MAN YOU BRING RELIGION IN TO A STUPID AUDIO DISCUSSION!! have you ever owned or auditioned high quality cables?
Auditioned? Yes. Looked at measured tests of? Yes. Understand the mechanics of? I'm an EE by training. Work with power going into power supplies to be fed to equipment more delicate than an amp? I build server rooms (among other things).
They measure the same on insturment.
There's never been a blind test that resulted in someone able to tell the difference between two well-built (non-defective) power cables.
6-ft of properly-built (and sufficiently sized) cord has no effect on the power moving through it.
At the amp-end of the cord is a big power supply, including transformers and capaciters. A capaciter is like a damn and resuviour. It doesn't matter all that much how the river looked on one side, it's pretty controlled on the other.
And, of course, the "where is this power coming from?" question. You mention the foundation of the house? That's a generator at a power plant putting out some very dirty (and comlpetely inappropriate for home outlets) power, hundreds of miles of lines and relays, tranformers, and your house wiring.
Perhaps you believe you have a magic power conditioner that puts out cleaner power than everyone else's. I suggest you look inside to see how well that is made. The one I use at work weighs over four tons and costs... well, I'll bet more than yours did. I'm using (on my end equipment, the 44kv UPS does require a big cable) pretty standard power cables (we do pay a bit more ($5 vs $3) to get highly flexable cables.)
But hey: Get an multi-meter and prove us all wrong.
Can you tell me the answer to life?
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A claim you seem to be making.
A power cord can do a lot for a system,
Of course. It connects it to electricity.
but aim not advocating spending $800 on an AC cable. Your system is like your house it starts with the foundation, the better the foundation the better the house. So clean AC is a most if you want all your gear to play up to it's potentail. Of course It is just IMO.
The opinion of my multi-meter is that, except for power drops (best handled with a UPS) or extreme spikes, the power coming out of the power-supplies I've tested is pretty consistant despite fluxuations in the inbound power.
B&W has a pretty good ratio on how much to spend on your cables vs. the cost of your system, they say about 10%.
I assume you refer to:
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/display.aspx?infid=1406
"Most specialist magazines advocate spending a total of 10% of your available system budget on cabling to optimise its performance"
They defer to "most magazines". Try
http://www.roger-russell.com/ (
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm) or
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/index.htm (
http://www.bluejeanscable.com/articles/doeswirematter.htm)
Both have deidaced time to testing these claims, not just deferred to magazines. One manufactures cable as an industry (Belkin is one of the most respected names in it)... and B&W give no indication they are discussing power cables.
Perhaps it would help to know what you are advocating. I'm advocating the following: There will be no difference in sound between two properly built (the one that came with your receiver, unless defective, qualifies) power cables.
