It's Done! Power Cord Shoot-Out-- 22 Power Cords Reviewed!

[skyline889]

Another great review Mark, you definitely deserved the sticky for this one! I really appreciate you taking the time to audition the cheaper ones too. Not all of us have systems good enough, or should I say wallets big enough , to purchase the super high end cabling that most reviewers go over.

[markl]

Thanks everyone, and thanks Wayne for booting it upstairs.

[883dave]

Markl...

Thanks for your time and attention to detail...excellent reviews

You have given lots to be considered!!!!!

[mlhm5]

First there are hundreds of miles of power company wiring before the hundreds if not thousands of feet of plain old romex 14-2 wiring in most peoples houses.

On a typical 50-100' run supplying 15amps to a room with 4 or 5 outlets, the source of power is cut and rejoined with wire nuts at least 4 times before getting to the final outlet. Prior to entering the room the power cord may have been split and joined supplying another 3 or 4 sockets adding another 50' to the run plus the run may start from the panel in the basement, adding another 50'-100' to the run.

The wall outlet carrying the power is usually a simple cheap plug and the same simplicity is present in the panel.

How can 6 feet of flexible cable (not cables with inbuilt filters or other esoterica) counteract the miles of power company's wiring, plus hundreds of feet in your house?

[markl]

Look here:

I’m A Skeptic, Prove to Me That Power Cords Work!
I didn’t believe in them either, until I tried one on a lark a few years ago. It had a 30-day no-hassle return policy-- I didn’t return it, and haven’t looked back since. Yeah, I know there’s all that non-audiophile-grade cabling in your walls preceding your fancy new power cord. And then from your walls back to the power plant are miles more.

But instead of thinking of it as being the *last* 6 feet of cabling, it can be thought of as the *first* 6 feet. It may be more useful to think of it not in terms of *improving* your system’s performance but in terms of *removing the harm* caused it by stock power cabling. It is also possible that the superior power cords act as a sort of “conditioner” on the power line, conditioning the electricity before it enters your component. Generally, fancy power cords also have superior shielding for rejecting EMI/RFI “pollution”, providing a cleaner transmission of electricity to your gear.

My overall experience with power conditioners and especially with power cables has opened my eyes to the importance of having a good, clean power supply to feed your audio gear, it’s truly the “life-blood” of your system, and the effects of correcting shortcomings in the power feeding your gear is not small.

If that’s not good enough explanation for you and you have problems with the concept that power cables can effect system performance, do yourself (and me) a favor—just stop reading! This thread is not for you, and debate about their efficacy will not be part of this review or this thread.

Or, you can try one for yourself and see.

[trose49]

I sent Volex email to order 2 power cords and got no response???

Is there a better way to order?

[mlhm5]

How does a 6' flexiable cable counteract the effect of voltage drops when high power appliances are turned on?

Impedance will cause the voltage to vary from one second to the next, with significant drops at the times when ovens, electric water heaters, and electric dryers are turned on.

Additionally there is measured the distortion on the mains in anyone's house of greater than 5%, and there is absolutely nothing that a cable can do to change this, regardless of cost.

Your quote is quaint, "removing the harm". Indeed. To remove the harm, given that the mains is distorted, and varies in amplitude from minute to minute throughout the day, and has significant impedance, requires a UPS, which (if you get the right type) uses the incoming mains to charge batteries, then uses an inverter to supply power to your equipment.

In subjective audio comparisons the 'correct' answer is always the more expensive or inconvenient one. I am afraid that lectronics is rarely as simple as that.

A major improvement is more likely to be linked with a new circuit topology or new type of semiconductor, than with mindlessly specifying more expensive components of the same type.

To make the point, cars do not go faster with platinum pistons.

[markl]

Dude, if you want to debate power cords, pick any one of the hundreds of threads on that same subject, not this one. Thanks.

[skullguise]

Mark, this is awesome. I am truly amazed at your time spent. The ONLY other person i know who's been this deep into it is Martin Dewulf from Bound For Sound.

It was because of him I got got into TG Audio cords, with the SLVR being my favorite. And it was because of your reviews (and similar findings regarding TG cords) that led me to try the Black Sand Violet with similar very positive results.

It's too bad yo didn't have a TG SLVR on hand to review. And also an Eichmann. Oh, and maybe the Eupen Filtered cord (cheap cord from Europe, supposedly used by JPS and either mod'd or stock; labeled JPS Digital AC, and sold for $300+!). I have found the Eichmann pretty system dependant, but it has done soe VERY nice things to my digital players.

But you've done SO much for us, we'd never ask you to do more. Would we?

Thanks for everything!

[mlhm5]

Dude, when you let your emotions make a $$ decision on technical equipment, you can bet the bank that you will make the wrong choice, unless you get it right by chance.

Non blinded listening tests are invalid and I would be willing to wager that in a blinded listening test, all the cords sound indistinguishable.

Unlike visual memory, your acoustical memory is like vaporware and easily fooled. It is much easier to remember with great detail what your girlfriend looks like than to recall all but the basic details of the greatest guitar riff ever recorded.

People will believe what they want to, and perceive what they want to perceive especially when the only testing deliverable is a vague subjective impression.