I think we can all agree, at least those of us who believe that pcs can make a difference, it is very component dependant. I have had some some success using inexpensive aftermarket cords on my preamp's power supply and my cdp but in a variety of cords costing $300 or less and yes I know there are many out there that cost big bucks which may "work" I have yet to "hear" any difference on my Bryston 4B-ST amp. That being said, I say try one or a few to see what if any differences there might be. If there are no differences then you'll have more money for software which I firmly believe will bring you more enjoyment than the "angst" of deciding on what side of the fence to fall on this ongoing cable debate...
Power cords
Is there any truth to the following which, as you can tell from the quotation marks, is not my brainchild (my brain is childless...). I picked it up from the site of a well respected amplifier manufacturer and trust I am not committing some sort of legal or moral transgression by reproducing it here:
"When you plug your power cord into the wall outlet you are in 'SERIES' with all the wire on the other side of the wall all the way back to the power source. The small length of power cord from the wall to the amp is insignificant compared to the miles of wire it is connected to. As long as the power cord can deliver the current and voltage required to drive the amplifier to full power it is as good as it can get."
"When you plug your power cord into the wall outlet you are in 'SERIES' with all the wire on the other side of the wall all the way back to the power source. The small length of power cord from the wall to the amp is insignificant compared to the miles of wire it is connected to. As long as the power cord can deliver the current and voltage required to drive the amplifier to full power it is as good as it can get."