Power cord? Why?

When Nikola Tesla discovered the AC system we have today, it was rushed into service because the Direct Current System in use had serious problems. In the process of changing one system for another, no one considered changing cabling systems because for its time, the DC cabling system appeared to work well enough.

A century later, cracks are appearing in the dam. As electrical equipment develops with greater sophistication, flaws in the cable delvery system are becoming more apparent.

At the consumer end, the old DC designs must give way to a new type of Power Cable developed specifically for Alertnating Current. Why? When AC is transferred through cable that is designed for DC, large amounts of distortion are created. Any high tech electrical device will suffer performance degradation when AC is conveyed without consideration of its unique characteristics; we call this phenomenon AC Pulse Distortion.

How is this distortion created? Every time AC switches phase a pulse is sent through the cable structure and resonates to the tone of the AC pulse. (This is what you hear when your car passes beneath transmission lines with the radio on.) Any signal, like music superimposed over this tone will instantly become modulated, therein lay the problem.

The traditional solution has been to dampen conductors by heaping large amounts of insulation on the structure. This is an attempt to solve an electrical problem with a mechanical solution...it is basically ineffective and certainly not elegant.

Through years of rigorous research, a solution has evolved and in the process a whole new technology has been developed. A breakthrough came with the realization that phase pulse intensity is controllable and that created a solution to a very large problem.

This accomplishment breaks the link between cable structure and resonance of the AC pulse. Music may now manifest in its original pristine state with no background noise.

This new advancement is implemented without the use of traditional electrical components such as resistors, inductors, capacitors, etc., because these devices are highly resonant and contribute to the problem.

Major Point: If all the essential peices of an audio system were soldered together with no cabling used, the pulse effect would continue to exist. ONLY within the domain of electron transfer (cabling) can this situation be confronted, maipulated and defeated.

Gotta say, these things make a difference. Power cords *and* outlets. I NEVER would have thought this to be the case!

Just some personal background to so you know how entrenched in the nay-sayers' camp I was. Undergrad in Physics and Math. 5 years engineering in aerospace - electrical, RF, and systems design. Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. Hence, I have a background to understand the physics and bull shit marketing; this power cord stuff was nothing but snake oil.

Wrong.

If your systems has a threshold of resolution, you will hear a difference. And you have nothing to lose - most of these power cord guys give you a home trial period - why not try it for yourself?

Understand, the audio system is quite complex - from electronic design, to room treatment, to vibration management, on and on there is work to optimize the system. Take advantage of this amazing Forum and learn!

Best,

cfmartin,
try these simple exercises with the cords you already have and see if they change the overall sound of your system:

1. put the heaviest gauge cords on the most current hungry components. mine are all marked 16/3 or 18/3. 16 is heavier. the insulation can be deceiving. read them if you can.
2. route the cords away from your interconnects. by some miracle of engineering alot of cords exit their components via the left side when viewed from the front. in any case, place your power strip on the side which provides the least interaction with your interconnects. If a power cord must touch an interconnect make sure they cross one another at right angles.
3. keep the power cords apart from each other, even by an inch. don't coil any excess. don't bundle them together even if it looks tidy.
4. keep the accessible metal surfaces of the plugs free of oxidation. i use car wax but i'll bet there's something more trick to clean the copper or brass they're made of.

quite by accident, i'd ignored one or more of these simple procedures while setting up a new rack and found my system immediately sounding thin. getting all of them right restored its full body.

fatparrot...If you read my comment you will note that I did not say that special power cords can make no difference. I simply remarked that the difference, if any, would be of an electrical nature and therefore able to be objectively measured. I am a scientist: like the ones who disproved the subjective opinion that the earth must be flat. Show me the data about power cords. I am anxious to be enlightened.

And Pbb...sorry, the bridge has been sold.

To the "unbelievers", please read and respond to the thread entitled "Philips SACD 1000 / power cords in general accordingly.

Prior to doing so, please be aware that i too was an "unbeliever" up until about 5 years ago. In fact, i was involved in a thread that "debated" the effects of AC cords that had 60+ responses in less than 4 hours time. Most of those responses were between a small group of individuals on both sides of the fence. My position was similar to those promoted by Eldartsford, Bomarc, Pbb, etc... i.e. i was under the impression that a power cord could NOT alter the sonics of a component. That was until i tried various power cords on different components and did hear a difference. As such, all of my previous posts were done in haste as i had relied on "common sense" and my prior level of education on the subject rather than first hand experience and trusting one's own senses.

As discussed in the thread that i linked to, i was able to measure a difference in frequency response / apparent sonics when changing power cords. Granted, this was an "impromptu" test that wasn't performed under lab grade conditions, but the conditions that were present were as close to identical for both DUT's ( Device Under Test ) that could be achieved at the time. As such, any errors that were in place for one cord were also present for the other and would cancel each other out in the end readings.

While i can't explain the differences in perceived sonics and measured frequency response abberations in "techno-speak", i do know what i heard and i do know what the test instruments confirmed. How susceptible or noticeable other designs / systems are to such changes, i don't know. Sean
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PS... I wish you folks could see one of the highly intellectual T-shirts that i wear. It says "I used to have an open mind, but my brain kept falling out" : )