Why Power Cables Affect Sound


I just bought a new CD player and was underwhelmed with it compared to my cheaper, lower quality CD player. That’s when it hit me that my cheaper CD player is using an upgraded power cable. When I put an upgraded power cable on my new CD player, the sound was instantly transformed: the treble was tamed, the music was more dynamic and lifelike, and overall more musical. 

This got me thinking as to how in the world a power cable can affect sound. I want to hear all of your ideas. Here’s one of my ideas:

I have heard from many sources that a good power cable is made of multiple gauge conductors from large gauge to small gauge. The electrons in a power cable are like a train with each electron acting as a train car. When a treble note is played, for example, the small gauge wires can react quickly because that “train” has much less mass than a large gauge conductor. If you only had one large gauge conductor, you would need to accelerate a very large train for a small, quick treble note, and this leads to poor dynamics. A similar analogy might be water in a pipe. A small pipe can react much quicker to higher frequencies than a large pipe due to the decreased mass/momentum of the water in the pipe. 

That’s one of my ideas. Now I want to hear your thoughts and have a general discussion of why power cables matter. 

If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. There a time and place for that but not in this thread please. 
128x128mkgus

Showing 28 responses by maritime51

I do believe we can safely posit that removing unwanted frequencies or whatever one wishes to call it makes the music more enjoyable. 
geoffkait13,189 posts12-17-2018 3:50pmI am not a troll! 🤥

Here, Kitty, Kitty....😸

Kat a mite, eh?  🐈
Well, Icetea, I’m surprised Kitty hasn’t served you peaches and hamburgers as you resemble that remark. LOL. 😺

Hello, Kitty!
Dear Sleep, 

When Kitty hits the catnip, he gets frisky, and the ole Kat is a mite out of control. You might say his curious little clock starts running in reverse. 😻
Well, there is a Claus, a clause and Jeff Kat, the Kat a mite’s claws!  I’d say the Kat a mite, as obfuscator in chief, loves fiction. 🐈💩😷 
Kat a mite fears citations or peer review like a you know what in church. 🙀
This is a forum, and contrary views advance the debate. Forums invite debate and unless the form violates the rules, even this form of disagreement serves its purpose. It’s a tough world. Sometimes you will even hear rough language. 🙀

Remember Jonathan Swift?
Well, that it is honestly debated shows it isn’t a generally accepted notion.

I believe to have heard a slight difference, but could not say anything beyond the subjective.

I speculate that “noise” is the issue, more so than fabrication or design.


Fine, Liz, but don’t make it temporary. Make it permanent, and please remove all my posts.

The complete lack of tolerance for a fair debate would mean this is not a true forum. If that’s the case, fine, make it permanent.