Still mystified by mega expensive power cords

Thankyou Elizabeth for your input as well.

Thankyou gentleman, I know with exsperience that non plated is better than plated with recepticals, I assume kiddman was making a joke out of what I said, cryo treated two metals to me infuses them better to work as a whole, in my opinion, results better sound, whether minute or not, it's a cheap improvement that helps!

Kiddman, enjoy your ignorance.
Tbg

Thomas Gray said "ignorance is bliss."
Of course there's another famous quote from P.T. Barnum...

Same answer to the other post about 'last six feet:

"Why get your head in a tizzy with fantasy theories.
Take an aftermarket powercable and try it.
For some of us it works better.
Case closed. No need to remake all of science to enjoy.

If you find it impossible to enjoy withouth some cosmic theory.. Sorry I can't help you.

Kiddman, we do what we can.
Some of us probably have the skills and resources to do just what you refer to.

Whether they will or will not have the effects you speculate about remains to be proven, but only when someone actually does the heavey lifting, which I am afraid will never be you,since even replacing a cheap one buck wall receptacle is too much effort for a suspected upgrade in performance.

You can scoff at what the results are that I and others report,but sadly you'll never know, and that's a shame.

But it's only a shame if you really are moved by good sounding music.

If you are quite happy with dreck, then ejoy it as it is.
And we will enjoy the lifting of veils and all the other audiophile superlatives reported by those who have gone the distance and are quite happy with the results.

We don't ask that you must do as we do, join us in our lunacy(as you must think it is)nor do we say you must do any of this stuff or spend a single dollar more than you already have.

We only state these things so that other folks who may be interested in improving their sound try some of the things that myself and others ,have found to make an improvement in our systems.

And I don't know or have heard any other person paricipating in this threads audio system.

Yet our findings seem to be pretty much the same, even though our systems are all different.

I think those who are serious about this hobby get it, and those who aren't ,don't.

Kiddman, Cryo treat your sperm and do this World a favor. HA

Kiddman, enjoy your ignorance.

Man, those cryo treated outlets are so darned important at that last location. We all know, the secret it out, the hundreds or thousands of connections between the power plant and your outlet were all cry treated before installation. So it can be all thrown away if you don't do it too. Your power panel connections too. The main breaker and the individual breakers.

Now, be sure to do the connection to the amp, the connections to the transformer, the screws on the power supply caps.....And luckily, there is NO PLATING on any of those connections.

You can really, really hear it when you do it, I mean, "jaws hit the floor", you'll sit "slack jawed", it's "blow away", it's "transcendent", it makes the prior sound seem "broken", it's an "order of magnitude" better, thousands of "veils are lifted", and throw in all the other audiophiie superlatives I forgot.

Silver won't tarnish (oxidize) when used as a conductor in a cable mostly because of the lack of oxygen thing.

Kacz, remember that copper oxide is a terrible conductor while silver oxide is pretty good. Most of everything else you say is simplistic if not also wrong.

Hi Kacz, I agree with your findings, although I own a aftermarket pre-made power cord, It is 10 awg, 1-meter long, one of the best model oyaide terminated plugs, this coensides with what you said, However, I have to correct you on one thing, that is the Hospital grade recepticals, Do not use them!, they are plated!, gos against what the both of us know!, get a pure audiophile out-let, make sure it is not plated, use a Iridium/copper cryo treated, very, very, thick metal on both sides of the receptical that is 20 amps, this can handle 30 amps that will not melt or get to hot, this will result with pure current flow, with NO interruption of Electricity, It is not plated!

I make all my own power cords too. All wire has resistance. And will have a voltage drop for every so feet of wire and gauge. Go far enough and you'll have almost no voltage at all on the other side. There is even a calculator online that is accurate. Any engineer would need to know that by heart and use it often.

Electricity loves the path of least resistance. That is where is flows best and fastest. The shorter and thicker the power cord or line is the better. Pure copper and silver are the best conductors on the planet. The less brass the better, the less gold the better (although gold doesn't corrode so I give it that, but pure copper is better for transmission). The thicker and purer the copper the better. The tighter the connection the better. You want the least amount of connections as possible. Usually outlets and connections have brass in them. This damages the flow of electricity and causes resistance. Higher quality ends can have more copper and thicker copper with better tighter connections.

With good tight connectors and ends and a thick gauge from your local home improvement store you're going to get the best electricity you can going to your gear (and it's pretty dang cheap to boot!). Yes you'll get different sounds from different cords but the one that get's the signal there the most intact and less voltage drop and least resistance is going to the the purest. That is the one you want. And that is going to be the one with the shortest run, best contact, thickest gauge. And that can be made for relatively cheap with some good hospital grade outlets, good thick wire from the improvement store, and the least breaks in the line and least brass as possible.

If you can go pure silver sure you can do that, that's even better but it's only 5% better conductor and tarnishes pretty easy. And is really really expensive for a little bit better transmission improvement. A slightly thicker copper will make up for it.

Not everyone wants to make their own cords though. And that's fine. As you've noticed the best and most expensive cords are almost always the thickest ones. There is a reason for that. I just don't think the price is justified, sure they will try to add all kinds of other buzz words to it and techniques they say will help, but in the end it was the tighter connection, less brass, thicker wire, that made it better than the cheaper ones in their line. Stuff I can do for dirt cheap on my own.

Lacee, I enjoyed your post, I to have dedicated lines with after market power cords, works great!, I agree with your findings 100%

The quality and unfortunately, that's related to cost, of the connectors can have an impact on the power cord.

Just switching the ends made a difference in the sound of the wires.

So does eliminating as many connections as you can.

I've simplified things so that I run a direct 10 guage line from the panel to my amp using only one IEC connector on the line then into the amp.

Because of safety issues,a direct soldered connection to the amp would be the ultimate.

So I am not using any DIY or Store bought power cords to the amps and I've noticed an increase in dynamics and resolution.

I am not saying that power cords don't matter,just the opposite.

It's all about the power delivery to the gear that matters.

If it didn't I would have stuck with plugging the amps into the wall on a non dedicated 15 amp line with stock power cords.

I've only experimented with DIY and Shunyata power cords,but it's always been easy for me to hear that no two are alike.

And like most things in this hobby the quality(and expense)of the connectors played a major part in shaping the sound.

If someone has to decide on where to save some money,don't let it be the connectors if DIY.

My first DIY power cord was back in 1987 when I replaced the thin power cords on my Quad 63.
I used the Quad IEC, bought generic male plug and used 12 guage solid core romex.

All stock power cords from that time on stayed in the box.

whatever!, you never made the conversation.

@ Tjassoc, Hi Thankyou, no hurry, I will look for you there when you are ready.

Audiolabyrinth,

I've been trying to get to finish reading the thread you mentioned. Please be patient with me and I should get to it sometime next week.

Kindest regards, TJF.

Tjassoc, I would add one more factor in your sources of contamination of our ac lines, namely power companies using the power lines for communications. I have seen the modulations on an oscilloscope.

I would add one new factor to what might be used to cleanup the contamination, not ferrite beads, but rather Hitachi FineMet beads. Thanks to a friend with ties to Japan, I have heard the impact of these on the resolution I get in my audio from putting a short power cord pigtail with beads on the three conductors. It is totally awesome. Occasionally, you can find these beads at surplus shops on Ebay. That is where mine came from. Hopefully, there will soon be a source to get pigtails or powercord with such beads.

@ Tjassoc, Hi, I need your help here on a thread called, the future of pre-amps on the amp threads, I am talking to engineers!, your language, thou you make it simple for me, you can par to your fullest in conversation there to help explain what I am saying, whether I am right are wrong, an interpreter if you will?, my new post should show up by sunday, if they are dated the 14th or after, chime in if you will, thankyou.

Audiolabyrinth,

Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

It seems like everything contributes to and makes a difference with our systems.

While there never seems to be enough time in the day, I do intend to read and contribute towards posts more frequently.

Happy Holidays to you and your family as well :-)

Kindest regards, TJF.

@ Tjassoc, Hi, If no body else will say it, I will, I enjoyed your post, I have talked to, and read many engineers post, you kept your words simple when all the other engineers that talk on the threads do not, Bravo!, I will also add, most engineers do not believe high performance cables make a difference, you do, another bravo!, I am interested in anything you have to say, LOL!, I can understand you!, Happy Holidays.

I tend to view a power cords role of delivering power as separate from filtering or purifying the power. Not to say a power cord might not do both, kind of like how an integrated amplifier serves dual roles in one package.

Lots of ways to skin a cat.

In some cases, the cat may not really need to be skinned in the first place as well, but sometimes hard to tell, in which case a true audiophile will erron the side of caution I suppose. :-)

Wow im mystified as well but love my STEALTH V12.

Reading these responses really covers a variety of issues. And the previous guitar amplifier comparison was a great explanation - thanks Lacee!

I'd like to explain why power cords are important. I’ll be using a minimum of technical terms and I’d like to over simplify things – so we can identify what is really important. Please realize I’ll explain things without being too detailed – using simple assumptions to make getting to our conclusion easier. So please don’t reply and invalidate something said – I’ll ask everyone to follow along to the end.

For the record, I have an engineering degree – but I will humbly state there are MANY individuals who know SIGNIFICANTLY more than I do.

Here goes;

Power stations generate electricity and distributed it through miles of power lines, switching stations and transformers. These power lines, switching stations and transformers are called the power grid. Relatively to our audiophile use, electricity traveling through the power grid gets SEVERLY contaminated. In this instance, contaminated means the electricity is no longer pure, but has many other parts or components in it that cause problems.

Many things using electricity can crudely filter out some of the contamination and / or operate without removing the contamination without a problem. Simple on / off electrical motors (like attic fan motors) are a great example, and operate fine using contaminated or “dirty” power.

Oversimplified, electronic equipment is more sensitive to contamination and requires more filtering – and digital electrical equipment is the most sensitive and requires the most filtering.

How does the electrical power become contaminated?

The electrical power grid’s power lines act like antennas and experience Radio Frequency (RF) and Electro Magnetic Induction Interference (EMI) and these are two things that contaminate the electricity. This contamination becomes significant over the many miles of a power grid. This contamination also occurs in our house.

Electricity also becomes contaminated from electrical devices within the house. Light dimmers are a good example – a light dimmer being used in a house can contaminate the electricity within the house. The same goes for the neighbors in your community, especially commercial and sometimes industrial neighbors.

So, now that we’ve explained how we have contaminated power at the plug we use for our stereo – how do we fix the problem? Power conditioners and / or power cords.

Power conditioners seem obvious but designing and building one to perform well is tricky – very tricky! The same can be said for power cords.

First, we’ll need to understand a few things about electricity to understand how and why power cords will or won’t work well. To keep things simpler, we won’t consider the metallurgy, configuration and insulation of wire and plug.

The job of the power cord is to deliver power. In theory, a perfect power cord will eliminate all the contamination and the worst possible power cord will add more contamination to the electricity it delivers.

A perfect power cord will use wire and plugs that are designed and constructed to eliminate contamination (in our example Radio Frequency and Electro Magnetic Induction contamination and contamination from within one’s own house). Doing so isn’t impossible – it just requires applying proven scientific principals and being able to identify and measure the specific parameters that are critical to eliminating the contamination so pure electricity can be fed to our audiophile equipment. It also requires repeated iterations and testing of a design until the desired performance is obtained. The finished power cord product allows electronic equipment (especially digital electronic equipment) to operate at peak performance.

Many people consider the ability of the wire to deliver a larger amount of current, which leads to the “bigger is better” mantra or “size does matter” view, but this is only one role of the power cord. Providing LOTS of contaminated power isn’t what we want. Providing reasonably more pure power than necessary is what we desire, and is exactly what a quality power cord is designed to do.

Creating a good performing power cord is reasonably easy. As we strive to improve performance further, more issues become critical – and executing each successive stage becomes more difficult, complex and expensive. Periodically, technology makes leap advancements, sometimes cost effectively – which result in a significant performance improvement becoming available to more people.

Similar to other commodities, our audiophile industry has a point where spending more yields significantly better performance. Continuing to ascend the performance ladder, becoming more difficult, complex and expensive – yields further incremental gains. The law of diminishing returns applies and there’s usually a price / performance point that provides exceptional performance at an “acceptable” expense. At the pinnacle of performance, subtle gains may be extremely expensive yet make the dramatic difference in the illusion (of a real performance) we strive to create.

Technically, how does a power cord provide pure power? Explaining the many parts of a well designed and constructed power cord requires a good technical understanding of electricity, metallurgy, dielectrics, electro-magnetics and physics. Power cord design and construction become critical for premium performance – which are topics for other discussions.

So when someone asks why power cords sound different, you now have a conceptual understanding of why – and can realize it’s not “snake oil.” I hope I’ve allowed everyone to realize why power cords make a difference.

Music is a profound part of my life, and I’ve been involved in our audiophile industry for more than 20 years, and I’m involved in it solely for the love of music. I will be creating a website addressing these and other issues and will invite anyone interested to visit once it’s operational.

Kindest regards, Thomas Foti.

THanks for the link to the Audio Critic.
I was a subscriber since day one as I was with TAS and Stereophile.
I missed the OLD AudioCritic, before Peter came back and started on his revenge/vendetta against the High End.

He felt ostracized I guess,his Fourier speaker failed to impress any of the high end reviewers, he lost money, subscribers like me lost most of our subscriptions,and I think the Audio community lost a once well regarded reviewer,as opinionated as he was ,especially in later years, I will always be indedbted to Peter for bringing my attention to the awful sound degradation fuses have on amplifiers and wherever they are used in audio.

For years I substituted the speaker protection fuses with solid chunks of copper or bits of old speaker wire,and in every instance the sound was more focused and pure,and I never had any disasters.
When the upgraded fuses came out I bought IsoCleans, HiFi Supremes and AMRs, all worked better than the stock fuse,and still provided protection that my wire DIY fuses never did.

Not to try and hijack the thread, but I believe if it wasn't for Peter Aczel, the whole aftermarket fuse trend would perhaps have never happened.

Ironic isn't it?

The thing about mega expensive power cords is that no one says that the most expensive power cord means it's the best.

It's too bad some folks view aftermarket anything as snake oil, and avoid such items,especially if the price is a few times more money than stock.

There are lots of vendors who offer cash back trials,so there's only the risk that you will hear the benefit and then buy the product.

Perhaps that's what scares some folks away.
They want to stay in the safe zone that keeps them away from such discoveries.

Yes,Peter as you said, ignorance is bliss.
It comes in all stripes and colours.

12-09-13: Prpat
No need to be mystified. There is no mystery. Page 39.

LOL!! Well that settles that mystery!!

@ Lacee, Hi, Great to meet you, LOL!, very well put post you have!, I am a pro musician too!, finally, This is the best explanation I have seen, you took the words right out of my mouth, power cords do work on home audio, some for the best and then some make worse sound on the home audio, It is a crap shoot!, However, when you do discover what works on a given system, Its astonishing!

http://www.theaudiocritic.com/back_issues/The_Audio_Critic_16_r.pdf
No need to be mystified. There is no mystery. Page 39.

I am also a musician, and I've tried a couple of DIY power cords on my Mesa Boogie bass amp.
I will also say that there is not much point in spending big bucks on a power cord for it.

But it is not the same with my high end audio components.
We are not comparing apples to apples.

Live music especially guitar,is all about creating harmonious distortions, HiFi si about eliminationg them.

Tubes that sound great in a Fender twin reverb would be too distorted in a quality tube amplifier in a home system.

If you want to understand this better, plug your cd player into your amp and play it with the settings you use on your guitar and tell me if it sounds good to you.

You don't use a screw drive to pound nails, although it's a perfectly good tool in and of itself when used for the purpose it was designed for.

Just for the fun of it, try a DIY power cord on your amp with improved connectors.Or if you can borrow an upgranded fancy expensive one try it.

I'll predict you'll find that any of them will do the job.
You may hear some differences, you may even like an unshielded power cord,some folks find shielded cords to rob some of the details and smooth the edges too much.

I'm still playing, and started playing in 65,started into this hobby in 77,and as everyone tells us it's all about the music.
I've heard some very expensive home audio systems, and I've tried my best to put together a good sounding rig using upgraded power cords etc. and yet nothing is even close to live sound in the high end.

High end sound is mostly about reducing distortions and clarity.
Playing live rock/blues is something else.

What works in one area is not a guarantee it will work in the other.

I could never play my bass thru my home system, yet it handles Jack Bruce, Jocko,Tal etc, very well.

And there you have it …….it's complete insanity.

It's complete insanity. I am a fairly serious guitarist and for really giant tube power amps, we usually use an oversize power cord with 14 AWG wire. And it needs to be shielded because obviously RFI can be a huge problem with a lot of gear and wireless stuff around. But you realize that 14 AWG can easily handle any amperage that a household electrical system can _possibly_ throw at it. Hospital-grade power cords would be fine, except they aren't typically shielded. You might want to spend a whopping $16 and get a 14 AWG cord from Mercury Magnetics, which is ugly red but is shielded. I can't under any circumstance see why that will be inadequate for any home audio system no matter how esoteric. And you'll have so much more money left over for beer, it's not even funny.

I second the Triode Wire Labs recommendation. Try the 7's. Most wire is overpriced, some outrageously and shamefully so. I've been the sucker on more than one occasion. I'm in the 'believer' camp because of my own listening experience time and time again. To repeat many of the above posters…listen for yourself and be the decider.

Just replacing the molded connectors with something better usually results in better sound.
So it's mostly the fault of the cheap connectors,the wire is mostly OK, so this is a cheap fix and a small investment for those who maybe on the fence.

The difference good power cords, or improved power cords can make isn't hard for most folks to hear.

BUT...if you can't hear any difference doing this, then no amount of money spent on a pricey power cord will make a difference to you either.

If you do hear an improvemnt after a bit of DIY, then move on to the manufactured stuff and try them out.

Arguing about the why and how's of power cords making a difference can go on forever.You have to make the effort to try them for yourself and decide.

Until you do you'll never know for sure which camp you'll end up in.

Different power cords may well make a difference in sound as a result of their build quality and electrical properties.

But my mindset on this is that this part of getting good sound is not rocket science, and most differences are splitting hairs. Just get a good quality power cord from a reputable vendor, not necessarily and audio "boutique" or high end audio specialist that talks about "the sound of their wires" as if that is anything that you could bank on, and you should be in pretty good shape. SHould not cost very much. Then move on to bigger fish to fine tune the sound as needed. Other power tweaks may or may not help as well but the results are hard to predict, so address the things that are known to result in good sound first, and deal with the bigger gamble factors later.

It's hard to argue with Phusis, $11,000 could buy a nice pair of speakers, a great DAC, turntable, pre or amp. I would definitely consider any of those before plopping down that sum on a PC.

Got mine at 50% off don't pay full list!!

Yes, some manufacturers price their products in the stratosphere, probably because they work as advertised (but not always) and they compete at that price point (a healthy laugh here but there is definitely a healthy market for high priced products).

My advice, just purchase a Triode Wire Labs power cord, at a reasonable price point and with very healthy and positive reviews, and try it for yourself. They have a money back guarantee, so how can you go wrong.

I don't question the sonic importance of powercables, but it's the blind (and snobbish) adherence to a higher, and not least astronomic price tag as a slavish indicator of equivalence into better sound quality (in any given setup), compared to much cheaper alternatives, that pisses me off. $11,000 for a power cable is simple ludicrous, if you ask me, but if that's what it takes for some to make this investment worthwhile vs. what the same or less amount of money could do with other component investments, then by all means - make your own day.

I want to apologize for a typo that, once made, carried through my post found above. The Oyaide GPX-R power cord is manufactured using P-004 connectors. I had mistakenly identified them as P-001, thankfully a model number Oyaide does not use. All else remains the same. Sorry.

My impression is this part of audio still lives in the midieval world of blind acceptance where the users don't seem willing to stand up and demand progress to at least the age of enlightenment where you have to at least show empirical principles of predictability for results in order to gain trust.

I don't believe in "believing" or "not believing" in power cords : ) I listen and then decide whether something is significantly better or not. For me, in my system, the Elrod Statement Gold cords are a revelation.

@ mrtennis, Agreed., cheers

there is an old adage "hearing is believing".

remember that short adage when auditioning equipment.
it doesn't matter what claims are made, by dealers, manufacturers, or so-called audiophiles. if you don't hear it does not matter. keep an open mind and just listen. it is also not a bad idea to corroborate what you hear lest psychological factors, biases, etc., affect your hearing such that you may be misperceiving and hearing that which is not there.

what I am saying is take advice and reviews with a grain of salt and let your experience be your guide.

@ Astock, Hi, What an excellent post you did here!, I appreciate the great read, Its post like this that make reading these forums worth while for me, Thankyou, Happy Listening.

Thank you Astock for another great example of empirical observation. We can only rely on what we see and hear.

All the best,
Nonoise

A Power Cord Confessional:

(100% true as written, the names unchanged so as not to protect anyone)

If you were to ask me six years ago whether an after-market power cord could improve a system’s performance I would have agreed if used for equipment that demanded healthy levels of current. If asked whether they would improve the quality of the system’s sound I would have been skeptical. After all, a power cord isn’t in the audio signal’s path and, (have you heard this before?), “ What possible effect could the last six feet ………..” Then my friend Tse-Chiang lent me a Nordost Vishnu cord and asked me to see whether it made a difference in my system. That evening I placed it between the Oyaide R1 outlet and an Acoustic Revive distribution block feeding my entire system. The result - !!!!!

The next morning I asked my electrical engineer two questions: “After I inserted the power cord why did I have to turn down the volume to align it with my normal listening level and why were the finer qualities of the sound of my system altered?” After reviewing the specs of the cord he could only answer the first question. Tse-Chiang and I had already accepted the fact that pretty much any adjustment to your system can alter its sound, particularly wire. Each hobbyist has to decide whether this change suits your taste and, if it does, whether or not it’s worth the expense. Regarding the power cord's effect, I was surprised, impressed, curious, and pursued the upgrade.

I settled on Oyaide Tunami GPX power cords. They suited my sweet spot for performance, build quality and price. I chose to purchase the factory made version as opposed to building them, looking ahead to an easier sale in the future if I wasn’t satisfied. I also discovered that the cost of the Oyaide assembled cord was almost identical to the cost of buying the three components and building them. Later that year Tse-Chiang returned from Japan with an Oyaide Tunami GPX-R power cord and came over for an A/B listen. As Timrhu suggested above, we have always used Jennifer Warnes Famous Blue Raincoat, 20th Anniversary CD – Bird on a Wire for any comparisons.

What differentiates the two cords, GPX and GPX-R, is the choice of connectors: P-046 vs. P-001. From what I can tell the difference between the two series is the type of metal used for the first two of four plating layers on their metal parts. The P-046 is plated with gold-gold-palladium-palladium as opposed to platinum-platinum-palladium-palladium on the P-001. The difference in their sonic characteristics was clearly audible, although not dramatic, and we believe easily identifiable by virtually any listener. Our preference was the P-001 (the GPX-R). The widespread preference for the P-001 has been noted for years in numerous posts across the web.

A few months later Tse-Chiang lent me the GPX-R for three weeks while he was on vacation. During this time my wife and I invited our neighbors over for dinner. After dinner it dawned on me that I had sitting in my living room a very professional ‘pair of ears’. John Douglas, my late friend, was associate professor of voice and opera in the Boyer College of Music and Dance and music director and conductor of Temple University Opera Theater. He was a concert level pianist and served as Director of the apprentice program, chorus master, and head of music staff at the Lake George Opera among many similar positions throughout the years. John taught voice. I asked him to indulge me and listen to my system while I changed power cords. He agreed, appreciating this exercise was just another verification that I was nuts. I must mention that John’s interest in stereo equipment was absolutely non-existent. Most reading this post would not have suffered his system even in your neediest days in college.

Out came Jennifer Warnes. We listened to Bird on a Wire four times, GPX, GPX-R, GPX, GPX-R. There was nothing mysterious about the process, certainly nothing ‘blind’ with one cord's terminations bright red and the other white. After the presentation I asked him if he had heard any differences. Without a moment’s hesitation he rattled off two minutes of observations that sounded exactly like a well written equipment review. All the familiar catch phrases and adjectives flowed freely describing various sonic attributes, flung about as if he wrote gear reviews for a living. He described the differences in (sound)staging; grouping of voices while pointing to where he had heard them; the extended decay of the triangle; the separation of the voices of the male chorus; the location of specific instruments and how one power cord provided more air around them; the tighter bass; the reduction of sibilance in Jennifer Warnes’ voice (which he liked, BTW); and something about ‘foundation’. All of this just poured out of him in the most casual and nonplussed manner, as if he did this each and every day. And then I realized that he did, but with real instruments and voices on an actual stage or in a practice room. He finished his comments stating that either of the cords would have been fine for him and that the subtle nuances were just that, subtle. If he had a choice it would be the white one (GPX-R).

The unique sonic attributes of two virtually identical power cords, save for the metal used for the first two of four layers of plating, was clearly identifiable by both hobbyist and professional ears. It resulted in one power cord that was the clear preference for overall musicality. If this most minute difference in construction could be so easily heard why would anyone believe that differences could not be heard, or be considered worthwhile, among the hundreds of power cords available today, exhibiting significant if not fundamental differences in their use of materials, connectors and geometries?

I end noting that price was not a factor in the comparison. The GPX-R is a little more expensive than the GPX because their connectors are more expensive.

@ Jmcgrogan2, Hi, No I have not listened to the power cord on my system, I have many, many times listened to the cord else where, Thats the reason I wanted it, Taralabs has made this cord for a long time now, I am not saying its the holy grail or something, It is a very good power cord for the asking retail price, sure you can get better, be prepaired to drop over $9,000.00 to do it!, I have compaired it to other cords over the years at stores thru out, I have not done this recently, a few years ago I have, before I was a member to audiogon, Happy listening.

Its a filtering effect. If you put a spike suppression filter in your power supply it to has to travel through all that mains etc etc - and it works.

No need to be mystified - unless you are an engineer you probably don't understand how other Hi Fi components work - nothing new here.

Simply listen to them and decide if what you hear is worth the money as you would any piece of gear.

If you are worried about being fooled do a simple blind test.

A good friend of mine has a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and has worked as one for many years. He too doesn't understand why they sound different, but like me has heard profound differences.

And don't get caught up in this all double blind tests show all components sound the same rubbish. Those supposedly show a cheap DVD player sounds the same as a high end DAC - which anyone who actually listens to gear knows is utter poppycock - and double blind tests done by reputable companies like ESS show there are audible differences.

Thanks
Bill

10-15-13: Audiolabyrinth
I cannot say much other than my Taralabs cobalt power cable with oyaide plugs is worth the $5,450.00 compaired to whats out there for even more money!

How can you even say that Keith? I know that you have owned this cord for a few months now, but you haven't even had a chance to listen to it yet, much less compare it with any other cord that cost even more money.

+ Dsper