Do power cords really matter?


I'm sure this has been discussed ad nauseum in the past, but while reading an ad for a power cord, I've had a very simplistic thought on which I would enjoy hearing other's opinions.
Case in point : The idea of dedicated lines appealed to me, but as we will be moving in the not too distant future, I just grabbed a left over roll of 14-3 Romex and strung about 60 ft. through the basement, and terminated in a box w/ a couple of audio grade duplexes. I did run the ground wire directly outside to a separate ground rod. (I realize for optimum performance I should have several runs to separate amp, digital, analog, etc.) My question is this: am I really to believe the last 6 ft. of power delivery can be that critical, when it has already traveled a much greater distance in ordinary wire. As we use outlets for convenience only, why not just terminate a 6 ft piece of Romex w/ high grade connectors? Are we just buying eye candy? Have we been duped w/ the hype?
Without having studied power conditioners, perhaps they can actually "clean" the raw power electronically?
Thank you for enduring my Sunday morning musings - all opinions cheerfully received.
Best regards,
Tom
tburn

Showing 1 response by bishopwill

I ordinarily defer to Sean in matters technical, finding him a knowledgable and reliable guide. But here he is wrong. The power cord is not an extension of the equipment power supply, it is the termination at the equipment of a long transmission line extending back all the way to the generation plant. All those miles and miles of copper, aluminum, transformers, switches, pole jacks, and various paraphernalia to the contrary notwithstanding there are, as bomarc notes, individuals who are convinced that the last 60 inches make a critical difference.