Power cords - snake oil?

I am also a skeptic when performance claims are made for which there is no objective support. Our hobby, however, is not always predicated on "scientific proof". My attitude is be skeptical, but remain open to experience, and -- most of all -- listen to what your ears tell you.

There is some "objective" basis for high-quality power cords providing better performance. At the least, they behave in much the same way a transformer does to buffer out problems in the electric power. Additionally, high-quality power cords certainly have heavier wiring, which makes it possible for amps to draw more power, cleanly.

I recently upgraded the power cords on my Bryston power amps. I bought AudioQuest power cords which are equipped with either 2 or 3 ferrite units, which reduces the amount of RF transferred through the cord. There was some improvement, but I'm not sure I'd call it dramatic. However, since I bought the cords on sale from HCM Audio (check their Web site -- www.hcmaudio.com -- because the sale is still on), I think the investment was a good one.

I have been restling with this upgrade for awhile. My curiosity finally got the best of me. I bought two MIT-z cables and 1 MIT z-II cable. Have not heard a big difference. I just ordered 4 more MIT-II cables to upgrade every cord in both H/T and Stereo system. Should be getting them soon. Then I will know if this up-grade is for real. I will post if I here a noticable difference.

Depends how you look at them. They certainly make a marked difference in many but not all systems. Both good & bad.

What you have to be careful of is buying expensive power cords that actually sound a lot worse than the stock cords!

Enter "power cord" as a search query in the Discussion Forums. Approximately 500 threads will come up and you can choose the ones that suit you.
You will see that there are a lot of opinions..............
Make your own. Feel free to stink up the place with yours.
Most of us have too.

Ditto on Snookers advice. There is plenty of info to go on and very little to add other than new products as they pop up, reviews by new owners and questions to the already existing threads. As to why you would add them to a system, I think that the answer is obvious (to improve the sound). What other reason would there be? Being skeptical is a good thing, though first hand experience is the only way to form a true opinion and this seems to be where you are headed. As far as the poll goes I would estimate that less than 1% of the members at this site believe that a good PC in the right application is a form of snake oil. Good does not need to be expensive in that I use some $50 PC's that make a hell of an improvement over stock. On the other hand I use some pricier ones that make a heavenly improvement. The trick is finding the right ones for your taste and each piece of equipment in your setup as synergy, as always, is the ruling factor.