Aesthetix Calypso VS ARC Reference 3

i guess i accidentally opened that can of worm ...

I wasn't a believer, and trust me, the best power cord I have right now (!) are the generic 14awg ones came with the amps. I have some other generic PC power cord kicking around.

What happened on that day I was swapping the power cord for some reason I don't remember, and I swapped the 14awg cord out from the Calpyso with a generic PC cord (i guess it was either 16 or 18 awg).

My wife walked in and said:

"what did you do? it sounds like cr*p!!!!"

Needless to say, I'm now a believer.

I used to be a non-believer in power cords as well...No more!
While I do not believe in spending big bucks on power cords, I will say this:
I have never heard two power cords that sound alike.
They may just be "a few feet of wire between your component and the outlet", but all have their own unique sonic signature for whatever reasons that I cannot explain.
I can also pick out upgrade power cords over my stock one blind, and quite easily.
And, on top of that, my girlfriend can tell the difference if I change out power cords while she is away, and I fire up my system, and she is not an audiophile or critical listener in the least.
She will ask, "what component did you change out this time?"
I will ask her what she means, and she will reply:
"You bought some new component, I can tell, cause your system sounds different."
She only says this if I have actually made a component or wiring change to my system.
It blows her mind when I tell her the only difference is a different power cord! LOL!

Thanks for the detailed answers.
I own the Aesthetix Calypso and use it in my reference system for the last 2 years or so. I have decided to go for a new ARC Reference 3. I just got it and now I own both pre-amps.
After the Reference 3 will break-in I will try to give you my opinion about sonic differences between the two pre-amps .
Thanks !

Duonri,

Congratulations on your purchase.

Re: the Power Cords & physics

I had a highly esteemed material science professor who was a big advocate of the use of interconnects & power cords. His specialty was electronics and cable use in aviation. The physics must be there, but at a level we might not understand.

Duonri, That is great. I would definately be looking for your review and feedback. As I have previously mentioned, it is probably only the Ref. 3 that I would prefer over my Calypso, though I did consider several at the time of purchase. I just couldn't afford the Ref. 3. I look forward to your comments and hope/request that when you write the review you may be so kind as to indicate when and where the Ref. 3 is, that you can try to reference by "how much". My guess is that in a couple of years when the Ref. 3 price comes down and I am ready for a move that I may be able to get one then. The AR stuff lasts for years. My last AR preamp I had for about 12 years. Funny thing is in the past 18 months I haven't owned a single piece of equipment for that long. Of course I no longer live in Guam in the South Pacific!