Do powercords make a difference in sound?

I am truly sorry but I simply do not subscribe to your accessment. I mean no offense. I am sticking to my guns that properly designed power supplies do not require fancy power cords. I do not disrespect your opinion, I simply do not hold the same opinion. I have designed power supplies for a living and fully believe that I, during my career, have designed more than a few that can allieviate the effects that would cause detriment to audio reproduction.
I mean no ill will, we simply disagree.

I think that if the power supply in your component is designed properly and the stock power cord has sufficient gauge to deliver the current demanded by the component there is no advantage to upgrading.

I would like to think I have designed a few during my career.

Firstly, I am not trying to start a war with anyone. This is my opinion and I hope you respect my opinion and I do respect yours.

My whole premise is that more effort could be put into audio equipment power supplies by the manufacturers to save a comsumer money in not having to spend megabucks on expensive aftermarket power cords.

I have no doubt at all that you all hear differences with different power cords. My thing is that if the power supplies were designed properly the need for fancy power cords would cease to exist provided the power cord could provide the proper current.

After a lot of practical experience, I have come to the conclusion that the effects of the following plague audio reproduction in the respect to the deliverence of AC power to audio equipment:

1.The rejection and reduction of internal radio frequency interference (RFI) and noise already present on the mains line.

2.Immunity to and rejection of additional external RFI, EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) and noise.

3.Low impedance and high current capacity, so as not to current limit any equipment.

Each of these problems could easily be addressed in the power supply of a piece of gear.

I am an engineer by trade and I have designed and built quite a bit of audio equipment including their power supplies as a hobby. My power supplies are always designed to combat the above. I am also somewhat of a diciple of Nelson Pass and his SUSY or X designs and frequent his forum on DIYaudio.

I have listened to a number of high end power cords but have chosen to build my own. I am always a fan of using the best parts I could (wire, and connectors) to build a power cord just the same as using the best components I could when building an amp or premap or my turntable.

I hope I have answered everyones questions. I don't want to write a book here. Again, I do not dispute that people hear differences. I think those differences can be minimized by better power supply design.

Thank you for understanding my position. For a while it felt like I was under attack for having a different opinion when in fact I always maintained that power cords do make a difference in systems with poorly designed power supplies.

The sad part is that there are some high end companies that do not put very much thought in power supply design. I wonder how many companies actually use inductors in their power amplifier power supplies or how many use regulated supplies beyond a three terminal regulator in their preamps or build in EMI and RFI filters beyond a capacitor or leave out a filter to keep DC off the input of a power transformer to eliminate transformer hum? It is certainly food for thought on why power cords make a difference or sound different on different equipment.

I will try to answer you one at a time so please be patient.

Mrtennis: I am an engineer. In my career I have designed RF amplifiers and power supplies. I am an audio hobbiest and member of an audio club. It is my distraction and my method of escapism. My power cords are made of the 12 awg three conductor orange power cable (I wish they had it in black) you can buy at Home Depot. It is the same cable some people have used as speaker cable and claimed it is actually pretty good. I use Hospital grade connectors. I have not experimented with fancy materials or the like. I have made many power cables for members of my audio club and have listened to many of their high end cables during meet-ups at my home. I have yet to detect a sonic difference when used with my system. Being a hobbiest I don't have access to all the fancy materials you list. I like to keep it simple. When I design a supply I incorporate EMI and RFI filtration so I don't have to depend on the power cord to provide that level of assistance.

Douglas_schroeder: I am very much a Pass Labs fan. I may be overly harsh on the audio equipment manufacturers. I work in the defense sector. Our designs must pass rigorous specs for ripple, EMI and RFI specifications that commercial equipment does not. You can't afford to have a missile go off course because of excessive interference. Too often I have seen power resistors take the place of chokes and a single capacitor as an RFI filter instead of a common mode choke. Commercial products are just that, products made for the consumer. While they are designed not to emit EMI and RFI, I sometimes wonder how much thought was put into the succeptability to EMI and RFI. I guess that would put the conditioner manufacturers out of business. I don't want to single any one manufacturer out. That wouldn't be fair in my opinion. I can assure you I have seen some good ones and some bad ones.

Zaikesman: In retrospect, maybe I am overly harsh on the commercial HiFi manufacturers. They are not held to the same standards as those in the defense electronics arena. I sometimes that they also design to keep the costs down. I am not saying in defense electronics cost is not an object but the specifications are well laid out and they must be met and the designs reflect that. Our tax payers pay good money to protect our nation and expect our hardware to work and work well. In the power supplies I used to design we used RFI tight enclosures and some of the other features I already mentioned that are quite expensive to implement.

Again this is just my personal opinion. I guess in the end that power supply design in commercial HiFi equipment helps to sell power conditioners and power cords.

Thank you all for listening to me. I know these threads get a little crazy. Whether you agree with me or not is up to you. This is just one ex power supply designer's opinion. Thats what makes this hobby so much fun.

FYI...My DYI designed system is in our upstairs listening room. I enjoy what Nelson Pass has designed so much that I have an X350.5, X1 and Xono in my living room. If I could only be 1/100th as good an audio designer as Nelson that would be something.

I never asked Nelson about power cords although I believe he felt they would not make too much of a difference.

Nelson Pass on Power Supplies:

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_4_2/nelpass.html

I have stated my opinion but what I find interesting is how two different audiophiles can have differing opinions on how a specific combination of component and power cord sound.

Douglas_schroeder stated:

Another thought strikes me; is it possible, Liguy, that you have been comparing/using power cords which are somewhat similar in characteristics? i.e. Aftermarket 14 total gauge with stranded conductors, vs. your 12 total Ga. with stranded conductors?

Doug,

That IS an interesting thought. I am an open minded guy. My next club meeting is near the end of the month so maybe I can borrow some different cords from some members and have a listen and report back.

Rrpg: "There is one thing I have noticed. When something sounds good everybody knows it."

I wish I had $10 for every audio club meeting at which there were disputes on what sounded good and what didn't.

I have not had the guys in the Audio Club with some different cables over yet due to a business trip. Please be patient.