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

This is a journey through real life experiences from you to everyone that cares to educate themselves. I must admit that I was not a believer in power cords and how they affect sound in your system. I from the camp that believed that the speaker provided 75% of the sound signature then your source then components but never the power cord. Until that magic day I along with another highly acclaimed AudioGoner who I will keep anatomist ran through a few cables in quite a few different systems and was "WOWED" at what I heard. That being said cable I know that I am not the only believer and that is why there are so many power cord/cable companies out there that range from $50 to 20-30 thousand dollars and above. So I like most of you have to scratch my head and ask where do I begin what brand and product and what should i really pay for it?

The purpose of this discussion to get some honest feed back on Price to Performance from you the end user to us here in the community.

Please fire away!


 


128x128blumartini
blumartini's avatar
blumartini OP
224 posts
 
Greetings All,

After reading Jay Luong of Audio Bacon;s Review of 27 Best Audiophile Power Cords I must say that I was Impressed! Jay spent several months reviewing each and everyone of them in depth. I must say this guy is the "Navy Seal of Reviewers" !!!

I thought it would be exciting if he would join us so I invited him along with all the companies he reviewed to join us. I dont know if they all will but I am positive most wouldn’t want to chime in :)

The Invite List:
Jay Luong Author of Audio Bacon Website

Atlas Cables

Audioquest

Furutech

Gutwire

High Fidelity Cables

Kimber Kable

NRG Custom Cables

Morrow Audio

Neotech

Nordost

Requisite Audio

Sablon Audio

Snake River

Straight Wire

Triode Wire Labs

TriPoint Audio

Verastarr

Vovox

WireWorld


Hope you can make it!

Best,

BluMartini




blumartini's avatar
blumartini OP
224 posts
 
@jtcf

In response to your question on gas powered generators.

Aloha BluMartini, I’ve done some A/B comparisons with the p15(A)and my 15 year old Shunyata(B) conditioner. The P15 showed 4% THD and a real choppy sign wave coming in and .3 THD going out with A very clean sign wave. On Kauai we have a combination of Solar power and Diesel generated power. Power supply can be very inconsistent at times so surge protection is mandatory. I have a "whole house surge protecter" on my incoming 200amp line with a dedicated 20amp line to my audio room for audio equipment.
On my amps there seemed to be little or no difference.
On my preamp there was an obvious difference. The highs were more extended cymbals were faster and sounded more real with more air around them. Side to side sound stage got wider probably due to better definition though out the recorded frequency.
But, the best improvement is in the phono stage and CD player. The phono stage (and preamp)plugged into the P15 made an obvious and very positive difference. Soundstage got even wider but also front to back soundstage was way more pronounced. Bass got very tight and was easily identified, verses being somewhat muddy and vague. Drum attacks were more startling. CD player was similar although the depth wasn’t as prevalent. I generally don’t sit and listen to CD’s. I could go on but I got to go to work. Needless to say it was a positive addition to my system.

Dave


swanlee597
9 posts
 
Pretty much EVERY category of product has an extremely expensive luxury class of that product type.

It is only in audio I have seen such blatant crude behaviour towards even the existence of such a class in product and those they may be able to afford them.

It would be like a Toyota owners harrasing a Porsche owenr insulting them for buying such a thing cause their Toyota gets them from point A to Point B just like their Porsche.

You could do that analogy with Watches, Handbags, clothes literally any consumer product type.

Why is it only the Audio realm where the venom comes out like this just for the existence of that class of product?
jtcf's avatar
jtcf
1,617 posts
 
Thank you @Iwin and @blumartini  for the responses.So it seems like a generator supplies a good steady stream of power but requires noise filtering,which I thought it might.I appreciate you taking the time to indulge my curiosity.
I'm wondering if it will be a "thing" someday - audiophile solar generators to power systems.

turnbowm
353 posts
 
"I have investigated cables for many years and power cable improvement seems differ with the component to which they are attached.
- components with "less-capable" power supplies tend to exhibit more of an improvement
- compared to the same cable when used on amps with massive power supplies, which tend to exhibit less of an improvement"

Williewonka,

That ihas been my experience as well.  I have a Bryston Int. Amp that doesn't seem to care what PC I use to feed it with. Other Bryston Amp owners have voiced the same experience. Robustness in power supply design is an important factor.  
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