[Discovery]

Can someone indulge a newbie with an explanation of how a power supply cable can improve your listening experience? I know good cabling can make a difference, but I would expect the greatest improvements to be possible with an upgrade in component->component or component->speakers/headphones cabling. (I'm generalizing, I know, and the individual experiences will vary based on equipment and listener).

I've read the Virtual Dynamics thread and was surprised by the number of people who reported a noticeable difference. Please note that I'm not trolling here and am really trying to understand.

Assuming the component in question has a good power supply rejection ratio, I would expect that an upgrade in the power supply IC to be less signicant than an upgrade of cabling directly in the audio path (which have a much lower signal level and wider frequency range of interest).

I just can't help wondering how much of a difference it would make when there is likely >100' of "vanilla" cabling between the electical outlet and the transfomer outside the house/apartment feeding this exotic IC.

I know I haven't tried it and I'm not knocking it. No offense is intended here.

Thanks

 

[eric343]

My theory is that it has to do with shielding and capacity. Most in-wall wiring is thick solid-core stuff - probably able to carry at least 30A; and usually goes through metal conduits (I think) which are probably grounded (I think). These conduits are made out of metal pipe - a pretty darn good shielding material.

(note: ask Tuberoller about some or all of the above "facts"; I'm ONLY GUESSING)

Now, your average IEC power cord has NO shielding and stranded conductors, usually rated 20A maximum. Now, I think that if noise gets into your system, it's very hard to get rid of it - no matter what PSRR your components have. So what I think is happening is that noise is entering $component via the cheap unshielded cord and mucking up the signal, even though the chips may be recieving clean power.

Also, the higher current rating of a solid-core wire (vs. equivalent stranded gauge) might contribute to the "response time" of a cable - although that's snake-oil buzzword territory.

The one big BIG flaw in my theory is that power cords don't affect the sound as much if you have a good line conditioner installed. Ask Tuberoller for more details.