Power Cords- Does length matter?

RE: Power Cords- Does length matter?, posted on May 11, 2016 at 06:19:41
krankkall Audiophile Posts: 296 Location: New Mexico Joined: April 5, 2014	All my homebrew amplifiers are built with salvaged 3 prong power cords of all different gauges and lengths. NEVER had a problem with too long or too short. Steve

Surely you jest!, posted on May 11, 2016 at 10:05:21

Awe-d-o-file
Dealer

Posts: 21037
Location: 50 miles west of DC
Joined: January 10, 2004

OK my mind is out of the gutter now. Not often I can make size matters puns twice in one day in different posts in different forums is surely a once in a lifetime deal.

But to the actual topic I have a favorite power cord and I have four of them. All are six feet except one which is only eighteen inches that is connected to my HF amp in a biamp. Works fine.

ET
ET

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

RE: Power Cords- Does length matter?, posted on May 11, 2016 at 10:11:52
axolotl Audiophile Posts: 3955 Location: So. California Joined: September 10, 2002	In the case of a truly thick-diameter power cord, like the Pangea, the 0.6 meter length is problematic. Such a thick cord can re-position itself and disconnect your component. axolotl

RE: Power Cords- Does length matter?, posted on May 11, 2016 at 11:21:37
Awe-d-o-file Dealer Posts: 21037 Location: 50 miles west of DC Joined: January 10, 2004	15A IEC cords do that which is why I am on the bandwagon for 20A IEC. They never come unplugged. A lot more surface contact area too. Not much more $. ET ET "If at first you don't succeed, keep on sucking till you do suck seed" - Curly Howard 1936

RE: Power Cords- Does length matter?, posted on May 11, 2016 at 12:13:48

Duster
Manufacturer

Posts: 17117
Location: Pacific Northwest
Joined: August 25, 2002

The mechanical aspect is more of an issue for a very short length power cord, rather than electrical. Unless a particular power cable is designed in a manner that requires a minimum length in order for a design feature such as filtering to function properly, keeping the length of power cords short enough to be tidy, but long enough to reach most components within a system is a good policy, IME.

Deciding on the length of power cords purely from a pragmatic POV is a good thing, since you never know when a system configuration might change. For that reason, I never build a power cord shorter than 5 feet except for AC umbilical cords placed within a power line distributor/conditioner array, however no shorter than 2 feet. YMMV

"Elizabeth" really preferred long (4 meters) Pangea power cords.., posted on May 12, 2016 at 13:44:57

Smelly_Socks

So the person formerly known as "Elizabeth" who used to post here.. Liked Pangea power cords to be the longest she could buy. 4 meters long.
I know she also had the narrower gauge Pangea a abnormally long lengths.

She said they were better longer.
Plus really short ones could not be bent/twisted enough without permanent stress on the plug ends.

I have pretty good memory of everything "Elizabeth" wrote.. I cannot explain why...
And I can say she bought her fill of power cords, and now is satisfied with the ones she has. No new lust for power cords in her future.

If it won't reach it matters NT, posted on May 12, 2016 at 21:32:20
jnr Reviewer Posts: 2164 Location: San Francisco Bay Area Joined: April 5, 2000	. theaudiobeatnik.com

RE: "Elizabeth" really preferred long (4 meters) Pangea power cords.., posted on May 13, 2016 at 17:22:55
sherod Audiophile Posts: 4842 Location: Texas Joined: August 3, 2003	I think she still lusts for the designer/owner of Pangea cords. ;o)

RE: "Elizabeth" really preferred long (4 meters) Pangea power cords.., posted on May 14, 2016 at 11:22:30
pc123v Audiophile Posts: 225 Joined: February 6, 2014	I miss Elizabeth. Really enjoyed her posts.

She posted the problem was posting under a 'female' moniker.. She may be around, hiding in plain sight..., posted on May 14, 2016 at 11:46:24

Smelly_Socks

Some of the posts about it were mainly saying any woman should choose to hide being female.
The problem in her perspective was a few other members seem to think any female is a target.
After she quit using "Elizabeth" she used a new gender neutral moniker "Nuit" which was outed publicly as being her, and she quit again.
The interesting thing was, while using 'Nuit" .. Still writing the same kind of posts, far fewer responses, and no hassles. At least until she was outed.
Which in her mind, and probably a few other women here, proved the point that openly being labelled female was a bad thing, totally interfering with any actual audio discussion.
If you notice Sue Kraft also 'vanished' and now posts under a non gender moniker.
And note: now no women at all post as gender identified members.
It may be sad, but it is better for them, and everyone if it moves the audio discussion along, instead of the gender war.

Here's your chance to be a hero!, posted on May 15, 2016 at 09:50:00
Mike K Audiophile Posts: 13976 Location: 97701 Joined: September 23, 1999	You could construct identical power cords in different lengths and run some tests and report back to us on what you hear. Don't forget, results for different types of components might be different. Lack of skill dictates economy of style. - Joey Ramone

RE: Power Cords- Does length matter?, posted on May 15, 2016 at 20:26:42
fantja Audiophile Posts: 15524 Location: Alabama Joined: September 11, 2010	Nothing shorter than 5/6 feet.

Why are you not using a "gender identified" name? Trying to hide?, posted on May 16, 2016 at 07:22:27
4everyoung	I thought you were a woman with bad feet.

No, I an a alien hiding out since 1877... in plain sight. Lucky for me I can morph into looking like you types, posted on May 17, 2016 at 08:24:52

Smelly_Socks

Keeping the bulk of my body in a spare dimension, it is pretty easy to fool you sort into accepting me as a fellow human. The closest 'family' in terms of genetics here for my sort is your cuttlefish.. Think of the camouflage skill of a 2,000 lb biped air breathing cuttlefish with a brain ten times the size of yours.. Who can 'see' in six dimensions...

I could have gone back home, but decided to stay so I can write up a paper on the destruction of the Human Race.. Which, by the way, is gonna befall you all pretty soon.
On my planet I am still in your 'high school'. Even though I am 208 years old.. In your years.. I am really still a 'teenager' in mine.

PS To the moderators: if this is way to far off 'cables' topic, feel free to delete it. It is just a stupid response to a stupid other non-topic question posted to my also non topic post. Eventually, instead of cables we can be discussing granola.. maybe.

RE: She posted the problem was posting under a 'female' moniker.. She may be around, hiding in plain sight..., posted on June 3, 2016 at 00:12:03
pictureguy Audiophile Posts: 22597 Location: SoCal Joined: October 19, 2008	I think it says more about how screwed up PEOPLE are. Imagine that! Gender Specific AUDO as a hobby? Kooky. I, too, enjoyed posts by Elizabeth. Too much is never enough

Cable Asylum

Power Cords- Does length matter?

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