When a power cord could obviously affect SQ

@retiredaudioguy 

I see the Triode Wire Labs IEC’s he uses are Furutech Gold. Not sure if you already have done this in your system or not yet, but you should get the Furutech Gold outlet to match in order to be better able to tell the differences between power cords, and for better sound overall of course. 

And believe it or not, my experiences are all components, and I include cables and receptacles in the heading of components, need 200+ hours to stabilize so even if you don’t believe this, do it anyway before arriving at any conclusions. If it was the rhodium Furutech outlet more like 300-400 hours. Seriously. 

https://furutech.com/product-category/receptacles/

And for my 2a3, which of course is an oddball build and quite different to yours, I find the driver tube, a single 6dj8 in my case, makes more of a sonic difference than the output tubes. For 2a3’s I currently have RCA’s, Black Treasures and I am trying a set of JJ’s as of last week. (The JJ’s are not working at the moment, discussions with the retailer ongoing). If I was going to spend big bucks for a new set of 2a3’s it would probably be Emission Labs mesh plates. 5 year warranty is unbeatable. Takatsuki’s I can’t justify currently, knowing there are a dozen other things I could change in my system (like power cord on the amp) that would change the sound more for half the cost. 

Congratulations on the new amps!

@mclinnguy the receptacle is Furutech gold.

I had ordered a set of ACME 2A3s but the order went pear shaped with import issues so I am using the RCA black plates.  My try EMLs eventually.  I have several 6SN7s to roll!

@retiredaudioguy 

I haven't tried every 2a3 tube out there of course, and never will, and I am not paying stupid money for RCA single plates, like I said I can change a cable elsewhere to get the same upgrade in clarity and resolution, and the advantage with that is the cable doesn't wear out, but my math tells me if I have 2 pair of output tubes to rotate the RCA's should last twice as long  

Looking forward to your power cord comparisons.

@erik_squires  Frank is correct about the cathode being directly connected to the AC if he is using AC filaments. A 2A3 is a directly heated tube, so the filament and the cathode are one and the same.

@richardbrand  said:

I’ve quoted your entire post because it should be mandatory reading!  You have provided direct evidence for the theory that it is EMI coming from your component that could make a difference. 

For years that was the reasoning for installing at least two dedicated branch circuits to feed an audio system. One for analog equipment and one for digital equipment. There was an electronics EE on AA that would say the reason was to decouple digital power supplies from analog equipment power supplies. If fed from one shared branch circuit the digital crap from the power supply of the digital equipment goes back out on the power cord to the same outlets on the shared branch circuit and travels into the analog power cord to the analog equipment power supply(s).

Today there are very good audiophile, grade, power cords for digital equipment that shield EMI/RFI from going out on the power cord to the wall outlet and onto the AC branch circuit wiring, that does not, use a traditional braid or foil shielding.

Braid, and or, foil shielding may have improved in resent years. From my      experimenting, listening, with them years ago, at least on my audio equipment, they sucked the air, life, openness, from the music.

Presently I am using WyWires Digital Power Cords Juice II Silver Series (6ft) that control EMI/RFI, in both directions, on my digital equipment. They do not use traditional braiding or foil shielding. And, they don’t suck the air, life, openness, from the music. 

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