Power Cords


I currently have Wireworld Silver Electra power cords with upgraded Platinum plugs. I had two 1M Wireworld Platinum power cords, but rearranged my system and required longer cords. Yesterday I borrowed two Shunyata Sigma NR power cords. On the first note my wife softly said, "that sounds better". She said it was clearer. I listened for a couple hours, changing the power cords a couple of times. In my system and to my ears this is my conclusion:
The Sigma's are cleaner, definitely has more bass, a dead silent and completely black background. The Wireworld cords are more detailed, with a wider soundstage and better spacing/separation of instruments. All things considered I'll keep my Wireworld, but I'm curious to listen to other power cords.
After inserting the Sigma's I just don't understand how anyone that listened to different power cords could conclude that they can't hear a difference. There is a difference, but like any other component the individual has to decide if the change is worth it. $6K for two power cords is relatively expensive. Expensive, but oddly maybe a good value? In my system there was a definite improvement with better bass impact and articulation. Would spending $6K or just changing amplifiers yield similar results? As with most components there are trade-offs...is there a power cord out there that has the benefits of the Sigma's and Wireworld Silver Electra's? If so, at what cost?  
ricred1
I should add, after my audition I'm no longer considering replacing all of my cords. I'm convinced the right cord on my DAC and amplifier or power conditioner will provide the change I'm seeking.

Blindjim, your words are not only Golden, but they are jewel-encrusted!


Amongst other things... Fabulous idea of daisy-chaining PCs with proper adapters to break-in multiple cords at the same time.


BO1972, How would you compare the new AQ Hurricanes versus the older WAL, and members of the trees product family?


G.



@ricred1 - I don't know that the older Audioquest power cords were that bad.  The cord itself (such as NRG-4) is very good, but a significant amount of the sonic signature is also determined by the terminations, which were typically gold-plated.  An excellent high end cord terminated with gold-plated plugs will sound very nice - it will hit with authority and weight, but it will just not have as much attack and detail as a rhodium connector.  Silver clad (like the Wire World) can help things.  But once you get into silver / silver-plated stuff it will push the sonic signature towards the "silver" character. 

There are definitely some exotic designs out there (High Fidelity, Verrastar), but I still focus on what they use for terminations.

auxinput,
I agree that how power cords are terminated is important. That's why my Silver Electra cables have upgraded Platinum plugs.
Innocent question. As Audioquest is an outspoken proponent of wire directionality one feels obliged to ask, does Audioquest ensure their power cords are constructed such that when they are plugged in the correct direction of the conductors is maintained? In other words do they track the directionality of the wires during the construction process, albeit stranded wires? They obviously do for speaker cables and interconnects.