2. cables
  3. 1386100210

Power Cords: A Skeptic Looking to Dabble...

Even though I am generally a skeptic when it comes to a lot of audiophile related things, I am curious enough to consider dabbling a bit in the coming months.

Here's my current system for reference:

(1) APC H15 Power Conditioner
(2) Pioneer Elite PD-D6-J SACD player
(3) Blue Jeans Cable LC-1 interconnect (6 feet)
(4) Yaqin MC-30L integrated amplifier (EL34 tube)
(5) Blue Jeans Cable Belden 5000 Series 10 AWG 5T00UP (7 feet)
(6) Focal 836v speakers

The SACD player and amplifier are plugged into the power conditioner (used primarily for surge protection) and all equipment is using the stock cords. The power cord on the power conditioner is a beast compared to everything else in the system.

I would be looking for recommendations new or used in the sub-$150 price range.

Is it reasonable to assume that a power cord could make a difference in my system at this price point? If so, which ones should I be considering? Also, please provide any reasoning and experience that you have with any recommendation.
mceljo

Showing 3 responses by jmcgrogan2

jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
Is it reasonable to assume that a power cord could make a difference in my system at this price point?

Sure, but remember, different is not always better. I do not have much experience with current cords in your price range, so I will defer to others who are more experienced with your quest.
From my experiences years ago, I was once a skeptic too, I didn't really find power cords to have much effect on the lower priced cords in lower priced, less resolving systems. It wasn't until I tried better cords in more resolving systems that I found the true benefits of having upgraded power cords.
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
12-05-13: Mceljo
I made a similar suggesting at my local audio store that Nordost Sort Kones should have less of an effect as the equipment design gets better because I wouldn't expect a $500 CD player to include the same level of care in the design as I would a $10,000 CD player.

I would disagree. I believe that the better performing gear will be better able to demonstrate the sonic differences. Just as a Ferrari will better be able to demonstrate the difference that performance tires will make than a Ford Fiesta. From my experiences, I have an easier time hearing differences between cables and cords on hi-fi gear than on low-fi gear. Low-fi gear tends to homogenize the sound and make many things sound similar.

+1 to what Foster_9 says. Talking about jumping into the pool starts to become boring after a few days.
Either jump in and get wet, or put your clothes back on and go home. ;)
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
12-06-13: Mceljo
Jmcgrogan2 - In theory, if the goal of audio equipment is to reproduce the original signal as close to the original as is possible then it would be expected that as the various pieces of equipment get better and better the resulting sound should become more and more the same among different pieces of gear. A well designed pieces of gear where no expense was spared should have less room for improvement than a middle of the road piece of gear would.

Whatever dude, however your engineering, scientific mind wants to rationalize it. I just know through my experiences, that lower priced, less resolving gear has a more difficult time exposing differences in tweaks (cables, cords, etc.), than higher priced, higher resolution gear. As with all things in this hobby though, YMMV.

It sounds as if you are looking for reasons NOT to try a power cord. I would say by all means then, don't try them. If you like what you have now, don't tread any further. Just listen to the music and be happy. Many folks wish that they HADN'T heard differences. LOL! This hobby is MUCH cheaper if you do not hear differences, or better yet, you don't even attempt to hear differences. LOL!!
More to discover