High priced power cords and power conditioners????

I agree with Sugarbrie, if at all possible get the dedicated lines first. I have (2) dedicated 20A lines with isolated grounds. I use one for digital and one for analog. Total cost, about $250. That's including Romex 10-3, PS Audio Power Ports, and installation (okay, so the electrician was a friend). Still, for the dollar, this was by far the best upgrade I've ever had.

If this is not possible, start with a conditioner. I've found that the farther you start back in the electrical line, the better off everything sounds. I have a Tara Labs AD/6 for the digital line and a Audio Magic Stealth for the analog line. As for power cords, yes, they do make a difference, but it's more of an individual taste thing. You're not really hearing what the cords can do though if your ac isn't up to speed. I haven't tried the Elrod cords yet, currently I'm playing with (2) BMI Whales and a Shark, Powersnakes Cobra and Black Mamba and a Tara Labs 'The One'. I prefer different cables for different applications. I like the Powersnakes on digital gear and the BMI Whales feeding the PLC's. The Shark is on the preamp and The One is on the amp. This is probably not the final arrangement, only the du jour arrangement. I actually prefer The One on source, may have to try another one on the amp. Possibly an Elrod, CPCC Top Gun HCFi, or Shunyata Taipan.
As for overal p/c recommendations, it would depend on what you're using them for. Some cords are better for source, whereas others are better for amplifiers/PLC's. You'd be best to pick a specific componant and ask for p/c reco's for that piece within your price range.

Start as far back as you can though, p/c's shouldn't come first, IMHO.

Regards,
John

Steve, it basically means that the ground plug is isolated from the conductor box (house ground) all the way to the breaker box. 10-3 Romex actually has 4 conductors. Hot, neutral, 2 grounds, one ground for electrical circuit, one ground for box. In theory it's to isolate any EMF or RMI noise that's being picked up by the house ground. Is it overkill? Probably. My electrician buddy says it is. However the PS Audio Power Ports I bought for him to install had this option, so I used it. The ground for the ground prong doesn't touch the metal plate. There isn't much difference money wise between regular 10-2 (hot,neutral, ground) and 10-3, so why not. Could I tell the difference between a dedicated circuit and a dedicated isolated circuit? Who knows? It only cost me $250 for the dedicated, isolated upgrade, and I can definitely hear the difference from before. However since I got the isolated ground at the same time as the dedicated line, I can't say for sure whether the isolation has anything to do with the new performance.

I hope this was helpful, I'm no electrician, but that's the best explanation I can come up with. I do KNOW that the 10-3 Romex he used had 4 conductors.

Regards,
John