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Why Power Cables Affect Sound

I just bought a new CD player and was underwhelmed with it compared to my cheaper, lower quality CD player. That’s when it hit me that my cheaper CD player is using an upgraded power cable. When I put an upgraded power cable on my new CD player, the sound was instantly transformed: the treble was tamed, the music was more dynamic and lifelike, and overall more musical. 

This got me thinking as to how in the world a power cable can affect sound. I want to hear all of your ideas. Here’s one of my ideas:

I have heard from many sources that a good power cable is made of multiple gauge conductors from large gauge to small gauge. The electrons in a power cable are like a train with each electron acting as a train car. When a treble note is played, for example, the small gauge wires can react quickly because that “train” has much less mass than a large gauge conductor. If you only had one large gauge conductor, you would need to accelerate a very large train for a small, quick treble note, and this leads to poor dynamics. A similar analogy might be water in a pipe. A small pipe can react much quicker to higher frequencies than a large pipe due to the decreased mass/momentum of the water in the pipe. 

That’s one of my ideas. Now I want to hear your thoughts and have a general discussion of why power cables matter. 

If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. There a time and place for that but not in this thread please. 
mkgus
n80
1,227 posts
 
I have a fair working understanding of placebo effect as a physician and as a clinical trials assistant prior to that. 

And I agree with you that the subject is complex. A lot of people are also unaware of the corollary to placebo which is the nocebo effect. It further complicates the whole process.

I also agree that its existence (along with closely related and probably inseparable consideration of psycho-acoustics) is not sufficient to dismiss all arguments regarding SQ issues. And yet, it must be considered and suggesting that it must be considered has nothing to do with self-righteousness or axe -weilding. It is often the elephant in the room that has to be tamed before legitimate and reproducible evidence is put forward.
teo_audio
932 posts
 
Yeah see, a bit of reason. 

My issue is with those who cry "placebo!" (and let loose the hounds of internet beatings!).... and then most, who have no idea, go along with it.....

And they pick it up and use it too....as it curve fit their desires and expectations so darned well....
mkgus's avatar
mkgus OP
82 posts
 
@prof No offense taken. It’s probably a good thing to be reminded here and there of the subjective and sometimes fallable nature of human perception. Perhaps I was being overly sensitive, but I interpreted your remarks on human listening error as “there’s no way you can hear a sound change with a power cable and if you think you did, you’re wrong,” which is a bold statement to make given there are many different types of cables, types of systems, listening rooms, and listeners. The combination is nearly endless which probably plays a role in why some people hear it and some people don’t. Don’t get me wrong - I’m sure I have been “fooled” by my own ears here and there, but I have two examples (the power cord and a speaker wire example) where I’m confident I’m not being fooled - the sound did change, for better in one example and for worse in the other. 

It sounds like you are listening the “right way.” 😃 Good point on the lights. A low light level is more enjoyable!
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
14,147 posts
 
Uh, audio ain’t clinical trials. Give us a break! 
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
n80. I am 'lucky, or cursed as may be.. that my system is really on a knife edge of clarity vs lean sounding. So for years (even before I bought the 20.7 Magnepans, same thing with the 3.6 Magnepans) So for years I have deliberately balanced this on my quest for more clarity. So I do something to gain in the clarity, but usually this also loses some fullness in the midrange and I have to get that back, without losing the clarity gain. (I have done this many times) So my listening to this particular oddity of my system is highly honed and shaped by experience. So this basic thing I can spot immediately with any cord change. or even different LP or CD mastering! 
For example right now the sound is a trace lean since I added 6 new powercords last week. No problem as they still are breaking in fully. I will have to see how swapping them with previous ones etc after about a month of use.            
Sine I acquired the Magnepan 20.7s began to be way easier to hear details, then adding in the Furutech duplex multipled that.. SO I am getting to really hear in detail what is there in recordings.. For good and bad.
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