2. cables
  3. 193538-10803

Question for Atma-sphere, will expensive power cables improve your amplifiers?

The reason I am asking is I feel manufacturers of high quality components include all that is ever needed, power cable wise. Sure, some people buy power cables because they need special lengths or have some out of the ordinary "noise" issues that need extra insulation. Some even like the visual aspect of the aftermarket cables. I’m just curious why many spend thousands of dollars on such when the manufacturer has taken the power cable into account when producing the product. I cannot see a High-quality audiophile component maker (especially some that sell volume) pass on a few dollars for a better sounding power cable if indeed the cable improved their product. I cannot see a person buying that $7000 amp is not going to balk if the product was introduced at  $7100 (with the better cable). 

I wonder if Luxman, Accuphase, McIntosh, Gryphon...you name it "dressed" their power cables up to look like expensive aftermarket cables, owners would be so quick to "upgrade"?

I’d be curious to hear Ralph’s opinion on the subject

aberyclark

Showing 3 responses by mitch2

mitch2
4,269 posts
 

Power cords are (mostly) three runs of stranded copper wire with PVC insulation, twisted together (sometimes with filler material for damping), and encased in a PVC jacket.  The main variables that affect power transmission are the wire gauge, shielding (or not), and connectors.  It is not that expensive for an equipment manufacturer to include a sufficiently sized and shielded power cable that will facilitate pretty much the full performance level of their equipment.  That should be the baseline.

@atmasphere -

"Usually the house wiring has far less Voltage drop than the power cord. This has a lot to do with the fact that wiring in the wall is solid core." 

Wouldn't that be a case for keeping component power cords as short as possible?

mitch2
4,269 posts
 

This info on Neotech's NEP 3200G includes a good image of the construction showing the type of solid core construction that @jea48 is referring to.  Scroll through the pictures in this next link to see a similar image of the construction of their flagship Grand Power Cable, which uses rectangular conductors.

mitch2
4,269 posts
 

Regarding the optimal power cord, one of the manufacturers (I seem to remember maybe Steve Nugent with Empirical Audio) used to say that Romex would actually make a pretty good power cord and that twisted 10 awg THHN would be better since twisting would reduce inductance. It seems twisted THHN in conduit would make a good in-wall wire for a dedicated line.

Chris at VH Audio offers his star quad 12 awg x 4 (stranded copper) bulk power cable because the star quad geometry reduces inductance even more than with a twisted pair.  Reducing inducance is a good thing for power cables and speaker cables.

My DIY 1M long power cables feeding my amplifiers also have a star quad geometry using four runs of 10 awg NOS Western Electric tinned copper wire for an aggregate total of 7 awg per pole.  Ground is also 7 awg.  I don't lose sleep over voltage drop.

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