Do You Find Power Cord Upgrades Make A Difference?
Comments
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I would be willing to bet the majority that have voted NO have never even used an non-stock power cord. But of course they know it can't possibly make a difference.
BTW...have I ever mentioned that I don't care if anyone else can hear a difference or not?"Just because youre offended doesnt mean youre right." - Ricky Gervais
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson -
I hear you, but there ain't alot of room to mess with in them. I'll have to take a look...
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killerb wrote:spend your hard earned money on magic beans, at least you can eat them.
That's alright...I don't need a giant beanstalk sticking out my ****."SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE" -
RuSsMaN wrote:There's a guy here named John K you should talk to.
That's cruel......LOLRuSsMaN wrote:Just for the record, what have you tried, in your rig?
The $60,000 question!Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
I dont accept the idea that if youve never tried a $500 extension cord then you cant comment on whether or not it makes a difference.
I have never seen Ernest Saves Christmas but Im 100% sure it sucked.
Ive never jumped off a building using a garbage bag as a parachute but Im 100% sure Id splatter all over the sidewalk.
There are some things that good old fashioned common sense will tell you are worthless without having to try them and an expensive 3' power cord coming after 50 miles of plane old wires aint gonna matter.
Its like a water hose. Will using an Ace Hardware water hose to wash your car get it cleaner than using a Home Depot hose?polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
So I take you use generic, 14 guage power cord on your amps in your car install, right? Everything in your install is generic, short of the speakers, amps and headunit?
Right?Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
By the way, the earth was once thought to be flat.
Man, fly? Yeah, like that will ever happen.
Meat in a can? Are you kidding me?
Music on a thin disc, read by a laser? Get outta here.Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
I tell you there is a difference something to the positive, something I can hear. Being an Electronic Technician, of various devices (Mr. Fix it some call me) I can't explain the noise reduction myself when you consider the 50 miles of plain old electric wires feeding it. I can see myself buying a Magic Power Cord just to break / take about to find the mystery first hand.
Speakers
Carver Amazing Fronts
CS400i Center
RT800i's Rears
Sub Paradigm Servo 15
Electronics
Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
Parasound Halo A23
Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
Pioneer 79Avi DVD
Sony CX400 CD changer
Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR -
shack wrote:I would be willing to bet the majority that have voted NO have never even used an non-stock power cord. But of course they know it can't possibly make a difference.
BTW...have I ever mentioned that I don't care if anyone else can hear a difference or not? -
shack wrote:I would be willing to bet the majority that have voted NO have never even used an non-stock power cord. But of course they know it can't possibly make a difference.Win7 Media Center -> Onkyo TXSR702 -> Polk Rti70
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You know...
I think cables matter so much - I am going to invest 5 grand in them and 1,000 on all the components...
Then I am going to wrap my gear is special paper- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
shack wrote:I would be willing to bet the majority that have voted NO have never even used an non-stock power cord. But of course they know it can't possibly make a difference.
BTW...have I ever mentioned that I don't care if anyone else can hear a difference or not?
Shack, I agree with you on this. I meant to make this public knowledge of how everyone voted. That's the only way to go, IMO. The no votes came in fast and furious. I didnt want John K to be anonymous...UNIVERA
Historic Charleston SC
2 Channel:
SDA-SRS's RDO tweets
Biamped Anthem 2 SE's w/1970's NOS Siemens CCA's
Anthem Pre 2L w/E.harmonix platinum matched 6H23's
CDP- NAD C 542
HT setup:
AVR: NAD T 773
Rears: Polk LC80i
DVD: Toshiba 3109 dual tray
Subs: Velodyne and M&K
T.V.: Sony KDL-52XBR4 w/Vans Evers Clean Line Jr.
Conditioner: Panamax M5100EX
Master Bedroom Sony 40KDL-XBR3
"I love it when a plan comes together." Hannibal Smith, The A-Team -
RuSsMaN wrote:So I take you use generic, 14 guage power cord on your amps in your car install, right? Everything in your install is generic, short of the speakers, amps and headunit?
Right?
I dont use 14 guage power wire because Im drawing 80 amps and that would melt a 14 guage wire pretty quick. I use 4 guage.
As for generic? No, I use name brands. I buy quality wire so it doesnt deteriorate in the weather. Ive used several different brands of power wire and they all sound the same.
So let me ask you this. If that super fancy 3' extension cord makes such a difference, then why dont you re-wire your entire house with fancy wire? Wouldnt it sound so much better instead of that cheap, generic copper wire you have running thru your walls now?polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
RuSsMaN wrote:By the way, the earth was once thought to be flat.
Man, fly? Yeah, like that will ever happen.
Meat in a can? Are you kidding me?
Music on a thin disc, read by a laser? Get outta here.
And the moon was once thought to be made out of cheese.
And all the gods lived on Mount Olympus and threw down thunderbolts.
And vampires and werewolves exist.
And bigfoot roams the forests.
And the a magic fairy would fly into your room and give you money for the tooth under your pillow.polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
MacLeod wrote:I dont accept the idea that if youve never tried a $500 extension cord then you cant comment on whether or not it makes a difference.
I have never seen Ernest Saves Christmas but Im 100% sure it sucked.
Ive never jumped off a building using a garbage bag as a parachute but Im 100% sure Id splatter all over the sidewalk.
There are some things that good old fashioned common sense will tell you are worthless without having to try them and an expensive 3' power cord coming after 50 miles of plane old wires aint gonna matter.
Its like a water hose. Will using an Ace Hardware water hose to wash your car get it cleaner than using a Home Depot hose?
MC, I know we've had our difference of late, but I must point out that IMO, your comment about water hoses holds no water....That isn't an equal analogy. Nor are the movie analogies....I can't figure out why so many people are so adament about cables/cords not making a difference. Wouldn't common sense tell you that if you at least use a heavy duty cord, with really good sheilding, that in theory, it should keep interference from other cables, etc? That alone would seem to give you a shot at a quieter signal. Or do I know not what I am talking about?UNIVERA
Historic Charleston SC
2 Channel:
SDA-SRS's RDO tweets
Biamped Anthem 2 SE's w/1970's NOS Siemens CCA's
Anthem Pre 2L w/E.harmonix platinum matched 6H23's
CDP- NAD C 542
HT setup:
AVR: NAD T 773
Rears: Polk LC80i
DVD: Toshiba 3109 dual tray
Subs: Velodyne and M&K
T.V.: Sony KDL-52XBR4 w/Vans Evers Clean Line Jr.
Conditioner: Panamax M5100EX
Master Bedroom Sony 40KDL-XBR3
"I love it when a plan comes together." Hannibal Smith, The A-Team -
*Straps on the flame suit*
If you *honestly* cant hear a difference in cables... I would start pointing fingers at your gear. Something somewhere is hiding something...
I would say thats 90% the case and 10% cant actually hear it...
Cable Swap Program proved this, over and over and over...
Infact, I had several friends who are inept to audio in the worst of ways and swapped out my plain janes for the Nordost for the program and they noted differences in the high frequencies and clarity...- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
univera wrote:MC, I know we've had our difference of late, but I must point out that IMO, your comment about water hoses holds no water....That isn't an equal analogy. Nor are the movie analogies....I can't figure out why so many people are so adament about cables/cords not making a difference. Wouldn't common sense tell you that if you at least use a heavy duty cord, with really good sheilding, that in theory, it should keep interference from other cables, etc? That alone would seem to give you a shot at a quieter signal. Or do I know not what I am talking about?
It depends. For RCA's, youre absoultely right that noise can be induced into the cables and into your system. However, shielding usually acts like an antena and will pick up noise that normally wouldnt be induced into the system.
Power cords tho, are different. Your amp isnt using the power coming in thru the wall and turning it into sound. Its simply using SOME of the power and using it to operate its devices. Now if your amp required 100% of the power from the wall to reproduce the sound then you would notice little voltage drops here and there but since its not using that much, a voltage drop big enough for you to hear aint gonna happen.
If your amps are regulated then power cords REALLY dont make a difference. Regulated amps can take huge voltage swings and still make the same power.
But again, the thing that hangs me up the most is that out of 100% of the wires the power travels over, these fancy cords make up about .001%. How can that possible make a difference?!?!polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
Why bother with different amps, I mean a watt is a watt, right? Of course not and for that very same reason a cable is not a cable.
Bottom line, if you haven't tried an aftermarket cable/power cord you really have no opinion on the matter.
BTW, not all water hoses are the same either. Mine stays flexible in freezing weather, therefore I can wash my car while others can't.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote:*Straps on the flame suit*
If you *honestly* cant hear a difference in cables... I would start pointing fingers at your gear. Something somewhere is hiding something...
I would say thats 90% the case and 10% cant actually hear it...
Cable Swap Program proved this, over and over and over...
Infact, I had several friends who are inept to audio in the worst of ways and swapped out my plain janes for the Nordost for the program and they noted differences in the high frequencies and clarity...
But actual, scientific, double BLIND tests have proven there is no audible differnece.
And by the way:
polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
DBT's are flawed, and simply don't work. Pepsi Challenge anyone?
The person tested knows they are being tested - there is no 'control' group to form a baseline. The gear is unfamilar, the room is unfamilar, and I'd bet 9 times out of 10 the music selection is unfamilar.
How's I get sucked into another cable hoo-haa? I'm going to get my listen on.Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service. -
F1nut wrote:Why bother with different amps, I mean a watt is a watt, right? Of course not and for that very same reason a cable is not a cable.
True, a watt is a watt. However not all amps are made equal. Some amps have intenal noise. Some have turn on or turn off pops. Some have great crossovers. Some have bulletproof buid quality. Some double their rated power.Bottom line, if you haven't tried an aftermarket cable/power cord you really have no opinion on the matter.
Well Im ok then. Because Ive spent waaaaaay more money than I shouldve on aftermarket cables, wires, cords and anything else you can imagine! Way too much. God I dont want to even start thinking about it!BTW, not all water hoses are the same either. Mine stays flexible in freezing weather, therefore I can wash my car while others can't.
Touche!polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
RuSsMaN wrote:DBT's are flawed, and simply don't work. Pepsi Challenge anyone?
The person test knows they are being tested - there is no 'control' group to form a baseline. The gear is unfamilar, the room is unfamilar, and I'd bet 9 times out of 10 the music selection is unfamilar.
How's I get sucked into another cable hoo-haa? I'm going to get my listen on.
An ABX test is the only scientific way to prove these things. If there is a notiecable difference between Brand X and Brand Y then you should be able to pick it out blindfolded. Yet this is NEVER the case!polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
:rolleyes: You're right, there is a multi-million dollar industry made up of strictly snowed audiophiles, such as myself. Now if they only had a bridge made out of cables to sell me.....Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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Believe what you want brother. Its your money and your ears. I aint passing judgement. Just giving the facts as I understand em.polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st
polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D -
RuSsMaN wrote::rolleyes: You're right, there is a multi-million dollar industry made up of strictly snowed audiophiles, such as myself. Now if they only had a bridge made out of cables to sell me.....
PM me if you are interestedWin7 Media Center -> Onkyo TXSR702 -> Polk Rti70 -
There are those that say we never landed on the moon. They say it can't actually be proved. They say it was a huge hoax perpetuated by NASA and we should not take it as fact. Some of them post on this forum."Just because youre offended doesnt mean youre right." - Ricky Gervais
"For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase
"Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson -
I've also heard that the moon is hollow and when the capsule landed on the moon, it rang like a bell for hours.:rolleyes:
I think I saw that on some sci-fi show....Odyssey 5, maybe."SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE" -
Power cables do, indeed, make a difference.
Case in point was PF '04 when we replaced the stock power cord on the Jolida CD player with a SC power cord. EVERYONE heard the difference and it wasn't terribly subtle.
If you don't want to believe, fine.
BDTI plan for the future. - F1Nut -
People swear that Bose speakers are the best, I hear it all the time, it must be true.
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I'm fine with the cables I made myself out of AudioQuest cable, hospital grade Hubblle connectors and AudioQuest RF stoppers I got from The Parts Connection. However, they're introduction into my main 2ch system was only part of a much bigger project.
At the time they were part of a large scale upgrade or tweak of the system which also involved running a dedicated 20amp line (just for my main 2ch rig) which terminated at a hospital grade Michael Green receptacle. The power cables were made to fit lengths and connected to two API power conditioners (one dedicated just to amps) and in turn the conditioners had their custom power cables connected to the M.G. receptacle. This was at least tens years ago and hasn't changed but my impression at the time remains. The sound became much clearer. How can one describe... the dark passages became darker. When it is supposed to be quiet, it is stone cold quiet, the deepest dark and black quiet, no hint of noise. The bass became deeper, richer, tighter than ever.
I don't do the swapping back and forth with things like I was more inclined to do years ago. When I try something that gives me satisfactory improvements they remain in place and in use until or unless I feel they can be bettered at a justifiable cost.