[Mindless]

Im a _BIG_ sceptic in this area. _HOW_ is it technically possible that a power cable can improve the sound? With all this talking about crap in -> crap out, isn't it the same with the power that is beeing fed into the amp/cdp or whatever? If i have a crappy connector in the wall, a crappy electric company, and a awsome rig with several $$$$$$$$$$$ bucks of power cabling, wouldnt it sound as crap as if i had a 5 year old soundcard with a HeadRoom BlockHead plugged into it? right?

My personal opinion about power cables is the same as that a $500 buck wooden volume knob makes a sonical difference wich is total bulls**t, so is power cables IMHO.

Please give your opinion on this and please, try to explain to me why I should/should not, buy cables for alot of money.

 

[Gopher]

Firstly, the search function is back up and running strong. Look it up, this has been discussed to death.

Secondly, I don't think it's the wooden knob so much as the potentiometer making the sonic difference.

Thirdly, theres a new obsecenity code on head-fi. I suggest asterisking out your vulgarity

Fourth, no matter what kind of argument is presented to you, you seem pretty fixed in your mindset. Perhaps you actually should roll power cables (many companys offer free 30 day trials) before forsaking the practice.

I've noticed a tremendous corelation of the people questioning the sonic differences cables make being people who have never heard high end cables... its silly to make blanket statements with absolutely no frame of reference.

Yes there is a probably a substantial markup in the industry, but I personally have expereienced the effects of PCs on my system(which is resolving enough in the first place to make these differences apparant).

 

[Mindless]

Sorry for the language....

But thanks for the advice. Gonna search the forum and see what people thinks.

And there is a $500 volume knob wich according to Music Fanatic makes a sonic difference (it wasnt the $500 buck but at least $300 I think)

 

[dhwilkin]

Oy. As Gopher mentioned, there've been threads on this topic before. But, may as well comment a little further. I'm no technical expert, so I can't really explain in-depth why it should make a difference. But, in my experience, it does. I just got through listening w/ three different Shunyata PCs the other day (which I plan to do a review of, if there's interest), and each one had a somewhat different effect on the sound. But the benefits that seem to be fairly constant w/ good PCs are reducing the noise level (thus improving detail at the micro level) and increasing focus.

Really, PCs don't have the same goal as interconnects. Interconnects ideally pass exactly what they're given, no changes. PCs are meant to give the cleanest and most consistent power possible to your components, and if that means somehow improving or cleaning the power that passes through it or providing a tighter connection or whatever, so be it.

 

[Gopher]

Quote:

Originally posted by dhwilkin Really, PCs don't have the same goal as interconnects. Interconnects ideally pass exactly what they're given, no changes. PCs are meant to give the cleanest and most consistent power possible to your components, and if that means somehow improving or cleaning the power that passes through it or providing a tighter connection or whatever, so be it.

You are correct about this and I do no dispute it. I phrased my generalization to include cable skeptics in general.

 

[Ebonyks]

John risch provides a much better explination of the subject then i ever could. Read his artical about them here: http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/ac-cords.htm

 

[dhwilkin]

Quote:

Gopher said... You are correct about this and I do no dispute it. I phrased my generalization to include cable skeptics in general.

Ah, that last comment of mine was more of a general comment, not really directed at anybody in particular. Just something that popped into my head at the time.

Oh yeah, and Jon Risch tends to know what he's talking about, so that link Ebonyks just posted will probably be fairly informative.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Well if you consider that the standard power cable is 18 gauge then it shouldn't suprise you that 10-14 gauge with more solid connectors and better shielding would result in slightly better performance. You're basically insuring that all the power that your device needs will be supplied without question, and you're protecting from outside interference, of say.. another power cable. The power cables I put together use 10 gauge sliver plated OFC copper and teflon, wrapped in shielded chrome techflex which seperates the ground from the loop, then terminated with a Marinco hospital grade plug and a Wattage IEC. I'm not going to lie, I set up an A/B comparison with my PPA and noticed an EXTREMELY SLIGHT difference, not even close to that of an interconnect. The low were a notch lower and the highs were a notch higher. Worth my cost of $50-60... sure. Worth more than that? No way! Power cords should be the last item on your checklist IMO, right there with exotic dampening.

 

[Ctn]

I wouldnt call a PPA a "highly revealing source".

Power cables make ZERO difference.

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ctn I wouldnt call a PPA a "highly revealing source".

A PPA with silver ICs and DA op-amps is a little more revealing than I find pleasant.

Quote:

Originally posted by Ctn Power cables make ZERO difference.

Can you describe what power cords you've auditioned and on what equipment?

 

[Ctn]

Quote:

Originally posted by highflyin9 A PPA with silver ICs and DA op-amps is a little more revealing than I find pleasant.

Bright perhaps?

Quote:

Can you describe what power cords you've auditioned and on what equipment?

I've heard many yet I didnt hear an audible difference.
Lets not start with this, it will only end with countless useless posts.

 

[lan]

Quote:

Originally posted by highflyin9 Power cords should be the last item on your checklist IMO, right there with exotic dampening.

I disagree somewhat. Power cords mated with some power conditioning works pretty well BUT it depends on your system and power. Just because it doesn't work quantitativly for you doesn't mean it doesn't work.

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ctn I wouldnt call a PPA a "highly revealing source".

I wouldn't either. An amp is not a source. Or, to be more precise, sound originating in an amp, rather than the actual source, is not exactly something you want to hear.

Quote:

Power cables make ZERO difference.

I disagree completely. Try running your equipment without them

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally posted by highflyin9 Power cords should be the last item on your checklist IMO, right there with exotic dampening.

What do you define as exotic dampening? Because you do realize that some tubes in partiocular are SO microphonic that dampening is very very important. In fact, I was just exposed to this yesterday using a NOS pair of RCA 5693's. So microphonic and I already have rings on the tubes...

Anyhow, as for PC's they made a difference on my cd player and the stock cord was already quite robust. Chris Johnson of Sonic Frontiers and Parts Connexion fame told me that I didn't really need to chance the PC because it was so well built. I tried a new one out just for fun and was stunned.

I can do a blind test with the stock, my present on, and a cheapy and tell you which is on the player at any one time.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally posted by Hirsch I disagree completely. Try running your equipment without them [/B]

True wisdom, I love it!