Power Cords: A Skeptic Looking to Dabble...

Problem with building your own is that if you don't like the result you're pretty much stuck as you probably can't return them and probably can't sell them for very much if anything. That said, I plan on doing that with some Supra Lorad 2.5 or DH Labs power cables and some decent Wattgate connectors and see what happens. Has to be better than stock cords and I'm only out around $75 or so in the event they don't work out.

Another alternative to buying used is to try some of the direct sellers who generally have good money-back trial periods. Companies like Triode Wire Labs, Grover Huffman, Morrow, and whatever MAC is called these days would be some good ones to try. Their 10AWG cables are a little more than twice what you're looking to spend (you can use a smaller gauge for source so will be less), but you get to try them for very little cash outlay (other than possibly return shipping) and they may very well end up being keepers given the fairly consistently positive feedback from owners here. You could even try several at the same time if there's enough room on the ol' credit card, which would probably be the thing to do given how differently PCs can work in various systems. Just another thing to consider.

By the way, while we're on the subject of power you might also consider upgrading your power conditioner at some point as well. I also have the APC H15 in my home theater system and tried it briefly in my audio system and it's not the most transparent unit out there (compared it to an Audience unit). It'll probably help you reap even more of the benefits of better power cords as well I'd think. Always something. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I was early in my sound journey when a mentor said to me: Go out and get the cheapest audiophile power cord you can find, and put it on your amp. I was skeptical, but ordered a Pangea AC-7.

As soon I connected it and turned on the system, I thought, "Oh crap, I'm in a lot of trouble. If I can hear this much improvement from a freaking power cord, there is no telling where all this will end." Still very happy with the Pangea stuff.

Thanks for all the responses. I'm not opposed to a DIY option when the time comes, but I do prefer to try a manufactured product as it seems that there should be some science to it that could be missing when simply mixing and matching from DIY parts, but on the flip side so much of audio is placebo anyways it's sometimes difficult to know what's real and what's contrived.

I don't have dedicated circuits or outlets, the outlet could be an option, but I'm certainly not planning to get a dedicated line for this project. It's simply beyond what I'm willing to spend/do given my happiness with my current setup.

My goal is to affordably dabble in power cords in an effort to see if I can tell any difference in my system. I guess what I should do is visit my local extreme high fi store and see if they would be willing to swap out one of their "small car priced" power cords for a basic one just to prove that it makes an obvious audible difference. It should be obvious in a system like this, right?

I'll 2nd Pangea for your needs. It is a quality cable and will be a noticeable improvement over a stock PC. They make 2 types; a heavy gauge cable ($59) for amps and the ac-14 for lower current components such as preamps and CDPs. Costs about $30 and it compares well to a $100 PC. (needs a burn-in period).

'the outlet could be an option, but I'm certainly not planning to get a dedicated line for this project'. :). You're just dabbling for a little better sound, right? Maybe a better power cord, right? You really don't want to notice an improvement, do you? Because you're happy with your current setup, right? Understand that if you take this step and things get better with just a little dabble, it won't be "a" step, it will be the "first" step. 8^). Enjoy.