Why power cable effect overall syste sound?

I have one of Samuel's cords and some of my own design. They all sound better to my ears than stock cords. Bummed to find out after careful AB tests that Samuel's more expensive cords sound even better with my gear than his company's less expensive cords.

I think Samuel's description of how cables work in relation to power supplies and digital noise in the AC circuits near your gear is pretty good. I also think that it is critical to make sure primary signals in low current ic's, speaker cables and even low power circuits inside your gear are effectively shielded from emf and rfi around the high current cables in the immediate neighborhood. In some ways, it doesn't so much matter what is going on with the many feet of unshielded cable in your walls as long as you are effectively dealing with radiation, interference and noise potentially present in the area directly behind your equipment. This is also why it is commonly suggested that you cross PCs with ic's and sc's at 90 degrees rather than running them in parallel, and never bundle low current and high current cables together.

Rrog,

The examples you provide were amplifiers. Do you find the same phenomena with digital front ends? My experience has been that quality aftermarket cables really improved system performance across the board. Amplifier performance was changed by aftermarket cables, but involved more trade offs and was harder to find the right balance.

I am sympathetic to potential cable fatigue as they do act as "tone controls" and there are so many possible options and they can be so expensive that finding the ones that work best in your particular application can be quite draining.

With that said, this thread is focused on "Why power cable effect overall syste(m) sound?" Your post is sincere and well received. Other indignant but unsupported comments from non-believers are as annoying in this context as the noise we are all trying to suppress in our audio systems. Sort of like an atheist attending theology class and preventing the group from productive study of the history of religion. Analogy well chosen, annoyance with bomb throwers is sincere.

I suggest naysayers start an alternate thread about "Why power cable doesn't effect overall system sound." And they can have a civil and self-reinforcing discussion on all the reasons they feel that way, empirical, theoretical, political and spiritual. I promise I wont harass any of you. (Subtle change in punctuation at end of suggested thread title also carefully chosen.)

Rrog,

Thank you for your reply. I understand you notice a difference related to installation of aftermarket cords, and that the difference is universally not "better" in your opinion compared with stock power cords. What I think I was trying to say, is that I find a more consistent positive benefit from using aftermarket power cords on digital front ends, but find amplifiers a bit more finicky. I almost always notice an effect with aftermarket cords on sound produced by amplifiers, but just not always a "better" effect, as you suggest. Sounds like you feel the same way about aftermarket cords in all applications. Point well made and taken.

The rest of my post was not really aimed at you, and if you took offense, then I apologize. For the record, I value the effect aftermarket power cords can have on overall system performance, I find that effect is not universally positive in every application, and that care must be taken to match the characteristics of the specific cords and electronics in question. I know of no other method than to use trial and error, or rely on others experience, often gained from forums like this.

As both a consumer of commercial aftermarket products and an amateur tinkerer making my own cords I am fascinated by simple or complex explanations for how they actually work their "magic". People who are not interested in understanding this effect and post their positions on here are taking up electronic real estate and perceived by me as a waste of my time. Do they have a right to post here? Absolutely. Do I have to like it? Not one bit. Your comments do not fall into this camp, are well reasoned and add to my overall understanding of the topic. Again, thanks.