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Cable Demo Trickery?

Posted by Jeff Starr (A) on April 23, 2016 at 11:28:46

There has been two days of newsletters from Dr AIX on Nordost using suspect means of demonstrating their power cords.
If true, it gives all cable companies a black eye.

And if you read the posts from Mark's fans, they are all pretty much anti cable. I wrote a reply, don't know if he will post it. Below is what I wrote. Maybe not elegantly stated, but I felt my experiences needed to be shared. Below is my post.
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While I don't think really expensive power cords are necessary, power cords can have an effect on sound. It may be the design, or gauge, or noise on the line, I can't answer that. Instead of looking at it as the last three feet, consider it the first three feet. I would hope you agree that having your system on a dedicated breaker, running something like 10 or 12 gauge from the box, using a quality outlet will give you cleaner power.

I personally have never been too concerned about power cords, years ago, I built some diy cables and recently bought some Pangea cords from Audio Advisor.

Ok, I have been having some problems with the transformer in my amp, audibly buzzing. I could hear it from my listening chair. I replaced a power cable with one that had a tighter fit. The buzz is intermittent. Well, it came back, and I inserted the cable that came with the amp. Sounded fine. Problem came back and I put in a diy cable. Now I have had no expectations of any change in sound. But to my surprise, bass became muddy and the high end was suppressed. I went to another diy cord, just a run of 14 gauge with a P&S plug and a Marinco IEC, sound was back to being balanced.

Now, I'm not saying you need to spend big dollars on a power cord, what I am saying is they can and do have an effect on sound. For those with highly resolving systems, go build some simple cords, using different wire and geometry of the wiring, consider shielded or not shielded.

I do believe that power cords should be the last step in optimizing your cables. I also believe that every detail matters in a high end system. It is a shame that some companies feel the need to use trickery to prove a point. It gives all cable companies a bad name. I say trust your ears, buy from a dealer or company that will allow returns, and listen. Do it in your own system, use your own reference material. A little common sense, and an open mind is needed to decide whether better/different cables are a value in your system. Not everything can be measured, or can specs always determine sound quality. I believed that in the '70s, when I bought Crown gear based on specs. That system sounded terrible compared to what I have assembled, based on adding listening to the equation. Yes specs matter, but they are only one part of the equation, to enjoyable high end sound.

For those who can afford it, a power re-generator, like PS Audio sells, can take all those miles of crappy wire out of the equation.

Mark, I do agree with you advocating for better recordings, and true high resolution, but the thing is a lot of great music is out there, and as a music lover, I choose to listen to those recordings, even if they don't sound as good as your limited catalog. If you put together a system that only is enjoyable with a few dozen LPs/CDs/files, then you need to work on that system.

• Dr AIX on Nordost at Axpona   (Open in New Window)

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