Pre-amps with seperate power supplies .....

Years ago before we made our first preamp we began using IEC connections on our amps (which continued with our preamps) for the simple reason that audiophiles like to tinker.

If the power cord is integrated into the equipment that means they might be rewiring part of the product. So we went to IEC connections so a person could try power cords to their heart's content. It turns out that certain power cords do indeed sound better than others, but not in all situations. So you can't assume that a particular power cord will be best. As a result we use a cord that is adequate, but you may get better sound with a different cord.

This is more likely with our amps than our preamp, which has tightly regulated supplies with lots of overhead. Under such circumstances the power cord has far less effect.

Atmasphere, Years ago before you made your first preamp aftermarket power cords were not popular.

I first became aware of after-market power cords in about 1985. Not sure how long they have actually been around, but at least since then... that is about when we started using IEC connections too.

Seems to me Fulton was making power cables. Its been a long time but I seem to recall Sumiko had something too.

I bought my Cardas power cords at CES in 1990, about 5 years after we switched to IEC connections. By that time Cardas was already doing quite well for himself :)

I do remember thinking that I didn't want to deal with how people would cut up the wiring in our amps which I was hoping to eliminate by using IECs.

In 1990 we built the first MA-2s. That amp had (and still has) two IECs *per chassis*, and also different (larger) fuseholders, as we wanted to reduce the effects of the AC cable on the sound of the amp, and having two AC circuits was an easy way to do it.

That was also done to reduce the effect of the internal AC wiring; the special fuses were used because they sounded better- a good 18 years or so before upscale/aftermarket fuses became popular in the high end market. All I am saying here is that by 1990 we were very well aware of the effects of AC line and power cable issues- and had been aware of them for some years prior. So I am still thinking that '1985' is about right.

Rrog, I appreciate that- but the reason we went to IECs in the mid-80s was because we already knew at that time that the power cords made a difference. At that time we didn't know if anyone overseas would even want our amps... It does seem to me though that when we bought our power cords from Cardas that they were a fairly new product.