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Power Cords Snake Oil ??

Having been a long time audiophile living with countless high end compnents I have to wonder about the theory and practicality of high end power cords.

I have yet to hear the difference a power cord makes. Ive owned, synergistic, Shunyata, BMI and cardas. I in no way can detect any sonic signature or change. Give me a pair of interconnects and I imeadiately notice a difference somewhere in the sonic spectrum. Not the PC though. I have accomplished 4 blind tests with my friends. 3 out of the 4 they did not know their cord was replaced. All 4 were using a stock factory supplied cord. Each of the 4 tests were done on different components. Amp, CDP, Preamp & dac.

My electrical backround tells me that provided you supply the component with its required voltage bet 110vac or 220/240vac its happy. Now, change the incoming frequency from 60hz to say 53hz and watch how quickly your soundstage collapses.! This is often the case during the summer months when home air conditioners are in use and the utility company power output is taxed to the max. A really good power conditioner should however take care of the frequency fluctuations. But 110vac is still 110vac regardless of the conductor it passes through as long as its remains 110vac when it reaches the intended circuit. Does your 8k amp or preamp know the difference of the path the voltage took to reach it ? Many an audiophile will use a dedicated 20amp circut for their equipment.That is a good idea as voltage & frequency fluctuations will occur in the home circuit to to other loads on the main breaker panel but again, A power cord simply is the means of transporting the voltage from the wall to the component. IF there is a clean 110vac @ 60hz at the wall socket, no matter what the medium is to go from the socket to the component, it will still be 110vac @60hz.

Could somebody expand on this a bit more. I just dont understand it. ??
jetmek

Showing 5 responses by jetmek

jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
Slappy, You're right on track. Who knows what garbage is being fed from the breaker panel and there is little one can do to correct it anyway (within reason). As you said you'll probably hook one up just the same. I'm currently using a BMI whale and yeah...It looks cool snaking its way from the amp to the wall but I know damn well it aint doin a damn thing. In fact,I again installed the cheesy factor cord and no difference at all. My wife still believes that its using twice the electricity "well its quadruple the size" she says. Eh, I love her just the same.

Think about it. How can you possibly spend 2k on a power cord and not believe that it adds that magical mystical final tweak that your system needed. ??

Levinson, Cary, Sonic frontiers, Krell...blah blah blah. I hear no difference in presentation. Could the slight difference that bigkidz hears with speakers be due to the fact that the components involved are at the very least momentarily turned off then on again to interchange a different power cord ?

So, who among us knows anyone with cryo'd,silver plated,shielded, electrical wiring from their breaker panel to the wall socket. The only possible advantage to a big dollar cord might be the lower resistance to current flow it provides due to the larger conductor. In the end though...you still either have 110vac @ 60hz or you dont.

My next cord purchase will be the cheapest cord I can find that looks good. Unless of course one of you out there can convince me otherwise ;)
jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
Sugarbrie, Whats the point of your comment. Im simply asking(wondering) what contribution the pc gives the system and inquiring as to what different peoples real world experiences are and possibly somebody with some measurements to share. I still remain firm(IMHO) that the pc does little if anything to improve. Im buying them cause they look cool.In the mean time I'll still be searching for a pc that may offer a sonic improvement.

There is still 30 or so feet of garbage before my equipment sees the power. The average hi end pc is nothing more than a well made conductor. Some are shielded to ground, but that ground these cords are shielded to is chock full of noise. Its the same ground that the 59 cent outlet socket uses. Now of course there are actively shielded cords. That configuration I'd be willing to try and would not be surprised if it made a difference.

I enjoy reading the different approaches and ideas.
jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
Elizabeth, You're missing the point as well. While I say I cant detect any sonic improvement or difference, I have a BMI pc hooked up right now!

The question is: Is there theoretical evidence that supports the pc. Why should anyone hear a difference ?

At the end of the day its the music that matters. It's just a topic to ponder and maybe people can learn from it.
jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
Well, KT_88, what can I say. I threw out a question about pc's and got back dozens of opinions ( yours included )These opinions ,derived from everyday experience to way out there theories probably better left to the people that design equipment. Either way, I now have some knowledge and ideas that I didn't have a week ago.

You're absolutely right. We should just enjoy the music. I think that is exactly what most of us are doing. I suspect that since you posted your opinion on this forum and the fact that you're aware of A/GON tells me you certainly dont use a boombox for your music entertainment. Sure, at some point you started out with that boombox but along the way you wanted to improve your listening experience. Years ago my heathkits sounded good. Now thousands of dollars later my current equipment sounds good as well and if I happen to come across a pc that I feel contributes to that musical enjoyment,I'll buy it.
jetmek's avatar
jetmek OP
10 posts
 
Absolutely not and if you read thru the threads, you'll see that I have them hooked up and am using them. I'll keep them as well. For their looks, for their build quality.In the mean time I'll keep searching for a pc that allows me to hear a substantial difference in the presentation.In fact today I had the opportunity to try a Tara labs high dollar cord. No change that I could detect. This cord belongs to a friend and its been more than "burned in".
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