Ching Cheng Power Cords

I was told the guru blessed them "telepathically".  :-)

@mofimadness Sorry, no good! Those are NOT blessed by the all knowing, all seeing guru! ....;0)

@mechans...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CHING-CHENG-10-FT-DETACHABLE-POWER-SUPPLY-CORD-GREEN-DOT-HOSPITAL-GRADE-13A-125V-/201930921867?_trksid=p2349526.m4383.l4275.c10#viTabs_0

@mechans You buy a Ching Cheng cable by contacting the zen master and asking him to sell you one of his “blessed” versions, lol.

Better question though is why would you want to buy one...and waste your money?

So how do you buy a Ching Cheng cable??

@keithr My friend bought from his zen master, before he saw the light, lol.
Sorry, but the only cable that is veiled, tone sucking and non resolving are the Ching Cheng’s, IMO. If you think the Zen Waves, Nordost and the Black Cat cables are colored, it just goes to show how we all listen/hear differently!

Where did your friend buy the Ching Chengs, @daveyf ?

most of those cords you used are quite colored imo. 

I would pick Signal or Cullen PC’s over any Ching Cheng or generic brand. 
http://signalcable.com/magicpower.html

http://www.cullencable.com

Funny this thread got resurrected.  I was using the CC cords and eventually upgraded to Furutech and DH Lab based cords once my system got to a good enough level.  They were a significant upgrade on most components.  The stock cord did actually sound better on a Pass XA25.  Switching the exact same cords on Coincident Frankenstein 300bs produced the exact opposite results.  As with all things, final results will be system dependent.  

@douglas_schroeder   LOL, that is very true. The Ching Chengs are being pushed by some self appointed audio guru on another forum, which is why I wanted to listen to them. The net result is what I posted above. BUT, if you wanted a power cord that was able to 'neutralize' your sound and make the system sound dead...then what the guru states would be correct! Personally, my friend and I couldn't wait to put them in the trash where they belong.

If you never do a comparison of power cords, you'll be happy. 

A’phile friend of mine brought over some of the inexpensive Ching Cheng pc’s tonight. We listened to them against a number of other pc’s --from Zen Wave, Black Cat, Synergistic, Cardas, Nordost and Audience. Interestingly...the Ching Chengs were basically junk in my system. Resolution dropped like a stone, frequency extension was non-existent, imaging diffuse, plus it was quite obvious that these inexpensive cables were no different than the stock ones supplied by all manufacturers’ to at least give you the ability to hook up power!
My friend left the Ching Chengs with me...to throw into the bin.
Even the entry level Cardas cables had it all over them..Moral of the story, at least in this case, is you get what you pay for.

Ok, the anti-xx stuff has reviewed well, so they are better than coat hangers.........

Cal3713, if you are just beginning on the tangled, slippery path of audio cables, tread carefully. You are right to spend less at first--until you settle on a viewpoint, a belief about the importance of all of your cables. If you decide they are important, get some better, used cables rather than cheapies. And please---stay away from BJ and anti-XX glorified coat hangers. There is a lack of credibility there, IMO.

The article by Blue Jean Cables, featured on Audiohilics, is a good example of persuasive marketing that serves their interests. Blue Jeans--not fancy but comfortable and affordable--as the name implies, Blue Jeans Cable appeals to the buyer who wants something that appears to be good but is not expensive. This is their target audience--the guy who wants good sound but is on a limited budget. BJC caters to this person--it's why they exist and sell what they sell. The cable is designed for the market share first, much like the ant-icable angle. They happen to not feature power cords. Ok, good---now, the best way to direct someone's spending decision is to steer them away from things they don't make. Why stress the importance of a cable they don't make? Better to influence their limited spending toward what they do make, better to marginalize the PC as an item of unimportance.
This reminds me of the guy who sells DACs to the budget-minded listener but not CD players, so he sez any player that tracks the disc will do--bits are bits--it's either right or wrong, don't worry about it. While everyone else is talking about vibration, noise, and jitter, none of these things exist in his world--because he doesn't sell that part of the system.
So here's BJC saying you are really hearing the differences in power cords you think you are hearing, but those differences don't really objectively exist--they are an artifact of your psyche, of your mood and emotions, as if to say, "How have you been feeling lately? Things ok at home? Pressure at work getting to you? Maybe see your doctor for a referral--sometimes just talking things out helps set you straight again. Yeah, there ya go."

FYI:
I just found out the Absolute Power Cord MkII is no longer available. GTT said it will be replaced by the Absolut Power Cork MK III sometime in the future.

Just thought I'd mention "The Absolute Power Cord Mk II" that GTT Audio & Video sells. I believe it's 8' long and sells for $45 plus shipping. I own some of the original ones that I purchased years ago and they were a lot of bang for the buck. I sent them out to be cryogenically treated, which improved them even more so after break in.
I don't know if these power cords are still available but if they are and a person wants to save some money and upgrade a stock power cord it is something to consider.

That said cables IMO should be the last tweak done to a system once you've settled on the best you can afford.

~~~

Thanks, that is exactly the point, and the tact that I'm currently pursuing. Go with something sufficient until the equipment is all settled down, and then when there's extra money and you need something to play with, experiment with cables.

And yes, I knew that I'd get the above arguments... clearly amp manufactures can't afford to also include exotic cords, but they're also motivated to ensure that what you open up out of the box sounds sufficiently good so that you don't regret the purchase.

Anyway, thanks for all the thoughts and suggestions. I'll come back to the thread and do some experimentation next time dropping $300-400 doesn't feel like it's taking a chunk out of the monthly income (unfortunately I have mono-blocks).

The Ching Cheng power cords are not only less expensive than
the cheapest audiophile cords, they're also good enough
that Pass is willing to ship them out with $10,000 amps.
If they made equipment sound bad, that simply wouldn't be
the case.

Look at it this way too. If Pass decided the Nordost Odin PC sounded the best with those amps it would double the cost (11K for the Odin PC). Then that may not be the right cable to match with the rest of everyones system. Sales would plummet.

That said cables IMO should be the last tweak done to a system once you've settled on the best you can afford.

quoting Nonoise "I believe practically all manufacturers of high end gear, including Nelson Pass, put a basic power cord that meets all minimum safety requirements. It doesn't mean it's good enough."

Exactly true. And the argument that a hi-end manufacturer wouldn't include a power chord that would compromise the sound of their equipment is an old one which that particular crowd likes to use. You can experiment for yourself for not much cash. The VH Audio offerings are mostly under $200 depending on the length you need and they will satisfy most people.

I believe practically all manufacturers of high end gear, including Nelson Pass, put a basic power cord that meets all minimum safety requirements. It doesn't mean it's good enough.

That, and you needn't spend $3K on a PC to improve the sound. Based on my experience alone, if I spent upwards of $10K on an amp, you be damned sure I'd replace that stock, run of the mill PC with a better aftermarket one and it needn't be more than a couple of hundred. In fact, less.

All the best,
Nonoise

I'm not saying it's impossible that power cords matter,
just that their argument makes sense, and given limited
funds, I'm happy to settle on an adequate product. The
Ching Cheng power cords are not only less expensive than
the cheapest audiophile cords, they're also good enough
that Pass is willing to ship them out with $10,000 amps.
If they made equipment sound bad, that simply wouldn't be
the case.

At this point, faced with the option of only
experimenting with the absolute cheapest audiophile cords
and 1000+ different opinions about which cords are
good/real/fake/snake oil, I'm happy to settle on a known
quantity backed by a reasonable argument (made by someone
who should be motivated to say that the cable does
matter; i.e., a cable manufacturer). That said, if I woke
up every day with another $3k in the bank, I'd happily
experiment with some top end PCs.

It's funny that people attack such an attitude.

And here, to balance out the thread (for your reading
pleasure):

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/powercords.html

"Also, for your reading pleasure: www.audioholics"

Yep, you can find an article on the internet to back up just about any viewpoint you want on any subject you can think of. Just because it appears in print doesn't really mean much other than it's one person's opinion. Many have learned to experiment for themselves but I guess if you'd rather just base what you purchase on opinions then just pick one and go with it and more power to you (no pun intended...ha ha)

We have 16 gauge Ching Cheng Power Cords in stock, contact me off-line for pricing and information.
david

Lots of folks like the Pangeas. I recently purchased 3 power cords from Monoprice.com and they are well-built 14 gauge cords. 10 ft. cords were $4.88 ea. and 6 ft. cords were $3.33 ea.

Great cords, great price, and Monoprice had 'em to my door within 1 week. I am quite satisfied, they are doing a great job getting the juice from the wall to my amps and my Oppo BDP-93. I see no reason to pay more than I did...

http://www.monoprice.com/Search/Index?keyword=14awg+power+cord

-RW-

Thanks for the various "real" suggestions. And yes, I did use google... if you look at the actual results from Bill_k's helpful link, there are only 16 power cords almost all of which are used and none of which are under 18 gauge.

In any case, I ended up doing an ebay search for 14awg power cords and found some options.

Also, for your reading pleasure: http://www.audioholics.com/audio-video-cables/power-cables

I know that people will disagree, but it's good information to read, regardless.

The Ching Cheng Power Cords look a lot like the stock BaoHing Power cords. If you just need 14 AWG power cords I say go for the Volex 17604 power cords.

http://www.newark.com/volex/17604/power-cord-nema5-15p-iec-c13-2m/dp/93K2606?mckv=slg1TXFCt|pcrid|61425483995|plid||[keyword_text]|match|b&CMP=KNC-GUSA-GEN-SKU-MDC-VOLEX

Currently they are labeled BaoHing instead of Belden now.

Good luck in your search.

I prefer the Mai Tai power cords as they make everything sound better.

No but i can get the Lo Mein power cord.

+1 Bill_k

Personally, I use Ka Ching power cords. But they are very expensive. ;-)

Signal Cable also makes a wonderful AC power cable that is not very expensive.

Highly recommended.

You might want to try Pangea brand cables primarily an Audio Advisor brand. They get positive reviews in forums and are inexpensive, should suit you.

Google is your friend, I see some various models of theirs available here: Ching Cheng Power Cords