Hi David99; I just finished auditioning 6 power cords that were already broken in. Assuming you have decent quality components, wire, and speakers, (and I assume you do) with a different power cord you will hear 1) no change, 2) poorer quality music, ie an effect you don't like, or 3) a highly beneficial affect that YOU will notice immediately-- and appreciate. Of course another possibility is that you get a mix of good and bad. One of the cords I just tried was the new Shunyata "Sidewinder", and I recognized it as excellent, eg it was neutal, very smooth, detailed, open (transparent),live, subjectively fast which made pace and rhythm involving. Soundstage was wide but not deep-- however this is normal for my system. And although I really appreciated hearing the Sidewinder, I did not buy it because, at present, my system is a little bright from the addition of a dedicated AC system. Instead, I opted for the Synergistic Research Master Coupler which is slightly on the dark, or rich side of neutral, and this cord has helped greatly in reducing my slight brightness problem-- in fact I think it cured it; the SR/MC is also detailed, smooth, has good bass, and good soundstaging (in my system). Power cords perform differently in each system, so the ONLY way you would know what works for you is to actually audition them. Usually high end dealers will send them out for review without commitment to buy. As it takes 100-200 hours for them to breakin, ask for demos that are already broken in. Dealers know this. The improvements in music quality/character with a high quality power cord can be quite striking. Happy Hunting David. Craig
