The Truth About Power Cords and there "Real" Price to Performance

@lissnr 

I have been using Triode Wire Labs cables for several years simply because they are the best sounding cables my system has ever known. They are exceptionally well made and Pete has always been a pleasure to deal with. Great sound and tremendous value, it is no surprise these cables are now being part of the finest systems assembled.

I use the same 10awg Western Electric wire that Pete uses for his American Series power cords and speaker cables.  The cost is nowhere near what many here pay for cords and I agree with you that the sound is good.  Some believe simple Romex makes a good power conductor based on its uniform geometry (although it would not meet electrical codes if used as a power cord from the wall outlet to the equipment iec).  

Hmmm.....

• Geoff’s “best friend” designed the prototype of the robot HAL 9000
• Geoff only listens to his music through earphones and a “Walkman”
• Geoff seems to be always near his computer
• Geoff has insider information about spaceship stuff
• Geoff never makes a mistake
• Geoff likes to be “in command”

I think I have it....Geoff is HAL 9000!
Enjoy your algorithmic virtual turkey Geoff!
🦃🦃🦃

@unfairlane
Just curious, which single wire, solid core, 9 awg cable/wire do you use for speaker cables?
On the power side of things, you basically described Romex, which some well-regarded folks actually believe would make a good power cord.

@unfairlane 

If you want to wake up your Bryston, give it a minimum 12awg solid core pc

Are we back to the gauge being the primary factor affecting power cable performance on amplifiers?  I have a hard time getting away from wire gauge, noise-cancelling geometry, shielding, and adequate plugs/iec being the most important aspects affecting PC performance.  All the other stuff espoused by the manufacturers of expensive cables seems relatively benign in comparison. 

The reasons power cords are not made from solid core wire are safety and ease of use. Have you ever tried to bend a 12 awg wire....10 awg? I believe the safety thing is the concern that frequent bending of a single solid core wire could lead to fatigue cracking and a higher incidence of wire failure.  Romex in the wall is fixed and not subject to repeated bending.  One of the manufacturers who posts here, has said Romex would actually make a high performing power cord but it would not meet electrical codes for that purpose.

I have made a couple of 7 awg unshielded power cables using six strands of old stock WE 10 awg wire (the same stuff used by TWL in their American series). I use them from two dedicated 20A circuits (wired with 10 awg Romex) to 300 wpc Class A monoblocks and the DIY 7 awg cords sound every bit as good as expensive IsoClean or Furutech power cables I also have here.

Some day I will try the Romex thing.

"it is almost like OFC, single crystal, OCC, silver, etc. does not matter"

Do those really matter....for a power cord?
The factors I listed were wire gauge, noise-cancelling geometry, shielding, and adequate plugs/iec. I would amend that and add a good wall outlet that tightly grips the plug.

After my initial buying mistakes made years ago based on too much faith in reviews, I now consider reviews to be leisure reading with the following exceptions;
- I have had personal contact with a couple of reviewers who I give more credit to than the others,
- I pay more attention to reviews that make direct and meaningful comparisons between the product currently under review and competing products
- I appreciate reviewers who at least make a good faith effort to match their review system with the component being reviewed (I.e., no mega-watt power amps for horn speakers, no impedance mis-matches, etc. - you get the picture)
- I like good photographs, and especially of the innards of the component under review....so, 6moons is at the top of my list for photographs

on the other side of the coin,
- I am greatly skeptical of manufacturers that do not allow pictures of the insides of their components or, worse yet, void the warranty when an owner opens a component to look inside
- I am skeptical of reviewers who claim every reviewed component to be the “best thing yet”
- I am in general skeptical of new technology that is said to be “as good as, or better than” proven and well-regarded existing technology as those new products are too often a “flash in the pan”