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... abit confused: how does a power cord affect the presentation of sound...

Hello to all...

I was shifting around components in my system, trying to squeeze out better controlled bass, more definition within the soundstage, and better define the "voice/midrange" presentation...

I presently have a tube preamp (hardwired with a wall wart) into an HT Receiver; source is a Marantz SA-8001 CD Player

Swapped out a Yamaha HTR -5550 (hardwired) for a Parasound HCA-750A (which needs a power cord).

CD Player is powered with a PS Audio Statement SC power cord, so I went in my closet and pulled out another PS AUDIO Statement SC power cord, hooked it up and expect to give it at least 5 days continuous re-break-in before serious listening.

Took a minute to lookup reviews about this power cord - and I read some rather confusing reviews: some luved 'um, some liked 'um, but some thought them " ...slow... " (?), and giving a veiled presentation...

I'm gonna listen and decide myself - but I'm abit confused: how does a power cord affect the presentation of sound - I know that interconnects and speaker cables would/could/Do affect sound presentation - but how could a power cord?

Explanation/thoughts please...
insearchofprat

Showing 9 responses by madcow

madcow
42 posts
 
This is my first time posting. I thought I join in the fun. I’m no electrical engineer but here are my thoughts:

1. The miles of cables before the wall outlets have no bearing on the quality of the sound just like the miles of dirty river water before our faucets. It’s the purity of the signal before entering the electronics that matters.

2. In audio, it’s all about vibration. It’s about the vibration of the electrons in the cable to the vibration of the particles in the air. If the electrons can vibrate in perfect sync, we get perfect sound. The quest of the cable makers is to reach this perfection. The differences in characteristics of the vibration of the electrons in the cable define the sound we hear.

My 2 cents.
madcow
42 posts
 
A fuse can modify the sound. A PC cord, a giant relative to the fuse, can do much more.
madcow
42 posts
 
It’s the quality of the juice entering the amp that counts and not the quantity. A right gauge cable can take care of the quantity.  But material purity, metallurgical structural and shield from external interferences define the sound. When I used the stock cable that came with the amp the sound was good except the highs were a little edgy. I switched it with Perfect Wave AC 10 and the edgy sound was gone but it took away too much high, so much so that the sound became dull and unlistenable. I got the same dull sound when I used the AC 10 with the streamer and power conditioner. But it worked just fine when I used it with the dac. So synergy between cables and equipment does matter.
Again my 2 cents.
madcow
42 posts
 
It does not matter how filthy the river is for as long as the water is cleaned before entering our bodies. Similarly, it does not matter how noisy the signal is upstream of the wall outlets for as long as the signal is cleaned before entering the amp. This is where the power conditioner and better quality PC come in.
madcow
42 posts
 
You see the human wave at the stadium? Everyone is at their seat but the wave propagates forward. This is how music propagates down the wire. The electrons are not going anywhere but we hear music. At the stadium, there are big guys, small guys, thin guys fat guys, some standing and some walking. These are noises and that is why we never see a perfect human wave. In cables, the electrons are boxed in. Some electrons can move freer than others; some ran into obstacles (impurities) and some forced to move in different directions (external interferences). These are noises as well and that is why we don’t get perfect music. And that is why we get different sound using different cables.

Make sense?
madcow
42 posts
 
Measurements do not tell the whole story. Play A note with a cheap violin the meter will show 440Hz. Play the same note with a Stradivarius the same meter will also show 440Hz.
Verdict? Trust you ears.
madcow
42 posts
 
Ya. No music along the power cord but idea is the same. No?
madcow
42 posts
 
b4icu,
I have already said. Trust your ears. Measurements do not tell the whole story.
also...
please don’t get technical. I can’t help with that.
madcow
42 posts
 
djones,
Thanks for the interesting article.

mahgister,
Fully agree with you.
Hearing is believing. Nothing can beat this.


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