[stevecrone]

Hi all, new member. - live in Raleigh NC. Unable to search the site until fully approved. So, would like to purchase some power cables from Danny, but need help on setups. 

I have a small (10' x 12') dedicated music listening room which includes the following: Peachtree Nova 300 integrated Amp/DAC; Audiolab 6000 CDT with Mogami 3103 interconnect; JBL Studio 530 speakers on Isoacoustic stands with Mogami 3103 speaker cables; and a small 8" Orb Audio subwoofer.  I currently have the amp plugged directly into the wall socket and the other items plugged into an inexpensive power strip plugged into the other socket in the wall.  I am am very pleased with the current sound quality, but I'm the type of person that wants to make reasonably affordable upgrades to increase the likelihood that there is/are no bad/weak links that might be compromising what the SQ could be. What would your recommendations be for power cable(s) needed in this system. 

I also have a HT in a semi-designated HT space.  I am not as seriously concerned about SQ in this space, but just wondering if an upgraded power cord or two would be a good investment.  It's a decent system, but nothing fancy:  older model Samsung TV connected to AVR via Toslink providing only PCM signal from TV to AVR; Apple TV connected to the TV; Denon AVR 3806CI; Denon DVD 2910 CD player for CDs & SACD with Mogami 3103 interconnects; Samsung BluRay player connected to the TV; Wharfedale Diamond 11.4 speakers for F/L with Mogami 3103 speaker cables; Emotiva C2 center channel with Mogami 3103 speaker cable; and older Orb Audio sphere speakers for the sats, and a 8" Orb Audio subwoofer.  This system sounds fair enough, for what it is.  Would a power cable investment make much sense on this system?  Mainly use for movies and YouTube video music.

Thanks very much for any help!

Best,

Steve

[FullRangeMan]

I think you would DIY power cords if you have two hours free time.

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC Steve   

[mscetal]

My opinion is to try something with a 30 day trial period to see if it works for your system.  I can recommend power cables that I have used, but I can't honestly tell you if they will be a good solution for your set up.  That or talk to your local dealer about their recommendation, if you trust them.

[Phil A]

Welcome!

[Big Red Machine]

You have a couple of slick systems there.

My take is you would benefit more from a nice power conditioner on the stereo system more than the power cords. Then you can see the benefits of cord upgrades later.

[krustykat]

Hi Steve,
  Good clean power is the keystone to a great system. I'd agree with BRM that a power conditioner might be the first in line before cables.  If you are interested, I'm local to you (Apex) and always have a few extra power cords kicking around.  PM me and I can help you out trying some different power cords.

[whell]

Hi all, new member. - live in Raleigh NC. Unable to search the site until fully approved. So, would like to purchase some power cables from Danny, but need help on setups. 


Steve

Steve - some food for thought, from this article: https://www.realhd-audio.com/?p=7013

"And remember that the wire from the IEC connector inside the device to the power supply circuit board is normal 12-gauge stranded silver wire."    In other words, the AC power coming into the amp (or other device) from any expensive power cable and connected to the IEC connector on the back of the amp "... passes through $.50 worth of stranded 12-gauge wire."  Here's a picture of an example, also from the linked article:



So, if you want to upgrade AC cabling, that's fine.  There's no need, in my opinion, to go crazy buying expensive AC cables.  A well constructed AC cable will suffice in most cases.

[FullRangeMan]

Very well pictured audiophool case.

[JLM]

Power cords should be at the very fringe of audiophile upgrades.  Years ago bought a Volex brand power cord that were supposed to be killer for cheap.  If I imagined hard enough might have heard a difference.  99% chance your house/apartment is wired with hundreds of feet of 14 gauge wire, so why sweat the last 5 feet?  Why would any decent manufacturer sell gear with a "limiting" power cord anyway?  Better to plug everything into the same duplex receptacle on the odd chance the two receptacles in your room are on different circuits. 

Power conditioners only work if you suffer from power aberrations.  The causes of power aberrations are nasty/old internal wiring, old appliances, old factories on your substation, old/overworked substation/transmission lines, and the like.  Can you hear a difference late night?  After 40+ years at this have yet to find miracle tweak.  Quality absorption panels in problem rooms is the only exception.  Speaker cables can be too thin to handle bass, but that's an extreme case, otherwise don't worry about it.  Same with all other cabling.  Keep all cabling reasonably short.  Much snake oil in audio tweaks. 

Stick with good gear from reputable vendors.  Look for manufacturers who have long histories, deep R&D investments, and build as much of their stuff in-house as reasonably possible.  Except for the Orb "subwoofer" your systems seem decent. 

If you want to make affordable improvements look at the room.  10ft x 12ft is pretty small.  Try headphones.  Try moving loudspeakers/listening positions away from walls.  Remove closet doors to enlarge the room.  Replace door with insulated fiberglass door that can be stained/painted and has a weather seal.  Insulate interior partitions.  Stiffen up the floor if wooden. 

[Craig B]

I've heard lots of people make the statement that the wiring that carries the power all the way through the house to the wall receptacle is marginal at best, as can be the internal wiring in the hifi component itself, so why bother with something that's arguably better to fill the 2 or 3 foot gap between the receptacle and the component, and I always thought that made a certain amount of logical sense. After all, if the power delivery is already compromised, how can an intermediate run of "better" wire ever hope to improve it? But then I began thinking of cables not as something that might or might not improve the sound as much as something used to avoid the potential for further degradation of the sound, beyond what's occurring with the rest of the wire in the power path.

I don't want to get into the argument of whether cables matter or not. But I think it's perfectly safe to say that there are people who think power cables make no difference at all, and others who think that they do. And in the second of those two groups there's further division on issues of cost/efficacy. For those who think better power cables make no difference, there's no question at all about whether to utilize them. The answer is a resounding "no," and that's the end of discussion. For that group there's no point in debating the purpose of putting a more robust cable in an already compromised chain because it's considered a given that they make no difference anyway. For the second group, the one that think cables can make a difference, the issue is three-fold: 1) whether a given cable will make a difference in a given application, 2) is that difference an improvement or not, and 3) if it is an improvement, is it worth the cost.

Without necessarily siding with either group, let me offer this thought: if you are in the second group, and you think cables matter, or at least they have the potential to matter, then wouldn't it make sense to do what you can (within the limits of your abilities, budget, or both) to ensure that the least harm is done in getting the power where it needs to go? You have no control over the power delivery to your home, and you probably have/had no control over the power distribution in the home, and without a lot of tinkering inside your components, you're not likely to have control over its internal power delivery. But you can control what goes into that gap between the receptacle and the component. At that point (again, assuming you're in the second group), it becomes a matter of your personal priorities about sound and budget, not viewed with an eye toward improving the sound, but just to avoid further degradation, thereby giving your equipment the best chance you can for it to sound its best. It seems to me that viewed that way, a reasonable argument can be made for an upgraded power cord when all the other power wiring around you is marginal.

Just something to think about. 

[whell]

I agree, and didn't want to hi-jack a  thread to turn it into a cable debate.  But the OP's question about power cable improvements were ostensibly for an HT system with a nice Denon HT receiver at its core.  While it sounds like a pretty nice setup, but the OP asked this question in relation to upgrading AC cables:

This system sounds fair enough, for what it is.  Would a power cable investment make much sense on this system?  Mainly use for movies and YouTube video music.

Seems like upgraded power cables would offer little if any significant return on investment in this case.

[RDavidson]

Yeah. In my experience, A/V receivers don't seem to sonically benefit much from better power cables. But, there are some good, cost-effective, options out there to try. It doesn't hurt to experiment. The Signal Cable Magic Power cable comes to mind. It is a good, heavy gauge, power cable that is UL listed and CSA certified. It has achieved somewhat of a "standard" budget power cable upgrade status. If you get one, you can aways use it on future components as you swap things and/or upgrade too. If you decide to sell it later, you shouldn't have any troubles. It's really low risk to give it a try. I'm sure others here can make some recommendations that are in-line with what the OP might consider.

[charmerci]

This system sounds fair enough, for what it is.  Would a power cable investment make much sense on this system?  Mainly use for movies and YouTube video music.

Seems like upgraded power cables would offer little if any significant return on investment in this case.

+1


I would recommend a used SurgeX from a reliable source though for your sound system -as new ones are quite pricey.