Do CD Transports benefit much from upgraded power cords?

@chocaholic 

I don’t think anyone needs to ease up on @jasonbourne71 @jasonbourne52. You got this backwards - he is actually the one ridiculing everyone else. He’s nothing more than a gum on a shoe with every power cord discussion. Look at his forum response history. It’s definitely time for him to STFU. 

@rockadanny in my experience, with every CD player, transport and streamers I had in my system, a good power cord made a difference. 

Alternating current (AC) travels back into circuit. Appliances poop into the circuit and that is why dedicated circuits make a difference when you have your components run on a dedicated line. You get cleaner power to your system. 
Every component generates EMI, your wifi, router, mesh nodes and access points/extenders radiate EMI and RFI. Switch mode power supplies dirty up the line. Different power cords use different materials (silver, copper, etc.), the power cord connectors are susceptible to interference, some more than others. With a spaghetti of cables, modern streaming systems using mesh networks with nodes near the system, it is critical now more than ever to have proper power cords on your components. Oh and good outlets as well with solid grip and as large a contact area as possible. Combined these higher quality power cords, outlets and dedicated lines reduce the potential of noise entering into your system. Shielding, dielectric, proximity of wires to each other all matter. Unfortunately it’s very difficult to separate cables and components to the degree that would completely eliminate EMi and RFI contamination. So yes power cables make a difference - supplying clean power to your components is key. 
Do we need to go crazy and have a $5,000 power cable feeding a $500 AV Receiver? No. But if you have invested a considerable amount of time and money into your components and room, running your system using good cables is critical in getting the performance your system is capable of. If you bought a new high performance car, you wouldn’t fill up with cheapest possible regular gas why…because you would compromise the performance you paid to expect. Same concept here. 

@richardbrand correct. It all matters. Also looking at OP’s system pictures - all of the components are only few inches away from each other. I would spread them out. Few months ago I ordered an EMF meter - an essential tool for setting up and tuning a system. Very interesting to see how much EMI each component generates and radiates out.

Here’s a link to amazon. https://a.co/d/ixBVICN

thecarpathian

4,470 posts

12-26-2024 at 09:47am 

"It’s also great for paranormal investigations, detecting EMF changes linked to ghostly activity."

Wonder if it can detect the Ghost of Christmas Past..
 

only if it lives inside your amp’s power supply. 

@lalitk 👍

@richardbrand

But there may be an impact on other components from the removal of the wall wart (switched mode power supply).

yes. You got it! Nothing exists in isolation - it’s an ecosystem. I talked about it in my earlier reply to this post and I think we’re on the same page.
I’ve been using aftermarket power cords on CD players, CD Transports and network streamers for years. I have not heard my system sound exactly identical with different power cables on digital front end. As a matter of fact I had just tried 3 power cables on my Aurender N200 streamer and they all resulted in different sonic presentation. And Aurender N200 has a really nice and solid linear power supply and is plugged into a dedicated circuit. I don’t do quick a/b. I run cables for at least a day before I evaluate. But…to each his own.
 

For those who like stock powrr cords and SMPS, cool by me. Your thoughts and beliefs do not affect the sound of my system in any way. Enjoy the music!

@grunge1000 you’re free to think that. 

@luvtubes69 ​​​​@grunge1000 could you please list your systems and the power cables you have tried that made no difference on any of your components?
Please…you continue to argue so it’s a good idea to substantiate your statements. Let’s see this info. If you haven’t tried you can have an opinion but it’s baseless.
And if you argue that you would like to understand why power cords make a difference I explained it in my earlier post and so did @richardbrand

Read it. If you don’t understand it is one thing. But if you continue to ignore the information provided to you and you continue to pound this thread with your “I think” theories without any experience, may be it is time to get back to ASR where Amir does all the thinking for you. Easier that way…don’t strain or burden yourselves.

 

grunge1000

17 posts

12-29-2024 at 09:47pm 

@audphile1--Why? What's the point of listing my system and PC's that I have used. What information has been given that statistically proves that PC's have an impact on sound? I can tell you that my Personal Computer PC is special and it makes my computer runs faster than an 10 Ghz AMD processer--Is that proof??
 

1. I don’t even know if you have a system 

2. It’s clear you haven’t tried any power cords other than stock if you have a system at all

3. Science has been wrong on many occasions but that’s not the point

4. How do you measure details, clarity, precision of imaging, soundstage depth, height and width with an oscilloscope…please enlighten me what measurements define these aspects of listening experience? Can human hearing and interpretation of what we hear by our brains when it comes to tone, what we define as perfect sound, be measured by oscilloscope?
 

Two different power amplifiers with the same measurements will sound different when compared. Same goes for DACs. But when you measure at the output they measure the same. 

I already explained the components and cables ecosystem where EMI and RFI impact performance of the components plus each component will pollute the AC line. 
 

I’m not here to prove anything to you. It appears you’re not willing to give this any consideration. So from where I’m standing, this conversation is over. Enjoy what you have. But if and when you eventually crawl from under that rock you may discover you’ve been wrong all along. Take care. 

No source. Picking up local radio stations with those stock power cords? Yeah I wouldn’t upgrade them. In your case it would actually be a downgrade or even a total outage. 

Oh come on be a bit more creative. You were doing so good. And then you just followed in the other minion’s footsteps. I’m disappointed. 

Anywho…enjoy the music and Happy New Year! 

@mclinnguy are you telling me Lafroaig 10 doesn’t taste the same as Macallan 18? 

It absolutely does! Scotch is scotch. Made from the same grains. Tastes exactly the same. 

I demand scientific proof or I call 🐂 💩 

Lets ask our friends, the fresh graduates from The International Institute of Scientific Truth & Knowledge, to chime in. Now that they solved the cable mystery this should be a walk in the park …

Lagavulin 16…haven’t had that in a while. Love it. Great in cold weather paired with a nice cigar. 
P.S. I don’t want to even read about blending single malts…I skipped that part of the thread…that’s just criminal…

@richardbrand I’m aware. But you’re not Johnny Walker.

carlsbad2

1,663 posts

01-04-2025 at 07:35pm 

Here is my take:  Nothing benefits from a high end power cord.
 

I disagree! I removed a captive power cord and replaced it with a Furutech IEC connector so that I can connect my Audioquest Hurricane to my InstantPot. It blew me away!

@thecarpathian from that post what are those facts that you speak of?

If I read and understood the conducted measurements correctly…

1. the AC filtration system costing > $50,000 was utilized to clean the AC power and the measurements were taken post this stage

2. the measurements were taken in isolation

3. the real world audio system never uses a $50,000 plus AC filtration and there is never a single component running in isolation (unless it is an all in one integrated sitting on a dedicated circuit which is possible but I don’t think I’ve seen too many systems set up thiscway. If you look at the big picture which doesn’t include a $50,000 AC conditioner and includes a number of components including digital and some with SMPS and all of them are pooping back into that AC line but hey we have that $50,000 AC filter don’t we…nah we don’t

So please what facts were provided…tell me

@grunge1000 you stated you don’t know how this translates to a sonic change if any…I agree. No way to tell. Measuring the wrong way, measuring all the wrong things…

It’s a fact within the boundaries of that measurement that was posted (not sure what the source of that information is by the way) but it doesn’t apply to audio.

It’s completely irrelevant. And as such isn’t s fact when discussing impacts of cables in the system. 

@grunge1000 ok that’s fine and even so…

Still, the measurements were performed in isolation, not within an ecosystem of components, routers, SMPs polluting the line, digital streamers, computers, whatever else we have in our systems that creates that unique environment that no one takes into account when performing measurements on cables and even components. In addition, the dataset is way too small to have anything conclusive as outcome. Measure it in silo all you want. Doesn’t translate to a real life use case. And doesn’t mean anything when we’re talking sound - tonality, imaging, soundstage, etc. As I mentioned earlier, how do you measure that?

To add, I literally had just spent almost two days auditioning a new (to me) power cable in my system. I had high expectations for it. It sounded worse than any of the 3 power cords I currently own. Drastically different and in a very bad way as far as my system synergy is concerned. Despite costing 3x as much as my cheapest power cable, it was beat by the latter. So it’s going back.
However, another power cord I have on loan sounds wonderful on DAC and sucks on streamer and is only so so on my amp. I know, you don’t have to believe me, I could be a nut case or just some dude with imagination who makes crap up. But the audible difference between these cables is right in front of me in my system that I’m extremely familiar with. I yanked the new cable out. That’s how bad of a match it is here. I’m sure even my dog heard the difference but she just can’t verbally confirm it. Lol

Agreed. I think I’ve explained how and why. Ultimately everyone decides what matters to them the most. I wouldn’t waste thousands on power cords if your components and room acoustics don’t warrant that.