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A different view of power cords

Hi All,
I read a recent thread here on power cords and it reinforced a view I have that most audiophiles use aftermarket power cords and the vast majority recognize that they make a very big difference in the sound of their system. I'm definitely in this camp, but a recent experience has changed my view of the merits of that difference.

I went back and compared my Transparent power cords to the stock cords I got with my CJ amp and pre and was surprised to hear that with the stock cords my components delivered more natural and tonally "correct" sound. There was more "air around" the instruments and the vocals, overall better clarity and depth and less glare.

The Transparent Premium Power cords gave the sound a very "hyped up" quality that, while exciting and rather appealing at first, wore on me over time. I didn't realize this was happening until I tried the stock cords again which I'd never done before. I even went so far as to try the power cord from my VPI RCM with my amp and that even netted an improvement. Crazy!

Has anyone else had a similar experience? 

If you're interested, I wrote an article about this recently here:

https://www.thebrokenrecord.net/power-cords-the-sound-you-want/
thebrokenrecord
slaw's avatar
slaw
20,377 posts
 
Been reading your site with great interest.
mike_in_nc
1,120 posts
 
A similar experience: I tried a Shunyata power cord, with and without one of their conditioners. They sounded impressive at first, but after a while, the change struck me as hyped and un-natural.
thebrokenrecord OP
36 posts
 
Hey thanks slaw! I appreciate your checking it out!
inna
7,132 posts
 
Wrong power cords, at least for those particular pieces of equipment.
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
This is one of the many major challenges involved in building a really good system: weeding through all the BS! I don't mean just the usual BS, people who know next to nothing blathering BS at a rate 10X those with actual useful information. This version of BS encompasses all the many products out there that pretend to be really good when in reality they are just not all that. 

When I was starting out there was no internet so hardly any reviews and near zero user reviews. It was pretty much all word of mouth. Which I now know for the above reason (10X nonsense to sense ratio) doomed me to failure. But you have to learn this one the hard way it seems. Some never do....

Another challenge, the range and variety of audio characteristics we are able to hear is near infinite. That is why so many reviews resort to describing how much different and better certain music sounds with a certain component. There are so many different aspects to listen for it is too much to try and do any other way.

So one thing that happens, people latch onto one or two things they find easy to recognize. Like in this case tone. Didn't notice at first the wire was hyped, probably never would have bought it if he did. So it is a listening skills exercise. 

Freebie rubber power cords are so absolute crap that I have to think even if the Transparent is worse in being hyped (it is, that is Transparent, that is the way they sound!!!) still it is better in a slew of other ways. It just got so bad now you can't stand it.

There is a saying, sins of commission are worse than sins of omission. It is easier to live with rolled off than hyped. Lots of reasons for this. 

Anyway, that's the story. Do not draw from it the bogus conclusion all power cords are like this, or that freebie rubber power cords are any good at all. They are not. They are junk. Absolute horrid waste of space junk. Bring yours over any time, happy to prove it to you.
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