Upscale isn't clear enough. Do you have power condtioning anywhere. What is it.
If we assume an excellent well made cable, ie MIT or Shunyata, Cardas...
ask the manufacturer. Many factors about the cable affect where it is best used. Using 1 good classical guitar cd and your ears should let you decide for yourself. What cd player. What amp. Is your absolute polarity right for cd player? pre, amp or receiver-1st step. Ask if you don't know about it. Do you have polarity inversion switch.
Leave everything on overnight and for the next day,
Do listening after 8 next night. Should be easy to tell if there is in fact an upgrade. |
Upscale isn't clear enough. Do you have power condtioning anywhere. What is it.
If we assume an excellent well made cable, ie MIT or Shunyata, Cardas...
ask the manufacturer. Many factors about the cable affect where it is best used. Using 1 good classical guitar cd and your ears should let you decide for yourself. What cd player. What amp. Is your absolute polarity right for cd player? pre, amp or receiver-1st step. Ask if you don't know about it. Do you have polarity inversion switch.
Leave everything on overnight and for the next day,
Do listening after 8 next night. Should be easy to tell if there is in fact an upgrade. |
I think we've all been where you are at one point in time.
I always felt it was better to put the more robust cable on the device that drew the most power, which was mostly the amp.
But as has been expressed, sometimes using it on the pre amp had it's advantages also.
So, what I did was bite the bullit and traded in the lesser cable so that both cables were the same.
I ended up replacing all my power cords with the same brand and after a careful audition settled for the top of that line.
It's an expensive way out of the conundrum, but in the end it's been worth it. |
My best Pcord genesise 1.1 has always Been on my cd and for over à year i was quite happy with the Sound.Last week having read the subject i dividendes to have à truc and that´s what i did so i plugged it to my power distributor to feed all what was connected,every item took the full benefit of it except my amp plugged to ac wall the Sound dramaticly changed infact it did creat Space between each instrument ...3D Sound . the power cord is still i did not change this configuration the whole system is breathing à pur oxygene.thx to you. |
You can make it very easy for yourself. You use about 5 numbers you know very well. You first put the better cable on the source. Later you do the opposite. Normally a cable has more influence on a source. There will be situations that the amp will do more. Wenn you use a cable with a better AWG, you will get a better result on poweramps. |
''Replies and opinions will be all over the map''
I think that this statement in itself says a lot about the lack of consensus on this question, and therefore is probably the best answer too.
It would be great to have a remote-controlled switch box to do some A-B testing right ? They could actually be loaned by dealers in making the right choice easier - or rented out ! |
Another factor is what kind of components you are talking about. Some are less susceptible to power cord changes. What kind of CDP and amp do you have?
When I used my Pass xa30.5 and Modwright Oppo 83, I found the Oppo to sound better when I used a better power cable on it.
For critical listening I find two approaches that work best for me:
1. Choose a well recorded song you are very familiar with and only play a short portion of the song which highlight some key area like bass, piano and vocals. Maybe for 30 sec to 1 minute worth. If it is too long then it clouds things. You can even right down how you think it sounds. Then switch cables and try it again. You are doing to have to go back and for a few times with this until you can hear the difference.
2. The other way is to leave it in there for 2-3 weeks and to just listen casually and see which one you enjoy more. |
Sonicbeauty,
There will not be a concensus choice or universal answer to this often asked question.You are by far in the best position to solve this by listening and making a determination. Replies and opinions will be all over the map.
Regards, |
Just curious about this one. Let's suppose that you have 2 AC cables, one being more upscale than the other.
Where would you use it? On the amp or cd player?
If you mean better shielding there in RFI/EMI rejection quality then I would say the CDP..... Best thing is to try it and listen to which sounds better to you. . |
Well I don't think there is one answer that will work for all cases. I believe that if you are not using any power conditioner, then the "best" cord should go on the source instead of the amp.
That being said, I have my "best" power cord on my preamp. The power cord on my amp and CDP cost more $$$ than my "best" cord, but that's for another thread.
If you are using a power conditioner, the best cord should go on your power conditioner, thereby more components could benefit from it. |
IME amp, cdp, then preamp. |
Obviously the answer cannot be predicted with any certainty, but it seems to me that you can tip the odds of achieving optimal results at least slightly in your favor based on the following:
1)If the power cords are not the same gauge, put the one that has heavier gauge on the amplifier. Or if the amplifier is plugged into a power conditioner, put the one that has heaviest gauge between that power conditioner and the wall outlet.
2)If, based on manufacturer descriptions, reviews, or other information there is reason to believe that one cord has better shielding and/or noise cancelling properties than the other, put that cord on whichever of the two components would result in that cord being physically closest to other components (and/or their connecting cables and power cords) that can be expected to have the greatest susceptibility to RFI (radio frequency interference) effects. That might mean whichever of the two components is closest to the turntable, the phono stage, and the preamp, in that order. In other words, you would be trying to minimize the amount of RFI that might be radiated FROM that power cord to those other components.
If those two factors point in opposite directions, choose which to give the higher priority based on how much difference seems to exist between the two cords in each of the two ways.
IMO.
Regards,
-- Al |
The one with the highest/best/transfer of electrical current should be placed from the wall outlet to the source or a conditioner/distribution component if used.
As stated earlier YMMV so try everything!
Have an uninterested party switch things around so you cannot pick favorites. |
if you check the archives I think the result would be that you could flip a coin and achieve the same information
myself? I have no idea...
I would try it one way for a few weeks and switch and try that for a few weeks I bet you could tell then
enjoy! |
