Are manufacturer AC cables good enough?
cleeds2,957 posts05-15-2020 9:48am"....There is abundant evidence that "expensive power cables" can make a difference - a virtual mountain of it! There are countless testimonials in print, online and in real life from users that have first-hand experience. Indeed, premium power cables are a distinct niche within the audio and audio cable industries...." Sorry, but anecdotal evidence doesn't prove anything. |
cleeds2,958 posts05-15-2020 10:44am"It's true that even abundant empirical evidence is not by itself proof. But this is a hobbyist's group, so this wouldn't be the place to expect participants to be conducting the kind of scientific testing you probably prefer. Regardless, it's simply false to claim that "there is no evidence." There's tons of it. If it doesn't suit you, you're free to go collect your own. If you do, please share the results with us." I don't expect hobbyists to be conducting scientific tests but think it's NOT unreasonable for PC manufacturers to publish test results supporting their claims. Is that too much to ask? |
nsgarch2,520 posts05-08-2020 12:50am"....You need to "lift" (disconnect) the ground at the EQUIPMENT end of the stock cord." Very poor advice from a safety standpoint. Can you name one manufacturer (audiophile-grade or otherwise) that does this? |
nsgarch2,523 posts05-09-2020 11:20am@ cleeds, turnbowm "No, disconnecting the ground conductor at the EQUIPMENT end, as I specified, does NOT create a safety hazard. However, disconnecting the ground conductor at the wall outlet end does indeed create a safety hazard! A bit of research into equipment grounding techniques will explain why. Some audio equipment now comes with a workaround for the UL power cord grounding requirements: you may have noticed a "ground lift" switch on the rear of the chassis. Toggling the switch to the "lift" position accomplishes the same thing as disconnecting the green ground conductor at the equipment end of the OEM power cord." It doesn't matter which end you disconnect the ground, it's a safety hazard in either case. If an insulation failure occurs/exists in the equipment, the chassis could become "hot" (120VAC). If an individual places one hand on this equipment and their other hand on properly grounded equipment, the resulting condition could prove fatal. As for the "ground lift" switch on some equipment, that removes the connection between signal ground and chassis ground, which has nothing to do with the power delivery. |
glupson4,777 posts05-09-2020 12:06pm "....My amplifier and CD player (same brand) came with two-pronged cord and connector on the devices. I am not sure what certifications they have, but they are from a relatively reputable manufacturer. I somehow doubt they cut corners there...." Equipment that is double-insulated does NOT require a connection between chassis and earth ground. In such cases, a 2-pronged power cord is perfectly acceptable. |
FWIW, the Marantz CD6006 CD Player is a good example of double-insulated equipment. As shown (link below), the IEC socket does NOT have a ground pin and the double-insulated logo (square within a square) is displayed in the Marantz box near the middle of the pic. https://www.us.marantz.com/en-US/shop/hificomponents/cd6006#gallery-3 |
boxer124,625 posts05-15-2020 8:06pm"turnbowm, heaudio, Please list the aftermarket power cords you have compared to stock power cords?" Have tried Audioquest and Pangea power cords of various flavors on my Bryston B60R Integrated and it doesn't seem to care what I feed it with. Bryston amps have robust power supplies which, reportedly, makes them less sensitive to power delivery issues. |
cd318889 posts05-15-2020 9:27am"....Take a look at what Gene at the excellent Audioholics site has to say on the matter." https://youtu.be/7YIGLnbc12I There seems to be an ongoing battle between Gene (Audioholics) and Ted Denney (SR).... https://www.audioholics.com/editorials/synergistic-research?fbclid=IwAR2fIIJHcGsI_BCjBIaZ6BMW8h617dGlqzbIfStl4ZPLNPmR7bMRmtr6N04 |
glupson4,855 posts05-16-2020 8:46am"Nothing to do with the topic of this thread, but is everyone here willing to patronize the business of a person who insults another one on the basis of Asperger’s syndrome with the language used in those facebook (I think it was facebook) posts?" Good question and I'm hoping that people will give this some thought when making their next purchase. |
