Why power cable effect overall syste sound?

I GUESS THOSE OF US WHO HAVE ACTUALLY TRIED AND WORKED AT THIS IN OUR highly resolving systems must be deaf or part of some huge conspiracy? I am amazed at some here on Agon? I must assume that we do not all have the ability to hear the difference. I suppose that is possible as we are all created different.

As far as the argument of miles of wire in the house and throughout our communities before our 3 foot power cord, well why bother with any special wire inside our gear or caps or connectors or any high quality parts? That argument makes no sense to me at all.

Power cords, tube rolling, audio racks, room treatments, speaker wire, IC's, speaker placement, burn - in and tweeks all make a big differnce. If you don't hear them, then that is true for your God given set of ears.

I trust those of you who can't hear the difference either have not tried or really can't. Just don't tell me and others we are not telling the truth or have been tricked.

We must account for the fact that we have differing abilities to hear changes in sound. I choose to believe we are all being honest here and are simply sharing our actual experiences.

I know this to be true in the food business. Not all people share the same ability to taste a change in a food product. As a product manager I have learned some cannot taste the difference when we change a product while others can (blind testing). The same is true for the other senses like hearing.

There are some good responses, but this has been asked and answered so many times so a search might help avoid a new round of "heads in the sand".

Also, this is a fun name calling and pot-shotting topic for arm-chair paper tigers so its hard to sort through the BS when asking seemingly straightforward questions.

Here are a few simple, straightforward explanations in layman's terms..

One of the fundamental reasons any decently designed after-market power cord can make a difference is that noise generated and shared within interconnected systems poses a far greater challenge to resolution and fidelity than externally generated AC interference. Just as it is within electronics themselves, the laws of proximity rule when it comes to the effective treatment of radiated and power supply generated noise.

Power cords are designed to act as sympathetic, noise-isolated extensions of the primary winding within a component’s power supply. Seen this way, their function takes on a more understandable role. They represent the initial outward electrical interface for each piece of electronics in the system. That raw wire interface can either act as an antenna for radiated HF and ground-borne noise or it can be engineered to isolate the power-supply port from internal and external EMI, RFI interference.

There is no such thing as a power supply that is adequate to filtering or isolating itself entirely from the huge volume of gigahertz noise that surrounds electronics systems and comes from within them. The bigger and more powerful the system, typically the larger the problem an unshielded or unprotected AC port can become. That is not to say electronics systems cannot sound great without after-market cords, or that tons of money must be spent on them, it's just to say that there is real-world science that explains why that they "can and most often do make an easy to hear difference or improvement in recorded or reproduced sound".

In general, power cords do not represent the last few feet of an AC grid leading to a component; they are first few feet from the perspective of each component’s power supply. Due to the fact that your AC is in principle the_source_ of sound for any music or sound system--AC rectified to DC which carries the signal through the system--it would seem imprudent to ignore the possibility of a difference and not perform the simplest of empirical experiments for oneself--unless the point of discourse is only to make funny asides under strict internet protection :o).

Since no product of this or any kind are being forced on anyone, each is free to try for themselves and make their own determination. Certainly the fact that many of the finest recording studios, mastering professionals, electronics engineers speaker manufacturers openly use and endorse them would seem to dim some of the more ardent "internet posting professionals" erm, arguments...

Grant
Shunyata Research

I found recently that my power cords from one company was changing my sound and tone and affecting its overall dynamic range. I now use Running Springs HZ cords and one of there claims is to not be used as so called tone control. My system was fine with stock cords in places but much better dynamics and resolution with the new HZ cords in. Sometimes you can insert a cord or cable be it a power, ic, or sc, and get a sound change you find inviting only to later wonder if your timing and detail is lacking or just not right. With the HZ cord it didn't change the tone from stock cords at all, it expanded dynamics and detail while allowing the frequency response and tone to be left alone.

I have learned some cannot taste the difference when we change a product while others can (blind testing)

BINGO, enough said.
Well, actually I must add, to my experiments/ experience with cables & cords, I'm fortunate to hear and "see" differences between each 1 of them (the higher in price, the more obvious) almost equivilent (or more) when switching with diff components. I actually enjoy sitting down with the non-believers to demonstrate & to acknowledge them the characters differences in cables & cords. Their becoming as a cable believers is my cup of tea, mission acomplished.

I think one of the main points missing here is not that cords and cables make no difference, but that people are preoccupied with them and forget room treatment which I find to be far more important, as I think speaker cables are more important, and interconnects being of high importance. A line conditioner is also important especially for digital and SS equipment. And not to forget, the position of the speakers in the room, the listening position, and a host of other things are so important, cable fixes, all the way up and down the chain are used instead of getting the speakers right in the room. Cables should be used to fine tune the system. Using a measuring system, like a mic to evaluate the sound in the room at 1M, and at the listening position will reveal a lot of the room and characteristics. Don't rely of your Ratshack meter, it is rolled below 50Hz, and above 10K. So, don't go and buy another power cord if you are rolled at 10Khz, it is your meter.
If your room and system is right, and all is right and you hear improvements in your power cords, keep them, use them, and stick by what your hear. Your ears are your experience, so be truthful to that.
Personally, I have heard many power cords in different systems, and in some systems there was a difference, others there was not one of significance. The cords evaluated were the best from Shunyata, Cardas, Audioquest, and many others. Each system will have different RF issues, and others. Trust your ears, not the money spent....
Jallen