded any better w/aftermarket IECs, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would supply them! If you want better bass and a more cohesive soundstage, your best bet is to go analog (asuming you have a digital front-end) or invest in a preamp w/a monster power supply. OR, invest in tubes -- sorry, I had to plug them. |
