When I first heard of the power cord controversy, I was likewise skeptical as you are. Based on your assumptions, what differences could there be? The problem lies with your assumptions: 1. The power supply is where filtering of your power occurs. How does an amplifier know what to amplify? The answer is that it doesn't. It will attempt to amplify all signals presented to it. That includes an entire spectrum of radio frequency signals below and above it's normal operating range. Do you follow AudioAsylum? If not, perhaps you should. There is significant material on this issue. One "inmate" who like myself has Acoustat electrostatic speakers complained that something was causing his amplifier to shut down. He speculated that there was a malfunction within the high voltage Acoustat transformers. He later discovered that the villain was his old Monster speaker cable which had oxidized. It was now conducting high frequency hash which the amplifier doggedly attempted to amplify and overheated in the process. After hearing this, I examined the internal wiring of my transformers. Though my main speaker cable is new DH Labs silver wire, the Acoustat transformer has 15" of Monster cable internally. I discovered the same horribly oxidized wire. Once I replaced it, I was amazed at the difference in signal clarity. From Sade to Saint Saens and Madonna to Mozart, I am how hearing more inner detail. Similarly, a power cord can be quite effective at radiating RF energy. Better cords posess shielding that minimize this effect. 2. Manufacturers always install cords of sufficient gauge. Not. All wire loses signal to an extent. All components with anything less than 14 gauge cord is sacrificing power transfer. I will refer you to this more studious explanation: http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/cables/messages/13538.html Finally, one must consider one's point of reference. A casual listener will likely never hear any differences. Or someone who has a typical $2000 mid-fi system. The differences are readily heard by those who listen to music more regularly and those who have access to better equipment. Does your frame of reference include hearing what a $200,000 system can sound like on your music? It is both enlightening and frustrating at the same time. There is so much detail on discs most folks will never experience. Though my system costs something less than 10% of that amount, both speaker and power cords do make a difference. BTW, I don't (yet) have any $500 designer cords in my system. I have replaced four with industrial grade Belden 14 gauge shielded cable with quality Leviton plugs. Cost? About $15 each. I have dedicated power outlets for my system. Additionally, I use a Monster Cable HTS-1000 power conditioner on my front end components. The results are a cleaner, quieter background allowing more detail to be revealed and more powerful dynamics. Try it. You'll like it.
The fallacy of ac treatment
I see a lot of threads related to managing and tweaking the ac powerout end of electronic systems. Much has been said about dedicated wiring, termination and even the right kind of extension cords to use. I work for an electric utility; and that's the extent of my credibilty here. The majority of you will no doubt be far more erudite wrt music hardware. Just a thought, though: domestic ac distribution goes thus: power station-step up-city-step down-subdivision-final step down. As far as the utility is concerned, you and all your neigbours are collectively the load for the step down tranformer. Any inductance/capacitance created by your neigbour running motors/tubelights, etc is felt by the lot of you. Additionally, the voltage frequency will almost always move around a tolerance from 50hz as the whole country turns on the air, off the lights - changes all the time as peaker plants ramp up etc. Nothing can change that- the frequency of the grid supplying your city is the frequency in the mains at your house. So what's my point? Well only that how much difference can the last 10 feet of cabling, etc make when the other hundreds of miles are outside of your control? And more importantly, frequency is one of the most imp parameters for measuring electricity quality (your expensive hand-coiled toroids are entirely subject to the f in the primaries) and nothing other than running an f generator can shield you from that. Methinks all the improvements you see from ac cord treatments are pyschosomatic. But that's cool.