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Expensive vs. Moderately Priced.


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Ok, so here we go again... uggh...!!! Power cords. Have you heard any that were truly inexpensive that really rivaled the "hi end" cords?

HQ Player (#1) & Audrivana (#2) (wow! love the Apple w/music!!) .. these two software make my system "Amazing!", Purist USB- Benchmark DAC2 HGC (love it!), Purist Audio XLR , ATC SCM25A's (To Die For!) & Focal sub6 . Triode Power Cables with Uber Buss (Yes!) Also enjoy Audeze LCD3 w/"fat pipe cardas."

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I have not heard any lower priced power cords which rival the higher priced ones. To me the purity of the treble is just not there until you reach the level of Purist’s Canorus power cords. There are other power cords which are this good and better but they cost as much or more like Echole and Shunyata. I also prefer Elrod power cords in amps better than Purist cords. You just need the better bass sound over the treble sound in amps. This is just one opinion I have formed over the years. I am sure there are many others.

AMR 777 DAC, Purist Ultimate USB, PC server 4gig SOTM USB, server 2012, Audiophil Optimizer,Joule Preamp LAP150 Platinum Vcaps Bybee, Spectron Monoblocks Bybee Vcaps, Eggleston Savoy speakers, 2 REL Stentor III subwoofers, Pranawire Cosmos speaker wire, Purist Dominus Praesto cabling, Purist Anniversary (Canorus)power cables and Elrod Statement Gold power cable, VPI Aries I SDS w/Grado The Statement LP, 11kVA power isolation, 16 sound panels and bass traps TAD,RPG,GIK and Realtraps

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What is it that the power chords do to repair the losses of tens of feet of Romex in your walls or hundreds of miles of cable hanging from poles across the great state of Texas?

 

To the OP.....if power purity and stability is what you're after, look towards power conditioners instead. There's nothing a power cable can do to stabilize current or remove electrical based noise. I purchased three very high quality industrial lab grade units for pennies on the dollar at an auction and could not be happier.

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To the OP- Why are you asking this question again? Asked and answered.

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What is it that the power chords do to repair the losses of tens of feet of Romex in your walls or hundreds of miles of cable hanging from poles across the great state of Texas?

 

To the OP.....if power purity and stability is what you're after, look towards power conditioners instead. There's nothing a power cable can do to stabilize current or remove electrical based noise. I purchased three very high quality industrial lab grade units for pennies on the dollar at an auction and could not be happier.

 

I agree on power isolation as I run 11 kVA of power isolation. Power cords are the icing on the cake.

AMR 777 DAC, Purist Ultimate USB, PC server 4gig SOTM USB, server 2012, Audiophil Optimizer,Joule Preamp LAP150 Platinum Vcaps Bybee, Spectron Monoblocks Bybee Vcaps, Eggleston Savoy speakers, 2 REL Stentor III subwoofers, Pranawire Cosmos speaker wire, Purist Dominus Praesto cabling, Purist Anniversary (Canorus)power cables and Elrod Statement Gold power cable, VPI Aries I SDS w/Grado The Statement LP, 11kVA power isolation, 16 sound panels and bass traps TAD,RPG,GIK and Realtraps

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What is it that the power chords do to repair the losses of tens of feet of Romex in your walls or hundreds of miles of cable hanging from poles across the great state of Texas?

 

To the OP.....if power purity and stability is what you're after, look towards power conditioners instead. There's nothing a power cable can do to stabilize current or remove electrical based noise. I purchased three very high quality industrial lab grade units for pennies on the dollar at an auction and could not be happier.

 

+1.

 

And be very careful about conditioners. Most don't do even half of what they purport to do. Whatever way you look at it effective mains filtering is expensive. The best are huge one-to-one power transformers with low-pass filters in them. Without the transformer, all the filtering has to be done with multi-pole LRC filters, and, while nowhere near as expensive as all that copper wire and all that iron in a proper isolation transformer, decent LRC filters that actually work and can carry the current necessary needed to power a good sized power amplifier are still pretty dear. Don't even think about buying a cheap one. Those are little more than surge protectors. Gotta say, that if one gets an effective power conditioner, they do make a difference - especially in an urban environment. hard to explain what it sounds like, but clean mains power simply makes everything sound cleaner, with blacker silences, cleaner highs, better image specificity and just overall better sound.

 

Mathem 13 is right. If you can find lab-grade units at a good price, don't hesitate to snatch 'em up. I found a huge one-to-one filter transformer at a going-out-of-business sale for an electronics surplus store. I had been eyeing the thing for years, but they wanted big bucks for it. On the store's final day of business, I waltzed in there, picked the big transformer up, and set it on the counter and made them a ridiculous offer for it, and they took it. Haven't regretted it, ever.

George

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Time to get this straight:

 

A chord in music is any harmonic set of two or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.

 

In electronics, cord can mean a power cord or extension cord.

 

Unless the power cord happens to be an Audience powerChord. :)

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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What is it that the power chords do to repair the losses of tens of feet of Romex in your walls or hundreds of miles of cable hanging from poles across the great state of Texas?

 

To the OP.....if power purity and stability is what you're after, look towards power conditioners instead. There's nothing a power cable can do to stabilize current or remove electrical based noise. I purchased three very high quality industrial lab grade units for pennies on the dollar at an auction and could not be happier.

 

I have to agree with this reply for the most part. Perhaps some power cords radiate less rubbish into nearby interconnects ? This problem is usually addressable by improved spacing between power and interconnect leads with mains leads crossing interconnects at a 90 degree angle.

Alex

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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I never realized just how much power cords can and DO do... until I started generating my own power (PurePower+ and PS Audio P10). Once you take your mains out of the question, you can really hear the differences that many of the power cords do.

 

I settled with BlackSands Audio Violet Z1 MKII as it was for the price, one of the best performers and replacing 7 power cords started to get pricey. To me, the BlackSands Statement One I thought sounded better than the Purist Canorus where the Statement had a smoother sound (more musical I guess you would say) along with a little more resolution in the upper and lower. Not by much mind you...but a little bit. What impressed me the most was how the Statement seemed to just disappear, adding nor taking anything away from the music...but more like a lens on a camera just getting a little more in focus. Now this is purely subjective. For me it was what I would've gotten if I was going to spend a LOT of money to replace all my cords. So instead I just stayed with the Violet Z1... I did do the Silver Reference and while better than the Violet, it had a little more "clinical or sharp" edge to it that in my system I didn't want. If I was running McIntosh set where it tends to be warm (too much for my tastes) I think adding the silver cable would've done it for me to give it the sharpness that I feel is missing in (most) of their gear.

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Once you take your mains out of the question, you can really hear the differences that many of the power cords do.

 

PewterTA

If your power is now as pure as you believe it is, without excessive harmonics of the generated sine waves, why should different mains cables make any difference unless there is an interaction with the PSU area of the gear you are using ?

Surely this kind of thing should be measurable at the primary of the transformer using suitable isolation ?

Alex

 

P.S.

I am not discounting what you are reporting, just wondering why it should matter in this case.

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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I think the most outstanding thing with big power isolation is the sound of the cymbals and how they shimmer without hash. The other immediate thing you notice is the black back ground. The funny thing is power cords have the same effects on the sound just from a different reference point the point being the power is conditioned.

AMR 777 DAC, Purist Ultimate USB, PC server 4gig SOTM USB, server 2012, Audiophil Optimizer,Joule Preamp LAP150 Platinum Vcaps Bybee, Spectron Monoblocks Bybee Vcaps, Eggleston Savoy speakers, 2 REL Stentor III subwoofers, Pranawire Cosmos speaker wire, Purist Dominus Praesto cabling, Purist Anniversary (Canorus)power cables and Elrod Statement Gold power cable, VPI Aries I SDS w/Grado The Statement LP, 11kVA power isolation, 16 sound panels and bass traps TAD,RPG,GIK and Realtraps

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I wouldn't attempt to provide an explanation as to why power cords make an audible difference, but my experience tells me that they definitely do. Of course, as is often the case, the effect is both system and component dependent. I have heard the greatest effect on solid state power amplifiers and ModWright's tube rectified outboard power supplies.

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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Because the effect of power cords can vary greatly, I don't think any general statements can be made comparing inexpensive power cords to high-end ones. OTOH, any power cord that replaces the cheap wire, IEC and plug found in generic cords with better materials is likely to offer some benefit, Pangea being a good place to start.

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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Because the effect of power cords can vary greatly, I don't think any general statements can be made comparing inexpensive power cords to high-end ones. OTOH, any power cord that replaces the cheap wire, IEC and plug found in generic cords with better materials is likely to offer some benefit, Pangea being a good place to start.

 

I think this must be the most truism statement of all as I made my statement based on my testing on mine and my friends systems.

 

PS

The question was asked about low priced vs high priced power cords. I think there is a big difference. I would not buy a $1000 DAC and then add a $5000 power cord to it. I would buy a better DAC rather than a high priced power cord.

AMR 777 DAC, Purist Ultimate USB, PC server 4gig SOTM USB, server 2012, Audiophil Optimizer,Joule Preamp LAP150 Platinum Vcaps Bybee, Spectron Monoblocks Bybee Vcaps, Eggleston Savoy speakers, 2 REL Stentor III subwoofers, Pranawire Cosmos speaker wire, Purist Dominus Praesto cabling, Purist Anniversary (Canorus)power cables and Elrod Statement Gold power cable, VPI Aries I SDS w/Grado The Statement LP, 11kVA power isolation, 16 sound panels and bass traps TAD,RPG,GIK and Realtraps

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Because the effect of power cords can vary greatly, I don't think any general statements can be made comparing inexpensive power cords to high-end ones. OTOH, any power cord that replaces the cheap wire, IEC and plug found in generic cords with better materials is likely to offer some benefit, Pangea being a good place to start.

 

IOW, if a power cable seems to alter the sound, for better or for worse, it's a good investment? And it's OK if it's a crap shoot and that sometimes the original cable that came with the component will be better than the fancy aftermarket cable? But the latter will always seem better to the buyer because it costs a lot and looks cool and one expects something that costs a lot and looks cool to be better. It just has to be?

George

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IOW, if a power cable seems to alter the sound, for better or for worse, it's a good investment? And it's OK if it's a crap shoot and that sometimes the original cable that came with the component will be better than the fancy aftermarket cable? But the latter will always seem better to the buyer because it costs a lot and looks cool and one expects something that costs a lot and looks cool to be better. It just has to be?

 

George, why do you have to imply an interpretation that isn't there? IOW, your IOW is BS. It's not a crap shoot because the generic cords that come with virtually all gear - I haven't seen any exceptions - are cheap crap that cost manufacturers about a dollar. I can't imagine that the original cord will ever sound better than an aftermarket cord. It certainly has never happened in my experience. Thefefore, IMO, your later comment is also BS. If you can't hear any difference between power cords, then stick with the cheap generic cords. But, there is no need to disparage the very large number of people who have improved the sound quality of their systems by replacing those generic cords.

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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[ But, there is no need to disparage the very large number of people who have improved the sound quality of their systems by replacing those generic cords. /QUOTE]

 

Hi Allan

Nevertheless, an aftermarket power cord can only be as good as the quality of the sockets that it plugs into at both ends, especially after repeated insertions and removals. Some IEC sockets for example are utter rubbish, with some even having a thin outer shell over the top of the thick metal underneath. As another example I have a 6 outlet power board where the majority of the mains sockets have lost their tension, and plugs are quite a loose fit. I keep forgetting to replace it though.

 

Regards

Alex

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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[ But, there is no need to disparage the very large number of people who have improved the sound quality of their systems by replacing those generic cords. /QUOTE]

 

Hi Allan

Nevertheless, an aftermarket power cord can only be as good as the quality of the sockets that it plugs into at both ends, especially after repeated insertions and removals. Some IEC sockets for example are utter rubbish, with some even having a thin outer shell over the top of the thick metal underneath. As another example I have a 6 outlet power board where the majority of the mains sockets have lost their tension, and plugs are quite a loose fit. I keep forgetting to replace it though.

 

Regards

Alex

 

Alex:

 

Whenever I have moved, the first thing I have done is replace the wall sockets for my audio system with tight, hospital grade ones. Some IEC sockets are rubbish and others are not. Benefit can often be obtained by occasionally using a contact cleaner to remove oxidation. May I suggest that you prepare a sticky, put it in a place where you can't help but see it, and you will remind yourself to replace those loose outlets.

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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Allan

It still doesn't overcome the problem of the cheap and nasty mains receptacles in most affordable consumer audio gear .

I replaced a problematic one in my DIY DAC, but it's a different matter finding a higher quality mains inlet socket that will fit in most commercial gear.

 

Regards

Alex

 

How a Digital Audio file sounds, or a Digital Video file looks, is governed to a large extent by the Power Supply area. All that Identical Checksums gives is the possibility of REGENERATING the file to close to that of the original file.

PROFILE UPDATED 13-11-2020

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George, why do you have to imply an interpretation that isn't there? IOW, your IOW is BS. It's not a crap shoot because the generic cords that come with virtually all gear - I haven't seen any exceptions - are cheap crap that cost manufacturers about a dollar. I can't imagine that the original cord will ever sound better than an aftermarket cord. It certainly has never happened in my experience. Thefefore, IMO, your later comment is also BS. If you can't hear any difference between power cords, then stick with the cheap generic cords. But, there is no need to disparage the very large number of people who have improved the sound quality of their systems by replacing those generic cords.

 

That's the point Allan. The cables that come with gear are crap that costs about a dollar because that's all that is necessary. Look, like most of you, I'm an audio subjectivist. Where my subjectivism turns to objectivism, is when somebody is trying to sell me (and other audio enthusiasts) on something that simply cannot be. Then, logic and engineering knowledge take over from subjectivism. As to an aftermarket cord not sounding better than a stock cord (or vise versa, even) you're correct. They won't. They will make no difference whatsoever. They simply can't. This has been said before, here, by me and by others. What could the last two meters of a journey several hundreds of miles long that your house current has taken possibly do to correct, filter, or perform exorcism on the garbage that AC power, in transit, is prone to pick up? I've heard people say that it shields the AC line from RF pickup. Maybe it does, man, but what shields the AC path through your house wiring from your meter to the wall socket that your fancy AC cord is plugged into? Unless your house is very old and has that spiral shielded AC wiring, your house is likely wired with Romex. Romex is generally NOT shielded with anything. All I'm saying is use your head. Be aware of expectational bias, and think about some of this stuff before falling for all the snake oil being sold in this business. I'm not suggestion that one become an Arny Kruger style objectivist who cannot and will not hear any differences in anything, but if we temper our subjectivism with just a little logic, we can keep some of our hard-earned money and buy more music with it - and perhaps put the charlatans out of business and save our "brothers and sisters in sound" from falling for the snake-oil too.

George

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That's the point Allan. The cables that come with gear are crap that costs about a dollar because that's all that is necessary. Look, like most of you, I'm an audio subjectivist. Where my subjectivism turns to objectivism, is when somebody is trying to sell me (and other audio enthusiasts) on something that simply cannot be. Then, logic and engineering knowledge take over from subjectivism. As to an aftermarket cord not sounding better than a stock cord (or vise versa, even) you're correct. They won't.

 

George, again your are miscontruing my words. I never said that an aftermarket cord doesn't sound better than a stock cord. I said the opposite. You can say that it's not possible. Frankly, I don't care because I know that there is a definite and clearly audible difference to me and others who have listened to my system. I don't have an explanation for it any more than I have an explanation for cables sounding different. However, when differences are of such a magnitude that precludes any possibility of expectation bias, I accept what I hear. I know many long time audiophiles who consider power cords to be one of one of the more important elements of an audio system. I wouldn't go that far myself, but I have no doubt whatsoever that they can and do make a difference.

 

And, George, please let it be. You've said your piece. I don't need a further reply to the above. There are times when your persistence can become annoying.

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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I use power cables made out of the same stuff I am using for interconnects and speaker cable. It's good stuff and not rediculously expensive, but it ain't lamp cord either. I don't deny that power cables can make a difference, but generally I would never pay crazy money for them because that money could certainly be used to buy a better amp or something else.

 

Pull the main fuse out of your power amp just for fun (usually located just where the power cord plugs in.) Look at it and realize how tiny it is and think that all the current has to squeeze through that tiny filament. The main fuse, and the other fuses in your amp are the ultimate bottle neck. Rationally, they make the idea of spending big money on power cords absurd. As I said, I don't deny a power cords can sound different, but I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

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