Even though I am generally a skeptic when it comes to a lot of audiophile related things, I am curious enough to consider dabbling a bit in the coming months.
Here's my current system for reference:
(1) APC H15 Power Conditioner (2) Pioneer Elite PD-D6-J SACD player (3) Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 interconnect (6 feet) (4) Yaqin MC-30L integrated amplifier (EL34 tube) (5) Blue Jeans Cable Belden 5000 Series 10 AWG 5T00UP (7 feet) (6) Focal 836v speakers
The SACD player and amplifier are plugged into the power conditioner (used primarily for surge protection) and all equipment is using the stock cords. The power cord on the power conditioner is a beast compared to everything else in the system.
I would be looking for recommendations new or used in the sub-$150 price range.
Is it reasonable to assume that a power cord could make a difference in my system at this price point? If so, which ones should I be considering? Also, please provide any reasoning and experience that you have with any recommendation.
The power cord has made more of an improvement in my system than any other cable. $150 power cords made little improvements. I bought a BMI HH5 power cord and was stunned. There wasn't a doubt for a second at that point what really well made power cables are capable of.
IMO amps go directly into wall. Digital and phono pre amps seem to benefit the most with PCs. I had an eye opening experience trying Anticable's new Reference Level 3 cord. It made a significant improvement to the sound/music.
Mc-I would understand your question if someone let cables play on their own for a hundred hours then started listening. Memory might play some games. However, as I continuously listen through the break-in changes, I certainly can make sound distinctions. I also (probably with everyone else), have days when external power factors make things sound worse. I usually start thinking about resetting my speakers or tweak something. After checking the speakers with my laser pointer, I leave everything alone and in the evening (when less folks are on the grid) it sounds fine again. I hope you try some Cullen P/Cs for selfish reasons. They look interesting to me and I'd be intrigued by your observations. Good luck.
Mt10425 - You are correct that I'm questioning the validity of making a comparison between what I heard today after several hundred hours of listening to what I remember hearing previously. The responses from Banquo363 and Foster_9 provide a level credibility to their comparisons as they are attempting to take some objective data.
I'm stated that I'm a generally a skeptic when it comes to power cables but I'm open to the idea that the improvements could be real. Part of the process for me is to try and sift through the many responses and try to make sense of it. I know from my experience that on some days my system seems to sound better than others and I suspect the differences could be attributed to a variety of things ranging from where I'm sitting, to changes in the accoustics in the room from things being moved slightly, to neighbors making toast next door and messing up my power, to my mood. I can't objectively distinguish any constants so it would be virtually impossible for me to think that I have enough control over the many variable that effect how I experience my system to make any comparision that was separated by any length of time.
I've seen measured data showing how much room accoustics can change the audio response by simply moving a couple of inches. I've also experience how different my system sounds if I sit in a different spot. I realize that a lot of the people on this site have a much more controlled listening environment than I do, but things like this do make me interested to know more when certain types of statements are made.
Regarding the last few posts, an additional point that will be obvious to some but I nevertheless think warrants mention in this kind of discussion, is the possibility that things other than the performance of the power cord may change during the breakin period.
Examples being changes in AC line voltage or AC line noise characteristics, and ongoing breakin or aging of system components. Tubed components perhaps being particularly susceptible to the latter possibility, at some stages of their life-cycle. Also, the possibility that cartridge suspensions or speaker drivers may be in different states of flexibility due to differences in usage patterns that occur from time to time. (While I haven't particularly noticed that kind of effect with my speakers or with the cartridges I have used, it certainly occurs to a huge degree with my Stax electrostatic headphones). And, also, the possibility that the components in the system may be in unequal states of warmup during the various stages of the comparison, given especially that some folks believe that solid state components can take 24 hours or more to reach a stable warmup state.
As I see it, without a very disciplined methodology it's especially easy in audio to attribute a perceived change to the wrong variable.
Banquo- I have often taken notes when trying out power cords on a new (used) piece. I have about 6 power cords not in use and upon getting new gear I may use 4 or 5 of them trying to find a good match. I rarely buy new power cords. Mceljo, it comes down to knowing the sound of your system, recordings, and room very well and then you are not just depending on your memory to know what a power cord change is doing to the sound.
In auditioning cables, I've gotten into the habit of taking extensive notes on specific tracks. This mitigates the effects of memory and wishful thinking. Not foolproof to be sure, but better than pretending that one's memory alone is sufficient.
Mc-now you're arguing with folks expressing their experiences? Many people here have provided what you asked for. Now it's time for you to go play with some power cords. Oh, and don't forget to tell us your experiences. I hope you find they make no difference for you. It would save us another useless thread.
Foster_9 - Do you really believe that you can remember what your system sounded like with the previous power cord installed after many hours of break-in on the new one? I hope you at least swap back for a after the break-in to the original cord otherwise I'd say you are fooling yourself. It is simply not possible to accurately remember the "micro details" after a long period of time, it is hard enough with an instant A/B comparison.
One key thing about "listening" to changes brought on by inserting different power cords in a resolving system: when you first connect a power cord, the sound of the system will change over time, and it will change several times. The changes in sound can be subtle or more pronounced. This is the "break in" process. After trying many aftermarket power cords on different components over the years, this is my experience. If you're simply trying power cords for a few hours and then removing them, you will not hear the final sound of the system. Again, this is my experience. It may not be your experience. For me, the terms "settling in" and "breaking in" of cables exists. In my opinion, you cannot properly judge a power cord's affect until quite a few hours and days have occurred with that power cord connected. Or, you can run a new power cord connected to some other device (ie. refrigerator, computer, humidifier) before inserting it in your system to break it in. (also called "burn in.") Anymore, I typically don't have the patience for this and simply connect a new power cord to the component and play the system.
An interesting tidbit - I brought over my 'audiophile' power cords and interconnects to a friends house who had a system composed of equipment you could get at a typical electronics chain (e.g. BestBuy) and we could barely discern any sound quality difference. In my system I can hear distinct differences with any power cord / interconnect I try. I was pretty surprised, but I can now understand when I read posts from people that say they hear no difference.
Mceljo, then just get a power cord and see what happens. It may or may not make a difference. My point is that dedicated lines will definitely make a difference, and with dedicated lines, the power cord has a much greater probability to make a difference, and that difference itself to be greater.
TLS49 - My interest in checking out power cords is too potentially improve the sound of my system, but the driving force that motivates me is curiosity to find out if I can actually hear a difference in my system rather than any unhappiness with the current sound.
Mceljo, I didn't miss anything, and if you think the power available at your current wall outlet is adequate, then I agree with this recommendation,
It sounds as if you are looking for reasons NOT to try a power cord. I would say by all means then, don't try them. If you like what you have now, don't tread any further. Just listen to the music and be happy. Many folks wish that they HADN'T heard differences. LOL! This hobby is MUCH cheaper if you do not hear differences, or better yet, you don't even attempt to hear differences. LOL!!
You said the outlet itself might be an option, so why, all that is going to do is give you a better connection for the transfer of power. So think about this, what would be better if you had to plug the system in at your service panel?
1) 3,4,5 or more 14 gauge extension cords connected together to reach the system
2) A single 10 gauge extension cord to reach the system
Connections and distance are degrading to power transfer, and what has the greater potential for benefit with that upgraded power cord, 1 or 2?
I have had plenty of experience listening to systems before and after dedicated lines, one in particular that was even upgrading the actual dedicated lines. IMHO it is a very cost effective upgrade to achieve better sound when you are using quality equipment. Oh, but I forgot,
I'm not in this with the specific goal of improving the sound of my system, but rather to evaluate for myself the reality of sonic difference from a power cord with a secondary benefit of potentially improving my system.
Sorry, I just don't understand why anyone would have thoughts about spending additional money on a system, and not be looking to improve sound quality.
Mceljo - high-end components are able to reveal details that more modestly priced components are unable to.
Therefore, other posters are correct in their assertion that being able to hear the effect of "cable changes" is easier with hi-end gear - if you are listening for those details.
On a system that is unable to resolve this level of detail - you would have to listen for some other indicator of improvement.
However, even today's modestly priced systems are capable of revealing so much more detail if they are allowed to perform to their full potential - and this is where getting the right cables come into play
E.g. I have a Cambridge Audio 651p phono stage - cost $225 - it came with a wal-wart power supply - it performed as good as it could - with that supply - some people might upgrade to improve performance - I built a power supply with quality cables and much better transformer - the performance is now equivelent phono stages several times it price point and it reveals details never before heard.
However, it wasn't only the power supply & cables that allowed me to hear the improvements - it was everrthing else in the signal path - interconnects, amp, speaker cables, connectors...
Even changing the RCA's on the interconnects allowed the micro details now being conveyed buy the phono stage to be heard.
So power cables are just one part of the puzzle
If you were to change a power cable and you didn't hear a change - it might not be the power cable - it might be the interconnect, or the speaker cable or one of the other components in the signal path
My first higher quality cable I installed was my speaker cable - at the time I didn't realize just how good it was - since that time I have replaced every component and every other cable in my system and each time the speaker cable has revealed the improvements of each of those changes
My cables and connectors have revealed details I did not know my system was capable of and I consider them the single best investment in my system - without them it would sound like - a stereo :-)
12-06-13: Mceljo Jmcgrogan2 - In theory, if the goal of audio equipment is to reproduce the original signal as close to the original as is possible then it would be expected that as the various pieces of equipment get better and better the resulting sound should become more and more the same among different pieces of gear. A well designed pieces of gear where no expense was spared should have less room for improvement than a middle of the road piece of gear would.
Whatever dude, however your engineering, scientific mind wants to rationalize it. I just know through my experiences, that lower priced, less resolving gear has a more difficult time exposing differences in tweaks (cables, cords, etc.), than higher priced, higher resolution gear. As with all things in this hobby though, YMMV.
It sounds as if you are looking for reasons NOT to try a power cord. I would say by all means then, don't try them. If you like what you have now, don't tread any further. Just listen to the music and be happy. Many folks wish that they HADN'T heard differences. LOL! This hobby is MUCH cheaper if you do not hear differences, or better yet, you don't even attempt to hear differences. LOL!!
Tls49 - I think you missed that my example included that the smaller diameter pipe had adequate capacity to carry "all of the available water" meaning that a larger pipe would never be able to carry more in reality because it simply wasn't available.
For example, if the water source was a water truck with a 6 inch outlet there would be a restriction at the source that would limit the benefit of having a larger hose attached. It's possible that having a hose that is larger than 6 inches might be an advantage, but at some point going larger would have absolutely no effect.
In audio, at some point a power cord will either be adequate to supply all available power (probably unlikely in reality) or it will be capable of handling an amount that is sufficient to supply everything that the power supply could ever ask. I think this is where Williewonka right on when he talks about dimenishing returns.
I tried 13, 12, and 10 gaude cables on my amp and although the details were pretty much the same, the bass response and dynamics improved as the thicker gauge cable was installed.
Would an 8 gauge improve performance any more? Probably, but I think the law of diminishing returns kicks in and the gains may not justify the expense - gotta draw the line somewhere :-)
What gauge to select really depends on the power supply of the amp and it's ability to address transient demands. It also depends the the design of the amp. Tube is very different from solid state and even the different tube designs differ immensely in their power requirements and transient handling abilities.
This is a key reason why so many people promote auditioning cables in your system.
In my case, I also found that the 10 gauge did not offer any improvements for any of my sources.
Someone mentioned how can the last six feet of cable make a difference. That is the one mystery I have not yet been able to figure out, but having tried a 10 gauge braided Romex cable and found the 10 gauge Furutech to perform better, I can only assume it has something to do with cable design.
FYI my dedicated line is a 20 amp 10 gauge romex with a Pass and Seymour outlet running off a 200 amp service.
A water large water pipe has the potential for more water to flow through it, but if a smaller pipe has adequate capacity to carry all of the available water then having a larger pipe wouldn't result in a benefit, but would have more potential.
True, but you need to take this a step further. If you are listening to test tones, no problem, however a bass drum requires an instantaneous burst of current in a fraction of a second. Obviously, having that larger pipe will deliver more water in that fraction of a second than the smaller one. Also, the multiple connections prior to your system outlet will limit the potential for that instantaneous demand. No doubt that dedicated lines will improve bass definition, but other aspects of the sound will improve as well.
I have encouraged many local friends with quality audio gear to install dedicated lines and told them if they didn't think the improvement was worth what they spent, I would pay their bill. All have thanked me, and some said they wish they had not waited so long to do it.
Jmcgrogan2 - In theory, if the goal of audio equipment is to reproduce the original signal as close to the original as is possible then it would be expected that as the various pieces of equipment get better and better the resulting sound should become more and more the same among different pieces of gear. A well designed pieces of gear where no expense was spared should have less room for improvement than a middle of the road piece of gear would.
As an example, I used to own a 2000 SS Camaro and there were quite a few aftermarket bolt-on options for upgrading the intake and exhaust with a real improvement in horsepower and torque. I had a friend that worked at Dinan working with BMWs and at one point they were trying to improve on the OEM exhaust and after they essentially stripped the system do to what you'd find on a race car could only document 2 hp on the dino. BMW had designed the exhaust system so well that there really wasn't any room for improvement with a bolt on product.
"And why would it matter that the power cord be 12, 10, or 9 gauge when it is the last 6 feet to the amp with 30, 40, 50 feet or more of 14 gauge feeding the system outlet through connections of inexpensive outlets? As I said, dedicated lines should be the first step for a power upgrade." - Tls49
This gets back to the argument for why any power cord of higher quality that what's in the house wiring could ever make a real difference. I'm not saying that a smaller gauge power cord couldn't sound exactly the same as a larger gauge one, but if the only difference between the two power cords is the gauge it would be expected that the larger gauge one would at least be equal and have more potential than the smaller gauge power cord.
A water large water pipe has the potential for more water to flow through it, but if a smaller pipe has adequate capacity to carry all of the available water then having a larger pipe wouldn't result in a benefit, but would have more potential.
Williewonka - Thanks for the information. While I struggle to wrap my mind around the objective reality for what you're saying, I do greatly appreciate your clearly written posts from your experiences. It definately gives some credibility to the possibility in my mind.
On every forum that I'm involved with I find that there are people to be ignored and people that you can learn from. At this point I consider you in the group of people that I can learn from.
Now, once I get my debt paid off in my budget for my tube amplifier purchase I can save a few dollars and then look into some options in the power cord or outlet world.
Mceljo - what I was trying to highlight is that installing a quality power cable in a modestly priced system would reap a certain set of benefits
But taking the same action with components capable of higher resolving power would result in a set of benefits that would differ from the first instance.
In all cases the power cable is addressing the transient requirements that could not be handled by the power supply alone.
Here's some of the important tweaks I have made. - it all started with the purchase of a power conditioner - I immediately noticed an improvement in bass detail - mainly due to the outlets having better clamping of the plugs
- I next installed a better power cable on the amp - again I noticed more bass detail and the imaging improved
- after upgrading all of the power cables I had a nice image left to right, but it lacked depth
- I replaced my interconnects with silver cables and the image finally got some depth
- I then installed a dedicated line and ditched the power conditioner and the depth improved even more - but I thought I could improve on the micro details
- I then replaced all of the power cable connectors with silver plated copper connectors - the micro details, like venue acoustics, became much more apparent and the image again got more depth to it
- and last - I replaced the banana connectors on my speaker cables with silver plated quality copper - right now I have a very good 3D image that is very focussed with lots of detail - on my modestly priced system.
BTW - those are just the major tweaks - there are many more
My problem now is I think I have extracted every ounce of performance out of my existing components - the new phono stage arrives next week :-)
What I have found with power cables... 1. - 12 gauge extension cord from Home Depot - better than stock cords 2. - braided romex cables - surprisingly good and much better than stock cables for bass control and image - very cost effective
3. - DH Labs - better than the romex - improved details and bass control for a reasonable outlay
4. - Furutech - provides the most improvement particularly with micro details like venue acoustics, instrument timber and better control of the higher frequencies, but the cost is starting to climb
5. - Silver plated copper mains connectors - really added focus to the positioning of artist and instruments in the sound stage and yet more venue details.
So - now you have a wealth of information from the various members in this thread with some excellent recommendations
What you have to do now is decide what your budget is and what direction you want to take (DIY or buy or forget about it) - your choice
I'm not in this with the specific goal of improving the sound of my system, but rather to evaluate for myself the reality of sonic difference from a power cord with a secondary benefit of potentially improving my system.
Jmcgrogan2 - I guess what I'm getting at is if I'm going to spend $10,000 on a CD player I would expect that the product be designed such that a $150 in Nordost Sort Kones not make a significant improvement because there is no excuse for the design to include this "technology" or at a minimum for them to charge me $10,150 and include the stupid cones as a package deal.
My observation from what Williewonka said is that the power cord becomes more important when the amplifier is relying on it for transient demands making it a more significant factor for potentially less expensive equipment that doesn't have virtually unlimited overhead in the power supply.
Tls49+1-A dedicted power line is the correct first step. If your an apartment dweller or renter and can't have a dedicated line, invest in a PS Audio Power Plant. Back to the original question... ask yourself what are you looking to improve? And don't forget plugs play a big part in sound shaping(Wattgate-dynamic/bold-Oyaide(037-079)laid back.
jmcgrogan I think you are wrong. Look at how many people responded to this power cable question. Everyone has been over a hundred times but we still want to talk about it. Indeed it doesn't seem like new manufacturers are shy about it either, though I would have thought the market quite saturated by now.
It makes absolutely no sense to me that smaller AWG power cords would outperform larger AWG power cords.
And why would it matter that the power cord be 12, 10, or 9 gauge when it is the last 6 feet to the amp with 30, 40, 50 feet or more of 14 gauge feeding the system outlet through connections of inexpensive outlets? As I said, dedicated lines should be the first step for a power upgrade.
12-05-13: Mceljo I made a similar suggesting at my local audio store that Nordost Sort Kones should have less of an effect as the equipment design gets better because I wouldn't expect a $500 CD player to include the same level of care in the design as I would a $10,000 CD player.
I would disagree. I believe that the better performing gear will be better able to demonstrate the sonic differences. Just as a Ferrari will better be able to demonstrate the difference that performance tires will make than a Ford Fiesta. From my experiences, I have an easier time hearing differences between cables and cords on hi-fi gear than on low-fi gear. Low-fi gear tends to homogenize the sound and make many things sound similar.
+1 to what Foster_9 says. Talking about jumping into the pool starts to become boring after a few days. Either jump in and get wet, or put your clothes back on and go home. ;)
Williewonka - "A good power cord will contribute to those transient demands being better satisfied resulting in a better image, which in turn improves clarity and image."
What are the design parameters that allow this to happen? What is a good power cord designed to do that a cheap power cord doesn't do?
If I understand what you wrote correctly,a good power cord is likely to make less of a difference when used with equipment that has a power supplies with sufficient headroom to not be reliant on the incoming power to support transient demands. It seems that one could then make a general observation that a power cord upgrade is likely to make more of an improvement on a less well designed and likely less expensive piece of gear. This makes sense to me because I would expect the margin of improvement to be significantly less on a really expensive well designed piece of gear where nothing of spared due to cost.
I made a similar suggesting at my local audio store that Nordost Sort Kones should have less of an effect as the equipment design gets better because I wouldn't expect a $500 CD player to include the same level of care in the design as I would a $10,000 CD player.
Vegasears - It makes absolutely no sense to me that smaller AWG power cords would outperform larger AWG power cords. If the primary issue is the ability to transfer power and I'm assuming that configuration/design of the cables you were comparing was essentially the same, then this is exactly opposite what I'd expect?
Despite claims to the contrary let me be the 3rd to endorse Pangea, a lot of cable for a very reasonable price. I bought a Triode Wire cable with copper connectors (not plated) recently and like it very much but it wasn't cheap. I am also afraid of making my own cable but after all these exhortations to try it I may. I have a real nice Audience cable which you should be able to buy used. And for the third time, different sound, doesn't mean better sound.
Patrick at Cullen cable here on this site has some great and inexpensive cords that will make a nice difference for you. He also has an outlet filter that will be much better than the PC you are using. I think its the Cullen ultimate outlet. Trust me the outlet is like $100 and his cables are around $100. Get the gold series 10 amp cord for your tube amp and copper 15 amp one for your source and with his outlet will be VERY happy and it is not much money. Plus he is a great guy to deal with. His dad owns Cullen circuits and he has made stuff for his dad, W4S and PS Audio, etc. Really helped my system and I have some semi-expensive gear. Thanks
Vegasears - you identify something most people often forget about - UL Certification
Fact is - any DIY project, like power cables, are not UL certified - even if the actual cable is.
Most cables, like Furutech, DHLabs, Nelson etc.. are subject to rigorous testing and scrutiny beyond that imposed by various agencies - i.e. except those fake cables that are appearing for sale on the internet.
Buyer beware!
Even store-bought power cables may carry the UL certified sticker, but even that may be counterfeit these days.
I once purchased a nicely constructed and packaged power cable from one store and when I tested is it was incorrectly wired.
From that point on I decided the UL certification sticker does not quarantee quality and to make my own
When it comes to power - ya never can be too careful.
My advice is to forget about Pangea. I've had the AC9 for years and on every piece I've tried it on, it ended up being removed and left laying somewhere. For mids and highs it's barely ok, and for bass a let down. I suggest in your price range, the Wireworld Stratus which is entry level and less than $100. You may be able to find one on a 30 day trial, which for any cable is preferable.
DIY cables here except my amps which use the cords that came with them. I purchased the IEC ends from Parts Express, then went to Loews and got various sizes of Carol Cable, 16, 14, 12 and 10 awg. The 16 & 14 awg performed the best in my system. Plus, all the cabling is UL approved!
but I'm certainly not planning to get a dedicated line for this project.
Dedicated lines should be the first step for power upgrades. Think of it as the power cord to the system from the service panel. Typical house wiring will be 14 gauge wire with many connections as it routes from one inexpensive outlet to the next, then finally gets to the system. Even if you upgrade the outlet at the system, you still have the connections through all the other inexpensive outlets. A dedicated line eliminates this.
Also, does it really make sense that you will achieve full benefit using a 9 gauge heavy duty power cord on the amp, when 14 gauge is feeding your wall outlet. Maybe a 10 gauge dedicated line should be the first step.
I'd go with PS Audio Premire. Good deals to be found for this cable used. One for the APC H15 power conditioner and another through to the Yaqin MC 30L.
Mceljo... "seems that there should be some science to it"
Without getting too complicated - The science is related to a couple of main factors...
FIRST- component power supply and it's ability to store enough energy to handle transient demand
High-end components have a large power supply with lots of headroom to handle transient demands.
Modestly priced components have power supplies with less headroom.
With these components, what happens when transient demand excceds a power supplies capability is a fluctuation in internal voltages that result in distortions in the audio signal.
Being stereo, the distortions in the left and right channels tend to be different and that causes a lack of focus in the image. There can also be phase variations that also contribute to a poor image
A good power cord will contribute to those transient demands being better satisfied resulting in a better image, which in turn improves clarity and image.
SECOND - The quality of the conductors and connectors used on the power cord
High quality copper in the cable and the connectors will ensure the best performance from the power cable, in that they will quickly respond to transient demand to replenish energy in the power supply from the mains.
Some of the more exotic power cables use conductor geometries to further enhance their conductivity abilities.
In very general terms the improvements that power cables can make in modest systems will include a tighter control of bass frequencies and a more precise placement of instruments in the sound stage
Improvements that power cables can make in high end components can be
much more subtle and generally result in improvements in clarity, texture and depth of image.
To complicate matters the quality of interconnects and speaker cables play
a huge role in the performance of a system and may not allow the full potential of a power cable upgrade to be fully appreciated.
Lastly you have to understand the resolution capability of each of your components and how that factors into the equation and how they may allow or prevent the full potential of ANY cable upgrade to be fully appreciated.
Bottom line it's complicated - many people will arrange an "at home" audition in their system - that's the most fool proof method of assessment.
Trying to apply "some science" takes many audio engineers a lifetime in their quest for the ultimate component, interconnect, cable
Be smart - Let your ears be the judge.
As I said at the start, this narrative is a very generalised comment- "without getting too complicated"
The issues are many and the combinations endless - the budget, a constraint - generally :-)
In one room where replacing the wall wiring and AC faceplate was not possible due to wall construction, the addition of Machina Dynamica "Flying Saucer" ($12 list price) RFI blocker for unused AC outlets including the one adjacent to power cord, worked wonders for system performance. This benefit was in addition to any enhanced status already reached by my choice of power cords, power conditioning. This micro-priced tweak is worth considering once you have established your own PC preferences, or even before you begin to change power cords/conditioner--when you least expect to be able to hear a significant difference.
I'll 2nd Pangea for your needs. It is a quality cable and will be a noticeable improvement over a stock PC. They make 2 types; a heavy gauge cable ($59) for amps and the ac-14 for lower current components such as preamps and CDPs. Costs about $30 and it compares well to a $100 PC. (needs a burn-in period).
'the outlet could be an option, but I'm certainly not planning to get a dedicated line for this project'. :). You're just dabbling for a little better sound, right? Maybe a better power cord, right? You really don't want to notice an improvement, do you? Because you're happy with your current setup, right? Understand that if you take this step and things get better with just a little dabble, it won't be "a" step, it will be the "first" step. 8^). Enjoy.
Thanks for all the responses. I'm not opposed to a DIY option when the time comes, but I do prefer to try a manufactured product as it seems that there should be some science to it that could be missing when simply mixing and matching from DIY parts, but on the flip side so much of audio is placebo anyways it's sometimes difficult to know what's real and what's contrived.
I don't have dedicated circuits or outlets, the outlet could be an option, but I'm certainly not planning to get a dedicated line for this project. It's simply beyond what I'm willing to spend/do given my happiness with my current setup.
My goal is to affordably dabble in power cords in an effort to see if I can tell any difference in my system. I guess what I should do is visit my local extreme high fi store and see if they would be willing to swap out one of their "small car priced" power cords for a basic one just to prove that it makes an obvious audible difference. It should be obvious in a system like this, right?
Problem with building your own is that if you don't like the result you're pretty much stuck as you probably can't return them and probably can't sell them for very much if anything. That said, I plan on doing that with some Supra Lorad 2.5 or DH Labs power cables and some decent Wattgate connectors and see what happens. Has to be better than stock cords and I'm only out around $75 or so in the event they don't work out.
Another alternative to buying used is to try some of the direct sellers who generally have good money-back trial periods. Companies like Triode Wire Labs, Grover Huffman, Morrow, and whatever MAC is called these days would be some good ones to try. Their 10AWG cables are a little more than twice what you're looking to spend (you can use a smaller gauge for source so will be less), but you get to try them for very little cash outlay (other than possibly return shipping) and they may very well end up being keepers given the fairly consistently positive feedback from owners here. You could even try several at the same time if there's enough room on the ol' credit card, which would probably be the thing to do given how differently PCs can work in various systems. Just another thing to consider.
By the way, while we're on the subject of power you might also consider upgrading your power conditioner at some point as well. I also have the APC H15 in my home theater system and tried it briefly in my audio system and it's not the most transparent unit out there (compared it to an Audience unit). It'll probably help you reap even more of the benefits of better power cords as well I'd think. Always something. Hope this helps and best of luck.
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