Power cables...

[hondajake]

Are they worth upgrading? Any improvement? I am not thinking of hundreds of dollar power cables, but say 50 dollars?

Thanks!

 

[Haoleb]

If you want an answer besides NO! then this is the wrong forum to be asking on.

You have been warned

I bought the PS audio Prelude to try out since it was 50 bucks, figured what the heck. For that price if it doesnt do anything i can always sell it for what i paid. Unlike some people I try to do more than just read about things and say them like they are my own words. I didnt notice any appreciable difference on either my Rega CDP, a Cambridge CDP i used to have, or my Bottlehead preamp. I havent tried it on my amplifiers.

I did keep it though because its sheilded and it looks good. I know some skeptics that have tried them on a whim and actually been quite surprised. I would have to say the only Correct answer to this question is try it yourself, .....Your Mileage may vary as they say...

 

[highfihoney]

Ditto,been there & done that with no effect except to have cool looking power cords,all of my after market power cords came with used gear i bought so i kept the cords before selling the gear,buy a few cd's or movies with your $50 spot instead ,you'll hear nothing with pc's.

 

[stratman]

Double Ditto on that!!!

 

[mtrycrafts]

Are they worth upgrading? Any improvement? I am not thinking of hundreds of dollar power cables, but say 50 dollars?

Thanks!

Yes, if your present cable is damaged beyond safe use. You are forced to replace them
But, otherwise, only if you like better looking cables to show off to those who care about these things.
By the way, are you experiencing problems now? Audible hum? Whatever? Slow music? Slow DVD? Slow frame change on the TV?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Unlike some people I try to do more than just read about things and say them like they are my own words.

Me too. Just don't want to reinvent the wheel
If I wanted to bungee jump, really experience my heart stopping, pee in pants, etc, I'd try it myself. But but...

I know some skeptics that have tried them on a whim and actually been quite surprised.

Well, skeptics can be fooled as well, no immunity immunization I know about.
If one reads the history of psychic research in the 1970s, so called scientists were the ones who believed and believed in Uri Geller, the key bender. They just couldn't believe that he would trick them. Scientists are too trusting at times.

 

[hondajake]

Wow! Just checking guys....

Thanks for the input!

No hum or anything, but I was wondering about the shielding on the stock cords is mostly why I ask the quesiton...

 

[jneutron]

Wow! Just checking guys....

Thanks for the input!

No hum or anything, but I was wondering about the shielding on the stock cords is mostly why I ask the quesiton...

Sigh..here we go again...that troublemaker neutron...sheesh.

The shield will do nothing unless there is radio frequency interference around. But I think you'd notice that.

Power cords can actually affect the sound, but the method for doing this is not one which is typically considered. It has to do with ground loop, how much magnetic field can get in that loop, the loop resistance, and how the loop currents couple within the power amp and source.

It's another one of those "most (including me)" can't hear it, most don't care.

But the high priced ones are not really based in too much fact or engineering.
Lots of floobydust explanations.

Cheers, John

 

[highfihoney]

Sigh..here we go again...that troublemaker neutron...sheesh.

I personally enjoy reading rour posts,i dont understand most of what you write but i still like reading them

Btw,thats one heck of a good looking music server you built,you should be proud,i would be.

 

[jneutron]

I personally enjoy reading rour posts,i dont understand most of what you write but i still like reading them .

What makes you think I do

Thanks..

Btw,thats one heck of a good looking music server you built,you should be proud,i would be.

I'm afraid you've confused me with somebody else.

Cheers, John

 

[Alex2507]

Sigh..here we go again...that troublemaker neutron...sheesh.

The shield will do nothing unless there is radio frequency interference around. But I think you'd notice that.

Power cords can actually affect the sound, but the method for doing this is not one which is typically considered. It has to do with ground loop, how much magnetic field can get in that loop, the loop resistance, and how the loop currents couple within the power amp and source.

It's another one of those "most (including me)" can't hear it, most don't care.

But the high priced ones are not really based in too much fact or engineering.
Lots of floobydust explanations.

Cheers, John

I imagine the same holds true for the $137 outlet that you can buy from Parts Express?

 

[jneutron]

I imagine the same holds true for the $137 outlet that you can buy from Parts Express?

You imagine incorrectly.

Please, what makes you think that anybody from RI, the smallest state in the US, could possibly have anything pertinent to say? HMM?

(what part...I'm from dat island in the middle of Narragansett bay.., not prudence or goat...)

I do not subscribe to expensive outlets nor cryo treatment of them, or the sound of plating...pfffttt.

A system hum caused by a ground loop is a result of the current in the loop that is forced by the loop picking up magnetic field. It is actually a very large one turn transformer, and can be described using Faraday's law of induction. So I'm not talking about stupid snake oil stuff, but reality.

This "transformer" that is created by the loop has another feature. Faraday's law of induction states that the voltage is proportional to the rate that the magnetic field changes...in other words, the loop hum will get louder if the frequency of the magnetic field goes up. This is a very big problem especially when motor contactors are involved (everybody's heard the pop that results from that).

So, you are mistaken if you think that I believe all the snakeoil stuff.

Cheers, John

 

[Alex2507]

I'm not from here. I just am here. Everybody from here has something pertinent to say. Usually it starts and ends with a vowel sound. Ayee.... Ohhh....

It took me 1/2 an hour to read your response only to realize that I misread the first line. I just meant to ask if $137 outlet was a waste of money. I imagined it was. Once I get the idea in my head that it is certainly a waste of money then I can move right along to my next brain storm.

So, is a $137 outlet a waste of money?

 

[Alex2507]

Oops! Pawtucket. Sorry, bad manners.

 

[jneutron]

I'm not from here. I just am here. Everybody from here has something pertinent to say. Usually it starts and ends with a vowel sound. Ayee.... Ohhh....

It took me 1/2 an hour to read your response only to realize that I misread the first line. I just meant to ask if $137 outlet was a waste of money. I imagined it was. Once I get the idea in my head that it is certainly a waste of money then I can move right along to my next brain storm.

So, is a $137 outlet a waste of money?

No...well, not all of it..

I can't see spending that kind of money..sheesh, I picked up an entire 100 amp panel with main breaker for less than that..holy mackeral.

My take is outlets hafta be good quality. I wouldn't spend more than 5 bucks for home use. Hospital use, well that's diff.

Pawtucket...you are just "there"...goin ta school?

Prov was my old stompin ground in school, m-town was where I came from.

Cheers, John

 

[dave1490]

Ditto,been there & done that with no effect except to have cool looking power cords,all of my after market power cords came with used gear i bought so i kept the cords before selling the gear,buy a few cd's or movies with your $50 spot instead ,you'll hear nothing with pc's.

hello would you buy a cable for a amp that use 2400watt,s thats got a 14 gaw cable.thinking of going to 10gaw.just for the amp,s though.

 

[Jack Hammer]

I "upgraded" a few of my power cables about a month ago. I was looking for a few longer and a few shorter cables than stock. I ended getting some shielded 14/3 cables in lengths from 2' to 12' for between $4 & $10 each, including shipping. They look really cool, but other than that I can't tell any difference whatsoever in sound or picture quality. If it's there, I'm not qualified to see or hear it.

Unless, you need different lengths or just want that cool looking power cable, save your money for something better.

My $0.02

Jack

 

[highfihoney]

hello would you buy a cable for a amp that use 2400watt,s thats got a 14 gaw cable.thinking of going to 10gaw.just for the amp,s though.

Hi dave,it depends,even though your amplifiers max power draw is rated at 2400 watts most likely your only using a max of 1800 watts to feed them,if your powering them from a standard 15 amp outlet the wattage is limited to 1800 watts before the breaker pop's,for 15 amp service your power cords are fine.

Unless you have 20 amp service you'll never feed the amps the full 2400 watts they are rated for,a 20 amp line will give you the 2400 watts,if you have 20 amp service allready you should replace the power cords with either 12 gauge or 10 gauge but again if your service is 15 amp there is no reason to replace them.

 

[Jack Hammer]

hello would you buy a cable for a amp that use 2400watt,s thats got a 14 gaw cable.thinking of going to 10gaw.just for the amp,s though.

Bear in mind that most likely the wiring in your walls from your circuit breaker to the outlet is only 14ga. A 6' length of super thick cable most likely isn't going to overcome 100' of inwall wiring.

Jack

 

[dave1490]

Hi dave,it depends,even though your amplifiers max power draw is rated at 2400 watts most likely your only using a max of 1800 watts to feed them,if your powering them from a standard 15 amp outlet the wattage is limited to 1800 watts before the breaker pop's,for 15 amp service your power cords are fine.

Unless you have 20 amp service you'll never feed the amps the full 2400 watts they are rated for,a 20 amp line will give you the 2400 watts,if you have 20 amp service allready you should replace the power cords with either 12 gauge or 10 gauge but again if your service is 15 amp there is no reason to replace them.

ya i figured the house wiring would be the limiting factor it,s only rated for 1825watts .thanks honey