The fallacy of ac treatment

Snobgoblin: A $500.00 or $1500.00 cord is only worth it if you are willing to spend the money and can live with it (and hear it). You would of course want to audition the cord or have a return policy in writing. And you need not start with such an expensive cord. My cord retailed for $250.00 but was purchased for half of that. If the price is what you find upsetting then join the club, you will not find any arguments on this issue. Most IC's and speaker cables are horribly overpriced as well IMO. But some of the more expensive ones sure do sound pretty good and some do not, it is a matter of taste. I view PC's as a form of equalizer or tone control (the same with other cables). They all sound different because of their varied design philosophies which includes not only the materials from which they are made from but also the manner in which they are constructed. Synergy with the associated equipment is also a factor. With all of the talk of solder less connections on IC's it stands to reason that assembly alone can make a sonic difference, and why wouldn't this be true of a PC as well? After all these changes all alter the signal whether it be music or current. Your reasoning that there is a maximum level of quality that can be achieved in a PC that makes any further changes useless, is interesting. Who decides what this level of achievement is. If you cannot hear further improvements or any differences between the cords then I guess that that is the end of the road. But you first need to listen to the cords to get to that point. If I can hear an improvement in my midfi system then you should be able to as well. Try something with a return policy, it need not be expensive (like a LAT), but try something. PC's also require break in like any other cable. I would also suggest that you read "Son of the Circus" if you haven't already.

I agree with Redkiwi. i've tried many power cords, and they all sound different. If anyone else does the same, and they do not sound any different TO THEM, then that's fine. Just don't tell Redkiwi, or me, what we are hearing, or not hearing. I COMPLETELY AGREE that the order of difference when changing a powercord, approaches that of changing a speaker cable. I suspect that most anyone could hear this difference, providing that they are listening to their system and it's effect on the reproduced recording of the music, and NOT to their listening room functioning as some kind of echo chamber, where such changes (as AC cords or cabling) get drowned in the sea of low resolution. I've heard this in most of the systems I've visited, and in all the ones where there was not proper room treatment.

In the highest resolution systems, it makes sense to use the better quality PC's. Snobgoblin, why do we have to "draw the line somewhere"? If I spent $60,000 on a high resolution system, I sure as hell would want to maximize it at every level. If you have an open mind (and ear) then perhaps some of the more "reasonable" PC's might work better than the most expensive PC's, but as a consumer I am glad that I can hear the more expensive gear at a dealer as a reference. Also, IMO most of the "luxury" brands produced, be it cars, luggage, furniture, whatever, began as an intense labor of love by a passionate designer, and I think that the amount of "love energy" put into manufacturing carries a lot of weight for a long time, and is the reason why some brands (Tiffany, Porsche?) are still around. Why limit the process that brings innovation and ultimately trickles down to a reasonable price level? The research and production costs behind $2500 power cords will be available at 10% of that price at some point. The people buying those expensive cutting edge products are not by and large "suckers", they are just enjoying spending their money, and why not?

I have the 20amp Equitech ET2R with the "Q" option. and a digital isolation circuit. It runs totally cool and quiet even under full load. I am not puuting much of a load on it.. There is lots of headroom available and I have never heard any compression or constraint due to p=lack of power. The transformer is HUGE. I have it on a dedicated line I ran. The differences using this unit was not subtle. A much lower noise floor provides more contrast and the music emerges from blackspace. mike

I'm currently using the PS Audio P600 model running from a dedicated power circuit. In the past I've used API and Versalabs products. Each of these products has made a noticeable difference in sound quality. I don't use any specialty power cords, IMHO they are not a good value (at least within the context of my $35,000 system). What upsets me in reading some of the above postings is how ignorant, and defiantly proud of their ignorance, some of the posters are. The fact is electromagnetic theory and its effects are really, and I mean, really well understood. If you want to use power cords -- go ahead. If you think they make your system sound better -- I'm honestly happy for you. I live in a free country where you can do anything you want with your money. What I cannot abide is the assertion that somehow the use of these products is somehow outside the realm of understood science. Trust your ears, but don't be ignorant.