Power Cord for Accuphase Amplifier
I have a new Accuphase P-4600 amplifier and am looking for a power cord to replace the stock. So far I’ve tried the Cullen Crossfire and the IceAge OFC Frankencable. While both cables have worked well on my source components they have not performed better than the stock on the amplifier. So to those who have Accuphase amplifiers what power cable has worked for you?
As I mentioned in other threads Accuphase strongly recommends that you use only the stock cord and so far that has been the best. The. other two have resulted in a darker sound with less soundscape openness.
I’ve been trying to stay under $500 for the cord but would be willing to go a little higher if it improves the amps performance.
"Please keep in mind, after you scratch contact surface, contact resistance could dramatically increase, and then plugging “new fancy” cord will give you relief for few days.. then you need to try to “improve” sound again, by buying new PC :-) " - maybe in micro circuits, chips and tiny components, but in IEC plugs & receptacles, I don't buy it ... |
I guess I do not value my gear or anything else I have at all, simply because I don’t own a microscope. I use high quality power cords. I do not use hospital grade outlets as they strip the plating off the connectors on the power cords. The connectors I use are either gold or rhodium plated and they’re polished smooth to avoid scratching IEC. |
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@audphile1 "I use high quality power cords” understand! the problem with “high quality cords” is a different understanding of key performance and reliability metrics. for example extreme high contact pressure and the same time small effective contact area plug will cut through noble tin (few um) plating layer, thus exposing contact base metal for oxidation. reputable interconnect manufacturer checks contact integrity after series of plug/unplug iterations (x100 times), which helps valued gear to work longer time at the same performance level. “scratched” IEC plug can cause short time phenomena of “hearable” PC replacement SQ improvement, and which is unique to each case. ideally IEC receptacle should be replaced together with PC using the same brand/design/series plug, latest rhodium plated contacts are very good to consider, specially for aged gear! |
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Power cords definitely make a difference in sound. Sometimes better, sometimes worse and that’s why it’s best to buy from a dealer who accepts returns or trial basis. As others have suggested, wait until the unit has 300 hours and then experiment. I experimented with power cords without expectations and was shocked at the difference in sound. Kimber Kables sound different than Audioquest and they sound different than JPS Labs, and on and on. Paul McGowan of PS Audio said in his YT videos that their power cord is to fill a need and they expect the buyer to get a higher quality. Never read an advertisement of a electronics company bragging about the quality of their included power cord. Never. |
As I mentioned in my OP I have been unable to find a third party Power Cord that sounds better than the stock cord delivered with my Accuphase P4600 Amplifier. With each I’ve had the same experience: A lack of air and openness in return for a more forward and darker sound. Now while I’ve tried several brands I haven’t tried any that cost more than $1K. So maybe more expensive cords would deliver an improvement. But right now my system sounds wonderful. I have no issues or inclination to spend more money. I have upgraded the power cords on my DAC and Streamer with good results. So Digital components seem to easily benefit from an upgrade cord especially if it’s shielded. |
@jfrmusic "I have been unable to find a third party Power Cord that sounds better than the stock cord delivered with my Accuphase P4600 Amplifier." Accuphase designs amps/other to be immune to AC noise, IR drops, worst of RFI, so, your finding sounds reasonable to me! Typically cheapest amps because of low tolerance to noises, benefits more of cleaner power etc. |
Hi ! I have to disagree ... I was a happy owner of an Accu 470 And then I changed that for an Accu E5000 I have triyed a lot of AC cables, including Jorma Prime and Audioquest Hurricane but I was not convinced to buy them After years of experimenting I stopped to DIY Furutech 762. The cable itself is not a revelation without the corect terminations, which I found to be Shuko Oyaide 004 and IEC Isotek Gold - very fast cable, very good image, good timbre Another good match for this cable can be ETI Legato gold ( both Shuko and IEC ) - a bit more romantic and forgiving than upper combination, but still , fantastic cable What I did found out in 10 years of Accuphase ownership is that Accuphase amplifiers does not like Rodium on the AC plugs. They sound impressive at the beginning but for long term you can't tolertate them ... And Yes, for Accuphase the most critical cable is the AC cable. You can't have them running on the stock cable , it's a waist of money. You'll never know what Acccuphase is up to, untill you have-it on a proper AC cable. |
Maybe I will continue my search for a power cord for my Accuphase P4600 some day. But right now it sounds wonderful. Any upgraded cords in the $500-1000 range including a Furutech have reduced soundstage transparency, slightly darkened the sound and moved the image closer especially the mids. Only benefit was a little more bass. |
I would not get discouraged to try power cords within your budget. One of the blind buy off off eBay, turned out to be such a pleasant surprise. I picked up OYAIDE VONDITA-X 1.8m power cord for under $600. I am still breaking-in this cord on SACD player, with only 72 hours of running…I am loving what I’m hearing. |
