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How does length affect power cable sound quality?

Wanted to bug y'all about a basic power cord question: How does the length of the cord affect sound quality? My gut says that shorter is better, but maybe there is some form a filtering required that makes length a necessity. For me, a standard 6 foot cable is estheticly 3 feet too long (at least--I could use some one and two foot cords).
Does an 8 footer sound better than a 6? is 10 better than 8? How much worse is 3 feet instead of 6?
In short, what is the optimum length, and how does sound quality suffer when that length is shortened or lenghened? Obviously, the exact type of cable used must be considered. Specificly I've ordered a "$200 msrp, $150 retail, cord for $50" for a Virtual Dynamics Power 3 Power cord, currently on AudiogoN, and available at that price for about 30 days, according to Rick.
brtritch
ramtubes's avatar
ramtubes
451 posts
 
I use and enjoy 5 meter powercords, have several, and some 4 meter ones too. I also have the same brand 1 meter cords, 2 meter cords.. I DO move them around ,and have swapped longer shorter, fatter, thinner... Sometimes the sound changes a little. Sometimes not. I used to need to use 4 meter pC, and I thought they helped. Now with the same brand in two meter or even one, no change.I am using a power conditioner also. However using larger gauge even on source or preamp may change the sound a bit.

Wow how do you have time to write here with all that power cord experimentation going on? 

elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Well, there are plenty of seconds in a minute. and sixty of those in an hour. With an average of 16 hours available a day. Being retired that is 365 days a year. And I have been playing around with power cords at least since 1998.. Twenty years, (that includes at least 4 leap days) times 365 days times 16 hours a day... etc means I have had 420,710,400 seconds of time available, and somewhere in there I spent a few of them moving around powercords. I am positive have spent far more time wiping my behind than moving powercords around. But less time doing that than posting around here and other audio sites, since here alone I have managed to whittle away at nearly 6,000 meanderings. You on the other hand, with 95 posts, have certainly been wiping you behind way more than posting...
pops
1,847 posts
 
BAM!!!  Nicely done Elizabeth!
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,645 posts
 
Wow, discussions here can get nasty in a hurry...
Roger, I must say you asked for it...
ebm
5,165 posts
 
5 or 6 feet is optimum longer than 10 feet is not great.
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