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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
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
jea48. All those naysayers need a place to vent too! Audio Asylum has banned then for years on the cable asylum, and Audio Circle is getting back to doing so again. So where exactly IS a non believer able to vent? Why HERE on Audiogon!                 
I know it is annoying to listen to the drivel they spout. Always the same drivel and arguments too! But I say let them. Eventually they will get tire of their own endless tantrums, like four year olds...  
And by them hanging around, maybe a few will get it through their thick skull that maybe they should try a different cable..       
                       
As is well known, plenty of audio cable believers were long time naysayers... Until they actually heard a difference!
prof
1,741 posts
 
nonoise,

You are yet again whacking a strawman - repeating the same misrepresentations and fallacies as you have before in these conversations.  Your last paragraph especially displays this. (Nothing I have written entails the wholesale abandonment of the reliability of our perception or senses...and you should know that as I've corrected you before when you kept pretending my arguments lead to that).

If you simply are unwilling to maturely consider other points of view - which entails actually reading what someone writes and not completely mischaracterizing it every time - then I agree conversation between us is going to be useless.

I can only suggest you try not to take other points of view so personally, as some personal affront. 


And maybe

Just maybe

Consider that admitting to being human and having some fallibility, isn't such a bad thing to admit.


cakyol's avatar
cakyol
112 posts
 
Hey prof, most contributors here are  superhumans who can hear sounds that do not exist.  No logic to reason with them.
Some even argue that fuse direction makes a difference to the sound.

They (think) they hear it, so it is done. Dont stoop down to needing scentific explanations from superhumans.
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
I guess you're mad you can't hear any of those sound plenty of normal folks can hear.. so you call them superhuman? LOL
prof
1,741 posts
 
Elizabeth wrote:
I know it is annoying to listen to the drivel they spout.

Again...the emotion. This tendency to insult. Why is this such a feature of those who are so wedded to the most subjective side of the hobby? They just can’t seem to stand the idea they could be wrong.


Jeeze. I have no problem whatsoever with accepting I may be wrong.As I stated early on, I’m open to the possibility AC cables can change the sound of an audio system.


And, btw, if I ever enter a cable thread it is almost exclusively those threads in which the thread invites differing opinions, or which is explicitly concerned with the cable controversies (e.g. threads asking things like "DO CABLES REALLY MATTER?" etc.)

Just scroll through the forum and you will see I have not "barged in" to the endless threads discussing opinions on various power, speaker cables, and all the rest. I’m not looking to do so.

But in the *occasional thread* where the conversation naturally draws different perspectives, I will bring my own perspective, thank you very much.

Now, maybe some would rather circle the wagons around their own narrow point of view: "All cables make a sonic difference, and no other viewpoints will be welcome or tolerated."

Unfortunately, I don’t see how it benefits this hobby to turn forums for hi end in to the equivalent of churches, with their own single and exclusive dogma, which if you don’t tow the line you are excommunicated. How has that ever been a good idea (for anything!).

The audio hobby isn’t just comprised of people with one single viewpoint - there is a spectrum - and it’s not right to try to exclude other audiophile’s opinions as not being worthy of discussion or inclusion...just because you don’t like alternative views, and don’t wish to have your own claims challenged.

Sorry...we are all going to have a voice here. Unless and until Audiogon decides to resort to church-like fiat and dogma and shut down those opinions.

(As to the civility of those opinions...that’s another thing. I welcome moderation in terms of keeping things civil).




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