A good article. I might contribute something to the conversation. For no other reason than to satisfy my curiosity, I bought a pair of cheap "audiophile" power cables. These were connected to a NAD M10 with PSB Imagine Mini speakers and PSB Subseries 200.
My expectation was there would be no difference. Consider the following points:
1. According to Purifi, the power supply is of no consequence for class D. M10 has nCore modules but lets assume the same conditions apply.
2. If there is any mains power conditioning, it only needs to occur at the last drop.
3. I already have a Furman power conditioner, although it was intended only for surge protection, not any audible improvement. I never checked anyway when it was installed long ago and don't really care.
Power is supplied from behind the Furman power conditioner, not direct from the wall. So in theory there should have been no difference right? I certainly was not expecting any. I am a self proclaimed cable skeptic after all.
And yet, yes there was clearly an audible difference. I would describe the sound as crisper, fuller, greater clarity. I had to turn the sub level down a frag after plugging in the new power cable. The sub absolutely pumps now.
Am I imagining stuff. Maybe. Did my wife imagine it? No, she was unaware I had made a change and commented that it sounded better had I changed something. We listen to it every day together so make of that what you will.
Can I explain it? I cannot, its a mystery.
All I can report is what happened. Using the cheapest cables I could buy (it was an experiment), it unexpectedly made a difference so noticeable that someone who listens to the system every day and was unaware of the change noticed and commented. There goes the placebo theory.
Would I buy the uber expensive ones. No. But for under 100 pacific pesos, and on the back of an experiment too, bargain for the result I got.
