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Power cords

Is there any truth to the following which, as you can tell from the quotation marks, is not my brainchild (my brain is childless...). I picked it up from the site of a well respected amplifier manufacturer and trust I am not committing some sort of legal or moral transgression by reproducing it here:
"When you plug your power cord into the wall outlet you are in 'SERIES' with all the wire on the other side of the wall all the way back to the power source. The small length of power cord from the wall to the amp is insignificant compared to the miles of wire it is connected to. As long as the power cord can deliver the current and voltage required to drive the amplifier to full power it is as good as it can get."
pbb
sugarbrie
3,854 posts
 
I can't see (hear) where scientific measurement matters. For example: This thing has gone on with string instruments. People have made hundreds of scientific measurements and made perfect copies of Stradavari instruments. They still don't sound as good even though scientifically on paper there is no reason why they shouldn't be as good. If they could reproduce them, they would be massed produced by now in China, and be available for 5 easy payments of $19.99 on the home shopping channel.
tacs
220 posts
 
Power cords act as antenna to RFI and EMI. The ones that are specifically designed to reduce those influences, through cable geometry and shielding, can improve the sound over cords that don't pay attention to it. That's why the 'last six feet' of wire can matter. Now if there isn't a lot of RFI/EMI in the first place in your environment, or if your system has a lot of noise in it anyway, well then, you may not notice much difference.
queg
55 posts
 
I'm sorry, but anyone who doesn't have direct and empirical experience on this subject should not be posting on this subject. I don't want to hear about your "scientific measurements" without at least some attempt at a real scientific method, which should require actually listening for yourself. Please, just try. It's easy and cheap enough to pick up some quality off the shelf shielded cable (belden 83802..) and a couple of quality connectors (really, any brand's hospital grade..) then sit back and listen.. huh.. sounds good! better then the stock cable! WHY does it sound better? I DON'T CARE. it just does. In the end, we're talking about MUSIC reproduction, and nothing else really matters.
buckingham
333 posts
 
Sugarbie, your posts sum it up nicely. POWER CORDS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Even if you have a P600 or 'Perfect AC' they make a HUGE difference, especially on Digital equipment and High powered amps.
bomarc
501 posts
 
Sugarbrie: Who has made a perfect copy of a Stradivarius? There is no such thing. Violins are acoustical devices; we're talking about a cable here, which can usually be reproduced for a few bucks, if you can live without the high-end label.
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