Power Cables

Read Blue Jean Cables…good stuff, good prices…not a $$$$ rabbit hole.

@trivema I own a few Blue Jeans cables and am currently using a long run of their HDMI wire from my AVR to my 4K TV with good results.  I have actually visited their shop and you are correct that their cables are “good stuff” and unlikely to fail.  While BJ cables are not the last word in audio performance, getting to a noticeable better level of performance can seem like a trip to wonderland.

kn

@knownothing Knows something. Excellent comments.

@zlone thanks.  Any insights I might have are hard won.  The good part is that the “winning” always involved listen to music:-)

I use Pangea for all my equipment (Spectral Audio mono amps and pre amp, and Bricasti M21 DAC) for th dynamic sound, cost convivence and build quality.

@mikhailark

I think I took my first class in TCP/IP in the late 90s? I’ve been in IT for thirty five years and been in charge of global networks for decades. Best to listen and not theorize.

@knownothing - when analog is involved - sure. DAC, for example. When it is is pure network device - nope. Or else somehow Word files would arrive modified over the Net. 

@ghdprentice great, so what is your theory. Cables at data centers are pretty standard, as you know. So what 6ft of expensive cable would change in the rack operation.

I’ve used Acoustic Zen, Nordost, and Morrow power cables on my components. All three improved the sound noticeably on my Cambridge Audio 851n streamer/DAC and my Oppo 83 which I use for SACD. A more subtle improvement on my Bel Canto PRE5 preamp, and no difference to speak of on my Bel Canto 500M monoblocks. In the end I kept the Morrow MAP3s and sold the others. They may have sounded very very slightly better than the Morrows, but the Morrows are so much easier to snake through my cabinet. My theory is that less sophisticated power supplies in components react more to upgraded power chords. 

@mikhailark what is the point of using servers without analog components somewhere in the chain and nearby?  OK, powered speakers with wifi maybe.  For more traditional systems, there will be analog gear in close proximity to the server (and DAC).  Just saying, servers rarely exist in a digital vacuum, and cables and other potentially noisy boxes are in the neighborhood.

ASR must be down for maintenance today. 

@knownothing - correct. However, the topic is about purely digital system such as streamer without DAC, or a LAN cable “filtering” device. You have network cables running on top of your tube amp? Sure, shielding might help. Power cable for a network switch or a pure digital streamer? Well, its your money.

@mikhailark 

I am a technical person, and I agree, I cannot think of how a power cord would affect the digital output stream from a dedicated streamer. But at least we agreed earlier that a power cord can make a difference where analog is involved, so they can make a difference. However for pure digital, without any idea how a power cord could affect it, but know they can have an affect on other components, I think we have to look at empirical evidence.

I started thinking about my Innuos Zenith streamer, and its predecessor an Aurender N10. Both products touted their power supplies. I pulled up the Innuos page for the Innuos Zenith, the very first sentence reads:

"Pushing our popular ZENith even further, the advanced MK3 includes a Triple-Linear PSU with Mundorf CAPS and custom-treated SSD. Ideal for audiophiles who want a smoother, more relaxed sound with a wider soundstage"

So the experts at Innuos say that clean power matters. And if clean power matters, then it seems that a power cord could affect the performance of a streamer, even though it is just twiddling bits. Do we know how or why, nope. But empirically the evidence inherent in the design of the Innuos gear and other streamers, and the educated opinions of experts in this forum, seem to say that it matters.

Logically a power cord cannot make a difference in this case, but the empirical evidence says otherwise.

@zlone - Agreed about analog. "Experts" at company that sells you things? Mmmmm - no :-)

Proper statement is here - and this is actually really good network switch etc. BUT as actual DAC engineer from Denafrips says - you don't need one.

Just finished burning in my IceAge Frankencable power cord with a little over 50 hours. 
 

Results

On my Aurender N20 it significantly improves the overall sound and presentation of my system. Smooths out the highs making them even more refined but the biggest improvement was soundstage in both width and depth. An excellent result. 
 

My MSB DAC has two power supplies. One for the digital conversion and one for the analog output. There was a similar improvement when the cable was connected to the digital power supply and a less noticeable improvement on the analog supply but still an improvement. 
 

On my Accuphase P-4600 amplifier there was no improvement in fact it slightly compressed the image. As I may have mentioned Accuphase strongly recommends  that you use the supplied cable only. So I have not found a cable that is more compatible. 
 

So  the Frankencable is on the Streamer and I ordered two more for the DAC. 

Thanks for your thoughts, and congrats!

@jfrmusic good deal! I recommend you try one of these on the amp despite the Accuphase claim. I haven’t yet come across an amplifier that didn’t benefit from a good power cord. 

@audphile1 

I noted in my results that I tried it on the Accuphase amplifier. It was not better than the stock cable. Accuphase strongly recommends that you use the supplied cable. This is the second alternative cable I’ve tried and in both cases the Accuphase supplied cable was better. So for now I’m sticking with the Accuphase cable. 

Puritan Classic + cables fit in your price range. I slowly added them in to most of my power connections. While I did not hear an "oh my god the earth just shook" difference, I did notice an audible difference in clarity. YMMV.

jfrmusic

Thank you for the quick synopsis, I'll keep the Frankencable in mind

I plan to upgrade my XLR Balanced interconnects to the Ice Age version. I would like to try their speaker cable if they can offer locking banana plugs.

@zlone for clarity, is your statement below related to the direct effect of power cables on the digital and analog gear they are attached to, or the effects of power cables attached to digital gear affecting the performance of other gear in the same rack?

”But at least we agreed earlier that a power cord can make a difference where analog is involved, so they can make a difference. However for pure digital, without any idea how a power cord could affect it, but know they can have an affect on other components, I think we have to look at empirical evidence.”

My suggestion is that regardless of any impact after market power cables have or don’t have directly on a server/streamer, such devices are commonly (usually?) used in proximity and connected to other devices in your system and connected to the same power source, all of which could be affected by the digital device or the properties of the directly attached power cable.  The idea being the better that low level digital and analog signals and high level power cables isolate from each other, the better. Therefore, cables have both a device specific and system level function that are difficult to tease apparent in practice because it requires listening to everything hooked up and playing together in your rack and room and with your power source from the wall. Whether or not you hear a noticeable difference is the important test for whether the cost and hassle of optimizing power or any other cable is worth it.

FWIW on a related note, I modified my Bluesound Node by replacing the internal switching power supply with an external supply from Teddy Pardo and I am as certain as I can be that this improved the sound of digital playback from an attached SSD in my system. Can’t explain whether this is a component or system related effect. YMMV.

kn

@knownothing Good point. When I stated that we don't know how they could affect a purely digital component I was conceding I have yet to hear, in the case of a streamer, how they might affect the sound. Especially in the case where a USB connection is used to the DAC and the clocking is handled by the DAC. I did not address the more general case of properly shielded cords not affecting the components around them. I agree that this could be a primary improvement with an aftermarket cord vs the stock cord.

I am currently selling off some old cables and came across an inexpensive, unshielded 10 AWG power cable I bought last year on a whim. I swapped it in on my power amp, which was using an Acoustic Zen El Nino. After a day I remembered why I pulled it out, a very fine grain was added to all the sound, fatigue in a previously fatigue-less system. Does it need break in, maybe, but I won't sit through that to find out.

FWIW, I am a believer that it all matters and it is very likely that a good cord does affect the performance of a dedicated streamer. Motivated by this conversation, I moved a Wireworld Silver Electra 7 cable from my preamp to my streamer, which is where the seller recommended I put it in the first place, and moved the Acoustic Zen El Nino from the streamer to the preamp. The sound changed for sure, and for the better, which cord where made the difference?

Did I answer your question?

@zlone yes you did - thanks.  And glad you were able to improve your sound by making adjustments.

@jfrmusic "Just finished burning in my IceAge Frankencable power cord"

power cables don’t have much aging effect, unlike tubes, some heavily used semicons, electrolytic caps, and hard driven resistors. there is some change in contact resistance, once contacting parts increase contacting area.. cable itself worsens performance due to resistance increase overtime, but that is very slow process..