2. cables
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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
devinplombier
468 posts
 

its obvious that manufacturers have the ways of ’tailoring’ the sound of cables. Would be very curious to know and understand process behind it

So would I

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
12,088 posts
 

would it be safe for me to summarise that you are of belief the primary and perhaps even only issue of the effect of a power cable on sound has to do with voltage drop across the cable and little else?

@kevn No. Bandwidth makes a difference too. I mentioned this at the top of the previous page.

these cables are often coaxial speaker cables that may work fine with Tube amplifiers or other bandwidth limited constructions.

laughWe’ve made OTLs with more bandwidth than some solid state amps. All 'constructions' (which might mean 'amplifiers') are bandwidth limited no ifs ands or buts. If you have enough feedback in the amp (+30dB) it can correct for phase issues that for which you otherwise need the bandwidth which is how class D amps do it.

The bandwidth of the equipment used has nothing to do at all with whether or not the power cable will have an audible effect on it.

But I do agree with some of the warnings presented; you don’t want to use a cable that could start a fire or cause electrical problems; that bit is just common sense.

kevn's avatar
kevn
177 posts
 

@atmasphere - thank you for your generous reply, Ralph : )
It has got me thinking of two more questions - your reference to bandwidth will obviously have to do with the bandwidth of the cable itself, since as you stated - ‘The bandwidth of the equipment used has nothing to do at all with whether or not the power cable will have an audible effect on it.’ This being the case, may I assume then, that aside from the measurable quantities of voltage drop and bandwidth of the cable, nothing else will have an effect on sound quality from power delivered by a power cable, everything else unchanged? And, how difficult is it to build a power cable with the greatest possible bandwidth? Thanks again for your kind replies.

 

In friendship - kevin

Post removed 
devinplombier
468 posts
 

@kevn it's starting to look as of this dumpster fire of a thread - starting with the original post - is aimed at putting @atmasphere on the spot - about cables, no less, a topic only a newborn or an imbecile would regard as safe and noncontroversial​.

The man operates a business. He'll discuss cables as much as he wants to of course, but it's like you keep poking at him for some reason. Maybe it's time y'all got off his back and let him run his business? Why don't y'all go ask McIntosh and Pass Labs and PS Audio why they don't include audiophile cables with their products? Be sure to let us know what they said 😂

 

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