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[Poll] A poll on whether Power Cords make a difference

Do Power Cords Make A Difference?

  • Yes they do make a difference

    Votes: 145 39.8%
  • No they don't make a difference

    Votes: 166 45.6%
  • I don't know

    Votes: 53 14.6%

  • Total voters
    364
I just want to let everyone know that after many weeks of refraining to vote I broke down this morning and voted in this poll. A gentle nudge to the self-appointed thread reporter that the counts and percentages have changed ever so slightly.

It's up to you, but I'd suggest announcing this using a highly legible font, perhaps bolded and in red (red Hex/RGB color code = #FF0000, RED=255, GREEN=0, BLUE=0).

Joe
 
Trump. We used to say bump.

I tried to change my vote and it boosted the Yesers but I felt so insincere and reverted.

OP do you have any appetite for a thread where those who are Yes. If they are comfortable doing so say what the make/model they experienced the benefits with.

I use AVI Integrated and their CD player (but rarely now) Raspberry pi with Moode Audio Player. I have Mark Grants cables on the AVI devices. I tried a modestly priced MCRU cable first before exploring the Mark Grants.

I tried them with my idea of an open mind. Ok I am told you can make a difference, show me.
 
OP do you have any appetite for a thread where those who are Yes. If they are comfortable doing so say what the make/model they experienced the benefits with.

I use AVI Integrated and their CD player (but rarely now) Raspberry pi with Moode Audio Player. I have Mark Grants cables on the AVI devices. I tried a modestly priced MCRU cable first before exploring the Mark Grants.

I tried them with my idea of an open mind. Ok I am told you can make a difference, show me.

I am happy to share my experience.

I was converted back in the Naim Days. A Naim Powerline on a CDX smoothed off the harsh treble in a demo. Sold.

With newer Vitus kit the Andromeda cable which came with the Vitus amp and cdp sounded similar to Naim powerline and only a small difference to stock cord. But a Shunyata Alpha EF attached to the amp had an impact on the bass, yet oddly the model up, Alpha NR, did not. Dealer and I noticed it, but dealer pointed it out first - if the dealer was in the game to fleece me with snake oil why would he point out the cheaper model sounding better? Biggest change is CDP and Shunyata Alpha EF combo - instruments are alive and in the room. The compromise is an increase in harshness on some recordings. But I have the old cable if that’s an issue.

I am not great at Hi-Fi descriptions but this is a more meaningful description of this Shunyata on the cdp. Think of a modern remaster of a classic album. They are a double edged sword to me. Often they have a clearer more detailed sound, which is good, but the compromise is they are often over-compressed to make them sound more 'modern'. To me that compression makes them less enjoyable to listen to, less natural sounding. What the Shunyata does on the cdp is give the clarity and definition of a cleaned up master (when listening to an old mastering) but obviously without the loss of dynamics a modern remaster has. That is the best definition of the resulting sound I can give, assuming you share my experiences with much remastering. Alternatively I would describe it as being more present in the room, more detailed, more live sounding, slightly forward of the speakers. And on a soprano singing Bach in a small ensemble you'll hear a more prominent sibilance on an ‘s’. Which I know is not a good thing.
 
I just want to let everyone know that after many weeks of refraining to vote I broke down this morning and voted in this poll. A gentle nudge to the self-appointed thread reporter that the counts and percentages have changed ever so slightly.

Joe
Joe, if it`s good enough for you it`s good enough for me, I have also now voted.

ps. is Duckworp some unusual kind of avian FTL travel?
 
Barry,

I had always thought the Romulan Bird of Prey ships were modelld on raptors but maybe they were modelled on ducks. Romulan ducks... obviously.

Joe
 
if the dealer was in the game to fleece me with snake oil why would he point out the cheaper model sounding better?
Possibly he judged the maximum profit he could make from you and then demonstrated the relevant model in the best light. This is what salesmen in shops are employed to do.
 
Trump. We used to say bump.
OP do you have any appetite for a thread where those who are Yes. If they are comfortable doing so say what the make/model they experienced the benefits with.

whatsnext - It is a good idea - and I naively try this a couple of years ago. One thread for engineering arguments - and a second thread for subjective discussions cables / equipment and shared experiences etc. Immediately thread crapped ensued by the usual Trolls.
 
The compromise is an increase in harshness on some recordings. But I have the old cable if that’s an issue.

So after spending £ 1300 on one mains cable you have to swop cables for different recordings ?

I have seven mains cables some 20 metres ( £ 9100 :eek: cost on your recommended cable) and would then have to swop them for different recordings.

Luckily I have saved over £ 9000.00 and the inconvenience of having to change them everytime I hear something which I am not happy with. :)
 
Just in case someone was away when this was throbbing or a new member has a nagging concern about mains and did not realise they were not alone in their concerns.

I have just been listening to Zappa’s Apostrophe and found my mind wondering if I changed mains cable(s) would it be any less enjoyable (or audible). A fleeting though.

I am glad I avoided Naim from the first time I heard that odd harmonics rich noise. Derek Whittington thank you.
 
Just in case someone was away when this was throbbing or a new member has a nagging concern about mains and did not realise they were not alone in their concerns.

I have just been listening to Zappa’s Apostrophe and found my mind wondering if I changed mains cable(s) would it be any less enjoyable (or audible). A fleeting though.

I am glad I avoided Naim from the first time I heard that odd harmonics rich noise. Derek Whittington thank you.
Pity this thread has gone the way of the troll, it was an interesting read, can someone get this back on track, before the insane take over the asylum once more.
 
I voted yes, but it was not just a single cable. My whole system has LoRad cables. I am surrounded by Wifi points and without the shielding the system has a harshness to the treble.
I took the advise from Philip Newall`s book, Recording studio design and now have fully balanced mains and all cables shielded.
I can now listen happily any time now and don't have to wait until late in the evening when the electricity demand is lower.

The only experience I have had where shielded power cables made a difference was with my Line Magnetic amp. It had a constant loud hum with crackle. Using a slightly higher quality shielded power cable reduced that a bit but did not eliminate it in any way.
Ultimately realised it was due to powerline ethernet adapters plugged into an adjacent socket was the source of the problem and removing those solved the problem completely and removed any impact of power cables. Never had this problem with other amps by the way which were clearly far less or not susceptible to the mains intereference from powerline adapters

Otherwise have never found any noticeable difference myself from diff power cables at all. In face quite the opposite - some of the more expensive power cables are so damn stiff and thick they put way too much pressure on the input sockets of some equipment. An average shielded, safe and flexible power cord is all I will ever need - in my system in my current house anyway
 
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Just in case someone was away when this was throbbing or a new member has a nagging concern about mains and did not realise they were not alone in their concerns.

I have just been listening to Zappa’s Apostrophe and found my mind wondering if I changed mains cable(s) would it be any less enjoyable (or audible). A fleeting though.

I am glad I avoided Naim from the first time I heard that odd harmonics rich noise. Derek Whittington thank you.


I would say that that post is beneath you but as your posts on these sorts of threads have gone on I think that you are probably what they call around these parts "a shit stirrer ".

Sorry... sorry if you are offended but on several threads like these and on, say, the "Wam " thread you just seem to like to poke the lion through the cage bars to see what reaction you get.

Your above post is just a wind up of an old a dead cable thread with the added fun for you of a kick at Naim completely out of context to this thread.
 
I voted yes, as from my experiences changed a mains cable can change the sound, albeit subtlety. I have used standard supplies mains cables, shielded cables and cables with silver plugs. All subtlety different. I have used TQ cables for a few years ( as I preferred them to the standard ones) and only recently started changing those over to EWA MC-5 cables as, to my ears, they sound better.
 
I voted yes, as from my experiences changed a mains cable can change the sound, albeit subtlety. I have used standard supplies mains cables, shielded cables and cables with silver plugs. All subtlety different. I have used TQ cables for a few years ( as I preferred them to the standard ones) and only recently started changing those over to EWA MC-5 cables as, to my ears, they sound better.


Welcome to PFM, Finkfan!

You have good taste in music. :)
 
Possibly he judged the maximum profit he could make from you and then demonstrated the relevant model in the best light. This is what salesmen in shops are employed to do.

Absolutely. There's an undeniable art to successful snake oiling. Any counter argument of the "he could have tried to sell me the most expensive one, but he didn't" variety tells me there was a glazed, twitchy countenance to the buyer - corresponding to a nodding of the head - that had the salesperson crouched for a kill before he took inventory and noticed worn Nikes or frayed button holes ... No problemo. A good snake oiler has braid and gold bits for every season!
 
They make a difference to my ears.

There is an audible difference (improvement) even with products that state that the cable does not matter - such as my Teddy XPS. Go figure
 


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