Thanks for the kind remarks.
"It might be like free range chicken eggs"
Yesterday, from the comments, I had a compulsion to have oatmeal for breakfast. Today an omelet.
"Audiophile" Power Cables: The Greatest Audio Conspiracy Theory of All Time?
Just mention the word “audiophile power cord” in a group of seasoned audio enthusiasts and the resulting exchange will resemble the calm and collectiveness of someone throwing a firecracker in a chicken coop. In the audiophile world, there is no other subject as polarizing. Some scholars have even argued that the phrase “WTF?!!” was first introduced into our contemporary culture moments after some Neandertweak claimed that “premium power cords can make an audio system sound better!”
The details of the origins of the “audiophile” power cable are a little obscure. Perhaps long ago an energetic employee working for an audio cable manufacturer had the “Ah Ha moment?” He’d spent more than his share of quality time developing better sounding speaker cables, and one fateful day glanced over at his amp and thought: “Speakers get AC from the amp. Amps get AC from the wall. If this meaty cable works great for speakers, what would happen if I made a power cord out of the same stuff?” And so, he decided to cobble up a set. He approached the power cable with the same attention to detail as he did with his speaker cables, and after terminating each end with something that had a low likelihood of not catching the lab on fire, he plugged it in … and BEHOLD!!! To say he liked what he heard was an understatement. An alien craft landing in the designated employee parking area of his lab would not have left him with a more bewildered look on his face. But, unsure how to connect the dots from theory to reality,he developed a new audio vocabulary to extract a "believable" technical explanation of what he just heard. He polished up his demo a bit and invited a couple of colleagues over for a listen. With the world’s first premium power cord, newly formed technical vocabulary, and wll-recorded demo material on hand he convinced his colleagues they heard something pretty spectacular, too. Word got around. More auditions. More positive feedback. Then it hit him: “I gotta tell management about this!”
But not so fast. The technically inclined in Section B got wind of this. These were the modern-day equivalent of Nostradamus. They could analyze a handful of measurements and predict how something would sound in the future. So, the guys from Section B prepared to come at him with the full force of industry standard hand-held HP calculators, pocket protectors, Radio Shack SPL meters and electronic theory in their arsenals -- ready to humiliate the “power cord dude” in front of his pack of the “audiophile” power cord faithful. They were going to be a tough sell. Meticulous. Exacting. These were the guys that measured out precisely 5mm of Brylcreem™, when “just a little dab” would work just fine for the rest of us. The guys from Section B placed themselves between a pair of decent loudspeakers ready to pounce on any inkling of “better sound.” They were quite emphatic about not hearing anything different. Afterall, their Radio Shack SPL meters have never lied to them yet. Why would today be any different? Upper management observed stealthily from a distance.
It turned out to be more like a geeky version of “Rope a Dope” than dismantling “the cable dude” and send him scampering out of the room with his cable between his legs. The cable dude just stood there like a giant redwood taking blow after blow, carefully listening to their pleas for sanity and acknowledging their technical evaluations. Always countering with the same remark: “Yeh, I get that. But have you listened to it?” Exhausted, the “deniers” stomped off, knowing full well they had won the debate, but still frustrated that they couldn’t convince the power cord dude he that he possessed the mental agility of a small soap dish.
Management took notice and found themselves in the unfortunate position of being compromised regardless of what position they took. Do, we slap the cable dude in the face and ruin his ego (and, perhaps his productivity) for life? Or give the green light to a product that pegs the BS Meter of the guys in Section B? After careful consideration, management came to the only logic conclusion: “There’s money to be made here!” Section B was never the same.
The power cord dude was promoted to Power Products Designer and a finished prototype was only days away. Then, something interesting happened. They took their newly developed “audiophile” power cable to an international industry trade show and put it out there in front of some of the country’s best high end audio dealers for their feedback.
Music played. Heads nodded. Orders were placed. Shelves were stocked.
I’m certain the first “audiophile” power cable customer had to convince someone(s) that he just didn’t throw his hard-earned money away on something with no technical merit. He remembered his visit at the audio salon and the salesman’s pitch, who remembered the factory representative’s pitch, who remembered with district manager’s pitch, who remembered with factory trainer’s pitch, who remembered the power cord dude’s, eh, Power Products Designer’s pitch, and pulled off a flawless presentation. Well, to the surprise of everyone in the room (especially his wife) he managed to get his buddies so fired up that they HAD to go visit the dealer’s showroom and plead their case to snag a set on loan so they could audition them on their OWN systems.
Music played. Heads nodded. Wallets came out.
It didn’t take long for the audio dealer down the street to get word of the business he just lost to his competitor. A highly agitated dealer called HIS audiophile cable rep and asked why THEY are not in the audiophile cable business?! This quickly worked its way up the chain, and before you can say “Autocorrelation Sonic Holography Preamplifier”, there were not one but TWO cable companies offering “audiophile” power cables. Including the new industry standard at 2x the price of anything offered by the other guys.
Before long the news of this new product category reached the true connoisseurs of audio perfection – the respected high end audio reviewer -- the guy who could tell you what Joan Baez had for breakfast that morning just by listening to her sing Diamonds and Rust. This guy’s got ears, and a typewriter, and he’s not afraid to use them. And, yes, as predicted, he “heard something” and wrote nice things about it. Potential advertising revenue and saying nice things about a new product are, let’s say, not out of phase with each other. Like many others before him, he struggled to describe in industry-standard engineering terms WHY the power cord sounded like it sounded. But he was convinced that every existing high-end audio system was now demoted to mere mid-fi without them.
Then, quicker than a toddler can modify the structural integrity of a Clearaudiio stylus, audiophile power cables were an adopted component in any NOTE-worthy audio system. Manufacturers developed real business plans with real business strategizers and got to work setting up distributors, field reps, product trainers, marketing plans, “key customer” dealer events -- complete with their own recommended playlist, suggested wines, and catering via White Castle.
The Dupeologists (individuals highly effective in the art of duping people) were embedded at every level in every crook and cranny. The Power Products Designers got bigger offices, entire power cable product lineups were developed and every company that had the ability to wrap strands of high purity copper with a jacket and attach plugs on each end was in the “audiophile” power cable business. On the consumer level, it was quickly reaching a level of respectability that demanded involvement by serious music lovers at some level. The audiophile power cable that was installed on the power amp, was now joined by one for the preamp, CD player -- even the Samsung sound bar. An entire product category had developed and didn’t just take the industry by storm. The number of audiophile power cable enthusiasts reached thousands worldwide, eventually exceeding the number of consumers who enjoy the convenience of single-cup Keurig coffee makers in their motorhomes.
Oh, the humanity!!
You have to ask the question: “Where were those consumer advocates hiding? How could they let this happen?” You know who were talking about. Those guys who parachute out of the sky in a moment’s notice to protect the rest of us from bad decisions. If these guys could time travel, they’d go back and lock elbows with Ralph Nader to reinforce the position that the Corvair’s rear suspension could fold in on itself. They’d ALSO prove that the Corvair didn’t have air bags, AND would have failed miserably in a rollover test, AND didn’t have a catalytic converter! I could have used these guys when I was a young lad waiting in line to make my first purchase at a hifi store. An intervention, including full body takedown, would have been entirely justified for saving me from spending $7 on a glorified lint brush wrapped around a walnut handle peddled as a “record cleaning system.”
But, alias, it appears to be too little, too late. The avalanche has started. We’ve got guys out there that claim to not only hear the differences between an OEM cable and an audiophile cable but claim … wait … here it comes … the differences between different brands and price levels of audiophile cables!! Then there’s they selected group of Techomutants out there that build their own stuff from scratch, claiming that home-made cables sound better than … get this … FACTORY-built OEM cables! This makes about as much sense to “Section B types” as adding a Paragraphic Frequalizer to your system.
It’s (finally) time to jump into the meaty part of the discussion – The Conspiracy. I have a theory about conspiracy theories (if there is such a thing). Here goes:
“The shelf life and voracity of a conspiracy theory is entirely dependent on who controls the information, not the validity of the claims.”
Which brings us to the question of WHO is controlling the information? What entity (or entities) could have this level of penetration to reach the ENTIRE globe and endure the constant barrage of debunkmenship of dozens of Section Bs working in unison? <whisper> It’s rumored that it could be The Deep Stasis? A secret organization of all-knowing, all-reaching, infinitely powerful group of individuals who can make anyone believe anything related to audio performance. We could appoint a special council of the most proficient AudioGon members (the guys with the highest number of razor-sharp, one-sentence stinging rebuttals in the forums) and aggressively go after them. But how do you go after an organization that “doesn’t exist?” Great question. And, since we’ll never get the answers the audio world and ancient astronaut theorists are looking for, The Deep Stasis theory appears to be a dead end. So, it looks like it’s on to Plan B.
We’ll have to drill down so deep and extract so much useful data that even a biochemist working for Exxon would be proud of our accomplishments. So, outside of The Deep Stasis, we need to look at some “plausible” answers to that powerful question.
“Audiophile” Power Cable NIERS (the opposite of DE-NIERS):
- Were DUPED!!
- Someone put LSD in their oatmeal.
- Have seriously degrading hearing but THINK they are just fine. Or, better than fine. They ARE audiophiles, you know.
- Work for, or in, a business enterprise that financially benefits from the successful market penetration of audiophile power cables. Follow the money?
- Have confirmation biases and just imagining they are hearing a difference. Only their shrink knows for sure and HEPA rules won’t allow us to speak to them about it. So, like The Deep Stasis, it just another dead end, and we’ll never know for sure.
Or…
- Those who claim to hear differences in audiophile power cables vs OEM are highly-preceptive, intelligent individuals (many with advanced degrees) who have spent many decades engaged with the critical listening and evaluation of state-of-the-art high-fidelity components, source materials, adjustment & calibration, room acoustics and other factors contributing an elevated musical experience. They also possess an excellent control of vocabulary, are highly articulate, and masters at successfully communicating those observations to others.
As the author of a serious piece of investigative work, I need to maintain my neutrality. Therefore, I can’t offer an opinion.
I’ll just leave you with one final question:
Does anyone have any idea how to hide 5 pairs of Audioquest NGR Thunders behind an equipment rack setting just inches away from the wall?
183 responses Add your response
I experimented with the following cables to supply my power conditioner and I didn’t like any of them when used alone: 1- Mundorf Angelique However, I found out that shunting cables togethers aggregates their features. I used short lengths (< 1 foot) of a selection of the cables above. It was easy to change the character of the whole system sound. My favourite cables are: 1- Mundorf Angelique The Van Den Hul TheClearwater goes from wall outlet to the power strip. This cable is smooth especially in the treble area with weak bass. This cable works as a back ground canvas. From the power strip I connect cables in shunt to the power conditioner. Cables 1&3 make the midrange and sound in general more pronounced. 2 enhances treble. 5 enhances (thickens) bass in general. If I need more treble for example I just shunt more of cable 2. Caution: working with electricity is dangerous and should only be done by qualified personnel. I am not responsible for any damages or injuries.
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This really made my day! I loved reading every word of it. Made me chuckle out loud. I bought a pair of tube amps and they didn't come with power cables so I bought a set of Pangea. I have to say when they arrived I found it comical that the house wiring was like a drinking straw dumping into the power cords which are like a garden hose. Wait a minute, I have a thought! It might be like free range chicken eggs. The electrons are trapped and confined in the wall wiring and are allowed to run free for that 1 meter to my power amps! Thanks for the entertainment. |
@inrealtime +1 "Voodoo does work, but only when you believe it." @attila7 +1 ... well said: "I went to logic and in doing so I looked at various pieces of gear, this settled the debate for me. Ultra expensive, ridiculously huge gauge make no difference at all. Why do I say this? Look inside any speaker, amp, power amp or any other piece of gear, you will not find any very expensive cables. Pull the connector panel off of a pair of $50 grand speakers, what it connected to? A standard 18 gauge wire if you're lucky, maybe not even that, might only be a 20 or 22 gauge? The same goes for amp and pre amp plugs and cables. If the manufacturers with all their brain power and fancy equipment can't find a reason to put hi end wiring in their gear that they sell for thousands and thousands of dollars I can't find a reason to waste my hard earned money on such wires or cables." |
I was not questioning your gear nor am I offering mine up for praise or criticism, I was simply presenting some observations. I'm amazed that you are able to know the quality of my gear without knowing what it is? I'm also curious as to what you consider to be hi end wire in your speakers as you did not specify the gauge, the strand count, the oxygen content or any other specification? If you're running a 100% oxygen fr gauge hi strand count wire to your speaker and the wire inside the speaker is 18 gauge low strand count with no oxygen spec I fail to understand how you qualify it as hi end? |
@attila7 my apogee duetta 2 speakers have high end wire, and my krell amp has beryllium copper buss bars instead of wire, and both those items were made in the late 80,s and earlier 90's. You must be using midfi equipment. |
In my experience, the minimum basic ‘requirement,’ or ‘necessity,’ or, ‘thing that’s going enable a system to sound more towards the best it can sound,’ is 100% OFC copper throughout, and cable gauge matters too - 18-22AWG interconnects, 8, 10 or 12AWG speaker cables, 10-12AWG power cords, and gold, silver, or copper connectors. Of course, one can do better; there’s even better copper; I’m talking about the most basic requirement to achieve a quality sound. |
I was always skeptical about the effect of hi end cables on the sound quality. I do believe very poor, small cables can have a detrimental effect on the output, that is even measurable. However the difference gets to the point of not being measurable once a certain gauge and grade is reached. At one time I attributed the alleged audio difference to human vanity, people refuse to admit that they wasted huge sums of money for no improvement, so they simple imagined better sound to save face. After some years of pondering and reading various opinions I took another look at the debate from another angle. This I went to logic and in doing so I looked at various pieces of gear, this settled the debate for me. Ultra expensive, ridiculously huge gauge make no difference at all. Why do I say this? Look inside any speaker, amp, power amp or any other piece of gear, you will not find any very expensive cables. Pull the connector panel off of a pair of $50 grand speakers, what it connected to? A standard 18 gauge wire if you're lucky, maybe not even that, might only be a 20 or 22 gauge? The same goes for amp and pre amp plugs and cables. If the manufacturers with all their brain power and fancy equipment can't find a reason to put hi end wiring in their gear that they sell for thousands and thousands of dollars I can't find a reason to waste my hard earned money on such wires or cables. Remember we are talking about manufacturers who looked for every tiny advantage to show a better number than the competitors, thd that is .0001 better, 2 watts more powerful and so on. |
It can eliminate voltage drop, especially under load, for instance. |
If you record the analog output of an audio device at very high resolution playing the same song, with the various power cords, cleanly routed, and then you subtract the output recordings from each other and you get ZERO, then the argument is over. This experiment has been done. No difference. QED. This power cord issue should be dead and buried. Sell your fancy power cords before everybody figures it out. |
Still don’t see how wiring upstream of power conditioner can make a big difference…..are power conditioners lacking? FWIW, in1657 French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal made the comment about writing a shorter letter. Anecdotally of course, ground magic mushrooms in oatmeal are highly rated. |
Responding to the first post. I had many boutique power cables from a few manufacturers, all stiff and unwieldy. Sitting on several metres of 4TC and 8TC wire, from a custom speaker cable order that cancelled, I listed them for sale at $1 a foot for about 4 months and got no replies. After moving my system to another part of the room, I discovered I had to rearrange the components again to accomodate dressing the ultra stiff 25 year old or older power cables. Or, after checking the power ratings on the braided stuff, made my own cables, since they exceeded the power demands by 10 to 100 times. Did the magic happen? Absolutely! The funny looking cables with the yellow Hubbel and black schurter plugs were light, easy to manipulate and flexible enough to route easily. The real magic was people willing to pay $100 each for the old fancy cords I kept from my early days in buying stereo.
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Try adding some grape nuts to your oatmeal. This sensation (NB; This ridiculous but accurate description) adds to the drabness of oatmeal. Maple syrup or brown sugar needed too. Does your day job involve writing? Was James Thurber your grand pappy? Do you play records backwards? I was up late last night listening to music capping off w/ some Christian Sands. This seems apropos too.
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@waytoomuchstuff , excellent journalism. Now I patiently await the “audiophile fuse” origin story. |
@allenf1963 @wolf_garcia @sgreg1 Mark Twain is attributed as saying: "If I had more time, I would have wrtten a shorter letter." |
Rule of thumb ,the garbage power cord the equipment comes with ,is not a friend to your equipment , even a Pangea sig mk2 power cord from audio advisor is night and day better sounding for many reasons starting with the connectors, land using Cardas top 6-9s purity Copper ,and a quality dielectric ,and shielding stock cables has None of that. Then a good line conditioner comes into play for even the line conditioner needs a Solid powercord . forlow monies the Pangea AC-9 SE is perfect for a amplifier ,or line conditioner. |
Others have expressed discontent in the cost not being "sky sky." therefore, not reputable. The company itself is USA based, with USA patents. On forum posts a little while ago, I read about wanting to support this country (best in the world) and furthermore, manufacturers of audio gear. Good for GDP so we can take down another spy balloon...lol happy listening and all the best to you |
Thanks for sharing what you think. It is valid and of great importance/can help others make good purchasing decisions. Although I have a different product, I welcome your unique approach to power conditioners. I’m sure what you’re using is top-of-the-line. No satire.... I would recommend trying what I’m using at least once. It’s also used in many other industries and may elevate your experience with high-end audio. Prior to it, I also used custom solutions, products from various Japanese brands, audiophile oritented brands, and even Monster - you know, the company that manufactured beats by dre headphones (although the beats executive headphones are not bad). |
To the OP If the industry marketing Pooh-bahs, pundits, and also the reviewers ( mag or amateur) actually refrained from using the adjective “audiophile” going forward , and replaced it with, say, “quality build” or equivalent,; would that change /ameliorate your editorial? Without prejudice to the debate above, this overly long thread in general simply highlights that there are two binary choice camps that are conflicting polar opposites on the subject of power cables as a worthy upgrade or not,This is an oft-repeated and futile thread subject matter, because each cohort has zero chance of ever convincing the other side in these Cable Wars. “There are three sides to every story: my side, your side, and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each one differently.” — Robert Evans Fine with me , Laissez faire, and carry on gentlemen.
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This is probably the biggest opening to a thread I’ve ever seen. To shorten things up different cables have different effects in different systems. In mine, power cables do make a difference in sound, and add toward the synergy of the entire system, from the ICs to the power conditioners to the wall. |
I am at peace with these questions ever since I realized that hi-fi is part of the entertainment industry, not the science world. Audiophiles who follow the technical path have technically excellent systems audiophiles who follow the please yourself path have entertaining systems. These sets are not mutually exclusive. |
I have been on the power cord fence for a long time, about a decade ago I purchased Pangea cords to replace the stock cords. I can't say it made any difference, and my system is fairly resolving. All of the cords are plugged into my Furman power conditioner. My ICs and SC are Cardas Cygnus so I believe good cables make sense to a point. but since PC are outside of the audio signal path between the Furman and power supply of my amp I can't see what will be gained by purchasing a more expensive power cord. |
@waytoomuchstuff great read. very funny and entertaining. More than likely just the way it all got started. "There's money to be made hear " sums it all up. I like AQ also. |
Op this was a 'War and Peace' of post, ever thought about going into print.😁 On power cords I go with the theory quality plugs, quality cable of sufficient gauge with a quality IEC does the job, no more than £100. I have tried this theory against expensive PS Audio and Russ Andrews cables my friend and I could not hear any difference be assured if we had heard a benefit then we would have purchased. However we could tell a difference between the usual kettle power cables supplied with equipment against a power cable made of quality components. |
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@waytoomuchstuff , of all the responses you got you need to ask me what was my favorite part? |
