Most Beneficial Cable Upgrade

Every now and then the placebo effect pops up and is used to decry and denounce any perceived improvement in whatever it is one is trying out. But what of the double blind test and the effect it has on one's reputation which is now the focus of the tester? That is a lot of pressure to overcome and can certainly cloud perception and judgement. To say it doesn't exist is nonsense.

Having said that, a really good power cord is probably the best and first thing to try. I recently went the whole Zu route and the biggest improvement came with the insertion of the PC. And I wasn't even looking for that much improvement. The PC came with a 60 day return policy with postage paid so there was no need to justify its purchase.

in the late 70s i was a rep for some very high end companies and the company i worked for was the first monster cable reps in the midwest. sorry. ha. after using different speaker wires, cables , ac cords for 30 plus years i am simply amazed that there are audiophiles who think that this is a placebo effect. just shaking my here realizing i wasted all that money when i could have used lamp cord ......

I, too, was around when Monster Cable came upon the scene and remember going into some very High End stores and walking away wondering what all the fuss was about. Those systems I heard, though expensive, weren't as resolving as the simple one I now have so it doesn't make me wonder why I hear what I do now compare to then.

Some cables are better than others.

Hotmailjbc,
I am not saying that a perception of improved sonics with high end cables is due to placebo. I am saying placebo effect may have an influence on sonic perception. For example, I recently purchased an Esoteric K01 CD/SACD player. This is the best single box CD player I have ever heard. I auditioned the Esoteric G-Orb master clock for 2 weeks with my new player. The G-Orb is a very cool piece of equipment with amazing technology. I read several reviews and did extensive research on master clock use with two box and single box CD/SACD players (it was fun). I really wanted the G-Orb to make a significant improvement in sound, and initially I thought it did make an improvement. But after careful evaluation of all aspects of sound reproduction (dynamics, 3-d sound staging, instrument separation, bass, transients, midrange/voice, high frequency, low level detail, etc.) in all honesty, I could not detect any improvement whatsoever. My listening sessions were both lengthy and short A-B comparison using all types of music. The Esoteric K01 sounded exactly the same with and without the G-Orb (it sounds great). I think the G-orb will make a significant improvement with 2 box players (where it synchronizes the transport clock with the DAC clock), but I don't think it does a thing to improve the sound of a singal box player unless that player has a lousy clock to begin with. For me, this was a fun experiment, not a chore. My point is, subtle (not major) audio canges can easily be influenced by psychology. If we know that we are comparing a geogeous, highly regarded, expensive piece of equipment (a power cable or G-Orb master clock, for example) to an average stock power cable, I believe most of us will be subconsciously influenced to think the more beautifully crafted, expensive cable will sound better. I think this is very tough (not impossible, but tough)to fully avoid consistently. By subtle audio changes, I am referring to changes that would be difficult to notice witout very careful A-B evaluation. I am not saying that different power cables do not make a difference in sound, I am still uncertain on this topic. From the type of response we are getting in this thread, so far, it looks like the opinion on this topic among Audiogon members is about split 50/50. Psycho-acoustic influence does exist.

My take on that 50/50. It is NOT because of experience. Some have tried and do it, the rest (mostly) refuse to try it for theory sake, but then the ones who HAVE tried and say "See, I told you they don't make a difference" maybe THEY are the ones with a placebo effect. They refuse to accept what they hear?
So when the going gets tough.. all you can do is try for yourself and decide, for yourself. Listening to idiots arguing etenally is NOT gonna get YOU an answer. ONLY doing it FOR YOURSELF will get you an answer.
The premise of this notion can be refuted: such as: Do you HAVE to jump off a cliff to KNOW it is a bad idea?
So your dilemma is YOUR dilemma: jump or swim?