Power cord upgrade for ATC 100A Active Speakers

@jimboman I would recommend you try nordost cables. Heimdall 2 and Frey 2. Used they’re not terribly expensive (depending on your budget). I don’t see how or why they wouldn’t improve the sound or at least make a difference. I’ve used these cords on every component from streamers to amps. If their sound signature (airy, fast, relaxed) is to your liking you should hear these qualities in your system when these cords are feeding the speaker amps. 

Perhaps fruit for thought:

Several A-Goners have remarked that upgrading power chords provided the most dramatic SQ improvements with their AMPS & PREAMPS, and the least improvement with TT and speakers...

Always demo...

Cheers,

I am not running ATC speakers, I am running GE Triton Reference speakers with powered woofers. I wasn’t pleased with the cheap power cords that came with the speakers, so I am using a pair of Pangea AC9 power cords on them.  I had them hanging around, unused so I thought why not. There really wasn’t any difference between them and the cheap power cords but I have left them in for the past 8+ years.  I have the power cords connected to a Shunyata Hydra and connected to a 20 amp dedicated outlet with a. 10 gauge Shunyata Copperhead cord. Had I not had all of this hanging around, I would be still using the original power cords.  

Yes , I get it. For me that’s my current bottleneck. I’m not running high power SS gear so I’m not suffering too much. FWIT , I installed a pair of the better Hubble medical outlets on my existing 15 amp circuit. They happen to be 20 amp outlets but that doesn’t matter as I’m aware not to overload the circuit. I have a new service panel and copper wiring. I run a Richard Gray power filter that has a super beefy factory cord. Due to having the 20 amp outlets I purchased a Shunyata Venom HP 20 amp cord to try. I have Morrow level 4 and Analysis Plus cords to my gear. When I switched to the Shunyata cord that essentially feeds everything else the change was very noticeable. I apologize for being a snippy old B , but I have found that wire CAN make a difference for me in my system. And being an old dinosaur I came from the camp that wire is wire and spiked speakers are the best. You can teach an old dog new tricks but he still occasionally pees on the floor. Chers and Happy Hunting. 

Thanks to all for the responses.  I appreciate the varied perspectives.

@buellrider97  I have a dedicated 10AWG 3-wire 20-amp line, with a Cardas outlet for one 100A speaker (which was originally setup to power the 2-channel Benchmark AHB2), and am running the other 100A off the house 15A circuit (which also powers the digital front end).

We are planning a move, and probably a basement renovation, so I will either run a single 20A for both speakers, or 2 x 20A lines, although I wonder if this might be overkill.  I don't usually listen at high volumes, and the 100As have great dynamics even now, with the stock cables.

I was hoping to hear from some folks who actually are running ATC active speakers, as their real-world experience would be an asset.  That said, my limited experience so far has been that 'everything makes a difference' -- sometimes, even if it's just peace of mind that each link in the system chain is strong.

Best, JAMES.

Do you have dedicated power lines ? If you are running your system off 1 or 2 , 15 amp circuits that usually are available will most likely impact your performance. I’m currently doing a remodel and plan on adding a pair of dedicated 20 amp circuits for my system. Currently I have found a slight improvement with modest priced outlets and modest priced power cord upgrades. Once again we’re subject to someone preaching an absolute to others colored with insults. Maybe he could get off his opinionated ass and go to someone’s house that can demonstrate a difference. I know that based on my actual experience that I had slight gains in about half of my power cord experiments. BTW when I had my Rogue M-180 monos upgraded to Dark status , I had to pony up $250 for the rhodium binding posts, for me a total waste of money. But Rogue would not put the “ Dark “ certification stickers on unless I went full upgrade. So I paid $250 for an “ EGO “ sticker.  So yes I am aware of Bias Confirmation , but as Rule 62 states “ Don’t take myself too Damn Seriously “. Cheers , Mike B. 

Shunyata Reasearch produces power/conditioning and cords that are competitive with any other manufacturer. The Placebo effect is a validation/cop out when fear and frugality dominate the thought process. HEA has unlimited potential why let skewed personal biases limit the possibilities.

I think spending your time and coin on Real improvements is the way to go. Placebo can be very expensive, you might get stuck in that BS rabbit hole. 

I definitely recommend these rhodium plated outlets: Furutech GTX DR NCF High-End Performance Duplex Receptacle. But only after you installed direct lines. Both will give you an excellent improvement... very cost effective. 

@jasonbourne71  It’s a slippery neurotic slope, indeed!  

Use whatever power cords came with your ATC speakers and stop your neurotic worrying! Next you will be buying rhodium-plated AC outlets!