2. cables
  3. 1381627696

Still mystified by mega expensive power cords

AC travels miles from the substation, enters my house, goes into a panel, then runs to my hifi equipment. Once inside the equipment it goes through whatever wiring the manufacturer used. I don't understand how the few feet from the outlet to the back of the gear can make some of the dramatic changes claim (low end goes down another octave, deeper wider soundstage, etc). My thought is that as long as the power cord is shielded so that it's not working like an antenna, properly grounded, and of sufficient guage so that you're not loosing juice to heat, and has contacts that make a solid connection, any power cable should sound like the next, especially since the AC coming in is rectified and smoothed.

I'm not looking for flames, but for those that believe in power cables, enlighten me. Or said another way, can that $11,000 plus power cable I saw today possiblet do more than fatten the manufacturer's wallet?
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audiolabyrinth's avatar
audiolabyrinth
4,483 posts
 
Hi Kacz, I agree with your findings, although I own a aftermarket pre-made power cord, It is 10 awg, 1-meter long, one of the best model oyaide terminated plugs, this coensides with what you said, However, I have to correct you on one thing, that is the Hospital grade recepticals, Do not use them!, they are plated!, gos against what the both of us know!, get a pure audiophile out-let, make sure it is not plated, use a Iridium/copper cryo treated, very, very, thick metal on both sides of the receptical that is 20 amps, this can handle 30 amps that will not melt or get to hot, this will result with pure current flow, with NO interruption of Electricity, It is not plated!
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Kacz, remember that copper oxide is a terrible conductor while silver oxide is pretty good. Most of everything else you say is simplistic if not also wrong.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Silver won't tarnish (oxidize) when used as a conductor in a cable mostly because of the lack of oxygen thing.
kiddman
341 posts
 
Man, those cryo treated outlets are so darned important at that last location. We all know, the secret it out, the hundreds or thousands of connections between the power plant and your outlet were all cry treated before installation. So it can be all thrown away if you don't do it too. Your power panel connections too. The main breaker and the individual breakers.

Now, be sure to do the connection to the amp, the connections to the transformer, the screws on the power supply caps.....And luckily, there is NO PLATING on any of those connections.

You can really, really hear it when you do it, I mean, "jaws hit the floor", you'll sit "slack jawed", it's "blow away", it's "transcendent", it makes the prior sound seem "broken", it's an "order of magnitude" better, thousands of "veils are lifted", and throw in all the other audiophiie superlatives I forgot.
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Kiddman, enjoy your ignorance.
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