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An electrical engineer on how power cables can impact sound quality

Sharing an fascinating discussion of how the design of power cables can impact sound quality of an audio system from an electrical engineer that does analog design for audio equipment.

The HiFi Podcast with Darren and Duncan / Radio Frequency: The 800MHz Gorilla

The discussion of how power cables can impact sound quality starts at 80 minutes into the podcast

From the Podcast:

"If you have an engineering degree and you’re hearing this and you’re shaking your head and you’re saying this is nonsense, my response to you is that you’re logical. Based on what you have learned, I completely understand your response, but unfortunately, the way that power cables operate is not the way that we were taught in electrical engineering necessarily."

"Power cables were always thought of as series devices. If we add this 2 meter power cable to 2 miles of powerline, why does this 2 meter power cable make a difference?"

An intro into the theory behind why power cables work from the podcast:

"The power cable is not necessarily a series element of a system. The parallel elements [of a power cable] and way they interact with RF in the room in a common mode sense to ground is incredibly important." [Meaning in parallel to ground]

My paraphrase of the rest of the discussion. They get into far more detail: The configuration and materials used in a power cable matter because they affect a cable’s capacitance which in turn changes the cable’s impedance. Most importantly, the change in impedance impacts electrical signal differently across the frequency spectrum.

Two ways to get more details on this:

  1. Listen to the podcast starting at 80 minutes into the podcast. The discussion of how a cable's design impacts its ability to shunt RF to ground starts right there.
  2. Send a question to the hosts of The Hi Fi Podcast. You can find their email on their website.

​Credentials of the creators of The Hi Fi Podcast:

Darren:
Darren is the designer of many products for Boulder’s PS Audio brand, most recently known for Stereophile’s choice as the 2020 “Analog Component of the Year,” the PS Audio Stellar Phono preamplifier, and the incredibly well-reviewed new Stellar M1200 tube hybrid mono amplifiers.


With a career as an analog and digital circuit designer spanning two countries and several of the most well-known brands, Darren brings much experience to the table. He earned his EE and worked for both Bowers & Wilkins and Classe Audio before coming to Colorado, and also, before turning 30.

He is the designer of the PS Audio Stellar Phono phono preamp

Duncan:
Duncan has recorded 150+ bands, has published 450+ articles, columns and blogs and is an experienced DIYer when it comes to audio equipment and speakers. He met Darren when working as the Retail Sales Manager of Boulder’s PS Audio, and the two collaborated on an audiophile recording and concert series called “Invisible Audience,” not to mention the weekly hikes in the mountains. He is a mastering engineer, cable designer and musician, avid fly fisherman, bike polo enthusiast, husband and dad in his “free time.”


But what truly gives him a useful perspective for the podcast is his day job as a testing technician for the world’s largest online re-seller of high end audio, The Music Room. Over years in this role, he has listened to and evaluated thousands of the finest products from all over the industry and throughout high end audio’s extensive history.

calvinandhobbes
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,553 posts
 

Audio engineering and electronic engineering is mature for many decades now, nothing in audio depend ONLY and MAINLY on price tag...

Anybody can pick very basic good components at relatively low price....

Audio S.Q. depend more on acoustic then than on anything else...

This is only an expression about a science fact in psycho-acoustic, and anyway my own experience after listenings experiments in acoustic...

Then arguing about cables differences is pathetic sometimes, not because they dont make a difference, they did, but it is a minute difference compared to acoustic huge impact...Then there exist priority decisions in audio matter...Cables are last not first...

I am deaf, ignorant, or nut, or i am right ?..... 😁😊

I will understand if you think that i am nut, deaf, or ignorant or even obsessed, because it seems almost no one is so categorical about this HUGE impact of acoustic compared to any upgrade save me...

If i am right you can measure now the level of conditioning and consumerism programmed ignorance in all audio threads...

People want to sell and buy, not to think and experiment....They spoke about their "taste" in gear not about timbre perception in a room ...

They think that a better turntable or a better dac will give to them the BEST audio experience, it is not false, it is worst than that, it is not even wrong it is an half truth then worst than a flat lie....Same is true for a cable upgrade...

And these videos may be interesting but the content discussion exceed  most people kowledge here and anyway matter less than acoustic science for audio matter... Then instead of physics to improve your system read about psych0-acoustic...Not about electrons and fields...  😁😊

 

The performance of a mains cable does not depend on cost. I have found some reasonably priced cables to outperform horrendously expensive ones in test.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

@lanx0003 

What is lacking here is the actual testing / comparison before and after the luxuary power cable is used? Does the power get cleaner? I don’t think it is hard to do, right?😉 I believe the burden of proof is on whoever claiming the superiority of the cable.

That burden of proof is upon the manufacturer of the power cord if they try to get us to buy it.
Without supplying that proof, it is unlikely that we would be shelling out money for their unproven cable.

And if they had proof, I do not see why they would not be shouting it from the roof tops.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,197 posts
 

In short, get your room acoustics right first and then upgrade your equipment as needed. Doing it backwards might make you realise the equipment you upgraded to is not right with the corrected room acoustics you did. 

mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,553 posts
 

You distorted my recommendation here...

All of what i said, suppose that we must CHOOSE some gear first , gear we will not probably need to upgrade because basically good and well chosen to begin with... Electronical engineering is mature business anybody can buy relatively good gear ....Acoustic suppose to be related to a CHOSEN piece of gear first...

And acoustically after tuning the room for this gear CHOSEN system, MY BET and experience is that in most case you will not and you will not need to upgrade...Because the results will be ASTOUNDING... WHY ? because my gear is only that: relatively basic good gear only and my end results after embeddings controls especially acoustic is astounding...And dont caricature me saying that i claim that my 500 bucks gear is better than costlier one: it is not true and not what i claimed...

If your goal is listening music with the best possible S.Q. for the price you can pay...My advice is meaningful...

If you goal and hobby is buying and plugging without end new gear forget my advice.. My advice is meaningless...

Then the vicious circle you associated to my advice is a vicious circle in your head not in my acoustical advice...

In short, get your room acoustics right first and then upgrade your equipment as needed. Doing it backwards might make you realise the equipment you upgraded to is not right with the corrected room acoustics you did.

baylinor's avatar
baylinor
1,197 posts
 

I respect your view. However I enjoy doing both, room acoustics and equipment upgrades, and feel very lucky to be able to afford it.

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