Experimenting with power cables

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QuestForThe13thNote said:
Yes some work better than others, very much so. Trial and error.

Mains leads all work exactly the same unless they are faulty, inadequately rated or dangerous. Some are dangerous.
 
Based on my system then what would you advise? Or do I go out and blindly test any and every one there is. Or is my amp so humble it wouldn't make a difference? Totally ridiculous hypothesis. I'd be very interested to know how many you have tried and how much money you have parted with on this scattergun approach to some sort of sonic perfection.

QuestForThe13thNote said:
Yes some work better than others, very much so. Trial and error.
 
What are you using atm? I wouldn’t categorically tell you it wouldn’t make a difference for sure, that’s for you to try - if you want to.

I might hypothesise it won’t or take a view it won’t, and in your system I think it probably won’t make a massive difference. But you are using quality speaker wire not bellwire, right?

In richer Sounds they display a load of different types of speaker wires on a board, of different constructions and metals etc. They are not expensive. I’d try one of those, assuming you are really bothered to try.
 
Why won't it make a difference? And how much have you spent on this pursuit. I use Chord Sarsen speaker cable simply because it fits under the skirting boards and for no other reason. Never tried anything else and never will. And a standard 4 way power cord.
 
QuestForThe13thNote said:
What are you using atm? I wouldn’t categorically tell you it wouldn’t make a difference for sure, that’s for you to try - if you want to.

I might hypothesise it won’t or take a view it won’t, and in your system I think it probably won’t make a massive difference. But you are using quality speaker wire not bellwire, right?

In richer Sounds they display a load of different types of speaker wires on a board, of different constructions and metals etc. They are not expensive. I’d try one of those, assuming you are really bothered to try.

They won't make a difference in my system.

Richer Sounds or Harbeth who would you believe?
 
Because relatively speaking to much better hi Fi, I don’t think the resolving power of your system, how natural it sounds, dynamics etc, will be of sufficient quality for the differences cables can bring, to be discerned trying widely different cables. Chord is very good and I’d stick with it if I were you.

I’ve thrown different speaker cables at systems I owned of much lower quality than my current one, and I couldn’t hear anything at all. I used the stuff they sell in richer Sounds - Cambridge Audio cables.

The cables I use are pricey, not value, but it’s only really because I like the sound. But I’ve equally found going cheaper cables brings similar good benefits but not what I like, but there are no hard or fast rules. The point is not expense, do you get me? It maybe spending less than chord sarsen someone gets a better cable for their system, sounding better.
 
Have you tried Chord Sarsen, if not how do you know what difference they make or if they are good, bad or indifferent?. I didn't buy them on brand, bought them for aesthetic qualities only. If I followed this trial and error approach with mains conditioners I'd be homeless within months and my wife would have left me.

QuestForThe13thNote said:
Because relatively speaking to much better hi Fi, I don’t think the resolving power of your system, how natural it sounds, dynamics etc, will be of sufficient quality for the differences cables can bring, to be discerned trying widely different cables. Chord is very good and I’d stick with it if I were you.

I’ve thrown different speaker cables at systems I owned of much lower quality than my current one, and I couldn’t hear anything at all. I used the stuff they sell in richer Sounds - Cambridge Audio cables.

The cables I use are pricey, not value, but it’s only really because I like the sound. But I’ve equally found going cheaper cables brings similar benefits, there are no hard or fast rules. The point is not expense, do you get me? It maybe spending less than chord sarsen someone gets a better cable for their system.
 
You can buy a Tacima mains conditioner in richer sounds for £30. I doubt it would make you homeless. I didn’t do much in my system, it might in yours. You always try stuff first before buying anyway, so no making you skint.

I’ve been through the chord range from silver screen, clearway, epic, then epic reference.
 
I wish you all the best then. My view remains that achieving sonic perfection via a piece of wire is at best obsession and at worst nonesense. Marginal gains maybe but nothing more and to most of us inaudible
 
I just imagine mine sounds like a 100k system, rum really makes it sound smoother and sorts the power supply problems out*biggrin*
 
If I was an alien and had just landed on planet Earth from the planet Zob, and stumbled over this thread I'd naff off back into my space ship and find somewhere else to live. My conclusion would be that Earthlings are somewhat unhinged and have curious theories about small lengths of plastic with metal inside and obscure little boxes that seemingly make a miraculous difference to what we hear. Like the above post which mentions Rum as an additive to our sonic pleasure - who I am to argue - he may well be correct? As stated invest in music or dabble endlessly in the vain hope that one day your listening experience will be transformed into audio ecstasy as a result of a cable or mains "conditioner" whatever that does. The only conditioner I use is on my hair and thats the way it will stay thanks.
 
Besides, where we are going we don’t need wires. More bloody nonsense talked on this forum than The Flat Earth Society. Keep the faith chaps (which in this case means taking the piss)
 
I just can't understand you guys who can't help yourself from knocking someone who wants to play around with cables... it's their money, who cares, the OP is having a good time and let that be an end to it

I've experimented myself, came to my own conclusions and would never dare to question someone else's decision just because it wasn't in line with my findings.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 
Macspur said:
I just can't understand you guys who can't help yourself from knocking someone who wants to play around with cables... it's their money, who cares, the OP is having a good time and let that be an end to it

I've experimented myself, came to my own conclusions and would never dare to question someone else's decision just because it wasn't in line with my findings.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

Posting on a Hifi forum, to moan about peoples' cable beliefs, is like moving to an Amish Community and then moaning about their lack of modern trappings. *unknw*
 
CnoEvil said:
Macspur said:
I just can't understand you guys who can't help yourself from knocking someone who wants to play around with cables... it's their money, who cares, the OP is having a good time and let that be an end to it

I've experimented myself, came to my own conclusions and would never dare to question someone else's decision just because it wasn't in line with my findings.

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com

Posting on a Hifi forum, to moan about peoples' cable beliefs, is like moving to an Amish Community and then moaning about their lack of modern trappings. *unknw*

Lol! only you could have come up withat one Cno... brilliant!

Mac

www.realmusicnet.wordpress.com
 
jimmy1 said:
Id strip some wire out my spaceship and make a killing lol

You mean like the early Nordost Red Dawn and Blue Heaven ribbon cables that were reverse engineered from the ribbon cable in the computer systems in the Roswell spacecraft.

Not that hi-fi cables were a priority in this case, they were just a by-product of the work carried out on the computer system itself, a huge task of backwards engineering that led to the production of large scale integrated circuits and, most importantly, the Pentium processor.
 
At this point, I am not sure if Dave is taking the piss, or really has knowledge of spacecraft scrappage/recycling. It does make more sense to me than some of the mains cable debates on here. If you believe all you read, I’d expect the Roswell craft to have stolen earthling technology magic transformers.
 
I just dont think decent quality copper cables should cost hundreds of pounds, im not having a go at anyone on here just the crazy mark-up on things that must cost a few quid to manufacture
 

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