Do I need upgraded power cables?

@bzawa the important part of your question is that you’re asking other people what you "need", and in my experience, that’s just never the way to go.

fear of missing out means you’re already in fear ... so you’re not in a position to listen critically or to enjoy

Having said that ...

AC cables have a very real effect on the sound, and there are so many options out there, but it’s only something that you consider at the very end when you are happy with what you have and are looking for something to take it over the top without buying new equipment

when you get to that stage, I strongly recommend Shunyata Research. Not only is it very audible, what they sell, but it’s backed by science, and the pricing is incredibly reasonable for the quality… I believe they have the top quality products in the world

No bad artifacts. Great value  

So the question is, what are you going for, and they have a number of options each with different flavors and different price points, but you can never go wrong buying anything from Shunyata

my three favorite cable products from Shunyata are the Theta, the Sigma X, and the new Omega QR, three very different price points

the Gemini 8 is a nice product for very reasonable money, and you can go up from there into Denali and Everest

@bzawa

You got your answer right away from @bigtwin. Order three or four from one of the online sellers that offer trial periods/refunds and audition them for yourself. Audio Advisor is one example.

Personally, I favor The Cable Co. You can borrow burned-in cables from them, listen and decide for yourself. This has become my go-to approach to cable upgrades. I just completed a power cable comparison using their cable lending library and opted to stay with my current brand but move up their line. If you’re interested, PM me and I’ll give you the name of the guy I always work with, there. Very knowledgeable, patient and no hard-sell tactics.

Good luck!

I haven’t read through all the responses, but before upgrading your power cables you should install a dedicated electrical circuit.   It’s the best, least expensive upgrade you can do and while your at it add a good quality outlet.

@zimwig 

How much does this  "least expensive" option add up to, on average?

I'm curious.

@stuartk  I ran two lines and it was like $200 plus cost of the outlets I bought, but my walls were down at the time so may be more if they have to snake the wires and cut holes.  Just to give you a rough idea. 

My “least expensive” comment was really a best bang for the buck.  With a dedicated circuit, the background noise will be diminished tremendously.  It lets the music shine. Cost is all labor.  Get quote from an electrician.

@soix 

Thanks!

@zimwig 

Thanks for the clarification.

Yes, I believe a good power conditioner and power cables will improve your sound quality because that's been my experience.  But, it may not be yours or at least not to the extent you think it important.  One of the joys of this hobby for me is the pursuit of even small increases in sound quality, some times at what others consider substantial expense.  

The first thing I'd recommend is a dedicated 20 amp line for your system only.  Have a good electrician unit from the box to your system from a quiet, isolated portion of your box and make sure you have a good ground connection as well.  This work is usually not too expensive.  Probably the biggest benefits of better circuitry is the increase in wire gauge from the box and better receptacles that come to you with the process.

Then get yourself a decent power conditioner from your local dealer on trial.  They come in all price ranges and won't choke the transients out of your amplifier like the Panamax is likely doing.  In fact, plugging the amplifier directly to the wall may still be best.  Just unplug it when storms come.  

Next, try some well regarded power cables.  All this equipment is system dependent.  AQ's best conditioner didn't do as well for me as Shunyata but their top power cables are terrific.  Your experience will likely be different.  

But, this pursuit and the thrill of listening to life like music are what it's al about.

Enjoy...

On what I call "fine" changes to your system, in which I include power cables and power conditioners, I don't recommend A/B ing. Have a friend change (or not change) the setup while you leave the room for a while, then walk back in and see if you can recognize the change that power conditioners and cables make. In other words, do a blind test with a time lag. I say this because we audiophiles have trained our ears to hear fine changes when we're concentrating, but it's very difficult to hear fine changes when you have nothing to relate those changes to. In other words, can you actually hear the difference on a day-to-day basis? 

I recently purchased a Shunyata Venom 16 with an expensive power cable. I heard the difference when I listened to the comparison of my system with the Shunyata and without. The system sounded darker and enclosed without. With the Shunyata the system was less dark and more open. Enough though that I would hear the difference if somebody pulled out the Shinyata and I turned on my system without knowing? Maybe not.

I know I would notice if my Hovland Radia amp were replaced. My non-audiophile neighbor noticed when I replaced it with a Linn amp. He didn't like the sound. I would notice if my Pass preamp were changed. And absolutely notice if my Sonus Faber Olympica Nova 5 speakers were changed to some other speaker. My power conditioner, not so much. It seems like a lot when you grit your teeth and A/B these fine changes, and I believe we audiophiles even pat ourselves on the backs for noticing differences. But on a day to day basis.... I'm not so sure.

Good day ladies and gents

Thanks to all for the advice. I decided to go The Cable Company Lending Library route. Presently, the Cardas Persec interconnects and speaker cables are hooked up. Replacing Monster powerline 2 and cardas quadlink. It was not a wow transformation. I think the parsecs sounder better (maybe a bit gentler). I was a bit disappointed. Just saying... Would anyone care to comment or share a similar experience? 

When we talk about differences in wire, sometimes we should mention that some wire, mostly lower level copper, sounds more the same than different. If you didn’t get the sound you wanted, send it back, and try something different. That's the beauty in using The cable company. 

I personally chose to buy used from audiogon and try different cables over the years. If you research the cost you can break even doing it this way. It is fun for me, but others find it drives them crazy. 

The journey is fun in itself!

Good Luck!

Forgot to ask if you changed your power conditoner?

@acman3 Not yet. Using it for power surges. It was recommended by The Cable Company to upgrade cables first.

@acman3  I was going to go the used cable route until I found that The Cable Company is about 5 miles from home. So, no shipping costs. I borrowed the Parsecs and the Shunyata Gamma interconnects and speaker cables.

I have had a good experience with the Cardas Parsec XLR interconnects and speaker cables, but your experience may vary if you are looking for a different sound quality from your cables. I think it's great that you are using the Lending Library from the Cable Company.

Several years ago, I borrowed interconnects from the CC and tested them in my home system. I listened to the Cardas Parsec, the Shunyata Venom, a cable from Synergistic Research, and another cable I can't remember at this time. What I do remember is that I liked the Parsec best. It had a smooth, musical delivery with absolutely no listening fatigue. In contrast, the Synergistic cable overemphasized the high frequencies in a way that was fatiguing and lacking in fullness of tone. The Venom was at the opposite end of the spectrum, sounding very smooth and pleasant, but not being especially lively or engaging. The Parsec was the closest to "just right" for my system and my preferences at that time. The Parsec had enough smoothness and richness to help tame my Thiel metal tweeters without excessive softening of the high end.

After living with, and enjoying, the Parsec XLRs and speaker cables for a couple of years, I decided to move up to more expensive options in the Cardas line of cables. I decided not to go all out on high-end detail, but I wanted to add a bit more transparency and openness without giving up too much of the Cardas' rich tonality. I settled on Clear Reflection, despite it being substantially more expensive than Parsec, and I have been very happy with Clear Reflection in my system.

I am currently testing out a few power cables I borrowed from the CC Lending Library. I have been quite impressed with the Shunyata Theta NR cables, although I wish they had just a touch more "meat-on-the-bones" for my taste and system. I'm afraid I'll have to spend more to move further up the Shunyata product line, but the Theta power cords are definitely a great value. I'm currently using Shunyata Delta V2 NR and Venom-12 NR power cables on most of my gear.

I think you are on the right path in trying out cables in your home system to see what sounds best to you. It's easy to be seduced by high-end detail, and too many cables go over-the-top in a way that is not very realistic and can become tiring to listen to. In your listening, be sure to pay attention to which cables help draw you in for extensive listening to your system. You want to select cables you can live with, not those that provide just an exciting "one-night stand."

I would encourage you to borrow the Acoustic Zen Satori cables and Matrix Ref. II Interconnects for reference if nothing else.  If you can find cheaper cables that can match those then you’ve really got something.  Best of luck in your search.