Do power cables make a difference?

We were actually busy out in the actual world ("meatspace" as some would have it) today but I wanted to say a word (ok many words!) about the Amp Camp Amp -- since the ACA got brought up in this thread (for whatever reason).

As many folks here may know, do the the extreme (nay, the outrageous) kindness and generosity of an anonymous forum member, there's a rather tricked-out ACA -- one which was laid out and reduced to practice by the forum's own @ALL212 -- on a long-term visitation at our house.

I've been listening to it exclusively for a week and a half or so, mostly on the Frankenaltecs (but also on some other highish-sensitivity loudspeakers). Nelson Pass designed the amp as an entry level exercise to teach (or at least to reveal) how simple a fine sounding amplifier can be, and how fine sounding a simple amplifier can be. The ACA breaks many of the de facto rules of modern solid state hifi design, being a single-ended solid state amplifier with very little (if any?) negative feedback. As such, it is inefficient (SE power amplifiers operate in Class A by definition), low powered (due to the simplicity and fairly low P/S voltage), and possesses fairly high output impedance (low "damping factor") and not particularly low distortion (of the harmonic kind, at least).

In fact, on paper it "measures" a lot like a single-ended 2A3 amplifier.

... and it has some of the there-ness and soul of an SE 2A3 amp. It even does a little better in terms of bass (extension and definition) than my SE 2A3 amps -- probably because I didn't spend an order of magnitude more on the output transformers equipping the latter! Where the 2A3 amp beats the ACA (edit: to my ears and taste) is in the richness and palpability of the midrange. The ACA ain't bad at all -- but the 2A3 just plain has soul in the midrange that the ACA doesn't quite get.

This being said, the ACA costs a fraction of a stereo 2A3 amplifier, and also costs a fraction of almost any (at least current production) solid state amplifier that would sound as good.

The trade-offs are profound (the choice of appropriate loudspeakers will be much more critical for success with the ACA than a typical ss amplifier), but the opportunity to learn is great.

Now, this has absolutely nothing to do with power cables (since the ACA is designed to run off of a laptop computer "brick" type power supply*) but either of the amplifiers mentioned above (ACA or SE 2A3) will quickly and emphatically reveal
how important everything else in the chain can be to the final, audible product.



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* It would of course be possible, and maybe quite interesting, to design and implement an old-school linear power supply for the ACA.

but as so many others here have said so many times...

Try them for yourself and make your own opinions on the subject!

Don't trust me or any piece of paper...trust your own ears as that is all that matters in this game.

If you don't hear a difference then maybe you setup can't hear any difference or your ears... consider yourself lucky as your going to save a lot of $$$ and stay away from that hole

Enjoy your ride in the audio world! may it be a good one! Hope you find something special to listen to.

Recording studios and the reproduction of music in a home are not the same. That said, some of best studios use high end cables including power cords from MIT or Shunyata.

Suh-weet.

My Venom 14s should be shipping this week!

Impressive

I've been through power cords of all kinds of levels and I've noticed very little differences in overall performance. Cost vs performance gains in my opinion might not be worth the retail price. If you can get them used or a good discount then the value goes up.
I use all custom power cords in my system for 2 reasons. 1 I like the small benefit in overall performance and lower noise floor and 2 I really like having correct length so I don't have a power cord mess behind my rack I gotta deal with. I upgrade and test gear all the time so having shorter power cords is golden.

It doesn't make any logical sense in my mind in regards to how a power cable could make this much of an improvement in stereo imaging. But wow. Crazy.

So, I was hoping to ask a question on this topic and didn’t see a reason to start another thread...

A couple months ago a finally purchased a Furman Elite 15PF i & an NAD M22 for my Polk LSIM 707s that were previously matched with my RX-A3070. Now I’m ready to purchase some cables and wanted to ask a question or two...

I’ve decided to go with the Pangea AC 9 MKII Signature power cable for the M22. But I was wondering whether it would behoove me to also purchase the same cable for the Furman power conditioner. I’m also considering getting another for the AVR as well. Should I even bother for the latter 2? Honestly I’m probabaly not going to bother with the AVR, but probabaly will for the Furman. Just thougt I’d consider some other points of view before I pull the trigger.

Also upgrading my HDMI cable and interconnects, as well. Though those are self explanatory to me.

I feel like I've joined some elite group of people who have "seen the light" regarding the changes that an aftermarket power cable can bring! I'm a believer now!

I think the OP should upgrade his other cables first. I would normally go Speaker -interconnects=digital- then power cables.

Clipdat wrote: »

It doesn't make any logical sense in my mind in regards to how a power cable could make this much of an improvement in stereo imaging. But wow. Crazy.

They don't make huge differences unless the factory cord is poorly constructed and picking up interference. This is where aftermarket power chords make bigger differences. EMI and RF interference sucks and can ruin your sound quality. Your amp could care less where the signal is coming from. if it comes in then it's in.