Excess Power Cord Length

That's a tough question--one that everyone has to deal with. The first thing is to keep them away from interconnects. If you have heavily shielded pc's, they probably do all right together. If they are stock pc's, the best solution is to isolate them. I can't with the ones I haven't yet upgraded, so I have several unshielded (stock) that touch each other--it's not ideal; but definitely the lesser of the two evils (the other being touching interconnects). I think if you upgrade to aftermarket (or you are already are there), the shielding should make it a mute point.

Jim: I wonder if shortening/lengthening them would change the sound (as in less and more filtering)? I kind of like to stick with standard length power cords (5-6ft), so that they will be usefull down the line in different setups. I once purchased a .5 meter IC only to require a longer 1.0 meter IC a few months later after having to relocate some equipment and adding a DAC. I just ordered two 5ft power cords, though I could have gotten by with 3 and 4 ft cords. I figured that the 5 ft ones would be more flexible down the line as my setup changes. Separating/isolating the cables/chords is still the best way to go for me. I am pretty picky in that I prefer that my cables and chords hang (in the air) from one component to the next without resting on shelves, the floor or touching the walls. This is not easy in most setups though. I also avoid elevating or hanging them with anything made out of plastic (no plastic ties, etc.) and use cotten and or silk ribbon instead. I have read that some synthetic materials can react badly with the insulation used on some cables and wires and have heard such an interaction between my Kimber Kable and the synthetic carpeting that it was resting on. After that I just decided to play it safe and had spools and spools of cloth ribbon on hand anyway. I am in the process of setting up a dream installation (in a closet) that will be ideal for setting up the cable runs and that will be out of general view as well.

Thanks for the input guys. These are all aftermarket cords. The only ones that aren't much longer than I need are the ones on my speaker interfaces. I did think briefly about shortening them, Dekay, but had the same concerns as you about the filtering. My problem is that most of the equipment is in the same place and there's nowhere for the excess length to go. I wonder is "serpentine" bundling of cords has a negative effect? It would be neater and allow for better separation from IC's (more on the floor now with two amps and crossover) and speaker cables (now two pairs). Things are sounding great, but all of these cables...

Changing lengths of ANY cord or wire will change its' impedance somewhat. If the cords are counting on a specific length to achieve a nominal impedance or are "fine tuned" at that specific length, shortening them might alter the results that you're currently achieving with them. The best thing to do would be to consult the manufacturer and find out from the horses' mouth.

I would suggest trying to keep each cord away from the other. This means power cords seperate from power cords, power cords away from interconnects, power cords away from speaker cables, etc... This may require some type of spacer or "tie" system if you've got a LOT of cords in one spot.

The reason for doing this is that it would minimize either magnetic or RF based interaction between the cables. In case your wondering, digital based products DO emit RF signals. As such, it is quite possible for the power cord to act as an antenna. Obviously, the more distance between cables reduces the coupling between them and should minimize any interaction between them. Once this is done, all you have to worry about is that most of the stuff is tied into the same electrical circuit. This is one of the reasons that using "floating" or "telescoping" grounds on some specific gear can make a noticeable difference. Sean
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Jim-do a "search" in the Audiophile Forum opening page. There's a forum from last year covering this topic in depth.