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AC Power Cable question

24.12.39.88
Posted on August 31, 2014 at 12:32:51
Beatlebum
Audiophile

Posts: 600
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 21, 2004
 So I've been experimenting with AC power cords in my system and when I changed from a shielded power cord to an unshielded power cord on my phonostage, I noted an increase in the surface noise from my turntable. Is there an explanation for this?

The unshielded cord rendered a much wider, open soundstage with better and more robust bass compared to the shielded cord, though I noticed maybe a touch less refinement.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

 

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RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on August 31, 2014 at 13:22:27
Winston Smith
Audiophile

Posts: 1014
Location: PNW (summers) and Southern AZ (winters)
Joined: December 2, 2006
 Shielding can be highly reductive, sucking out the life from music, with reduced air, extension, dynamics, etc. I have never found any shielded AC cables to sound better than unshielded, except in one application: where I spaced the shield off from the conductors more than 1" all the way around, using solid copper foil as the grounded shield and VERY fluffy cotton bandaging as the dielectric spacer (a purely DIY cable, BTW.) The damned thing was as big as a friggin' fire hose (bigger than 2" diameter!) It was on my source. But that was the only time.

If you go purely DIY, you can make the cable any way you like. And save money, too. With better sound. What's not to like?

No matter what you decide, good luck with your AC adventure and happy listening.

Cheers,

WS

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 1, 2014 at 10:53:10
SgreenP@MSN.com
Audiophile

Posts: 3537
Joined: April 23, 2007
 check out the one from MadScientist Audio.com....got great reviews

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 1, 2014 at 20:21:12
fantja
Audiophile

Posts: 15518
Location: Alabama
Joined: September 11, 2010
 Ultimately, it will come down to system synergy. Yes, you will continue to experiment until you reach your system's sonic match. Happy Listening!

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 2, 2014 at 15:25:19
Jack G
Audiophile

Posts: 9739
Joined: September 24, 1999
 I have both shielded and unshielded in my system. Some of my favorite pcs that have been in my system somewhere for the last 12 years or so have been unshielded. Unshielded tend to be more open and detailed sounding.
Jack

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 2, 2014 at 19:20:12
Chris K.
Audiophile

Posts: 400
Location: West Central Florida
Joined: August 15, 2001
 I generally concur with Jack's comments. I have both in my system and an unshielded sounds best on my phono pre, however on digital, I find a shielded pc works best, although I also have a Wireworld Electra 5.2 on my preamp and it is very quiet without restraining details.

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 3, 2014 at 09:41:33
Beatlebum
Audiophile

Posts: 600
Location: Midwest
Joined: June 21, 2004
 I concur that the unshielded sounds better in my system where I have it now.

I am curious as to the increase in the surface noise though? It's almost as if I have inserted much more sensitive speakers!

 

Unshielded, posted on September 7, 2014 at 06:27:40
Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004
 I use all unshielded cables including interconnects in my system . I definitely prefer the sound, better image and openness.



ET
ET

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 7, 2014 at 15:01:03
Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002
 A shield may provide a lowered noise floor at the expense of other listening cues. Not unlike other audiophile designs, it can be a sonic trade-off. However, in some cases the sonic benefit of noise rejection/suppression can be profound enough to choose, such as for digital and switching power supply applications. YMMV

 

RE: AC Power Cable question, posted on September 27, 2014 at 10:53:53
stehno
Manufacturer

Posts: 739
Location: Oregon
Joined: November 8, 2001
 You don't mention whether or not the cables are otherwise identical (besides the shielded vs unshielded)

Nevertheless, I suspect your sheilded power cable is inducing more dnoise into the already noisy AC. Hence, the unshielded cable in this case is persaps more revealing. But if the cables are not otherwise identical, you really have no clue why one seems more revealing than the other.

The problem with any product that seems more detailed or more revealing is that since your system may reveal more of the music with a given product, since a playback system does not discriminate between music info and distortion, it also would reveal more distortions.

Of course, one must have a discerning ear to appreciate what a more revealing product does. Without such discernment, one might think your shielded cable is more refined and more musical simply because they'd prefer less detail and potentially less distortion.

A more common gripe is this or that product is "too detailed". If you think about it, there is no such thing as too detailed or 101%-plus detail. Rut rather than nurture the improved detail they treat it as evil and remove the product and go back to the less detailed one.

More detail should never be considered evil or discard. Rather, more detail must be nurtured. By nurturing, I mean that if your system is now more revealing but in addition to greater levels of musicality, you are now hearing some new potentially fatiguing distortion, it's time to start evaulating other aspects of distortions that you've yet to address.

Every last system is loaded with numerous bottlenecks (types of distortions) and if/when you minimize the negative effects of one bottleneck, you expose other bottlenecks perhaps previously unknown.

If one don't care to pursue greater levels of musicality, then simply remove the more revealing product, call it too detailed, and be done with it.

 

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