@Jethro1964 said:
I would disagree with anyone who says don’t waste your money on power cords. I think it’s sonically one of the first upgrades u should do. I was blown away by the difference. Some would say it is the upgrade that will make the largest difference in the sound and I would totally agree.
A heavier gauge power cord will only make a difference in sound quality if the original cord is starving the amp for voltage. In technical terms that means the resistivity of the cord is too high, and the product of the cord set resistance and the current drawn by the amplifier is causing a significant voltage drop. Even for a wimpy 18 AWG cord of six feet, the net resistance is only 0.077 ohms, and if 20 amps of current were drawn instantaneously, that would cause only a 1.5 volt drop. That means at 120 volts, a 1.3% voltage drop. Nobody’s ears could discern such a minuscule difference.
The original poster’s self-amplified speakers dissipate a measly 130 watts, or 1.1 amps of current at 120 volts. Over the above 6 ft 18 AWG cord, a maximum peak voltage drop of 0.08 volts would be possible. That is a 0.07% difference. In other words, a six foot, 18AWG power cord could never starve the amplifiers. It is not a limiting factor.
An improvement in SQ would be obtained by replacing the amplified speakers with a good discrete amplifier and better quality speakers.
