Diving into Power... Cable recs for my system and ears....?
Hello All,
I have been enjoying a full system upgrade over the past year... the interconnects and digital cables were an eye opener! Now I am bringing my attention to power...
I am currently running my components off a power strip that is 10' long... supposedly designed for audio. All my major components are plugged into this. This power strip is plugged into a wall outlet, which is shared with some lights etc. Also plugged into this power strip is my wifi router.
I have a few questions:
-What is the most important in regards to impact to overall sound if I were to upgrade the power cords? My guess its: 1: Amp.... 2: DAC... 3: Streamer... is that right? Or is it the opposite?
-Should I have an electrician setup a dedicated outlet to my electrical box, and run my main components off that? Is this worth it? or is there another setup between my electrical box and my components? Or if there is no detectible buzz, should I simply not bother?
-If I should begin looking into power cords as the first upgrade here, what cord would you recommend if I yearn for the following: Extreme startling presence and separation... magic midrange, highs blissful, voice acoustic jazz violin, piano... essentially startling presence as if the instrument is right there...
I have been enjoying Anticables, and they have a well rated cable in the $300 range which supposedly is as good or better than $1000 cables... but I am open to recommendations...!
Thank you all!
Richard
Currently my system (also outlined in my virtual system profile) is as follows:
Speaking of audiophile outlets I am curious Brian what you are using in the mastering studio from the breakers to the power cords- How many dedicated lines, outets, wire spec etc. edit: sorry, looked back and see you use Shunyata’s. Did you just get these to match the metallurgy to the their power cords, or did you listen to others to compare? |
@mclinnguy I didn’t do any experimenting ... just put in the receptacle and changed out a new breaker. |
If there truly is a difference in power cords, why don't audio electronics manufacturers supply a cord of their own choosing? especially for the high end : AR, ML, CJ, Cary, etc... They could have R&D buy a variety of cables and find the "best" sounding one and then arrange a large purchase with a discounted price. This will reduce the cost to the buyer If they did do this, they could claim that they have tested many cables and "this one" is the best sounding for their gear? I don't find the argument that different cords will sound differently to different ears in different rooms has any validity. One would need to audition both the gear and the power cord with one's own ears in the dedicated listening environment. Difficult to do. It's either that or hope you can find the best sound on your own. Why would a high end manufacturer of gear ship a product knowing that it doesn't perform as well as it can? Why leave this decision and extra cost up to the listener? Nelson Pass's written words on this topic are enlightening. They provide clear insight into his opinion on this matter. If you can hear differences in cords, then by all means find the one that best suits your ears. It's just money.
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Because no matter which power cord a manufacturer picked, it would surely offend someone’s sensitibilities in the matter. Best not to take sides and supply a generic cord that meets regulations. Leave the difficult choices to the audiophile end user. BTW, Krell once offered a Krell-branded power cord for $1,100. That was about ten years ago, way past their glory years (during which, interestingly, they recommended using stock power cords). It was another way to maximize income alongside their overpriced home theater gear. Today, of course, Krell is no longer in business, though their maintenance department is still open. Sadly, a repair shop all that’s left of an erstwhile world-class manufacturer known for unparalleled hifi gear. |
I love this community…. I mean, I have no one else to talk to about such things….
Question… I hear that longer power cords = “more power conditioning”…. I am about to pull the trigger on setting up two dedicated lines. I, for “aesthetic” reasons, would prefer the two lines to be over there in the corner, about 12 feet away from my components….
If cost were not an issue, would it be better if i ran 12’ power cable runs to two dedicated lines? Or 6’ power cords to two dedicated lines?
Or is it impossible to tell until…? Or do you tink the difference would be negligible?
Thanks all, r. |
