Have two new active speakers (Fluid Fx8). want to upgrade the base power cord. However, since i need two matched, don't want to break the bank. 12 gauge will work as only 130watts total in the 2 internal amps.
So, price to performance power cords? Signal Cable? anti-cables? Pangea? Thanks Much in advance
I use Signal Cable 10ga. cords with my Golden Ear Tritons Ones. Have 2 extra 4ft. long ones in like new condition I can part with if your interested. Moving to longer length. Den
I truly wouldn't worry about power cords until I had a reasonably good amplifier, which fairly obviously would not be destroying the sound reproduction capability of a speaker by being built into the cabinet.
Just got Clarus Aqua and Made a huge difference, same design and material as their very highly regarded Crimson line, Just a little smaller gauge. In the $250-300 ballpark each. Over $700 for Crimson. I had Shunyata Venom and Audioquest, not in the same league.
Here’s a different perspective: consider what you want out of a power cord. Do you want it to look pretty or serve an active role in reducing transient noise? Every half-decent product has filter chokes and bypass capacitors immediately after the power inlet. These present a low impedance to the undesired high frequency noise. So, with this being a low impedance, we will not drop much of the noise amplitude on the doorstep of the power supply _if_ we have a relatively high impedance elsewhere upstream (ie: the power cord) to drop the majority of the noise. Remember, the noise is energy, and we can’t create or destroy energy, but we can move it around. My point is that a 12AWG power cord will not present a significantly high enough impedance relative to the input noise filter of the amplifier. That is the irony of ultra large gauge power cords. They look nice, but they are a detriment to noise filtering. Also consider your load is 130 watts, which is just under 1.1 amps at 120 volts. Even a common 18AWG power cord will have oodles more ampacity than you could ever need. Stick with the existing cords unless you are just looking to burn money.
I would disagree with anyone who says don't waste your money on power cords. I think it’s sonically one of the first upgrades u should do. I was blown away by the difference. Some would say it is the upgrade that will make the largest difference in the sound and I would totally agree. Check out the Cable Company. They will ship anywhere in the states loaners that you can try. Highly recommend listening to a few before deciding. Or your local dealer will usually let you try a few. If u don’t have a good relationship with them they may ask u to pay for the various cords and then refund you when u bring them back. PS. Don’t listen to the fellow who was bashing active speakers. He has probably never listened to some of the better ones out there. Like an ATC or other high end actives.
The lesser expensive Shunyata power cords (or any other brand) as long as you are sure they will fit into your IEC. I definitely heard an improvement in the bass, with my Von Schweikert dB 99 speakers when I upgraded the power cords to the Shunyata Diamond Back power cord. I would think any good 12 gauge professionally made or DIY power cord should do the trick.
@mlapenta, You need a Cullen Crossover power cord, which is 12awg. I have 2 Cullen power cords and ordered a new Crossover II for a new preamp in my system.
I would disagree with anyone who says don’t waste your money on power cords. I think it’s sonically one of the first upgrades u should do. I was blown away by the difference. Some would say it is the upgrade that will make the largest difference in the sound and I would totally agree.
A heavier gauge power cord will only make a difference in sound quality if the original cord is starving the amp for voltage. In technical terms that means the resistivity of the cord is too high, and the product of the cord set resistance and the current drawn by the amplifier is causing a significant voltage drop. Even for a wimpy 18 AWG cord of six feet, the net resistance is only 0.077 ohms, and if 20 amps of current were drawn instantaneously, that would cause only a 1.5 volt drop. That means at 120 volts, a 1.3% voltage drop. Nobody’s ears could discern such a minuscule difference.
The original poster’s self-amplified speakers dissipate a measly 130 watts, or 1.1 amps of current at 120 volts. Over the above 6 ft 18 AWG cord, a maximum peak voltage drop of 0.08 volts would be possible. That is a 0.07% difference. In other words, a six foot, 18AWG power cord could never starve the amplifiers. It is not a limiting factor.
An improvement in SQ would be obtained by replacing the amplified speakers with a good discrete amplifier and better quality speakers.
You should be suspicious of several posts close together promoting one brand. Usually those are shills or 'fan boy' posts.
you can be sure it is some effort to steal your money.
@elizbeth, seriously? Have you tried Cullen cables?And care to explain how I can steal money from OP? At least I have my system posted here that shows the equipment I use. You don't even list your equipment and say that we are misleading the OP?
Why use an expensive cable from an unclean wall socket and feed that "enhanced "dirty" power to the conditioner? The conditioner is doing the cleaning of the power. Use the "enhanced" power cords from the conditioner.
Elizabeth wrote: In all the history of Audio threads no two actual audiophiles EVER agreed on anything. When they DO.. you can be sure it is some effort to steal your money.
But it’s ok when two reviewers agree on a brand or product. Yet they’ve never been accused of stealing one’s money.
And surely Elizabeth is making this comment tongue in cheek. Plenty of folks agree about the virtues of a given product, as these forum threads amply demonstrate in spades.
Reasonable people can disagree. If you disagree with me, you aren’t reasonable.
I was hectored into buying a cord, and apart from that, I will say that dealing with Pat Cullen was a real pleasure. He is truly a nice guy, and always timely with responses.
Unless you are going to cut the cord, I highly recommend Pat Cullen.
Thanks for the advice here. I DO believe power cords make a difference, have done some a/b testing. Granted not huge, which is why i want to keep to the "budget" ideas. As far as the persons "shilling" for Cullen, i did not take it that way at all. Even I knew of the cullen family, used to own a ps/audio when his father was still building them. Thanks again!
Well, I’m glad you didn’t fall for it as it was a very low contention. My Cullen power cord shows real workmanship and is a value, but I remain a partial skeptic. Cullen makes a first class product, in any event, and stands on its own merits.
Why would you wish to impute beliefs to me or anyone else since you can’t possibly know our state of mind. On the other hand, I know the Tiger by his stripes.
"A shill, also called a plant or a stooge, is a person who publicly helps or gives credibility to a person or organization without disclosing that they have a close relationship with the person or organization".~Wikipedia.
So every time two or three people coincide in a thread, they're somehow in the service of the manufacturer in question?
As for "fan boy", why would anyone ever recommend a product if they weren't somehow a fan of it, regardless of whether they actually owned it or not. Ownership of course gives added credibility; see my system for the Cullen cables that are in it.
I find it hilarious that often the same one or two individuals continue to come on these threads stating that power cords do not make a difference, and we, and they, know who they are. I am not sure of the science, if any, as to why the last several feet prior to the amplifier ( or any component ) should a power cable make, other than what my ears tell me. Always different, usually better, sometimes subtle, never worse than a stock cable. Enjoy . MrD.
I recently added an AudioQuest Niagara 1000 power conditioner, and then a Storm Tornado cord from the conditioner to the wall.
The SQ improvement (not just a change) was immediately obvious. In my experience, a much greater step forward than changing, for example my DAC or amplifier. On top of that, the cost of a better power cord is massively less than the additional cost of getting a "better" amplifier or DAC.
I sense there will always be those who don't like spending their money on cords and cables. They prefer boxes, for whatever reason.
Audioquest power cords, their new Hurricane and other high end power cords, are the ONLY audiophile power cords that are controlled for directionality. What does Audioquest know that no one else knows? Please, no more jokes that power cords can only be connected in one direction, I don’t think I can take any more.
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