Can POWER CORDS really make that big a difference?

Except in some very pathologic conditions, you won't hear a difference between stock and kilobuck power cords, or any PC inbetween for that matter. That's if you listen just using your ears, however. People can "hear" all sorts of amazing things when they listen with their eyes and wallets. Not completely a bad thing if it enhances your overall musical experience, but I'd rather put my money where it affects the sound.

You wrote: "Why is it that every darn thread on power cords there has to be someone who has to voice an opinion that they are clearly a waste of money?"

I refer you to the original poster's first question: "Can a power cord really make an audible difference in a system?" Maybe there are some who honestly feel that they do not - should they not post?

I was referring to situations such as PCs with too-small a gauge, extreme amounts of RF noise, etc. Sean's suggestion of the power-line conditioner would fix the latter problem, although I suspect (haven't tested, though, so only suspect) that this approach may only be rarely necessary.

Also, someone with damaged hearing may be less able to detect audible differences, where they exist. Are you implying that this holds for anyone in particular? Your use of "you" (". . . if you don't hear . . .") could be interpreted that you feel I suffer from some sort of hearing deficiency. I hope that I'm reading your post incorrectly.

Cheers,
Hearhere

Bmccormick - No, I certainly wasn't calling anyone who states that they can hear a difference between PCs a pathological idiot that wastes money!! The "pathologic" part of my comment only referred to what I would consider very out of the ordinary system conditions, say, trying to run a Krell Master Reference amp (demos of which were rumored to cause California's power crisis) with a 20 gauge PC, or living next to a broadcast tower to give a couple of extreme examples.

I would never deny that some people enjoy their systems more as a result of using aftermarket PCs, and more power (!) to them. I was definitely NOT referring to that preference as pathologic! We might debate exactly what causes that added enjoyment, and how we apportion our respective audio budgets, but we all have the same end goal in mind.