Hi, for many years in this hobby I have paid the least attention to power wires ... I just used quality "computer" cords and that was enough. Yes, I brought home expensive wires and compared them - there was a difference, but not so much to pay so much money for a piece of wire.
Now I decided to replace the cables (catching fleas - fine tuning the system), chose the manufacturer ...
So my question is - two cables of the same design, but different sections (1.5 and 2.5 squares) ...
How does the thickness of the cable most often affect the sound?
my consumers: CD transport (40 watts), DAC (50 watts), tube amplifier (consumes 130 watts).
Of course, it is better to compare and find out, but like everyone else, there is no such possibility ... Therefore, I am looking for those who have identified a common pattern (from personal experience).
Any caliber of these two will work for my system, but suddenly there is a feature that can be used ...
what I want ? - correct balance, more black background, image depth ...
I just used quality "computer" cords and that was enough.
It may have been enough, but they sure as (add your favorite expletive) wasn’t quality.
My advice would be to only buy one cable and put it on your power amplifier. Spend the money you budgeted for three cables on a single cable of better quality than what you were looking at.
At 130 watts, your amp draws barely more than 1 amp, so cable gauge and current capacity shouldn’t be an issue.
I use tube equipment and found wireworld cables work well for me. As a first cable I’d recommend an Aurora - it will give you a nice bump over the computer cables and not break the bank. I advise to go 2mtr or longer for best result.
I recommended starting in the power amp, but you should switch it around and see where you get the best improvement.
Agree with MC no common pattern. There are too many variables that influence the sound quality of a power cable. I also agree with Pauly that spend three times more than you budgeted for.
Cable design isn't so simple to rest on a single dimensional measurement. Too many elements to bother listing, but there's definitely a sum total more than individual parts quality to design. There's some known synergies around, but listening is the best way to find out. Saddle up your palomino! Start with Triode Wire Labs or EPS Essence....my ears like BMI (Whale, Orca mk3i, Hammerhead Gold) and Dynamic Design - AE15 series can be found for a relative bargain. Still some money though. The new DD are rediculously good. Cables have come to represent components to me and, once you've found the equipment you like together, can really make them sing beautifully together.
perhaps the analogy with acoustic wires is appropriate - the thicker they are, the more changes in low frequencies can be noticed ... There are definitely trends - you just do not know about them (cable manufacturers may know - they are experimenting and sellers of large stores - they compared a lot of cables) ...
I never doubted that there would be people willing to sell something and pimply teenagers without life experience who, like parrots, repeat what they heard somewhere ... for this reason, I never registered on audio forums)))))) .. I will delete the profile - information viruses are very expensive in this hobby.
I was given cables for a couple of days: Transparent ref, Nordost valhalla 1, Anticables 3 ... yes - there is an effect, but I think that such money is better to invest in equipment than in wire ...
This option is greatly exaggerated - if your component has a good power supply - it will do the trick and sometimes computer cables are enough (by the way, they are of different qualities) ... they will give consistently satisfactory results ... while expensive cables can paint and distort the sound (some recordings will benefit from this, and some will not).
In e-commerce, the trend is different: expensive phones can sound good or bad, but cheap phones almost never sound good ... everything is bad there - engineering, parts, build quality ...
There are way too many variables, when it comes to systems and cables (regardless of description/placement), for anyone to make categorical propositions as to how much or whether your sound/presentation will benefit from their replacement.
Then: there are the aural acuity
disparities that exist between people (as with any of our other senses), which many choose to deny.
It's been my experience, the better the equipment, room acoustics, component's power supply and everything else involved; the more obvious an upgrade in house wiring, cables or interconnects will appear.
The only way to tell whether any (or what) upgrades in your system's wires will prove beneficial, within your own budget constraints, is to try it yourself, in your room, with your ears.
computer cables are enough (by the way, they are of different qualities) ... they will give consistently satisfactory results ... while expensive cables can paint and distort the sound (some recordings will benefit from this, and some will not).
That not true. The idea that cheap cables are neutral is incorrect. Many, not all, audiophiles cables are engineered to produce a particular sound, but that doesn’t mean cheap cables don’t color sound.
When I use a computer power cables my sound becomes very colored and is extremely unsatisfying.
It's been my experience, the better the equipment, room acoustics, component's power supply and everything else involved; the more obvious an upgrade in house wiring, cables or interconnects will appear.
+1 @rodman99999 The more revealing your system is, this is when a cable change will become audible, for better or worse.
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