DIY Power Cable - Good or b/s?

[mtl777]

Hey guys, this DIY power cable caught my eye. Do you think it's good and worth doing or just one of those audiophool b/s that don't really make a difference in a blind test?

[defect9]

personally, after the power goes through the transformer and rectifiers, I don't think anything a cable would do to the sound would be audible anyway.

But, it is fun to be able to say "I made one of those (insert any specialty power cable) for 1/50th the price". Much like painting a car, it doesnt improve it in performance, but it can improve the looks.

[SY]

If I could actually hear a difference when changing the power cord, it would be a sure indication that I did something incompetent in the power supply or grounding. Fix that first.

[Inductor]

...now swears by the importance of a good mains cable inside a GOOD HiFi system.
And I mean, inside a GOOD HiFi system because if you think that a 10$ (or 1000$) shielded cable will turn your '80s HiFi rack into a thousand dollars HiFi system...well, you should have your head checked by a trained technician ;-)

You can check more here/link

[jrenkin]

Originally Posted by mtl777

Hey guys, this DIY power cable caught my eye. Do you think it's good and worth doing or just one of those audiophool b/s that don't really make a difference in a blind test?

I've tried making a bunch of different power cables. They are fun and easy, but i agree, they don't make a lot of difference.
Miles of utility cable to your house, 10's of feet of romex in your walls, and twisting or shielding a 3 ft stretch of power cable just prior to a transformer and a bunch of filtering is going to make an impact on the sound?
I am with Sy on this one.

That said, once I run the power through a conditioner (I use a simple MIT Z station, but you can get real fancy if you like), I like to use my own home made cables, because, well, because i like them.

Do they sound better? In back and forth testing (exhaustive and fueled by scotch), I can't tell a difference enough to to be beyond my own bias/placebo effect. But I still like that.

Why do i spend countless hours learning and planning an amp design, countless dollars buying supplies to build it when I could work 3 or 4 extra days in my office and make enough to buy a fancier amp than I am capable of making at this stage of my development?

So, my recipe for a power cable?
1. 3 x Heavy duty 14 -12 G braided wire braided together like the design you reference.
2. No shielding. Tried that, but braiding the three together is as good, so not necessary.
3. Then I string through a rubber hose and fill with microbearing ala the oddiophile videos.
4. trim nicely with Teflex (if I could source cotton I would use that).

Makes a nice heavy, thick cable that looks good, feels good and sounds at least as good as a heavy duty zip wire. Cool.

[mtl777]

Hey guys, thanks a lot! Based on your responses, I think this DIY power cable is gonna be a waste of time. Thanks for the heads up!

[sturmj]

I've tried that Beldin wire before, and it is very stiff. Almost pulled my preamp off the rack, trying to return to its natural shape. If you make something use something else!!

[SRMcGee]

Folks:

At the risk of being labelled a dupe or a fool, I have to say that my experience indicates that power cables do have an effect on the sound. I've tried generic 16 and 18 gauge power cables, Synergistic Research Master Couplers and Chris VenHaus Flavors 1, 2 & 3, and each cable sounds different to me. The big amps in my main stereo unquestionably sound better with one of the above, and the one power cord that makes both of my CD players sound anemic sounds terrific on my solid state preamp. The argument that after the miles of wire between a power station and a duplex receptacle, the last 6 feet to the IEC connector cannot possibly matter sounds intuitively correct, yet doesn't bear out in listening tests. Perhaps power cables work as filters, perhaps I'm just plain wrong or perhaps there is a psychoacoustic explanation -- I dunno, but before dismissing power cables as hype, I suggest you try it.

Regards,
Scott

[rdf]

Originally Posted by SRMcGee

The argument that after the miles of wire between a power station and a duplex receptacle, the last 6 feet to the IEC connector cannot possibly matter sounds intuitively correct...

Not really. The common ground/reference point for gear in most audio systems is the wall outlet behind the rack, not the power station. Unless the source selector was designed to switch hot and grounds every piece of equipment has two ground paths between them; the RCA cables and the power cords. That an incoherent objection is often used doesn't of course mean power cords must make a difference.

[kavermei]

rdf, I think what you say makes a lot of sense.

It would be interesting to build a cable with two switches in it: a phase reversal switch and a ground lift switch. And then see how much of the benefits can be reproduced by fiddling with those switches.

Kenneth