Transparent Audio power cords

Ok, I will address the requests for more info.

BTW, to those who contend that power cords or even all cables make no difference, I consider you and your wallet to be lucky since you have no need to spend lots of money on wire. The rest of us are just stuck with the audiophile burden of trying to satisfy our hearing perception.

Next, I need to preface by saying that I have a hearing condition that is called hyperacusis. For me, the main characteristics are having an extreme sensitivity to high pitched sounds, abrupt sharp sounds and abrupt volume changes. Examples: I have to use sound attenuator ear plugs just to unload the dishwasher, can't take the clanking together of the dishes, cant' take crying babies, screaming children, high pitched female voices/vocalists (some female vocalists sound like, to me, that they are yelling instead of singing), metal on metal screeches, squeaks, etc., etc.

So, please keep in mind that what sounds frequency balanced to most people will sound way too tilted toward the upper midrange and high frequencies to me.

Now on to the details.

Room - 14' x 23' x 8' dedicated listening room.

Acoustic treatment - Front corners have four, stacked two high in each corner, 16" round Tube Traps with Room Tunes corner triangles at the ceiling corners. Side walls have two each (4 total)  8" -  1/2 round x 5 ft. tall Tube Traps at the first and second reflection points. Rear corners have four stacked two high Acoustical Solutions corner bass traps, also with Room Tunes corner triangles at the ceiling.

Speaker placement - the front wall is the short wall - tweeters are 7' + from the front wall and 4 ' from the side walls.

The system from end to end -

Power is two dedicated 12 ga. lines on the same electrical phase feeding two 2 gang boxes or 4 plex boxes if you prefer. Each 4 plex box has one Maestro (un-plated) receptacle and one Oyaide R-0 receptacle (the R-0 is un-plated beryllium copper). The two different receptacles allows for more flexibility with tailoring the sound.

The two power cords feeding two power conditioners - DIY Acrolink 7N-P4030 II, 10 ga. wire with Oyaide 004 white body cord ends. These are the same base metal as the regular 004 but, are un-plated. You have to buy these from Japanese eBay vendors. As you can see, I mostly prefer un-plated receptacles and cord ends.

Power conditioners - Two Transparent Powerisolator PI-8. These are from the mm2 generation and have the benefit of being able to be stacked up unlike the newer versions with their curved tops.

Power cord to phono - same as the above Acrolink cords.

Power cord to preamp - Transparent Reference Gen 6 with Oyaide 004 ends in the regular plated version.

Power cord to amp is the cord originally discussed - Transparent Powerlink MM2 with Oyaide plated 004 ends.

I have tried using various Transparent cords from the wall to the power conditioners and have always preferred the Acrolink cords there.

Interconnects - phono to preamp Transparent Ultra Gen 6 RCA,

preamp to amp Transparent Ultra Gen 6 balanced.

Speaker cable - Transparent ultra Gen 5.

Turntable - highly upgraded Linn LP12 with Karosel bearing, the full Stack Audio Ultimate upgrade kit (no longer in production), Audio Origami tonearm, Sumiko Celebration 40 cartridge (brand new - 4 hours) and an old Sumiko PIB-1 phono interface box that is upgraded with Cardas Clear tonearm wire.

Phono stage - Manley Chinook with the Soviet era Reflector tubes.

Preamp - Aesthetix Calypso - Eclipse version (the top dog) with the French Mazda tubes and the Reflector tubes.

Amp - the afore mentioned DNA-500 (SMC silver plus upgrade).

Also the Sopra 2 speakers have the Stack Audio Auva feet.

In addition, there are two Add-Powr harmonic resonators, one current version X4 and a first generation X2 (now replaced by the Apprentice). The power cords here are also the Acrolink with the plated Oyaide 004.

While there is a cd transport and DAC in that system, I'm not factoring them into this question since the playing time of them has diminished greatly.

Streamer? -  I have a node 2i in system #2 which is much more centrally located in the house and is probably about 95% casual listening usage.

Is there room for improvement? Sure. For one, the room treatment probably needs a few things added or replaced.

So, I think that's most of it. 

Thanks for everybody's input.

 

 

 

 

 

Well, my fellow audiophiles, we may be doomed. We are again condemned for failing to pray at the alter of the oscilloscope. The wrath of the oscilloscopians is upon us. Are we to be smitten by the gods of the cult of the lead and leather eared for failing to embrace their sacred utterance that "If they can't hear it, then nobody else can or will be allowed to hear it"?

Yes, I agree about the entertainment value that the Flat Earthers provide but, I don't understand what they have to be so unhappy about. Audiophiles are not taking money out of the naysayers pocket to spend on audio cables and equally, the naysayers are also not spending their own money on the "snake oil" products. Of course there is the possibility that the cable deniers are actually just very good at chain yanking for their own entertainment .

 

@acman3 , I've tried that, doesn't help. The more fanatical types see that as a challenge and an open invitation to continue to try to intervene in other people's lives to "save" them from themselves. Yet, I don't see the federal or state governments trying to put any of these "snake oil" companies out of business. They are entitled to their opinion and ought to just be happy with the type of audio equipment and type of sound that works for them and stop wasting their time and mental energy pestering the rest of us.