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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
clearthink
672 posts
 
michaelgreenaudio"I'm glad to see people getting past "If" and onto "What" are the differences."

There was never any genuine, sincere, valid question as to the efficacy, value, and superiority of some high-end power cables by those with actual, genuine, first hand experience using components in they're own music reproduction system. Some contributors have posted precise, repeatable, specific references to the exact products they have used and shared the results, consequences, and outcome of substituting these superior products. What has happened is that a few members of a noisy, tiny, self important minority have protested these findings while claiming they are the result of delusion, snobbism or mental illness and of course such accusations are without substance, merit, or validity and the moderators in their best judgement, determination and analysis have curtailed, limited, and restricted such vile, prosecutorial, and insulting posts. 
clearthink
672 posts
 
" "Elizabeth, if you persist in punitively flagging my posts I’ll draw that matter to the attention of moderators. "

It is not evident, apparent, or discernable as to who made this order, instruction, and threat to Elizabeth but it is entirely, completely, and uncategorically unacceptable to harass, intimidate, or retaliate against any contributor hear and if I can determine who here threatened Elizabeth I will bring them to the attention of the moderators so that they're rights, privledges, and access here is terminated, revoked, and/or suspended. 
jea48
2,944 posts
 
A member on SH forum posted this response. Any validity to his theory?
oxenholme said: ↑
Is an even lower noise floor likely to result if in addition one has a dedicated ring main wired with the same cable as used in the wonder power cord? No doubt even better if the entire run to the electricity substation could be rewired similarly? Happen UK mains sockets and plugs will work better too due to the larger contact area. Should one have the contacts therein 24 carat gold plated to improve the connection?
Another thing to consider about the UK and Europe is the higher AC mains voltage. Here the step-down ratio of the power transformer in a given audio component will be twice the ratio of the same component in the USA.

This means that mains-borne noise that is inductively coupled across the transformer windings will be attenuated by 6dB more in the UK than the USA. (This depends on the frequency response of the power circuit and the type of transients and noise coming from the mains however.)

I wonder whether the sceptics on these threads tend to reside in higher voltage territories, and the supporters in low voltage republics?
Grower of Mushrooms, Yesterday at 2:02 PM #58


I wonder whether the sceptics on these threads tend to reside in higher voltage territories, and the supporters in low voltage republics?  
I have wondered this too.  It seems the majority of the naysayers on this Agon thread list their country as N/A.
acman3
2,267 posts
 
I also agree about the HF cords thinning out the sound, only I call it more detailed. :)

clearthink
672 posts
 
It is interesting that when any of the contributors here describes to a particular cable a specific sonic quality, attribute, or characteristic there is general affirmation, agreement and consensus as to the nature of  the cable, lending further evidence, documentation, and credence to the simple facts, truth, and reality that cables do indeed sound different from each other depending on the characteristics of the music reproduction system within which they are installed.
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