Manufacturers power cables VS 3rd party power cables

[lovinthehd]

Wow. Just......wow.

Power cables I could see actually improving the clarity of the signal. Rocks? What the.........?

How do you "see" power cables improving the signal? All it does is carry electricity to your audio device....the audio device should be designed so as to use that electricity without issue. OTOH that's what makes cable audiophoolery sell well.....it's somewhat easy to "imagine" that they make a difference.....until you know they don't.....(and I don't mean inadequate or broken wiring/cabling, but adequate works).

 

[Pogre]

Wow. Just......wow.

Power cables I could see actually improving the clarity of the signal. Rocks? What the.........?

That's definitely on the fringe extreme side of it, but you can see how far it can go...

Tho I have to admit that Brilliant Pebbles is so far out there it's hard to tell if it's legit or a parody. They do have other "products" tho...

I recently stumbled across a long-ish but entertaining read of one man's theory of how things got to the way they are today. Highly recommend if you have a minute or 2.

A Summary Of The History Of Audiophoolery

So I ran across this post in the FB group "Audio Bullshit" that lays out the early days and beginnings of some of the goofier claims and products that exist in this hobby today. It's a written essay in response to a friend who's "more technically minded". I want to make sure credit is given...

forums.audioholics.com

 

[lovinthehd]

That's definitely on the fringe extreme side of it, but you can see how far it can go...

Tho I have to admit that Brilliant Pebbles is so far out there it's hard to tell if it's legit or a parody. They do have other "products" tho...

I recently stumbled across a long-ish but entertaining read of one man's theory of how things got to the way they are today. Highly recommend if you have a minute or 2.

A Summary Of The History Of Audiophoolery

So I ran across this post in the FB group "Audio Bullshit" that lays out the early days and beginnings of some of the goofier claims and products that exist in this hobby today. It's a written essay in response to a friend who's "more technically minded". I want to make sure credit is given...

forums.audioholics.com

My understanding these days of the MachinaDynamica site, where the Brilliant Pebbles are offered, is that it's basically just to take money from the 'phools as they don't deserve it/need it particularly....hopefully is given to charity but that's where the story gets vague

 

[Eppie]

Wow. Just......wow.

Power cables I could see actually improving the clarity of the signal. Rocks? What the.........?

I think I can explain this in layman's terms. Electronics work on direct current (DC). A power supply's job is to convert the alternating current (AC) from the wall outlet into DC that the internal circuitry can use. This is old technology and manufacturers are very good at producing a very clean and stable DC power supply. There are already components inside your amp to ensure that the DC supply does not introduce any noise into the system. Think about this logically for a moment. What could a power cable do that would change the quality of the DC voltage supplied by the power supply? Take that one step further. Think about the wiring from your breaker panel to the outlet. It's just 14 gauge romex and maybe 20 or 30 feet in length. How could replacing the last 3 feet of wiring between the breaker panel and your amp have any effect on the power supply? The short answer is that it doesn't. Open up your amplifier and look at the internal wiring that connects the power cord to the transformer inside the amp. It's the same material and gauge as the original power cord! You just spent $500 on 3 feet of magic cable, but then the wiring from your fancy cord to the transformer is plain old stranded copper wire. It's all BS really.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... Brilliant Pebbles is so far out there it's hard to tell if it's legit or a parody. ...

You mean they didn't polish those pebbles? Used flat paint on it?

 

[mtrycrafts]

How do you "see" power cables improving the signal? ....

One only has to open eyes to see.

I open my eyes as I wake up.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I found out my kid listens better when beat with high end cabling vs generic zip cord.

You mean discipline?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

You mean discipline?

Something that seems to have disappeared.....

 

[}Fear_Inoculum{]

How do you "see" power cables improving the signal? All it does is carry electricity to your audio device....the audio device should be designed so as to use that electricity without issue. OTOH that's what makes cable audiophoolery sell well.....it's somewhat easy to "imagine" that they make a difference.....until you know they don't.....(and I don't mean inadequate or broken wiring/cabling, but adequate works).

I should have clarified what I meant: I could see that cables might have some kind of scientific significance to improving the signal. But rocks..........

 

[lovinthehd]

I should have clarified what I meant: I could see that cables might have some kind of scientific significance to improving the signal. But rocks..........

Gotcha...

 

[haraldo]

I will insist that power cables are extremely important and way overlooked. I experienced that if I don’t have powercables I don’t even get any music out of the system

 

[mtrycrafts]

I will insist that power cables are extremely important and way overlooked. I experienced that if I don’t have powercables I don’t even get any music out of the system

The sound of silence.

 

[haraldo]

How do you "see" power cables improving the signal? All it does is carry electricity to your audio device....the audio device should be designed so as to use that electricity without issue. OTOH that's what makes cable audiophoolery sell well.....it's somewhat easy to "imagine" that they make a difference.....until you know they don't.....(and I don't mean inadequate or broken wiring/cabling, but adequate works).

One very important thing of course for very high power amplifiers is really good connection from the outlet to the plug, close to zero resistance here… I assume this could possibly make a difference. Nothing exotic about this topic

 

[Teetertotter?]

But, you can spend the $$ if you want, if it makes one feel better.

 

[haraldo]

No it makes me feel much worse
I just want proper solid connections

 

[lovinthehd]

One very important thing of course for very high power amplifiers is really good connection from the outlet to the plug, close to zero resistance here… I assume this could possibly make a difference. Nothing exotic about this topic

How would an aftermarket cord work better than the manufacturer's? All my stock cords provide really good connections....

 

[haraldo]

How would an aftermarket cord work better than the manufacturer's? All my stock cords provide really good connections....

I don’t know and I don’t argue that an aftermarket cord is better
I argue that the above is important

How do you know that there is no loss in the connection between outlet and plug?

 

[lovinthehd]

I don’t know and I don’t argue that an aftermarket cord is better
I argue that the above is important

How do you know that there is no loss in the connection between outlet and plug?

How do you know the aftermarket model doesn't have more loss? I think it's just well spec'd to begin with and is fine as delivered. One of the sillier aspects of audiophilia....

 

[haraldo]

How do you know the aftermarket model doesn't have more loss? I think it's just well spec'd to begin with and is fine as delivered. One of the sillier aspects of audiophilia....

I dont know this, and never claimed for this…. You seem to refute to answer my question

 

[BMXTRIX]

I dont know this, and never claimed for this…. You seem to refute to answer my question

I think the reality is that power outlets must be built to a very specific standard to get a UL listing that is applied to them. Kind of like how 'certified' HDMI cables must meet a minimum standard. I'm not sure what that standard is, but I expect it is enough to meet and pass the power that the outlet and the subsequent cord is actually rated for as a minimum. That's the whole point of UL certifications I expect... Isn't it?

Assuming that to be the case, then the bigger potential issue is wear and tear, which is far more likely at the receptacle, then on the cord itself. Replacing your standard outlets with medical grade outlets, that have more gripping power, isn't a bad way to go, but it won't improve the connection I expect, just make it more durable and perhaps grip harder. But, the same amperage will flow from the outlet through the cord whether it's a 50 cent outlet or a 3 dollar outlet, or a free power cord, or a 500 dollar power cord.

I expect most of this is measurable, but it needs to be measured to the requirements of the device, not so much the fact that a better cord could handle more power. I'm sure it can. But, if it doesn't need more power, then it is irrelevant.