power cables from amazon

[Chrispy]

The cord for my pre seemed to work its way loose periodically. There was nothing wrong with the other two cords.
Just BECAUSE I liked the look I said, hey. Yanno. Like how mags make your car faster.

Sorry, mags never made a car faster. Dumber maybe.

 

[solderdude]

It's not like such a $ 21.- cable will empty your wallet like some of the real snake-oil power cables that promise you the finest sound experience.
At least it looks impressive.
Still, one clearly over-paid and could have gotten this one instead but it doesn't look impressive.
I think that was the entire goal of the OP.

 

[izeek]

It's not like such a $ 21.- cable will empty your wallet like some of the real snake-oil power cables that promise you the finest sound experience.
At least it looks impressive.
Still, one clearly over-paid and could have gotten this one instead but it doesn't look impressive.
I think that was the entire goal of the OP.

Them mags sure LOOK good, doh.

 

[izeek]

Sorry, mags never made a car faster. Dumber maybe.

cmon, mang.

 

[mhardy6647]

Them mags sure LOOK good, doh.

To say nothing of stripes.
Or flames.

(from the Polk forums)

ahem.
On topic.
This thread reminded me of an amusing thread a few years back on a McIntosh subforum of another hifi forum. Someone asked for advice on the best power cord(s) to use with their Mac amplifier or whatever. The concensus went something like this. You can rest assured that McIntosh engineers have carefully and meticulously selected and specified the power cords supplied with McIntosh amplifiers. They're absolutely, perfectly suited to their task. One could simply not do better than to use the supplied power cord, since it's meant for your specific McIntosh product.

I am uttely and completely certain that is absolutely true and correct. Mac probably has a power cord task force, answerable to the CTO, with a dashboard updated weekly on the company Intranet.
Certain of it.

 

[ta240]

Sorry, mags never made a car faster. Dumber maybe.

Unless they were lighter....

 

[GGroch]

I bought an Amazon power cord for the looks and my amp blew a fuse shortly after installing it. Back to UL-certified Tripp Lite for me.

That's the problem, many of the cheap fancy looking power cords are not U.L. or any other governing body listed..so your chances of getting a bad cable or poor fitting connections is higher. I've never been a mag wheels fan either. Its not that I am an objectivist, its more that fancy looking power cords and mag wheels say something about the owner which does not I think describe me.

I did get a couple of hospital grade power cords on sale. They are always U.L. and otherwise certified. The functional difference is a tighter plug connection (so that they are not as likely to disconnect if tripped over**). Plus, they look different. Nice I think in a functional sort of way. Added benefit, they will match the cables of all the medical gear I will probably end up with as life progresses

**perhaps this makes them less safe in a home environment due to increased chances of tripping.

 

[mansr]

perhaps this makes them less safe in a home environment due to increased chances of tripping.

They've still got nothing on standard British plugs.

 

[BluesDaddy]

The cord for my pre seemed to work its way loose periodically. There was nothing wrong with the other two cords.
Just BECAUSE I liked the look I said, hey. Yanno. Like how mags make your car faster.

Mags, hell, just WASHING it makes it faster don't you know?!

 

[MrPeabody]

I have basically replaced most of OEM power cables with Amazon bought cables. ...
Not going to comment about sound as people here would start asking for proofs......

And before asking for proof, they would probably start by pointing out some of the obvious reasons why it is ridiculous to think that power cables could possibly affect sound quality. And after you respond to that by insisting that you really hear a difference and are not prone to confirmation bias, that's when they'll start asking how much money you're willing to bet that you can tell different power cables apart in a proper, controlled test where the sound you hear is the only information available to you, by which you would be able to identify which power cord is being used. At some level you have to know that there is no possible way that you could hear the difference in power cords. Just because Fremer says you can doesn't make it okay for you (or anyone else) to say that you can. The power cords that are included in amplifiers and other audio equipment are generally over-engineered to begin with. The wire gauge that is used is significantly larger in diameter than there is any genuine need for it to be. In fact, a 10' power cord made from dirt-cheap 18-gauge lamp cord is perfectly adequate for virtually any amplifier, assuming it has the proper kind of plug at the amplifier end of course, and there is no possible way that you'd ever hear any difference.

 

[AdamG]

You will receive no increased performance from power cord upgrading, until……You upgrade the internal wiring in your walls all the way to the Main Breaker, and in some cases, to the Utility Pole itself.

 

[threni]

And before asking for proof, they would probably start by pointing out some of the obvious reasons why it is ridiculous to think that power cables could possibly affect sound quality. And after you respond to that by insisting that you really hear a difference and are not prone to confirmation bias, that's when they'll start asking how much money you're willing to bet that you can tell different power cables apart in a proper, controlled test where the sound you hear is the only information available to you, by which you would be able to identify which power cord is being used. At some level you have to know that there is no possible way that you could hear the difference in power cords. Just because Fremer says you can doesn't make it okay for you (or anyone else) to say that you can. The power cords that are included in amplifiers and other audio equipment are generally over-engineered to begin with. The wire gauge that is used is significantly larger in diameter than there is any genuine need for it to be. In fact, a 10' power cord made from dirt-cheap 18-gauge lamp cord is perfectly adequate for virtually any amplifier, assuming it has the proper kind of plug at the amplifier end of course, and there is no possible way that you'd ever hear any difference.

What to make of this comment by Rob Watts of Chord:
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/chords-rob-watts-on-power-cables.157754/

He might be responsible for some of the worlds ugliest DACs but they measure extremely well on this site; does he have a point? Is it just a case of the manufacturers cleaning up the mains before use?

 

[Veri]

What to make of this comment by Rob Watts of Chord:
https://pinkfishmedia.net/forum/threads/chords-rob-watts-on-power-cables.157754/

He might be responsible for some of the worlds ugliest DACs but they measure extremely well on this site; does he have a point? Is it just a case of the manufacturers cleaning up the mains before use?

He says there changing noise floor at "-200dB" is "audible". If he had any integrity he would not make such blatant lies. Simply ridiculous.

 

[Laserjock]

Sorry, mags never made a car faster. Dumber maybe.

Check your history.
https://magnesiumwheels.com/history.html

 

[threni]

He says there changing noise floor at "-200dB" is "audible". If he had any integrity he would not make such blatant lies. Simply ridiculous.

Sure. It's as if he can produce excellent DACs, at high prices, but which are not audibly better than cheap ones so he needs to tell a story about noise (offering for sale £800 RCA cables etc) to get people to splash out on them.

Whenever I read suspicious claims by a non-idiot I just wish there as a James Randi style million dollar challenge so that a competently handled blind test could be set up and recorded and stuck on YouTube. There might even be mileage in a Topping or Schiit (well, they're sort of on the fence about subjectivity vs objectivity) or other cheap manufacturer doing a "tell the difference and we'll give you the expensive one free" promotion!

 

[solderdude]

Rob Watts has things to sell and wants to exploit his guru status.
He also mentioned that a good RF filter (especially his super duper design) made the cable quality didn't matter.
Thereby claiming that differences in power cables are due to RF suppression.

 

[Pdxwayne]

Rob Watts has things to sell and wants to exploit his guru status.
He also mentioned that a good RF filter (especially his super duper design) made the cable quality didn't matter.
Thereby claiming that differences in power cables are due to RF suppression.

I am curious about interference coming in/out of cables....

My wife once borrowed an expensive meter from work that can measure certain fields including magnetic field. For fun, I measured magnetic field outside of many power cables and it was strong once the meter got very close or touched the wire.

Would all the mess of power cables, interconnect cables, speaker wires, antenna wire, etc, when overlapping each other and place close to other playback devices, cause any interference that potentially audible?

 

[mhardy6647]

Mags, hell, just WASHING it makes it faster don't you know?!

The automotive equivalent of scraping the barnacles off
(well, at least it is in Northern New England... especially in Mud Season)

 

[Boris Badinov]

Mags, hell, just WASHING it makes it faster don't you know?!

Mags, hell, just WAXING it makes it faster don't you know? Fixed it for you.

 

[mansr]

Mags, hell, just WAXING it makes it faster don't you know? Fixed it for you.

You should wash before you wax.