Power cables

[Diapason]

I dread broaching this topic, but can I have a quick show of hands. Who has experienced positive differences due to power cables, what components benefited the most, and what kind of benefits did you hear?

(I'm wondering is it time to take it seriously and replace the bog-standard leads I'm currently using?)

[DaveF]

Too lazy to post up the Worf gif....

Some people ought to be beaten over the head with a rake. Repeatedly. ;-)

Seriously though.......I mean think about it...
What kind of wire is attached before the power lead and what kind of wire comes after it in the metres and metres within the transformer?

Placebo. Plain and simple.

This thread will end well.

[Diapason]

There's the opening salvo!

Good man, DaveF, I knew I could count on you!!

[Diapason]

Actually, there's a broader question here and it's related to why I ask.

The objectivist vs subjectivist wars have been playing out for quite some time at this stage, and I'm no closer to have a definitive answer for *anything* than I was when I started. But, and here's a big but, I see there's still an objectivist element out there that tells us that all amps sound the same. It's the "strong" version of the objectivist viewpoint, but its proponents argue vehemently that (properly designed) amps all sound the same. In fact, I've seen people argue the same about CD players (not transports, actual CD players).

So, simply put, there are crazy objectivists and crazy subjectivists, and for me in the undecided middle ground, well I'm trying to open my mind a little further and see what's what.

So, flat-earthers and tin-hat wearers, I'm not here to demean you! Tell us your tales.

[Marcus]

I inherited some fairly fancy looking mains cables when I got my mono blocks, from a very well known upmarket mains cable producer. These things are huge compared with the out of the box cables, with multi-layers of wires, insulation and braid.

What can I say - they completely changed my attitude towards what mains cables can do to a system. Before owning them, I really couldn't comment as I had no experience and was interested to know. Now, based on my comprehensive analysis techniques which I call 'plugging and unplugging', I can categorically announce that they made absolutely no perceptible difference whatsoever to my system or ears. I tried one of them on my Naim CDP too, the electricity flowed beautifully into the transformer as it did before and then came out in exactly the same way.

Of course your ears could tell you otherwise :)

http://kevinboone.net/hifimainscables.html

[Diapason]

This is one of those rare occasions when the forum could do with some smilies.

[tony]

I do remember when I plugged in the tacima cheapo mains conditioner believing there was a noticeable improvement. Since that period I have wasted some money on mains cables and will at some point get a mains regenerator. The logic for the mains regenerator I can rationalise in my head (Now I am sure Dave will be along shortly to advise differently) but I think with regard to mains cables reality has sunk in now and I waste money on other hifi things rather than mains cables(I have enough reasonable or relatively reasonably priced ones to do me till the end of time)

[Diapason]

Yes well the mains conditioner one seems a lot more acceptable from a technical viewpoint, and besides I've now heard the difference with my own ears. But that's for another thread...

[DaveF]

Mains regenerator make sense alright. Nothing controversial there at all. Of course it depends on how bad your electricity supply is in the first place.

Mains cables though are amongst the daftest 'tweaks' in hifi. A lot of Audiophiles simply refuse to accept the placebo affect and will look for other mumbo jumbo for an explanation.
PLENTY of evidence to show how poor audio memory is and how easily the mind is fooled or be convinced. No evidence whatsoever that mains cables can change things and the electrical theory backs this up. This is stuff is designed, spec'ed and tested by electronics engineers not f*cking witch doctors chucking out some chicken bones.

[DaveF]

.... I see there's still an objectivist element out there that tells us that all amps sound the same. It's the "strong" version of the objectivist viewpoint, but its proponents argue vehemently that (properly designed) amps all sound the same.

I think amps need to be considered/tested along with the load(speakers) they are driving. A speaker tested with amp A and amp B, that both measure the same will sound the same.
Many amps have different topologies, SETs, SS, push pull and so on...........how they interact with the speaker is important as measuring the amp itself.