Power Cable Proof

[BobM]

My gut reaction is that it's less about the cable and more about how the power supply in each piece of equipment is implemented. Sure, there is a lot of commonality there, but better units have beefier power supplies, with added chokes and capacitance and filtering and trannies and such. There are also many different configurations.

Anyway, my contention is that some power cords react well to certain styles of power supplies, and perhaps not quite as well with others as some other combination of inductance, capacitance, gauge, etc. might. Soooo... I'm not so certain there is just ONE optimal configuration that works everywhere, hence the reason you have to try cords for yourself and see what works for your equipment (not to mention your particular taste in how things should sound).

[Carlman]

Because beyond reducing capacitance for ICs and inductance for SCs it's hard to understand exactly how materials and geometry have the affects they do. The cable makers are mostly guessing and using trial and error in the "hifi" market. If we can correlate measurements with auditory perception we could understand how to build good sounding cables without super high price tags. I do not believe high prices necessarily have any correlation with value in the cable market. Beyond using expensive high purity metals and basic transmission line engineering principles it is all trail and error. For example, two cables with the same LCR specs might have significantly different materials and/or construction and sound very different from one another with no explanation from measurements.

In the beginning of this hobby, I drove myself crazy doing just that, trying to make a scientific correlation of why something sounds better.  

I spent a lot of money and time getting frustrated... And eventually found myself just trying to be satisfied... It took time because I didn't want to 'give up' on something I'd spent so much time on... but I had to give up on the very thing that distracted me from enjoying the music.... After I made that change, I started discovering music.

I think it's interesting how many designers really are stabbing in the dark and we (audiophile market) view them as some sort of experts... but they're basically us, with a job doing our hobby with a business budget... and a boss.

[DaveC]

Yes, I do not have the time or money to pursue cables beyond some basic trial and error, and I get tired of it pretty quick. I totally agree that cable manufacturers are also using the WAG (wild-assed guess) design method, then coming up with reasons their WAG is the best way to make a cable.

[rollo]

   My issue with power cords is the break in time required. To date I have yet to meet a PC that took less than 300 hours to stop changing. Most over 400 hours.
  I believe because of that most do not allow enough time. Heck with TWL cords almost gave up at 300 hours. Just got in the PIAudio Mongo PC for evaluation. Out of the box not bad however after 100 hours bright, hard and frankly hard to listen to.
  Now with about 250 hours it is beginning to settle in, but still changing. I believe that every cable company should break in the cables before sales. Especially the mega buck designs.
   While demonstrating at DC Audiofest we used JPS Labs ICs. A mistake as they were not fully broken in. The system sounded a bit sibilant at times. Wasn't horrible but not its best. I know the result of broken in SC-3 ICs and what we heard was not representative of the cable at its best.
  When the broken in Gronenbergs were used a whole different ball game. Actually sold some pieces that day. Go figure.
  From that day forward we will NOT sell any cable without 400 hours on the Pro Cable Cooker, period.


charles
 

[sleepyguy24]

^--- I hear you about the power cable break-in. To me it can be a bit of a pain in the butt. The easiest to me is interconnect break in. The way I did it was cheap FM tuner set on shuffle for 2 to 3 weeks 24 hours a day.

This will probably make you guys laugh but this is what I've done to break-in power cable.

I've used the following adapter on my various power cords and used them as extension cords.

http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6628



Since I have an electrical hedge trimmer that consumes over 200 watts I used 2 power cords along with extension cord that I wanted to use as speaker cable to trim the hedges one weekend.

I've used some power cords as extension cords for when I have to vacuum or iron. I've even used the washing machine to break-in certain power cords and even an isolation transformer.

Next time when I get bigger dollar power cords I'm going to have rollo do the burn-in for me. Whenever my wife sees me want to vacuum she begins to wonder if I've bought yet another power cord.

[rollo]

^--- I hear you about the power cable break-in. To me it can be a bit of a pain in the butt. The easiest to me is interconnect break in. The way I did it was cheap FM tuner set on shuffle for 2 to 3 weeks 24 hours a day.

This will probably make you guys laugh but this is what I've done to break-in power cable.

I've used the following adapter on my various power cords and used them as extension cords.

http://www.stayonline.com/detail.aspx?id=6628



Since I have an electrical hedge trimmer that consumes over 200 watts I used 2 power cords along with extension cord that I wanted to use as speaker cable to trim the hedges one weekend.

I've used some power cords as extension cords for when I have to vacuum or iron. I've even used the washing machine to break-in certain power cords and even an isolation transformer.

Next time when I get bigger dollar power cords I'm going to have rollo do the burn-in for me. Whenever my wife sees me want to vacuum she begins to wonder if I've bought yet another power cord.

  IMO a very affective way to break in cables.  No laughing from me. The Refrigerator is another good place to break in cables. Just takes about 19 days 24/7 for about 500 hours. Most cords require just over 350 hours. The TWL 7+ for example takes a tad longer. Somewhere between 400 and 500 hours before it stops changing.
   The Cooker requires less time to equal the conventional way by some two weeks. Four to five days for heavy Ga, cords. Then about 3 days to settle in system.
  Tip of the day, after break in do NOT move the cabling. Any cabling. Once the dielectric settles in place and then moved it will take about three days again to be its best.


charles
 

[Werd]

Hair dryers work too and you get about 10 amps at full heat. They are also good at burning in outlets on a conditioner or wall. Don't need an adaptor either.