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Why Power Cables Affect Sound

I just bought a new CD player and was underwhelmed with it compared to my cheaper, lower quality CD player. That’s when it hit me that my cheaper CD player is using an upgraded power cable. When I put an upgraded power cable on my new CD player, the sound was instantly transformed: the treble was tamed, the music was more dynamic and lifelike, and overall more musical. 

This got me thinking as to how in the world a power cable can affect sound. I want to hear all of your ideas. Here’s one of my ideas:

I have heard from many sources that a good power cable is made of multiple gauge conductors from large gauge to small gauge. The electrons in a power cable are like a train with each electron acting as a train car. When a treble note is played, for example, the small gauge wires can react quickly because that “train” has much less mass than a large gauge conductor. If you only had one large gauge conductor, you would need to accelerate a very large train for a small, quick treble note, and this leads to poor dynamics. A similar analogy might be water in a pipe. A small pipe can react much quicker to higher frequencies than a large pipe due to the decreased mass/momentum of the water in the pipe. 

That’s one of my ideas. Now I want to hear your thoughts and have a general discussion of why power cables matter. 

If you don’t think power cables matter at all, please refrain from derailing the conversation with antagonism. There a time and place for that but not in this thread please. 
128x128mkgus
prof
3,435 posts
 
n80

That struck me as funny. Sounds like something from a Monty Python skit. "If she floats she is a witch and we will burn her. If she sinks and drowns she's not a witch."

So if I hear a difference then you cable guys are right. If I don't hear a difference then I'm just one of those guys without discriminating perception (a very real possibility I'll admit). The scenario doesn't seem to allow for the possibility that I AM a discriminating hearer and don't hear a difference because the cables simply don't make a difference OR the scenario where I hear a difference but that difference is a product of my perception bias, which unlike some folks I KNOW that I experience from time to time.


Yes, you've put your finger on the problem here. "negative" results are never counted - the relevance is only ever dismissed.  If you ever fail hearing a difference it can only be your fault, or the fault of whatever test you conduct.  If you acknowledge your own fallibility, and the general fallibility of humans in this regard, you are dogmatic.   It's NEVER that the subjective results of the audiophile could be wrong.

And remember...they are the "open minded" ones  ;-)


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
You can’t prove a negative. - old audiophile axiom

People would be generally much better off if they believed in too much rather than too little. - PT Barnum

Noone ever made a difference by being like everyone else. - PT Barnum


2010challenger
10 posts
 
The power cable thing is too funny. So much nonsense and "woo". And the money spent has really no sane connection with reality. Talk about a bad value, cables are the ultimate sucker buy.
n80
2,100 posts
 
PT Barnum was also attributed with the saying "There's a sucker born every minute."

Some say he never said it and attribute it to either one of his rivals or a famous con man. Either way, the shoe fits.


geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Nope, he never said it. What’s the matter with you, don’t like the Circus? Afraid of the clowns? 🤡 One womders why naysayers think PT Barnum was a con artist. He was actually a very savvy marketing genius.
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