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If Power Cords Don't Matter...

First of all, I don’t own any high-end power cords, mostly because I can’t fit them behind my rack. Second, I am not trying to stir up controversy, as you will see from my question. I understand that the people who believe power cords make no difference argue that once the power gets into the component, the AC is converted to DC and the power supply of the component takes over completely. I think I have that right for the most part. So it that’s true, and it probably is from a traditional EE standpoint, why is it that I have not heard anyone say that power conditioners make no difference? I am not aware of anyone with a decent system ever saying that a Niagara or Triton or Audience teflon conditioner didn’t affect their sound, for good or for bad. So if the EE theory is true, wouldn’t power conditioners make no difference either? I have an Audience AR6T for almost 10 years and I think it made a big difference. BTW - I am not talking about Power Plants, which deal with voltage stabilization, which is a different topic.  Obviously, if your AC voltage is way off, it's going to cause problems.  
chayro

Showing 2 responses by kingbarbuda

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kingbarbuda
514 posts
 
@troidelover1499 Maybe Tammy at Audiogon Support can help you with a name change to triodelover1499?
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kingbarbuda
514 posts
 
When I got back into this hobby I addressed the power cord and cable issue myself with a trial of Shunyata Venom to stock power cables. The Venom series is Shunyata’s entry level, but contains their core technology. The difference was not subtle. The clarify and black background were very apparent. I don’t think it was placebo. Now, having said that does one need to spend a fortune optimizing their power cables and conditioners. No. There are in my opinion diminishing returns that depend on your gears, room and your hearing. So do you need to go up to Shunyata’s Sigma or Omega levels. For me, no. For someone else, their hearing, their gear and their room, possibly. However for most folks I think benefits will become unnoticeable in the mid range somewhere and that will require an in home trial. Additionally, having tried a bunch of cables from different companies, I think that one can follow some basic guidelines and get good performing power cables for less money. Try and get good oxygen free conductors. Get the largest gauge you can. Good connectors and shielding around the conductors. I recently tried the top line power cable from Pangea and I think it faired no worse than the AQ Tornados and Shunyata Deltas I normally use. The Pangeas are a fraction of the cost. So I think one can get improvements over stock cables without breaking the bank. But I do think in my experience that good power cables perform better than stock. 
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