The Stock Power Cord Fan Club

[witchdoctor]

I am a little surprised that a number of Audioholics here continue to post about after market power cords as if they have actual experience when they all profess they only use the stock cords. How can you berate a product which you have never auditioned?
They couldn't even post a negative review from anywhere on the net about any type of power cord that someone else listened to.
It is called an EXPERIMENT where you get EXPERIENCE!
Take the Pepsi challenge guys. No one is benefiting from your posting of what you hear in your imagination.
I have invited all of you to post something (anything) based on an actual after market power cord you have auditioned in your own system. If you haven't listened to a product don't bash it.

 

[fuzz092888]

Tried some, didn't make a bit of difference. Not only did they not make a bit of difference, but some even had a negative effect on things they were plugged into. I think it had to do with the impedance of the cord. I remember reading a reviewer, possibly from stereophile who had a similar issue during a review if memory serves.

So if I'm reading this correctly your whole argument is based on subjective experiences and opinions on these products. Well, those are my subjective experiences with after market power cords. Nothing super big money, but expensive enough to warrant an improvement if there was one to be had IMO. None was to be found, also IMO.

 

[witchdoctor]

Which cords have you tried? What equipment did you try them on?

 

[fuzz092888]

Which cords have you tried? What equipment did you try them on?

A couple pangea power cords and some others. I don't recall exactly what other one's were and have no desire to spend any time searching for them. I tried them on basically anything they would fit in (hardy har har ). Surge protectors, power conditioners, sub amps (pro amps), multi-channel amps (Aragon, Outlaw, Rotel, some others), stereo amps (Threshold, Aragon, Perreaux, possibly a few others), receivers, processors, heck I even used one on my computer one time because I use the computer for music and movies sometimes.

Maybe I'm just deaf, but there was no magic or sparkle or whatever it was I was "supposed" to have been hearing in any of those situations.

 

[Adam]

How can you berate a product which you have never auditioned?

I've never actually taken a cheese grater to my groin, but I'll continue to use that as an example of something that I don't want to do. "How do you know that you don't like sulfuric acid poured on to your eyes? Haven't you ever tried it?!"

Jokes aside, I see your point, but you can't blame folks for following the math. You mention stock power cords, but what I've read on here are folks talking about inexpensive power cords. Electrical resistance is easy to calculate, and you can check out the wiring in your house and inside of your equipment. You have to have a pretty junky power cord to have it be anywhere near the weakest link in the chain.

If you like expensive power cords, go for it. There are things that I like that others think is a waste of money, but I still like it enough to pay for it. I'm just not buying into the "you can't know if you haven't tried every cable on every piece of equipment, so stop judging" argument. To quote Mr. Mellencamp, you've got to stand for something or you're going to fall for anything.

 

[Chu Gai]

One of the problems with the majority of aftermarket power cords is they're not UL listed.

 

[TLS Guy]

I am a little surprised that a number of Audioholics here continue to post about after market power cords as if they have actual experience when they all profess they only use the stock cords. How can you berate a product which you have never auditioned?
They couldn't even post a negative review from anywhere on the net about any type of power cord that someone else listened to.
It is called an EXPERIMENT where you get EXPERIENCE!
Take the Pepsi challenge guys. No one is benefiting from your posting of what you hear in your imagination.
I have invited all of you to post something (anything) based on an actual after market power cord you have auditioned in your own system. If you haven't listened to a product don't bash it.

If you can't see that the cord plugged into the receptacle has house wire behind it, the panel, miles of power lines, pole transformers, substations, high voltage lines and a power station then there is something seriously wrong with you.

If you think there is any possible way a few feet of wire could make any difference with all that coming before it, then you are certifiably irrational.

On top of that every unit has a power supply, that stores substantial charge and converts the AC to the required and usually highly regulated voltages. Any possible problem in a cord would be negated by all that many times over.

So when you really understand how things work, you understand that there is no basis for anything you have to say. No rational person is going to waste time, or give any credence to what you have to say.

Only the highly ignorant or raving lunatics would give a passing thought to your advice.

Now please cart yourself off bag and baggage all.

 

[Bizarro_Stormy]

Hmmm...

WitchDoctor sounds a lot like NagysAudio and/or SearchOfSub...

Hmmm...

 

[KEW]

Let me know how to sign my fans up to join the club. I have three power cord fans that are completely stock.

In the case of my fourth fan with a power cord, I tied a ribbon/streamer to the fan for the air scrubber in my woodshop so I could tell what speed it is on. Would that be considered stock or modified. Can it join?
I really hope so, because right now it feels like it is continously cleaning and under-appreciated (despite the streamer, go figure). I think a club would do wonders and lift it spirits. If I'm lucky, maybe it will start going longer before demanding I clean it's filters (it can get a little "high maintenance", if you know what I mean).
Thanks!

 

[witchdoctor]

A couple pangea power cords and some others.

Thanks for sharing, I haven't tried Panagea's yet but plan to audition their new cords soon. I'll post something when I do.

 

[witchdoctor]

Jokes aside, I see your point, but you can't blame folks for following the math.
I think that people that follow only the math get paralysis through analysis.

If you like expensive power cords, go for it.
I prefer high value cords. If my system costs $1500 I better hear at least a 10% improvement if I spend $100 on a cord. This is why I like a Risk Free audition period. If I don't get good value I send it back.
Please stay away from cheese graters

 

[witchdoctor]

If you can't see that the cord plugged into the receptacle has house wire behind it, the panel, miles of power lines, pole transformers, substations, high voltage lines and a power station then there is something seriously wrong with you.

This is a classic case of paralysis through analysis. I am not attacking you or your right to use the power cord of your choice. Please take the Pepsi challenge and try one of these:
http://shop.mapleshadestore.com/Ultra-Minimalist-Duplex-AC-Outlet/productinfo/ACOUTLET-CL/

 

[witchdoctor]

WitchDoctor sounds a lot like NagysAudio and/or SearchOfSub...

I don't see how a guy named Bizzarro is the right guy to take advice about names from.

 

[witchdoctor]

I tied a ribbon/streamer to the fan for the air scrubber in my woodshop so I could tell what speed it is on. Would that be considered stock or modified. Can it join?

This is a forum for audioholics. For questions about ribbons and air scrubbers try Macy's. Good luck with your woodshop.

 

[Swerd]

First witchdoctor has dared people to try replacing stock power cords. And he now complains that people refuse to do what he urges.

I don't expect him to provide a good reason to try such a dubious audio tweak, nor do I expect him to listen to the reasons why others are uninterested.

But so far, we've yet to see what his own experience has been with aftermarket power cords. Why not? Do what you urge others to do.

Or is he a poorly disguised shill trying to sell some aftermarket power cords?

 

[GO-NAD!]

Or is he a poorly disguised shill trying to sell some aftermarket power cords?

BINGO!

 

[GO-NAD!]

I've never actually taken a cheese grater to my groin, ...

Suuuuuure you haven't...

 

[Rickster71]

I think that people that follow only the math get paralysis through analysis.
If you like expensive power cords, go for it.
I prefer high value cords. If my system costs $1500 I better hear at least a 10% improvement if I spend $100 on a cord. This is why I like a Risk Free audition period. If I don't get good value I send it back.
Please stay away from cheese graters

Huh?
Aren't you using math when you said, "I'd better hear at least a 10% improvement..."
How do you determine a 10 or 17% improvement... how do you personally measure that?

It's not a Risk Free Audition:
The Cable Co. has this power cord: http://www.thecableco.com/Product/Avatar-II
for "only" $16,950.
I can audition it for almost 2 weeks with non-refundable deposit equal to 5% (in this case $847) of the value of the products you are borrowing will be charged to the your credit card when we ship the products to you. This deposit is not refundable.

 

[TLS Guy]

As usual Rick, you have put your finger on why this lunatic is dangerous.

The problem we are having is that as G.K. Chesterton said you can't argue with a lunatic, or you are inclined to get the worst of it.

The fact is that auditioning those cables is a crude experiment. To perform any experiment you have to have a plausible hypothesis as to why the experiment is worth doing. There is no plausible explanation as to why a power cord could make a difference to the sound you hear.

So, before doing the experiment you have to have a theory of possible improvement based on the known properties of conductors and electron transfer. None of these are offered. Looking for an effect without a reasonable hypothesis is the very definition of magic, exactly like witchdoctor would.

Now that $16,000 power cord would buy a really nice set of speakers, that would make an improvement, and support a valid manufacturer and vendor, and not magicians.

The other issue, is that I bet when we have a post about a ground loop, by far the commonest powering question asked here, this witchdoctor will advise an expensive cable. No matter how much the cable cost it will NOT solve a ground loop.

I would bet big money this witchdoctor does not know the first thing about a ground loop, and could not help a poster solve the problem.

It is easy to laugh at this kind of nonsense, but it has a serious side and is a scam that cynically deprives people of their hard earned money to a con artist with no benefit whatever accruing to the customer.

It is some time since we have had such a brazen con artist on these forums, and it is now past time for a mod to use his ban button.

 

[Steve81]

It is some time since we have had such a brazen con artist on these forums, and it is now past time for a mod to use his ban button.

I agree, though he is fun to watch.