Effects Of Power Cords On Electrostatic Speakers

When I worked for MFA years ago they had some Soundlab A3 electrostats there. I told Scott Franklin that if you replace the very small fuse with a super large value the sound would be much better.......so he went out to the workshop and got a 30 amp fuse and replaced the quarter amp fuse........It sounded way better, expecially the highs.

EVERYTHING MATTERS. Even the power on your lava lamp.....he he.

My first serious A/B of power cords was on a SOTA turntable back in the early 80s.  I had built a pre regulator (30V) and then a cable went to the turntable where there was a 12? volt regulator then the motor which turned the belt.  The power cord was from the wall to the transformer for the 30V regulator.  The best sounding power cord was made using Mogami wire (one of the few serious wires in those days).  Every single thing in the 30V pre regulator changed the sound including the transformer (I tried at least 4 transformers and they all made the sound different).

Of course, I am making this all up (not).  WE all kNOW that the only thing that matters is the measurements.  How dare we listen to things to KNOW what they sound like

An open mind and an open heart = happiness.   I wish you much happiness.

Power matters to ESL’s. I have upgraded my Quads’ power supplies to the premium version offered by Electrostatic Solutions, and the difference is startling.

I also upgraded the SUT’s (big improvement) and delay ladder (very small improvement). Perhaps the biggest improvement was removing the protection circuit - which I could do because my amps were designed so that they could not under any circumstances drive the speakers into the danger zone.

ESL’s are the great, but stock versions of all but the best examples can be improved. IMO

@jhnnrrs

So you know the "truth". How comforting.

And what makes you think I own a lava lamp?

As a truth teller you should get the facts correct and not lean on conjecture.

@mrskeptic

But what happens if do not expect to hear a change? Do we then have unexpectation bias? If so what does that prove?

Yes but we have expectations. I expect to receive a paycheck every two weeks. When I get it does that mean it is a false paycheck and not real compensation? Isn’t it funny how we live and order our lives with expectations and yet people like you demean others for having them. Tell me, when you bought your audio equipment did you not have a set of expectations? If so how can anyone believe that your answers of anything audio have any level of validity?

@mrskeptic+1! Yes, the OP heard an improvement - but it had NOTHING to do with the power cord! ESL speakers charge their diaphragms through a 1 Million  ohm or greater resistor. This slow charging can take more than one day (24 hours). So the wrong conclusion again by the cable believers!