Power Cables and Wall Sockets

https://www.gcaudio.com/tips-tricks/why-power-cables-make-a-difference/

hey guys,

here's something interesting I just found out straight out of the mouth from audioquest, they don't even use OCC single crystal wire they're using crappy OFHC wire and ripping people off for $28,000 for speaker wire what a joke these wire companies are everyone knows that OCC single crystal is far superior to anything ofc on the market and rectangular OCC is even better than round OCC, companies like audioquest transparent MIT are all just ripoff artist selling cheap crappy ofc wire for exorbitant amounts. wake up people, if you don't know by now that OCC is far superior to ofc you're a lost cause.

There is a hazard in drawing conclusions from composition of a component. Ultimately it is the overall design and components, and how they work together. The AudioQuest Hurricane is the best power cord I have heard. As Millercarbon points out…. It takes an lot of effort and experimentation to determine ideal configurations.

There are a couple ways at looking at the sound of PC, interconnects and cables. In general, and in a specific system. I have extensively used a dozen brands. You can bucket them into increasing quality… quieter, more dynamic… etc. So you go form ok to great… then there is how they do in your system. One might slightly tip the tonal balance and another not. So, to me the AudioQuest Hurricane is a very high performance power cord and it is also very suitable in my system.

🙄

I was introduced to the benefits of power cords in the early 90’s, by my good friend and audio mentor Stewart Marcantoni. Caelin Gabriel located Shunyata here to be close to Stewart who lived at the time in Bremerton. Caelin brought some of his early Shunyata Powersnakes to my place for a party/listening session one time. Half the people were audiophiles, the rest mostly cycling buddies or coworkers. It was a trip to see the reaction of people who couldn’t imagine a pc could do anything try and get their mind around how much better it sounds. They ALL heard it. 
 

One of my first component mods was to replace the rubber pc on a Basis turntable motor with a cheap expendable pc. When even the cheapest pc I had ($75) was clearly better I knew for sure this is for real. 

When it says on my system page “everything matters” it means everything. Earlier this year I cut the end off a very good prototype pc eager to hear how much it would improve my Origin Live Sovereign turntable. I was underwhelmed. Puzzled, is more like it. Why on earth? (And so much for expectation bias!) This pc was quite stiff. Isolation is incredibly important. I reduced the number of conductors, trying to make it more flexible. No go. 
 

Finally I thought maybe the last few inches isolation is far more important than wire? So I replaced the last few inches with ordinary 14 ga wire, soldered a IEC connector a few inches from the motor pod and mounted the end in a suspended isolation rigged to the rack. Now I can swap power cords on the turntable just like any other component. And with isolation now out of the picture guess what? Power cord matters after all. 
 

People have all kinds of theories as to why. They will tell you oxygen free this, long grain crystal that, quantum tunnel whatever. This is all for show. Truth is the last thing in the world they will ever tell you is the truth. Because the day we all know how to make a cable that sounds as good as some of these incredible things I have heard, is the end of making a nice living off it. 
 

Please note: they earn it. Look at what I have had to do just to figure out how to make one tiny little thing better. Look around how rare that is. Had to learn a lot, including how to listen for and evaluate an insanely huge number of sonic attributes. They aren’t all great, but to make even one good one they had to make a hundred duds. So it ain’t all gravy. 
 

And yes, they do work and no, it’s not in my head. 

here's an update I just found out from audioquest themselves that they do not use OCC single crystal wire they are using OFHC, which is very inferior to OCC single crystal wire and overcharging and ripping people off with their high-end priced cables.

@erik_squires

 

What you can control:

1. Reduce other loads on the circuit such as the lights by switching to LED types
2. Ensure all the connections between the breaker panel and lights are tight
3. Run the audio on a dedicated circuit
4. Run a thicker gauge wire to the circuit
5. Ensure you don’t have excess voltage on the neutral. Shouldn’t ever measure more than a couple of volts.

My earlier post referred to the house having, say, a 40A feed from the pole.
In that case the audio circuit, the light circuit, and the washing machine, stove and refrigerator circuit could be pulling near the 40A and the voltage would be sagged at the feed-bar in the service box.

So I would be checking the voltage on the audio circuit, and on a non audio circuit.

So your list is good IME, just IMO, it is missing the stuff outside of the audio only circuit.

Points #1 and #3 sort of imply the parallel circuits that I mentioned… especially #3. But I am not 100% sure?

@jerryg123 Said!

VD Problem?

Go to the Free Clinic.

I agree I went to the McIntosh free Clinic and got cured.😁

Mike

The lights dimming is caused by voltage sagging. Voltage sagging is caused by one of two things:

• The amount of current being drawn
• The amount of resistance to the current., either on the hot or the neutral wire

The voltage drop (or loss) is an easy calculation:

V = A * R

That is, the voltage lost is equal to the current times the resistance on the line. Since A is a function of the amplifier we can’t really reduce that except by new amps or more efficient speakers. 😁

What you can control:

• Reduce other loads on the circuit such as the lights by switching to LED types
• Ensure all the connections between the breaker panel and lights are tight
• Run the audio on a dedicated circuit
• Run a thicker gauge wire to the circuit
• Ensure you don’t have excess voltage on the neutral. Shouldn’t ever measure more than a couple of volts.

It may very well be worthwhile to you to get a cheap voltage meter you can sit and watch while playing music, like this one, which not only shows you the AC voltage but the Neutral to ground voltage, in other words, tests if you have a bad neutral:

What is known is NO power cord will solve his dimming light VD problem...

Very true!

@jea48 Said!

If the OP’s power amplifier’s power supply was not heavily over regulated, and maybe even then, the circuit that feeds the amp is staving the amp of power when playing high dynamic music material. The dimming lights is proof of that. The AC mains VD may be, (probably is), lowering the amps rated power output.

An an oversized high capacity shielded toroid power transformer is meaningless if the AC mains voltage can’t feed the transformer the power it needs to operate properly.

Quote from link provided by OP.

Power Supply Circuits

The Vision SET 120 Control Amplifier has an oversized high capacity shielded toroid power transformer and multiple regulated power supplies for all areas of the amplifier including the output transistors, to provide incredible dynamic range, bass extension, transient detail, and air. All of the power supply parts are selected for long life, reliability and operate well within their technical specification ratings..

I concur!

 

If the OP’s power amplifier’s power supply was not heavily over regulated, and maybe even then, the circuit that feeds the amp is staving the amp of power when playing high dynamic music material. The dimming lights is proof of that. The AC mains VD may be, (probably is), lowering the amps rated power output.

An an oversized high capacity shielded toroid power transformer is meaningless if the AC mains voltage can’t feed the transformer the power it needs to operate properly.

Quote from link provided by OP.

Power Supply Circuits

The Vision SET 120 Control Amplifier has an oversized high capacity shielded toroid power transformer and multiple regulated power supplies for all areas of the amplifier including the output transistors, to provide incredible dynamic range, bass extension, transient detail, and air. All of the power supply parts are selected for long life, reliability and operate well within their technical specification ratings..

It was fortunate to not have healed the scars before Thomas saw them.
That could have been a bit of a problem.

"The former case is a more of testamony like the Thomas (or what it another fellow on the road?.) The cable makers could show something happening with out just resorting to talk about the quantum world.

@holmz 

It was St Paul on the road to Damascus who had the revelation.

'Doubting' Thomas was the apostle who did not believe Christ had risen from the dead after being crucified until Christ showed him the nail wounds in his hands.

Query.  If Christ could be brought back to life after being dead for three days, surely cleaning up the nail scars would be trivial?

@ditusa ’

Very rational… makes sense… the only thing is. It is not true.

@imaninatural Said,

Without knowing for certain, it seems to me that power cables can only be as good as the in-home wiring coming to the wall socket.

I agree!

This just came to mind!

@clearthinker - I can't speak to your specific equipment, but until recently I considered myself to be mostly a cable agnostic so to speak.  I had always been skeptical that cables could provide a significant improvement, but always left the door open to the idea that either my ears were not good enough or my system wasn't resolving enough.  As a result, my cable of choice was BJC because I consider them to be a no nonsense high value US manufacture that's fairly local for me.

I read an article about power cables and the recommendation was to try a W Audio power cord that can be purchased on Amazon for about $50 depending on length.  I figured that $50 was a reasonable price to see for myself what might be possible. I ordered two cables for use on my Pathos Classic One MkIII and DAC.  I immediately noticed significant improvement with my amplifier (using a different source), but can't say that I heard anything different on the DAC.  I didn't want a longer cable for the amplifier so I picked up a third one.  I tried the shorter one on my SACD player and honest felt that it sounded worse so moved it to my power conditioner where I can't say that I noticed any difference.

The improvement that resulted with my amplifier from the power cable upgrade was significant enough that I then purchased some Audioquest Chicago interconnects to see how they compared to my BJC LC-1 interconnects and again noticed a significant improvement.  

The next step was to purchase an Audioquest Cinnamon digital cable to replace my BJC silver plated cable and I didn't notice any difference.

I'm currently back to exploring further upgrades with my interconnects just to see if going further up the lineup truly results in an audible improvement in my system.  I'm tentatively leaning towards the Sydney interconnects as it seems to be the highest value cable at a price that I'd consider spending.

As an audiophile, I'm not interested in upgrades that I have to repeatedly A/B to form an opinion on if there's a difference and if so which one is better.  My goal is to optimize my system with changes that are clearly audible and until recently I wasn't convinced that that included cables in my system.

I resonated a bit with the video that Danny from GR Research has on youtube for power cables.  His experience seems to be a mixed bag when it comes to upgraded power cords not always having positive results and it, instead, being somewhat system and/or power grid dependent.

So much of this hobby is personal preference with very little documented science behind it that I believe there are very few absolute upgrades that the majority would agree on consistently.  I've opted to minimize my investments and only looked further when the initial investment results in an undeniable change.  In my experience, power cord upgrades using budget cables benefited some of the time, interconnects made an improvement, and the digital cable didn't seem to do anything for me.

Lights dimming when major appliances startup?  22 years ago, our solution was to have Central Maine Power Company come test the line.  The following Sunday morning at 10AM, a shiny new transformer was installed next to our driveway with a more impressive shiny new ground!  May others share such fortune!!  Remember, laser rulers ftw.

More Peace, Pin 

VD Problem?

Go to the Free Clinic.

For my audio & video system I ran 8 gauge wire from my main breakers to a substation nearby my gear with 4 - 20 Amp breakers, from there I used 12 gauge wire to 4 Furutech rhodium plates & outlets. 2 outlets for my monoblocks, 1 outlet for audio gear, and another for audio/video gear.

What is known is NO power cord will solve his dimming light VD problem...

Amen to ^that^.

I would be tempted to shove in 12ga and call it a day.

Dedicated 20 amp circuit with #10 wire.

@jea48 agree.

I would certainly not like the lights doing a discotheque, but it does not always guarantee a fire hazard.

So it is good to know whether it is normal, but rarer, voltage sag... or a situation such as you’ve pointed out.

For what it's worth, I use the Maestro outlets with a dedicated line. The sound is extraordinarily quiet and dynamic. The outlets could be a little grippier. Used cables make the most sense for me and I've never had a problem with any of them.

holmz

1,029 posts

04-01-2022 at 06:36am

If you amp is causing lights to dim you have an extreme power problem. If the lights are dimming significantly, the circuit is overloaded, the breaker should be tripping. The circuit is overloaded. There is an increased fire risk. Jerry

We do not know that for sure…
I used to turn on a table saw and the light in the garage would go out when it started up.
(Yeah the birds jumped off of the wire with hot feet.)

But if there is 30A on a 40A feed from the pole, and only 12A on a 15A breaker, it does not mean a fire is imminent. That is what people use breakers and fuses for.

It just means that the voltage sags.

@holmz

First I have no idea what the branch circuit wiring is in the OP’s house. Type of wiring used or wiring method(s) used in the installation of the branch circuit wiring... With that said...

Other options to consider. VD, (Voltage Drop).

VD on the branch circuit wiring. VD is directly proportional to the load on the branch circuit wiring and the length X 2 of the branch circuit wiring. Voltage drop can be reduced in this instance by increasing the size of the conductor wire size of the branch circuit wiring.

Lets assume the branch circuit that the OP has his audio system plugged into is a 15 amp convenience outlet branch circuit. Copper conductors... There is not any limit to the number of how many duplex receptacle wall outlets that can be connected to the branch circuit wiring. Fixed lighting fixtures can also be connected to the circuit. The only limiting factor is the loads that are connected to the convenience outlet branch circuit. Over 15 amps continuous load(s) hopefully the 15 amp circuit breaker will trip open. (All wiring connections on the branch circuit are good)

Another cause of VD on branch circuit wiring is poor wiring connections on the circuit wiring. In the case of the OP’s house he stated the wall outlet receptacles were 40+ years old. Original outlets installed when the house was built? Lets assume that is the case. That puts the house was built in 1982 or earlier...

During that time frame the popular duplex outlets house wireman were using was the so called stab in the back duplex receptacle outlet. The duplex receptacle was used to make-up the branch circuit connections by stabbing the wires in the quick connect connectors. Several outlets could be daisy chained together on a branch by feeding in and feeding out using the stab in the back quick connections.

They worked ok when new but after the passage of time combined with the connected load(s) placed on the connection they would corrode and heat up under load. Heat causes the wire connection pressure clip to lose its memory tension. With heat and corrosion add to that carbon created by series arcing. This will cause a VD across the poor connection. The amount of VD will change with the connected load...

Worse case the arcing creates more heat and carbon and more arcing and can cause the bad connection to burn free breaking open the circuit. In a worse case the arcing causes enough arcing sparks that results in an electrical fire...

Note above I said copper conductors... In the 1970s and I believe in 1980, maybe 1981-1982, depends on the State, Romex with aluminum wire conductors was used in wiring new houses. (#12 AL for 15 amp circuits. #10 AL for 20 amp circuits) Could it be worse? Ya, the electricians were using the stab in the back duplex receptacles to daisy chain the outlets from one to the next.

Dangers of Back Stabbing Electrical Outlets

I can’t access my internal wiring so I started improvements from the wall socket with Audioquest NRG 15 wall warts and all upper end Audioquest power cables, plus power conditioners.

^this^ and all the majority of the rest of the posts are spearing off with testimonials on power cords and power cables.
So the cart is getting ahead of the horse a bit here.

The OP (later in his thread_ revealed that it’s more about the wiring the wall, as that is next up on his list with the house work.

I can't access my internal wiring so I started improvements from the wall socket with Audioquest NRG 15 wall warts and all upper end Audioquest power cables, plus power conditioners. 

@imaninatural - regarding yout original post

it seems to me that power cables can only be as good as the in-home wiring coming to the wall socket. Is it possible that those who use expensive cables have improved the wiring to the socket?

Having a dedicated line is beneficial, but it is not the whole story, i.e. in order to achieve benefits from using a quiality power cables.

Here’s how it was explained to me

• at each connection point in a "power supply line" you have a voltage
  • so at the breaker panel you have 120v
  • the attached outlet socket also has 120v
  • the component end of the power cables has a 120v
  • but here’s where it gets interesting...
    • provided the voltage i.e. AT THE POINTS OF CONNECTION, is stable, the energy transfered is subject only to the "properties" of the attached wiring
    • so the "quality" of the energy conveyed to the component by the attached power cable is subject to the quality of the wire and connectors used in that power cable
• this occurs at EVERY point of connection within a power supply line
• granted, there may be some transfer of noise, but that tends to be a result of interference or distortions imposed on the 120v sine wave. In which case it’s the voltage that is actually no longer "stable"

So while installing a dedicated line will have benefits - a good power cable on a component will ALWAYS prove to be benefical regadrless of the quality of the in-wall wiring

What to look for in order to enhance a power supply line (i.e. other than a dedicated line)

• good outlet sockets
  • I use MRI grade hospital outlets
    • they clamp like a vice, which is very important
    • they are better at preventing arcing
    • there are no ferrous metals used
• quality power distribution bars (if needed)
  • like those from Furutech
• quality power cables that use
  • UP-OCC wire - this improves dynamic performance
  • Silver plated copper connectors - improves details
  • insulation with low Dielectric Constant - improves clarity

I, and others have observed improved in sound quality on systems costing from $200 to over $70k just by upgrading the quality of the power cables and all of them attached to generic house wiring.

Take a look at Zavfino power cables

• they use UP-OCC copper
• Advanced cable geometries
• Quality conenctors
• they have a range of products to suit most budgets
• https://zavfinousa.com/collections/power-cables

So how much benefit will a power cable provide?

• Power Amps tend to have a very robust internal power supply
  • so they have a tendency of not showing as much of an improvement as Source components do
  • they generally require higher quality power cables
• Source components (i.e. those built to a budget ) will generally exhibit noticeble improvements
  • because the designer tends to "skimp" on their internal power supplies - e.g. those using...
    • wall wart power supplies
    • the use of USB power
    • poor transformer design
    • small two pin plugs

Regards - Steve

Thanks Mike. It was a pleasure meeting you. If you are game the pandemic has wound down enough for another visit. I’d be happy to have you over again. The Audio Quest amp power cord has really notably improved the imaging, depth, and taken away the rose cast. I am really happy that it is perfectly on target… finally. Also, I still have the Audio Research Ref mono blocks as well as my stereo ARC Ref 160s. John is leaving me the monoblocks for a while longer.

I am going to be very interested in hearing the results of your electrical investment… now that you went one more step with specialty in wall copper, as you know I went with standard contractor 10 gauge wire in the wall.

Forgive me if this has already been addressed or if it's just outright naive, but, are the issues of circuit breakers, house wiring and receptacles all moot if you're using a power regenerator like a PS Audio P12? 

@ghdprentice 

Hearing your system was spectacular! Thank you.

Even though hard to quantify, I believe a major difference between your system and mine was how “present” yours was. I attributed this to your dedicated AC lines.

Inspired, I have set out to run the best dedicated line I can.

Always impressed by the products of the Japanese company, Oyaide, I got 50’ of their very special 10 gauge, three conductor cable. Also, 2 copper duplexes with heavy faceplates. Just this was $4500. And electromagnetic breaker and an electrician. About another $1K+.

My power chords are all Shunyata King Cobra. Not to mention Shunyata Triton/Typhon power center. All that about 10 years ago was close to $30K.

However, it waits to be seen if I still will need the T/T.

But you might say that I am focused on power…

Please ignore those offering the best theoretical advice they know - w/o having heard the difference a genuinely good power cable can make in a typically competent, electrical system. 

Upgrading the socket to at least a hospital grade outlet or a better audiophile one further helps of course, as do other expensive, electrical system upgrades written about elsewhere, even more.

@clearthinker

Also. I have not played with the power cord for my turntable. My first reaction to changing power cords to a turntable is “how could that help”… but I know the only way to find out is try it. I have some other things I want to do to my system before fiddling with that.

About perceptions being psychological. They can be, mine are not. I am sure some folks are prone if new to the pursuit and inexperienced or overly emotional. I am very familiar with all the studies on preconditioning… etc.. my primary field of study outside of work has been metaphysics and epistemology… which has led to a study of consciousness and finally cognitive and developmental psychology… which oddly enough, in which my partner of 36 years has a Masters and PhD.

Anyway. I have spent many hundreds of hours observing and “measuring” the differences of different cables, interconnects, and cords. About twenty years ago I developed measures… different dimensions of how they effected sound… like tonal balance, micro details etc. I used a particular brand and model as a standard. Then rated them on scales of 1 to 10. Anyway… I really got in to it. I could come back months later an rate and hear exactly the same differences. Then occasionally some combination of equipment and cable or interconnect will have a huge effect. Anyway…. I can go on and on. If you don’t truly know your system and have not had a lot of experience and buy something well reviewed.. the confirmation bias and other bias’ can come into it. But, if you spend the time and are analytical you can easily dig below that level and make real comparisons of the actual sonic effects.

@clearthinker

I have swapped out power cords long ago to optimize them… but hadn’t touched them in a couple decades. When I did my last upgrade about a year and a half ago my new components used 20amp connectors to the components. All of my existing cords were 15a. So, I started with stock. Then my dealer lent my a bunch of Cardas. All my stuff is Audio Research. The DAC still had a 15a connector so I started there I had WireWorld, DH Labs, JPS, Cardas… hree different grades, and Transparent… and a couple more. The difference was pretty noticeable if you know what my system sounds like… particularly between the Cardas and others… Cardas wonderfully warm but lowering the details and tipping the balance too warm. The DH Labs and wire world were detailed but lost bass… Transparent just nailed it.. very detailed - natural sounding with great bass. The differences are fairly substantial. There was a clear winner… Transparent. I did this with each piece of equipment.

Then it came to my amp. This was much more problematic. The Transparent was just thinner (I was not using the cord made for amps… this might explain it)… but Cardas Clear Beyond was too warm… but the bass was outstanding… mesmerizing. I would occasionally switch to something else… but then have to go back to the Clear Beyond… but still not completely happy with the details… a bit too rosy.

Finally my dealer brought over a AudioQuest Hurricane. Wow… the difference is just plain huge. I can’t imagine anyone not being able to hear the difference (I have a non audiophile coming over this weekend to listen, we will see). Not quite a component level change… but close (much bigger than the switch to the REF 160 mono blocks from the REF 160 stereo unit)… but huge. The Hurricane increased drops the noice floor, solidifies images, and greatly defines the bass notes in space much better… all without overly warming the system and remaining natural.

My dealer dropped by to drop my TT off. Without explaining what I heard I had him listen to the Cardas then the AudioQuest. He then described what he heard…. And exactly described in virtually the same words what I had heard. A very big and profound difference all positive. In my system, the change bigger that the direct line I put in. The direct line made a large difference… this was bigger. They are additive so this is great. The direct line cost almost exactly what the power cord costs ~$1,700.

Anyway. I have not been dealing with every change sounding better, each being trade offs… but trying to get my amp (system) right… I am ecstatic to have found the right power cord for my amp. There is one AQ above the Hurricane… it has silver in it… I know that is going to give more details but will tip the balance to the treble. My experience definitely says I don’t need to try that one,

I can’t tell you how happy I am to finally found a solution for my amp. I have been struggling with this for a year. This power cord Is a very significant improvement for my system… a change in sound quality worth many times the cost. I originally thought it was a $5K power cord… I would have purchased it… it is worth the cost in my system… although I don’t have $5K to spend.

+1 dedicated line and Hubbell. Result was imperceptible noise floor and dynamite performance.  

10 gauge is a good idea for an amplifier that intermittently draws much current to power loud passages, but for class A such as SET, it is not necessary. Before you spend on "clean power" AC regenerators or filters do you hear all the claimed "dirty" noise when your amplifier is on with no source playing; e.g. phono without a record playing? AC power strips which may have filters have value for the insurance of surge and spike protection, including such protection for FM antenna cables in case of lightning. 

Keep in mind another thing. The ripple filter in the power supplies in your components become more effective at higher frequency "dirt." Such noise can be written as a Fourier series of the fundamental frequency above 120 Hz and the higher frequency harmonics are not only much lower, the reactance of the power supply capacitors in inversely proportional to the frequency and the reactance of the inductors is proportional to the frequency. The power supply ripple filter, which is already good enough to make 120 Hz inaudible allows less of the higher frequency lower voltage Fourier series terms get through. It does this better than any power box costing thousands of dollars.  

...power cables can only be as good as the in-home wiring coming to the wall socket.

This is not entirely correct. The main culprits negatively affecting your hi-fi gear are devices plugged in in close proximity, so the power supply of your CD player is affecting your amplifier ( and vice versa) more than your kitchen appliance that may sit on a different circuit. The more hi-fi gear you have plugged in the same or near socket, the more cross contamination you get. And all your hi-fi gear is closely interconnected through, you guessed it, the power cables.

The upgraded wiring/dedicated high quality circuit is of course a big improvement in most cases, but it depends on the quality of existing wiring/supply.

Don’t have much to add to what has already been said, except adding a dedicated circuit (20A), a high quality receptacle, and a power cord can’t hurt. Also, a power conditioner is a good idea, even if just for surge protection, but I’ve found that it does help quiet things down a bit. You only have to buy this stuff once, pretty much. Alternatively, If the benefit of all this stuff is purely psychological, you could go to a hypnotist and have him/her convince you that it has all been done already. Probably cheaper to just actually do it. 

An electrostatic and a large monobloc amplifier are not analogous. The PSU in an Electrostatic is there to supply a polarising voltage to the diaphragm - which charge does build up on the mylar of the diaphragm. The caps in a power amplifier (or any linear PSU) don't just store charge on startup - they are continually being discharged and charged as the amplifier makes power. I would expect that power cords would have less influence on an electrostatic than on components where the current draw is more dynamic. But if you do experiment, please share the results!

Thanks @ghdprentice 

Like many others I am inclined to put even quite large perceived sound differences down to subjective hearing and listening issues, mood swings and expectation bias when they are engendered by changes of passive components like power cable, fuses, cable lifters and the like.  I am made more sceptical by the fact that such changes invariably are percieved to improve the listening experience rather than diminish it.  Not like a virus mutation at all, which is random and just as likely to ameliorate the effects of the virus than worsen them or, perhaps, to ameliorate some and worsen others.

But please let me enquire more into your experiences if I may. I am guessing most of your positive perceptions arise on changing the power cord of electronic components such as CD players, DA converters and amplifiers?

Some say they have perceived positive changes on switching power cords to an LP turntable.  Have you?

Or power cord to an electrostatic speaker?  My Martin Logan CLX Anniversaries came with very exotic expensive lookin cables - quite long too, about 10 feet,  Am I getting value for what I paid for those?   Electrostatics don't pull down much current, especially once the initial charge is completed and they are just being 'topped up'.  Thinking about that, could the electricity supplied by the exotic cable to power up the speaker initially continue to improve the sound afterwards?  But that situation is analogous to that in a big monobloc.  The amp draws power on switch on that is stored in a huge capacitor.  Once stored can it really retain the enhanced character that it acquired from the 'high-end' supply cord?

I have a pair of old Audiostatic speakers that are powered by fixed manufacturer supplied cords not much heavier than bellwire.  But the speakers sound pretty good.  I had them 20 years or so before buying the Martin Logans.

I am beginning to become intrigued enough to power down the Martin Logans, let the charge die away over a week or so, then power them up again with such bellwire and see if the sound changes once they are fully powered up again.

Down the rabbit-hole......

What do other people think?

@clearthinker … “Like many others you say the last six feet of passive cable can make a big difference.  How?”

Like a lot of things in audio… my brain says it shouldn’t matter and when I make a change the sound difference is quite striking. So experience says with absolute certainty, it does.

I have read a lot about why. I remember there is a video… I think by the founder of Shunyata explaining how to look at power… not as hose from the generator but as a tap from a lake. I’ve read quit a bit… honestly I just am not that interested to know. I am sure lots of folks here can point to references.

My dealer dropped an AudioQuest Variable Power cord (~$1.5K) the other day. I replaced my Cardas Clear Beyond with it. Wow… a startling difference… quieter background improved details without any loss of warmth. This isn’t the one made for power amps… damn… looks like I am going to be buying a $5K power cord.

imaninatural

You have received a lot of good advice ,  but I'll still add my 2 cents worth .

Start with finding everything that is on the circuit that your system is on , then you should at least replace the outlet (s) that your system is on with a minimum of hospital grade ones , then open up every outlet , light switch and light fixture !! yes that's is a lot of work but I'll guess that there are loose wires somewhere .  As you inspect the outlets and switches you can decide if you want to spend the money on replacing them with HG ones ( I did ) .   

You could also do a quick test , take an extension cord of at least 12awg that is long enough to run your system to another outlet on another breaker circuit , just to see if the problem is your circuit or possibly even your system ( least likely ) .

If the problem of dimming light disappears then you can experiment with spending money power cords , more expensive outlets and even going to a dedicated line .

Good Luck

All you really need are good hospital grade outlets. Be choosy because some are better than others with regard to terminal grip and material and construction.

I used 10ga solid copper Romex. If your run is short, 12ga will work. 10 ga is very difficult to work with especially at the outlet. 

On average, my dedicated outlets consistently put out 2-4 volts more than the other house house outlets.

I won't lie. All this work and money made a relatively small difference. But, like many of us, I have a lot 'small differences' going on.

@imanitaural, just to be clear, I am absolutely recommending that you address your mains wiring and outlets as a matter of priority. If the wiring is the age it is, I would really consider running in a new line, ideally dedicated to the hi fi. The insulation on mains wiring can deteriorate with age and if your amp is drawing the kind of current that dimming lights implies, you will gain a worthwhile safety benefit as well as better sound from replacing the wiring.

As regards affordable power cords, I've had good results from the Audience Forte, auditioning it against the much more expensive cables in my own system. It delivered very respectable results for the money.

@retiredfarmer thanks for your encouragement. I love that you said that it was hard to believe the increase in resolution from addressing the power side of things.

I was thinking of simply upgrading my outlets to Hubble commercial, but I may think on this a bit longer. The idea of changing an electrical outlet and having a "stunning" effect on the sound gives me pause!

One thing that I am curious about is if upgraded power cables will eliminate the issue of my lights dimming when listening at reasonable high volume.

I had that happen to me in an older home. Over the years the connections at the wall outlet can become loose. The simple fix was to shut off the circuit at the panel. After verifying the circuit was cold, I removed the plate and pulled the outlet out from the wall just far enough I could get a screwdriver on the screws and tightened them up again. A couple were barely finger tight! Once retightened, problem solved! You might try this simple and free fix.

Happy listening.

@yoyoyaya @rbertalotto I can understand that the effect of upgrading power to improve sound has been a point of debate; however, there are some good recommended changes that I can make without spending a bundle (like better outlets).

If I have the experience of believing that it improves the sound, then I'll consider further upgrades. I'm not really skeptical about the improvements that good power can make empirically, but I also know that I hear with more than my ears.

The visual landscape makes a big difference in my enjoyment of the sound and my satisfaction of solid power could add another facet to my enjoyment. I don't have super high expectations, but would be delighted to be able to hear an improvement in soundstage, clarity and instrument separation. And that would actually be awesome!

First I'll upgrade my 40 year old electrical outlets, then go from there.