Why are we coyly tip-toeing around to avoid naming this manufacturer? What's the secret?
Power Cord Length
Here's one for the electric wizards to kick around. Whilst attending Axpona this weekend I was doing some power cord shopping. At one particular display I was being told by a very well known cable company representative, I'll not mention the name so it doesn't influence any responses, that the rule of thumb is that in order for the pwr cord to be effective it needs to be at least five feet long. This allows the current to be in the cord long enough for it to be effective. Ok, I'm really dumb when it comes to this sort of thing so maybe I said that in the most simpliest of words but that's pretty much how it was explained. Anyone care to elaborate on this good or bad?
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- 51 posts total
I will take a stab and say that it is Shunyata, as I believe I've read something previously quoted by Caelin Gabriel about this topic of power cord length. I also seem to recall Purist Audio making similar claim years ago regarding speaker cables. If memory serves me right, I believe Jim Aud recommended using speaker cables no shorter than a 6 foot pair. Whatever floats your boat. Just as the case involving other audio gear, if you support any manufacturer, you should at least try their recommendations. If you believe wire is simply wire, odds are you aren't buying Shunyata cords or Purist Audio cables anyway. |
I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, exotic AC power cords are pretty much a silly waste of time and money. As a simple general rule, the shorter the cord and the heavier the gauge the better. Both result in less resistance/better current flow and reduced potential for EMI and RFI effects. And if one is really plagued with RFI (I have 2 FM transmitters within 1 km of my studio), clamp a ferrite choke around the end of the cord where it plugs into your equipment. My studio system is dead silent and clean as can be. That said, I never thought I'd be buying power cords. I have a bushel basket full of them. Nevertheless, a while back I bought a whole box full of 14 AWG 3 prong male NEMA 5-15P to 3 prong female IEC C13 cords in 1, 2 and 3 ft. lengths from our good friends at Monoprice. They are very well made, help clean up the mess of cables behind the equipment rack, and reduce the potential for problems. Prices start at $1.10 for a 1' cord and go up proportionately. Here: http://www.monoprice.com/category?c_id=102&cp_id=10228&cs_id=1022801 So save your money and spend it where you'll get far more benefit, on, say, more LPs or an early retirement or whatever. |
- 51 posts total