An electrical engineer on how power cables can impact sound quality
Sharing an fascinating discussion of how the design of power cables can impact sound quality of an audio system from an electrical engineer that does analog design for audio equipment.
The HiFi Podcast with Darren and Duncan / Radio Frequency: The 800MHz Gorilla
The discussion of how power cables can impact sound quality starts at 80 minutes into the podcast
From the Podcast:
"If you have an engineering degree and you’re hearing this and you’re shaking your head and you’re saying this is nonsense, my response to you is that you’re logical. Based on what you have learned, I completely understand your response, but unfortunately, the way that power cables operate is not the way that we were taught in electrical engineering necessarily."
"Power cables were always thought of as series devices. If we add this 2 meter power cable to 2 miles of powerline, why does this 2 meter power cable make a difference?"
An intro into the theory behind why power cables work from the podcast:
"The power cable is not necessarily a series element of a system. The parallel elements [of a power cable] and way they interact with RF in the room in a common mode sense to ground is incredibly important." [Meaning in parallel to ground]
My paraphrase of the rest of the discussion. They get into far more detail: The configuration and materials used in a power cable matter because they affect a cable’s capacitance which in turn changes the cable’s impedance. Most importantly, the change in impedance impacts electrical signal differently across the frequency spectrum.
Two ways to get more details on this:
Credentials of the creators of The Hi Fi Podcast:
Darren:
Darren is the designer of many products for Boulder’s PS Audio brand, most recently known for Stereophile’s choice as the 2020 “Analog Component of the Year,” the PS Audio Stellar Phono preamplifier, and the incredibly well-reviewed new Stellar M1200 tube hybrid mono amplifiers.
With a career as an analog and digital circuit designer spanning two countries and several of the most well-known brands, Darren brings much experience to the table. He earned his EE and worked for both Bowers & Wilkins and Classe Audio before coming to Colorado, and also, before turning 30.
He is the designer of the PS Audio Stellar Phono phono preamp
Duncan:
Duncan has recorded 150+ bands, has published 450+ articles, columns and blogs and is an experienced DIYer when it comes to audio equipment and speakers. He met Darren when working as the Retail Sales Manager of Boulder’s PS Audio, and the two collaborated on an audiophile recording and concert series called “Invisible Audience,” not to mention the weekly hikes in the mountains. He is a mastering engineer, cable designer and musician, avid fly fisherman, bike polo enthusiast, husband and dad in his “free time.”
But what truly gives him a useful perspective for the podcast is his day job as a testing technician for the world’s largest online re-seller of high end audio, The Music Room. Over years in this role, he has listened to and evaluated thousands of the finest products from all over the industry and throughout high end audio’s extensive history.
Factual..This topic is repetitive and boring. Take it to a vote the I assume, guess, believe, cables make a difference line there, The black is black, white is white, on or off, line is here. Be happy, move on !
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Maybe my post is the confrontational comments and hostile language? It was not meant that way...so I'll say it this way. I am sure the pod casters know what they talk about. As I am so EE impaired, I was bored. It would be like carrying on a conversation with the fictional character Dr Sheldon Cooper about theoretical physics. I would be bored even listening because I could not participate without sounding slightly dumber than "dumb and dumber". Cables have made a difference in my listening experience. I prepared my experience from breaker to receptacle. I upgraded cables. It was an improvement from a-z. So sorry if I offended anyone. |
Naysayers seem to have some kind of savior complex in their need to try to save cable-believers from buying supposedly overpriced cables. But nobody is twisting their arm, and as already pointed out, there is a large number of companies that offer 30-day free trials. Arrange to have 3 or 4 in your price bracket in house at the same time, and let the testing begin. If you hear something significant, or think you hear something (which amounts to the same thing), then buy away, if not, don't. It's as simple as that. If possible during testing I'd recommend people ensure that it's repeatable--i.e. compare a couple of cables on different days and see if you get the same results. As always, you need to be honest with yourself as to what you're hearing, rather than what you want to hear. |
@vanson1 - probably because they know that most people buying expensive gear will have their own preferences for cables and may already have some very expensive cables already, so why add a lot more money to the price just to include expensive cables that might not even get used? That's why these companies all include those black generic cords and cables so if you don't have something already, you can at least get it up and running till it's replaced with something better. |
