power cord for mbl n31


hello everyone
i’m looking for a power cord for my mbl n31 with open sound to replace kondo persimmon.
this cable is good but the sound is too closed for my taste.
any suggestions?
thank you
128x128ofer56
It is hard to AB power cords…
But if the $10 example (above) and the Persimmon did not have a lot of difference, then something different from the persimmon may also not have a lot of difference?
I wonder if you could have the Persiommon tested somewhere? (like ASR)
For me, two cable companies stand out amongst all others
  1. Nordost
  2. In-Akustik
  3. DH Labs - Redwave or Corona might be an option
Nordost was the first cable that I heard that made a noticeable difference in a less than ideal setting

In-Akustik use an amazing cable geometry to elevate their performance beyond most other branded products

Both will perform better than the Persimmon.

If you are of a "handy" nature I can recommend a excellent DIY option, but it is a little more than simply putting plugs on a piece of bulk Furutech/DH Labs cable.

Read this thread for details
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/duelund-conversion-to-diy-helix-geometry-cabling

Regards - Steve
I find it troubling that you believe that silver can sound different than copper, after the DC (Electrons) have been loaded into the capacitors.
  • How would those electrons know what they touched along the way?
  • How does the nucleus of a copper atom versus the nucleus of a silver atom affect the electrons in the valence shells?
  • Don’t the voltage regulators, and other silicon chip bits, set the DC Voltage in the power supply?
It takes less energy to move the valence electrons in silver than it does to move the valance electron in copper

This impacts the dynamic performance of a cable and also the clarity and details, which in turn impacts the image.

In the world of DC. i.e. Direct Current, even though the voltage may be constant (e.g. 12 volts), the current drawn by the attached circuit varies based on the demands of the signals in that circuit.
  • In the audio world the current demands can vary from subtle to extreme
  • in which case the current drawn can be subtle or extreme and if the demand cannot be met then the DC voltage is impacted,
  • This then impacts the current
  • and performance of a poorly designed component spirals downwards from there

Anything that causes electrons to move will have an easier time with a silver wire than with a copper wire.

Another variable of cables is the insulation and it’s Dielectric Constant (i.e. DK) value of that insulation
  • Air is the best at 1.1
  • cotton is good at 1.3
  • foamed Teflon is around 1.45
  • Teflon is around 2.2

The higher the value of DK the greater the distortions introduced within the wires of a cable due to the charging and recharging of the insulation in the opposite direction as the audio signal changes polarity. These distortions flow into the circuit of attached components and impacts clarity.

Especially power cables, because they provide the power to the DC circuitry and if that power is not "perfect", distortions in the signal are introduced, which impacts clarity.

Impacting clarity in turn impacts phase between the LR channel signals, which impact the image and artist placement and venus scale within the image.

Once you have the metal and insulation sorted, then you have to consider the Geometry of the cable. Poor Geometry (e.g. two wires side by side inside a sleeve) causes distortions (or noise) in both wires.

In interconnects,
  • distortions in the signal wire get amplified - turntables are particularly prone
  • distortions in the Neutral wire are transferred between ALL connected components, which causes the circuits to distort the signal,
  • because in a perfect world the neutral side SHOULD BE at ZERO volts for the device to work correctly

In power cables
  • Power cables can experience a LOT of induced noise
  • any distortions in either the live or neutral are passed onto the power supply stage.
  • in components (e.g. amps) that have large well designed heavy duty power supplies, the noise is often dealt with for the most part, but some noise always gets through
  • In components that have lighter duty power supplies, the noise becomes a more serious problem and and using a better quality power cables becomes much more noticeable
  • Even DC power supplies experience noise because of the dynamic current draws
In Speaker Cables
  • any distortions introduced into the neutral wire is fed back into the amp, which upsets the neutral side of its circuit (which should be at ZERO volts) and this impacts how well the amp can do it’s job
What about RFI/EMI...
  • Noise from RFI/EMI are not too much of a factor in speaker cables and power cables because compared to the "signal", they are very small.
  • In Interconnects, it can be amplified to annoying levels, so the geometry must protect against that
Those are some of the "basics" of cable design and the impacts that each one has on the audio signal.

So YES - silver cables do sound different from copper cables

Hope that helps - Steve

If you can spot the BS holmz please point it out I would love to see it.

(He said sarcastically, knowing just how hard this will be for a guy who thinks electrons "know" and that there are nuclear reactions in audio!)
If you can spot the BS holmz please point it out I would love to see it.
The Buddhist saying is, “that you’ll see it when you believe it”. So I doubt that you would be swayed as you believe that the power cables work.

I suggested that the OP compare the persimmon to a $10 cable as a baseline.


But how is this:
It takes less energy to move the valence electrons in silver than it does to move the valance electron in copper

The resistance of copper is slightly greater than silver, but considering that the power comes from the dam or the power station on cables… and one can get electrocuted just as easily on an Aluminum or steel ladder would lead one to believe that the resistance loss on most “conductors” is not of overly great importance.

Then the power supply in the device is operating on DC… Those electrons do not likely have the sentient nature to know how they got there. Unless we are thinking that there is some quantum entanglement happening where they got the golden or silver touch, and the magic rubbed off onto them somehow.

If we are talking about chokes, filters, or capacitors… then that would be a way to mitigate noise coming in. But I have not yet seen any documented proof that the geometry, or shape of the wires does anything magical… unless it is affecting inductance or capacitance directly.
If you have some proof, then I would love to see it.
" So I doubt that you would be swayed as you believe that the power cables work. "

I’ve found most under $100 cables haven't made a difference vs stock cables with any of my equipment . The more expensive cables I have the SQ improvements are obviously heard. The hows and whys of electron flows , the technology etc I could care less about, listening for me is the final arbiter. Have you used/tested/compared any power cords aside from the stock/$10 cords that come standard with equipment? If so, please detail which and specifically how they were no better

I’ve found most under $100 cables haven't made a difference vs stock cables with any of my equipment . The more expensive cables I have the SQ improvements are obviously heard. The hows and whys of electron flows , the technology etc I could care less about, listening for me is the final arbiter. Have you used/tested/compared any power cords aside from the stock/$10 cords that come standard with equipment? If so, please detail which and specifically how they were no better

It should be incumbent upon the supplier of cords to show that they work, or outline under which environmental conditions one should consider them to be needed.

The fact you “could care less” does not negate that the cords follow the basic physics that Maxwell, Volta, Ohm etc. provided us with
I would not trust me ears to listen to a cord and not be swayed, but if there are double blind tests then that would also be some evidence that they work... Even if one did not know how or why they work… at least it could be shown that the cords resulted in a statistically provable difference.
Let me let you in on a little something, holmz. When you pretended to decry the inhuman treatment I'm subjected to I knew it was pure virtue signalling. You desperately seek approval and know you can never get it by thinking and figuring anything out for yourself, so you play at it hoping to impress others similarly afflicted. You actually think this Buddha persimmon electrocution stuff is clever. Reality check, you are fast becoming the power cord version of george.    

It is not "incumbent upon" anyone to prove anything to you. Most of us are here to help in whatever way we can others to build musically satisfying systems. There are plenty of other places for people who just want to preen and pose and pretend. I humbly suggest you take your act to where it will more likely fit in,  Audio Science Review.
" I would not trust me ears to listen to a cord and not be swayed "

I have no problem with being honest with myself about what I hear or not. Sorry if you are unable to do that.
An ad hominem attack is exactly what is required when there is nothing to support the magic.

Let me let you in on a little something, holmz. When you pretended to decry the inhuman treatment I'm subjected to I knew it was pure virtue signalling. You desperately seek approval and know you can never get it by thinking and figuring anything out for yourself, so you play at it hoping to impress others similarly afflicted. You actually think this Buddha persimmon electrocution stuff is clever. Reality check, you are fast becoming the power cord version of george.     

It is not "incumbent upon" anyone to prove anything to you. Most of us are here to help in whatever way we can others to build musically satisfying systems. There are plenty of other places for people who just want to preen and pose and pretend. I humbly suggest you take your act to where it will more likely fit in, Audio Science Review

Post removed 
holmz
An ad hominem attack is exactly what is required when there is nothing to support the magic.
An ad hominem attack is one of the common logical fallacies. So while you may think it "warranted" and maybe you feel better after launching such an attack, you lose any argument you make that relies on it.