Power cord recommendation for a dac?

Synergistic Research Master Coupler. Synergistic is known for just the sound you described, and the Master Coupler is The Gold Standard of power cords, made for 25 years because yes, it is that good. Most of their newer/more expensive ones are even better of course, but why when you can probably find a Master Coupler used for around $250?

Any generic PC will work just fine.
Go to a hardware store....
Go to the electrical supply section....
Reach up to or into the nearest PC shelf....
Select the one of the length you need and buy it.
Anything else is a total waste of money.

Wywires Silver Juice II Digital PC. I also use Nordost Vishnu for digital and very open PC which I find has no glare whatsoever. Both great cables but different from each other. Kimber PK14 Gold would be another to read up on.

Any thing by triode wire labs. 

Triode Wire Labs Digital American or one of the new Shunyata Digitial power cords.  The 14 gauge starts a $195 with the 12 and 10 gauge higher but still in your budget range.  

+1 on TWL cables. 

Zimmerma... butt out. Ideologues prohibited in this thread.

I would look in my wardrobe for something to use.

+1 zimmerma! You are one of few sane posters here! Changing a power cord is like going to a different gas station and expecting that pump hose to result in your car's mileage improving!

There are those that apparently aren't able to hear a difference when using different power cords, interconnects, etc. Therefore to them, they can't hear a difference but that doesn't mean that a difference doesn't exist. Judge for yourself.

Might want to check out Audio Art Cable's power1 Classic ; I use it with my Modwright Elysee DAC. Here's a link if you want to take a look at it or their other cables . Also , if you think you are interested in one of them toggling back to their main page it appears that they have 20% off sale going on now

https://audioartcable.com/products/power-cables/

I have no affiliation with AAC other than being a very satisfied customer , I also use some of their other model power cords throughout my main system.

@lak

There are those that apparently aren’t able to hear a difference when using different power cords, interconnects, etc. Therefore to them, they can’t hear a difference but that doesn’t mean that a difference doesn’t exist. Judge for yourself.

I really think it’s a matter of how resolving your gear is. If you’re running a $500 Yamaha amp though some low efficiency Polk speakers you will likely never hear a difference. The the sonic impacts that ICs, equipment isolation, and power cords only became really evident to me after my components started improving. I wonder how many folks with $25K+ in gear feel power cords make no difference compared to those whose complete rig is less than $5K?

@three_easy_payments, I totally agree however there are those that have pretty good systems and continue to make the same posts denying that power cord or any type of interconnects can make a difference. Some people are simply unable to hear the difference, perhaps that skill or gift has not been learned.

How about sticking to what pmboyd asked and if you have a power cord recommendation give him one ; he didn't ask if an upgraded cord was beneficial or not.

I think the powercord is a waste of money. just change the volts of the amp and the preamp from 115 from 230. (this would be money well spent). In my experience that will be the ultimate in performance, with better transient response and detail. Voltage affects freq response...

Under $500 I would go with used Silent Source Signature.

I have never failed to hear a difference with any wire -- power cords, interconnects, speaker, digital -- that I changed in any system I owned. Sometimes that difference was subtle, more often it was the indisputable. All my audiophile friends agree on the charterization of these differences. On the other hand, in my 75 years on the planet, I have met many people with tin ears and many people and closed minds. Nonetheless, I suppose there are systems that are impervious to such changes, although I have yet to encounter any.

Please, if you don't have a specific recommendation, find another thread in which indulge yourself.

If this conversation were done in real time, all you'd have to do is tell them, to their face, to butt out. And they'd walk away.

In this venue, they have the power of anonymity and the ability to be rude and keep on posting, much to their delight. They won't stop.

All the best,
Nonoise

Lessloss power cables

Thanks for proving my point. 👍

I bought an AQ Thunder power cord for my Codex on the recommendation of my dealer.
Money well spent.
Bob

I bought an AQ Thunder power cord for my Codex on the recommendation of my dealer. Money well spent.

@gdnrbob  Nice seeing your endorsement of the AQ Thunder.  I just ordered one today - a discounted dealer demo.  I've been noticing the AQ cables are less susceptible to ground noise and RF than my other power cords - even the cheaper AQ PCs.  I decided move up a bit to the Thunder for use with my amp. 

" Need a power cord for my new MHDT Orchid tube dac. Looking for something rich and detailed and absolutely glare/grain free, 500 or less, used or new -- something especially palpable in vocal and mid-bass frequencies. "
  Is this satire? What is your definition of rich and detailed and absolutely glare/grain free?

The lay of the land here is pretty much understood and yet abused. There are threads that just beg for debate and anyone’s free to join in the food fight. It’s not about "owning the bandwidth." It’s about someone highjacking your thread and eventually taking it off on a not appreciated tangent, robbing the OP of his/her answer.

Then, there are threads that avoid that route and when unsolicited points of view interject and the usual dog pilers start to chime in, it’s A-Okay with me that when the OP asks for it to stop, then grow up and stop. There will be other chances to display your id for the world to see.

This has been going on for too long a time. Those who complain about civility beg the question: what little world do you reside in?

All the best,
Nonoise

I believe that what I mean is generally understood. I'm gathering ballpark recommendations, then checking them against reviews and other data, eventually to narrow the field for auditioning. 

To Whom It May Concern:

It's my time and money, I get to decide what to do with it. You decide what to do with yours.

I'm not interested in polemic. Been there, done that. It's a waste of my time.

Sounds like someone is carrying baggage from a previous thread and just can't let go. 

By the way, I'll second the Triode Wire Labs PC. Also, Cullen Cable has more in his line up than when I got the TWL Digital American. HIs top line PC still comes in under the TWL and may be worth a look.

All the best,
Nonoise

Multiple votes for Triode Wire Labs. Thanks. I'll check them out.

I would give Mark Tunis a consideration. I have his power cord on my Metrum Onyx and love it. It's also on my PS Audio amp and will be on my Auralic preamp next week. 

On a side note:  I recently purchased a 40$ Ethernet cable from Swedish Jenving (Supra). I bought it just for fun and was expecting snake oil. Much to my surprise the difference was very audible from the first second. Much clearer and a bit louder. 

Audience PowerChord. I have used the “e” version with excellent results on two different DACs. Available used in you price range. 

Supra is very good for the money. I have their power cord which I didn’t care for their ends as they feel very cheap so off they went. The Supra PC to my ears a little soft or not as open and revealing as my Wywires and Nordost. I also purchased the Supra Power Block and again very good for the money, although not up to my PS Audio P5. Lastly I use a Supra Ethernet cable to my Bluesound Vault 2 which I prefer over the cable that came with it. Haven’t tried other Ethernet cables but very happy with the Supra.

Check out Zu Audio Mission MKI power cords on Ebay. You can often get them for less than $50. It’s what I use for my Orchid.

+ 1 Lak
Power cords do and can make a difference.

Zu Audio Mission MK1or Silnote Poseidone. Both can be had for $100 or less.

Both Signal and Cullen make high quality cables in the $100 range. And Mr. Cullen will be happy to help you find a model that fits your goals and tastes

if you spend more then $16.95 the whole world will laugh at you for the rest of your life !!! any engineer will tell you the same  ! 

I like shielded power cables for DAC's, but they don't have to be expensive. 

Best,
E

kgbspy7... What I will laugh at for the rest of my life: YOU. 

"In the year of our Lord 1432, there arose a grievous quarrel among the brethren over the number of teeth in the mouth of a horse. For 13 days the disputation raged without ceasing...."

There is a charming parable illustrating the need for empirical evidence. It concerns scholars vigorously debating the number of teeth in a horse's mouth. A naive young man suggests that they might resolve the question by looking in the horse's mouth and counting them. The scholars are horrified at this outrageous suggestion. 

pmboyd .... ok  let me do some explanation....
any DAC circuit is powered by   2 or 3 low voltage lines 3.3 V, 5V and 12V.
most likely 120-220 Volt AC line(that is where you connect your supper expensive  AC cable) goes to switch mode power supply circuit  ... the output  of that supply is 15-16 volt DC or additional 7V DC. those 1 or 2 lines are used to produce lower desired voltages (3.3V or 5V or 12 V ..whatever needed) ... DC regulator ICs + electrolytic capacitors + ceramic type   capacitors are used to make those DC supplies free of any "noise" low frequency or high frequency  . ONCE AGAIN POWER SUPPLY AC CABLE (CORD)  CAN NOT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF THOSE DC LINES  AND SOUND QUALITY !
it is a scientific fact...Blind test will prove me right.
those who detect differences in sound (different sound level or "improvement " in sound quality) with different AC cords ... please see psychiatrist   . 

Haha, arguing from ideology when empirical results plainly contradicts. 

kgbspy

it is a scientific fact...Blind test will prove me right.

Is that a faith-based statement, or have you actually conducted such tests?

those who detect differences in sound (different sound level or "improvement " in sound quality) with different AC cords ... please see psychiatrist

Claiming that those with whom one disagrees are insane is a common practice of dictators, despots and tyrants. That makes it pretty easy to dismiss your beliefs.

Evidently the whole audiophile cable industry is built around a massive psychiactric community. 

pmboyd

Haha, arguing from ideology when empirical results plainly contradicts.

Yes. Some of the contributors here are consumed by their faith, and proselytize accordingly.

But hey guys!.. I read the manual and looked at the schematics and it says it's supposed to do this thing and that so that's all I need to know.

Why should I have to listen to it, or anything, for that matter. I just know it to be true. Your senses can't be trusted. 

Now take that argument to it's logical conclusion and all one needs to do is get a Walmart table radio and post pictures of your favorite gear on the wall behind it and you're set to go. You can upgrade simply by exchanging new photos of gear every now and again.

All the best,
Nonoise

One dimensional thinking is tragically limiting in our understanding of the universe.  Just like one dimensional thinking where only DC laws of physics can apply to power cord performance.

A good example.  Laws of physics say I should move away from the source of heat to get cooler, right?  The sun's surface sits steady at temperature of roughly 5,500 degrees Celsius. No problem there. However, as the heat travels from the sun's surface to the layer a few hundred miles away from its surface (known as the sun's corona), it rises to a temperature of 1,000,000 degrees Celsius. Why?  We don't know but obviously the universe is much more dynamic than any one dimensional thinker would ever have guessed.