Do CD Transports benefit much from upgraded power cords?

I could do me some Lagavulin.......just saying. And a little DSOTM on SACD upstairs on the Yamaha CDS-2100..

"Prove it, bro!"

Just not worth arguing about.

@waytoomuchstuff 

10% is not a number to write off.

Popcorn is delicious. 
 

Perhaps the Bose Wave Radio in the kitchen would benefit from the power cord experiment. Perhaps a 10% increase in radio broadcast reception?

@thecarpathian  lol short quote written like a person who loves to skew the facts for there feelings of self worth. 

@panzrwagn , 

"Great claims require great evidence."

Pop a cd in and listen. Change the power cable. Repeat.

@squared80 , I'm guessing you don't own a $3k+ cd player. Also, define "quantifiable". You keep telling yourself that.....because once you know, you know forever. Unquantifiable? Lol.

Have a great day.

It occurs to the casual observer that a more expensive device would have less need for any aftermarket mitigation due to having a better power supply in the first place. It also occurs that any reported reduction in noise would be quantifiable as noise is a quantifiable phenomenon, as would the frequency spectra of that noise. Great claims require great evidence.

There will not be any quantifiable difference whatsoever by swapping power cords. None. Now, what you tell your brain to tell you is a different thing.

@richardbrand ,

You’re likely NOT to hear a difference would be my guess. The Power Supply in those types of units are made with the cheapest parts that can be sourced. But, acknowledging your point, I never tried what you’re suggesting, so I can’t say for sure.

As I said a year ago, (when this thread was started), you’re going to need a higher-end unit with much higher end, heavier duty (usually separate for analog and digital) power supplies to hear a difference with a power cord change. I’ve tried power cord swaps on $699 MSRP players and didn’t really hear much of a change at all. I’ve also tried swaps on $3k+ players, and the change was immediate, and very noticeable.

I still stand by that. The change is real, but you have to start with something quality, not a $39 WalMart DVD player. Give it a shot, though if you’re feeling froggy. You can always re-hook the Wall Wart power wires back up with wire-nuts, lol.

Doesn't amperage play a part in this? I also don't see the correlation between changing the power source with changing the power cord.

Interestingly I have access to a couple of Sony universal disc transports, which handle CD, SACD, DVD, BluRay and Ultra BluRay.  Each transport has two HDMI outputs, one purely for audio.  

Each is powered by a 12-Volt wall wart, so it would be very easy to substitute a 12-Volt car battery for the mains supply and do some A / B comparisons.

What objections are likely to be raised by the community, a) if there is no clear audible difference or b) if a clear audible difference is reported?

I power my CD transport with clean AC energy from its own nuclear reactor.  I use a small nuclear reactor for each component to keep the AC current cleaner.  😏

No

Thanks for the various comments. A couple more observations, if I may. As far as I'm concerned, when it comes to engineering, if it doesn't contradict the laws of physics, anything is possible. Secondly, when it comes to measurements, there are issues with aggregation. For example, differences in measured performance at component level can get buried when the aggregate performance of a device is measured. Thirdly, multi-variable dynamic phenomena are the hardest to model. Formula cars provide a good example of the latter. A team like Mercedes can go from having a dominant car to one which is marginally competitive in the space of one season. That's notwithstanding having an army of the best engineers and simulation and measurement tools. There is plenty of snake oil, mostly at the margins, of the hi fi industry. But there is also a huge amount of effort by honest, well motivated engineers attempting to advance the state of the art. Personally, I think that should be respected and given credit.

@yoyoyaya

What you are describing is akin to: The Scientific Method.

Curiously, cable-contrarians claim 'science' to substantiate their arguments. Using measurements as sophistry. How does one measure qualitative vs quantitative? Just like the taste of scotch - mentioned above.

+1, @yoyoyaya 

Your post outlines an interesting contrast between the two perspectives. I believe striking a balance between the two perspectives is the key.

Theoretical models need to evolve as new data comes in, which ultimately leads to more accurate and sophisticated understandings of the world. It’s in this constant feedback loop that the richness of human knowledge grows.

@lalitk 👍

Retiredfarmer great post. You nailed it.

"Many on here would be better to be happy with what they have and quit trying to belittle people..."

Right back at ya...

Anytime one of these wire threads come up I am always amazed at the non believing responses as they are derived from ignorance and or financial jealousy. It seems like many are afraid that anything that might be better is a reflection of the size of there manhood. Most of the doubtful posters likely don’t think there is a difference in one bottle of scotch to the next. There choice for best costs 20 dollars it it is the same as a 20 000 dollar bottle yet they have never tasted it. Many on here would be better to be happy with what they have and quit trying to belittle people that have more to spend then they do. There lives would be more peaceful and rewarding when they realize that.

Empiricism, subjectivism, objectivism, et al are interesting classifications of thought but no matter what label you put on one’s way of thinking, they all distill down to individual sensory perception. It can’t be any other way. It’s all sensory input. I’m gonna call it Sensorial Perceptionism. Fancy! Feel free to spread it around or, you know, not. Either way, my senses won’t perceive any hard feelings. Or will they...? Beats me, I put on two different shoes this morning.

Objectivists say - theory says it doesn't matter, so it can't matter. Empiricists say, observation tells me it does matter. Technically informed empiricists then attempt to find out why, at a theoretical level, it does matter. The latter is how the state of knowledge advances and is all the better for that, in my opinion.

I discovered recently that if you say “gullible” slowly enough, it sounds like “cable”.    
 

Perhaps if Jason 71 had put it this way; “It’s possible but, if there is a difference it will be many orders of magnitude smaller than spending an equivalent amount of money on upgrading your speakers” people might not be so rude to him. 
 

There is a genuine role amongst the “audiophile” community for scepticism. Otherwise we are all vulnerable to snake oil pedlars.
 

The only way to know the answer to this question would be to do a double crossover randomised control trial and apply a statistical process to determine whether the results are likely to be due to chance, or not. 
 

I’ve been into audio since 1969.  The acuity of my hearing is not what it was. But the credo I used in choosing components back when my hearing was very good, was never to pay more for something that I couldn’t immediately appreciate as an improvement.  I never regretted a single purchase based on this approach. 
 

My hearing is deteriorating, but my appreciation of music and the pleasure it brings is still increasing.  This is likely to happen to all of you, too, as the decades advance. 
 

In the meantime, I hope you all can appreciate the music.  

In the light of seeing attacks from the streaming community for playing CD and the Delta Sigma bullies for asking about NOS, I’m okay with @jasonbourne71

@audphile1 

Thanks for sharing the EMF device link. Good recommendation but I don’t think many of us have the luxury to space out our components. At best, we can try to isolate the worst offenders. I watched the video and honestly shocked to see the reading from microwave. I just placed an order off Amazon, it will be interesting to see which component of mine needs the most isolation.

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. 

@vuch

the question was about power cords!

They absolutely do!

I had some cheap monster cable RCA's connected and we switched in some Cardas Clear RCA's. The improvement in sonics was very noticeable. In fact CD's sounded better than my streaming front end where before streaming always sounded better. 

I bought the Cardas Clear RCA's and put them on my phono stage to the pre amp. I rarely use the CD player so I didn't want to spend 2.5k on another pair!

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

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

@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

@audiophile1 

Not to mention the likelihood that the CD transport injects noise onto the power cord which can affect other components.

A CD transport includes three feedback loops: a servo mechanism for adjusting the height of the laser above the pits on a rotating disk; a control system to regulate the flow of bits by slowing down the rotational speed of the platter; and a mechanism for tracking the pit spiral towards the outer edge of the disk. Most likely these are realised digitally.

Then there is the digital logic to apply the Reed Solomon Error Correction Code.  Altogether quite an electrically noisy environment!

To answer the thread yes in my experience power cords helps.merry Christmas to all.

One bonus I have as audiophile , I have friends who have good ears. And willing to offend me to learn.They have musical system as well.Plus I attend axpona annually because I am 35 minutes away from the venue.This helps too.

One of the reason why at Axpona they can’t maximize the sounds because of acclimation period needed.why Sunday is the best time to listen though I know they are only maybe 80% at their best.

This hobby that we are in takes time to learn it. It takes patience, money , time, familiarity of components and speakers, even cables.One thing I realize even experienced reviewers they spend weeks or months before they make conclusions on their findings .So who am I to say in a week concludes that my new cables or components or speakers sound good. I invested time to listen from jazz , classical, vocal , country music how my systems sounds.

@lalitk "...but it’s important to remember and rely on time and context to form meaningful impressions. Patience is the key in evaluating a piece of gear as sometimes subtle differences reveal themselves over days or weeks, not in an instant.

+1

I find the first few hours after a cable swap to be a very inaccurate presentation of what the SQ will eventually be.  Especially with power cords.   The more time, the better.

I always have a good laugh when I read about A/B testing by the measurement crowd.  It’s obvious that they don’t know what they don’t know.

@lalitk "...but it’s important to remember and rely on time and context to form meaningful impressions. Patience is the key in evaluating a piece of gear as sometimes subtle differences reveal themselves over days or weeks, not in an instant."

+1

@immatthewj 

Merry Christmas! 

Speaking of identifying gains or losses…I can only share my experience.

I believe self-awareness is a gift. Sometimes we wrestle with the desire for acute perception and clarity in evaluating gear, but it’s important to remember and rely on time and context to form meaningful impressions. Patience is the key in evaluating a piece of gear as sometimes subtle differences reveal themselves over days or weeks, not in an instant. Trusting your intuition over time often leads to better decisions. 

And Quest, regrettably, it isn’t a straight line. We often go through iterations of gear before finding the one that has the highest synergy. I come to realize, no single piece of gear will “fix” everything or provide an immediate revelation every time. When I hear incremental improvements, I celebrate those small wins as they are the steps toward your ideal sound. 

The fact that you’re enjoying the music and staying engaged in the process shows you’re already succeeding. Acute hearing is just one tool; your ability to connect emotionally with the music is far more important. By balancing curiosity with patience, you’ll continue to refine your system and deepen your appreciation for the journey. Keep at it—I believe you’re doing great!

@audphile1 +1, on clean power and power cords. The combination of them made a profound difference in my audio system. 

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. 

To bring this topic back (which is a good one) and off the complain-oh-wheel. I have found like some others, upgrading the source power cord, in my case a cd transport, made a very noticeable improvement.  I got a used cord for 180.00, Shunyata sidewinder vtx.  I worked for high end shops having heard many systems. I never thought you have to spend a lot to get 85-95% of what the very best can do.  Also for me, upgraded power cords in all my other pieces have made a nice improvement across the board. 

"jasonbourne71 appears to be a hideous, miserable deaf person in his late 90s, whose only role in life is ruining things for others.  It makes me angry every time I read one of his posts, and I sincerely wish he would just go away."

Or, you might try not reading his posts.

@lalitk , thanks for the vote of confidence, but actually I wish my hearing was acute to the point where I could immediately identify what gains or losses a piece of gear or a cable offered.  It would make the "quest" easier for me.  As it is, I do try to follow your advice of enjoying the journey and getting lost in the music.  If I could always  adhere to those words of wisdom I'd be less neurotic about the experience.

@immatthewj 

You’ve touched on a profound aspect of audio enjoyment, the emotional connection to music often transcends analytical listening. While some enthusiasts focus on dissecting every sonic detail, the ultimate goal is to enjoy the music and feel immersed in the experience.

Ultimately, trust your ears. The best audio system is the one that lets you forget about the gear and lose yourself in the music. It sounds like you’re already there—enjoy the journey!

Wow! The level of gullibility here is shocking!

kb54

111 posts

09-01-2023 at 08:34am 

jasonbourne71 appears to be a hideous, miserable deaf person in his late 90s, whose only role in life is ruining things for others.  It makes me angry every time I read one of his posts, and I sincerely wish he would just go away.

After you.

I don't know why, but cables make more difference on digital components, IMHO and personal experience.

You don't always need to spend much money, but sometime once you hear a certain cable on a component, it can't be unheard. 

In my experience they can change the sound but not saying better or worse. Although several ac cords have done wonders and wouldn't think twice about spending $$$ for one.

 I enjoy clean, clear vocals, tight full bass, soundstage, the sound of the venue, etc., but simply cannot hear 1/10th of what many here do.

I can relate to that, @chocaholic . . . enjoying good sound but not having the acute hearing that others here possess.  But I also think that although I cannot readily identify that I am hearing something, I am but I just don't realize it.  What I do realize is that I am enjoying listening to my system more, even though I don't know exactly why.  Of course this opens its own can of worms and the potential of many rabbit holes.  

Wow! The level of misinformation here is shocking. Obviously many contributors here have never tried experimenting with power chords on a transport or CD player. 

 I recently bought the well acclaimed Jay's Audio transport, ($2500), and used a low current Shunyata power cord designed for Cd players and other non amplifier uses and it sound great! It is an amazing thing. Then switched to a PS Audio power cord and the difference was immediately better in every way. So much so my wife noticed it as well while wail on the other side of a large room. And this is just regarding a transport. Many audiophiles swear that power cords make a bigger difference than interconnects. I am becoming a believer of this and have been at this hobby for over 40 years. Including working in a high end HI-Fi store in Chicago for ten years where all we did all day is experiment with every kind of high fi component, cables and tweaks. A good high end AC cord bought used  from ebay or Audiogon for just a few hundred bucks can make a BIG difference in the right place in your system. I'm talking about a WOW! , that's sounds great kind of improvement.