How any "wall pluggers" are out there?

I should have used Preview first.

To clarify, a "wall plugger" would be the type of audiophile who likes to add nothing extraneous to his system-plugging straight into the wall, sans upgraded power cords, power conditioning and the like.An anti-tweaker.

Again, sorry for the poor initial post.

But irregardless of how the post was interpreted one thing jumps out at me crystal clear-the polarized climate that has evolved over the years in this hobby.

An audiophile today is either in one camp or the other.
My term "wall plugger" was not intended to cause a flame war or resentment.
But I can't help but note how much pent up anger seems to be on the rise in this hobby, a hobby that was, until the internet, a pretty solitary one.
'Wall plugger" is a lot less derogatory than some of the phrases that wall pluggers use to describe non wall pluggers.
Which brings me to another trait shared by most if not all wall pluggers.
They pretty much want to protect everyone from financial ruin. Anyone who buys an upscale power cord must surely be on the road to fiscal insolvency.Let's save him!, poor idiot.
Show him the error of his ways.Make him prove that there is some scientific reason why he would spend more than a few dollars on a power cord.

It never used to be this way.

Since you are on the subject of power cords, here is a little more fuel for whatever fire you are burning. I do not have any upgraded power cords. I use Belden, Carol, or good old 20amp cords, terminated with Marinco or Hubbel ends. That is exotic as it gets. I have trouble believing that a system needs to be built around the last 6 feet of AC line. For 100 ft. of wire to be magically transformed in the last 6 feet is a bit mystical for me. Now, that being said, will I say that cords do not make a difference? No, because they can sound different. I think that some are great filters and are good for digital, especially if you are near a lot of RF. A friend lived near a radio station, always had a noise issue. In went a Cardas Golden Reference, the digital was dead quiet, no comparison, a great improvement. The cords have a place, but are not a miracle in every instance and if one wants to give them a 3.5k welcome in their system, great. I would like to hear them if they are near me. I have heard the top of the line Shunyata King Cobra, and the other top ones. There was a difference in sound, but was it better? I need a bigger difference, for the better to plunk down 3.5k. I will upgrade a cartridge, or tubes, etc. Jallen

Lacee,

The entire audiophile culture has to do with direct experience. If it were as easy as comparing data sheets, and if these data sheets really did give you the last word regarding sound quality, then there would really be no reason for anything else in audiophile culture except for differing visual designs to differentiate between tastes. But this is not the case.

Take two violins, a Stradivarius and a Guarnerius del Gesu. Take any audio analysis software you want, with any amount of computing power you want, with any type of input device you want, compare them all, make thousands of graphs of phase response, fourier analysis, wood spectroscopy, laquer analysis; publish all this is a huge encyclopedia of comparative charts, graphs, and tables.

The result is that before listening to the two violins, you will not be able to state your preference in one way or another. You will not draw from such data an emotional response. Indeed, it is questionable even after all of that analysis and even after your direct experience of the sound, whether you will then be able to differentiate between the two violins on paper just looking at the data.

If you are open to this, you get a feeling for the sound of each violin. If you argue that it is just a violin and "what's all the fuss about?", then you will be an outsider looking upon those who have already developed personal experience and an emotional reaction to one or the other sound.

And you will say: "Wake up, people, it is just a piece of wood! Spend your energy on something more substantially important!"

But that is what art is all about -- it is about feeling. For the many people on this earth who have developed a feeling for these fine differences, to them, the concert can mean much more than for someone who has not developed this feeling.

Then you take this violin-loving concert goer into your car and you tell him how nice the paint job is, how you love this 1974 BMW model 2002. He just gets in and tells you where he lives. He doesn't care for the model of the car. But you go on to explain what a feat of engineering it is and what a symbol it is and how much work you've put into it. And he, all the while, is interested only in the sound he heard at the concert.

I'm sure you get the point.

The audiophile culture is all about experience. Many will have become dismayed because they did not hear a difference when swapping cables. But perhaps they were the wrong two cables. There are also many violins in the world which are overpriced. There are just as many cables which are overpriced. I wouldn't even say overpriced. I'd just say that the creator perhaps thinks higher of himself than his talent seems to the listener.

I have heard violins costing very little money, which sounded excpetionally beautiful to my ear. And I've heard violins which cost too much to justify their sound, which was lacking in beauty.

Looking for the scientific reason for art to affect humans is the wrong question altogether. That's like telling your wife you must have sex together tonight because there is scientific reason to believe that this action will enhance your relationship. There is no science here. It is a feeling.

There is no 'scientific reason' to spend money on an artist's work. I don't know if art should be considered merely utilitarian. If so, to me it would seem a very sad world.

If so, we should all run into concert halls all around the world and shout on stage that it is all a waste of time, that we should all be going home, and doing something more scientific.

But think about science: it happens to give people jobs, but the true scientist is the wonderer and the explorer into the yet unknown. And it is as yet not completely known what exactly are the parameters of sound quality. It is very interesting to go deeper, read some theories, run some experiments, and see where it gets you. It turns into a quest for knowledge and experience. This is in effect what science is all about.

I think your last sentence "Make him prove that there is some scientific reason why he would spend more than a few dollars on a power cord" is like telling someone "What's the point of going to the moon when you can see it from here."

If people are looking for adventure, they look for others who are looking for adventure, too. If they are not looking for adventure, they will never find it.

So, really, it is all about experience, and if you are unwilling to partake in this experience, you will not, and it is as simple as that.

Louis Motek

I think the OP has the terminology reversed

Wouldn’t Wall Pluggers be purists?

Sans anything between the esteemed gear and the outlet itself?

Kind of like tree huggers?

I’m sure they would not wish to put anything between their rigs worth thousands of dollars and that pricey 25 cent outlet.

It’s just throwing good money after bad, I say!

In fact their theme song could be?

We don’t need no more expenses
We don’t need no thought control

Hey! Leave them plugs alone!
Yeah! Leave them plugs alone!

All in all, it’s just another plug in the wall.

… or not... just thinking on key.