Why Power Cables Affect Sound

djones51544 posts12-17-2018 1:13pm

I guess I don’t understand what a power cord does. I though it basically extends the romex in your walls from the panel box to your component, whether it’s an amp or vacuum cleaner. So if the romex is good enough from the panel box to the receptacle why isn’t the heavy guage wire the amp company supplied with their amp good enough, as long as it meets specs for what it is designed for or should you change out the romex in the walls for the same wire as your mega $$$$ 6 feet of cord? It’s not as if it’s doing anything other than supplying electricity to the component. We could also extrapolate this back through the power grid to the generating plant.

I though it basically extends the romex in your walls from the panel box to your component, whether it’s an amp or vacuum cleaner.

No..... The power cord is an extension of the leads of the primary winding of the power transformer of the equipment.

It’s not as if it’s doing anything other than supplying electricity to the component.

But yet it does.......

We could also extrapolate this back through the power grid to the generating plant.

No..... Technically only back to the step down utility company’s isolation power transformer that feeds your house and any other houses that may be connected to the isolation transformer.

@geoffkait  said: " Nobody accused them of being stupid. I accused them of being either ignorant of high end cables"

Okay." Ignorant" then. Why buy gear from ignorant manufactures who don't know that a different power cable will make their gear sound better.

"or not wishing to spend money on an expensive power cord that would be replaced anyway."

What? Why in the heck would they care what you do to their component after you buy it? 

" Follow?" 

No! Your explanation is pure nonsense.

"For example, and I have no idea how much the top of the line Pangea power cord costs, but if a high end amp that I purchased came with a Pangea power cord the very first thing I would do is replace it with a real high end power cord."

Bingo! This is probably THE finest explanation of the phenomenon of high end power cords. It basically states that no matter how good the OEM cord is the true audiophile (insert gullible rube there if you wish) is going to change it to something else.

Now I get it. Thank you.

"  The cost of really good power cords would place the amp maker completely out of the market."

That logic does not follow. In a world of $24,000 interconnects and $40,000 speaker cables and $500,000 home audio speakers there is NO SUCH THING as pricing audiophile equipment out of the market.

@geoffkait said: " Nobody accused them of being stupid. I accused them of being either ignorant of high end cables"

Okay." Ignorant" then. Why buy gear from ignorant manufactures who don’t know that a different power cable will make their gear sound better.

>>>>Agree. Although, they might be really smart about circuits and topology. Just because they don’t know about audiophile power cords or fuses or directionality does not prevent them from having a product that people will buy. I won’t but someone will. The amp wil still work. It’s a question of why are amp designers so slow on the uptake? They are probably nice people. It’s why I sometimes say amp designers are hyper-focused on circuits. When you have blinders on you miss the big picture. At least you seem to grudgingly admit the word stupid has a different meaning from the word ignorant.

"or not wishing to spend money on an expensive power cord that would be replaced anyway."

What? Why in the heck would they care what you do to their component after you buy it?

Because they have to pay for the aftermarket power cord. Every cost gets multiplied. If they were trying to win Best of Show and they were aware of audiophile power cords you’d think they would use one at the show, but they don’t. They don’t even burn in the speakers or electronics before show time. Does that make any sense?

" Follow?"

No! Your explanation is pure nonsense.

Oh, well. At least I tried.

"For example, and I have no idea how much the top of the line Pangea power cord costs, but if a high end amp that I purchased came with a Pangea power cord the very first thing I would do is replace it with a real high end power cord."

Bingo! This is probably THE finest explanation of the phenomenon of high end power cords. It basically states that no matter how good the OEM cord is the true audiophile (insert gullible rube there if you wish) is going to change it to something else.

>>>>You should probably stick to photography. No offense.

Now I get it. Thank you.

Yuk, yuk!

" The cost of really good power cords would place the amp maker completely out of the market."

That logic does not follow. In a world of $24,000 interconnects and $40,000 speaker cables and $500,000 home audio speakers there is NO SUCH THING as pricing audiophile equipment out of the market.

>>>>High end manufacturers have to know a priori what the market is for their product. If the don’t have a finance/business guy on board they won’t survive long. It’s not a world of $24,000 cables and $40,000 speakers. That is perhaps 2% of high end products. Besides $250,000 speakers would have made a better argument.

- your friend and audio insider,

Geoff Kait
Machina Dynamica
Advanced Audio Concepts

It amazes me how a subject such as this still continues, and brings such diversity. I have NEVER purchased a pc, ic, fuse, or isolation product, prior to evaluating them. As a member of the professional audio community, I was always able to get " loaners ", and never imagined anything I heard. None of that psychobabble bs, that what I was hearing is all in my head. And, although I think I am a smart and experienced guy in the 2 channel audio field, I solely rely on my ears, and not the photons, or any of that other crap some of you guys are talking about. I will say it again. " There are different kinds of us audio guys / gals ( consumers ). *** Those that are open minded, and use their ears ( like myself ). And of those, some who hear differences, and some who do not. *** Those that have never tried to listen ( experimented ), and are somewhat clueless to the audible effects of such devices. *** And then you have the " trolls " such as roberjerman and kosst, who fight against us " listeners ", demanding scientific data and proof, but will continue to battle, likely because of manhood issues, as it cannot be anything else. It just amazes me. Enjoy ! MrD.

It’s amazing that presumably intelligent grown ups buy into this crap!  Do you believe in Santa Clause too?