We seem to be getting conflicting reports on that. One report was that only a Mytek DAC was affected, but no other equipment. Can you provide more details regarding your experience?
They sound different when I have swappex them around (different is not always desirable or good). I agree that digital equipment shows it more.
Its hard to cut open those things, I gave up once. The one I have that is see through it doesnt look too impressive. The compression offered by the screw style of built cords probably offers more compression, and for sure more contact area. But in general it seems harder to believe these would be the differences responsible for the sound. The shape is actually more desirable. So maybe its just the plastic type? Or conductor material?
Its hard to cut open those things, I gave up once. The one I have that is see through it doesnt look too impressive. The compression offered by the screw style of built cords probably offers more compression, and for sure more contact area. But in general it seems harder to believe these would be the differences responsible for the sound. The shape is actually more desirable. So maybe its just the plastic type? Or conductor material?
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I would note that one person thinks is compression, may not be anything of the sort.
For example my devices that go in the breaker panel came across as causing compression for one guy. The reality is they actually increase dynamics but for people that cannot hear hashness or have weak high frequencies so that harsh ones come across more prominate it seems like a reduction in dynamics.... some people literally don't hear what is fatiguing to the rest of us.
So Ive become more cautious on people's thoughts on "dynamics". Hardly anyone describes stuff the same or with any accurach if they haven't played a lot with electronics to figurecout sound differences in relation to changes.
For example my devices that go in the breaker panel came across as causing compression for one guy. The reality is they actually increase dynamics but for people that cannot hear hashness or have weak high frequencies so that harsh ones come across more prominate it seems like a reduction in dynamics.... some people literally don't hear what is fatiguing to the rest of us.
So Ive become more cautious on people's thoughts on "dynamics". Hardly anyone describes stuff the same or with any accurach if they haven't played a lot with electronics to figurecout sound differences in relation to changes.
Some audio equipment does have more sensitivity to line cords. I found that my STAX unit certainly does. I really don't know why, but I do suspect that the clarity of the headphone system is making it more important than usual. I can also hear the Alps dual pot (the larger size) at the input can be detected as well, so I don't use it. It can be frustrating.
One thing I have consistently found with cables is their ability to radiate signal fields a far distance. Low Z and high current are especially prone to causing trouble. That is ac power and loudspeaker cables. And they interact with low elevl cable signals. Or they can depending on cable field and current and proxy to low level cables. Does the high current cable used consist of twisted wires? Or quad star config? How close is it to other cables?
THx-RNMarsh
THx-RNMarsh
If your design is sensitive to line cords then you've failed at power supply design.
Why is it that circuit analysis works for designing the circuit, but has to go out the window when you consider the magnitude of impact the power cable can make?
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Well, this goes back to the product design. The power supply can be designed to conduct less garbage out onto that cable and the chassis can be designed to increase immunity to radiated emissions.
I still maintain if your product truly, demonstrably sounds different with different power cables then the design is broken.
If your CTS-V ran such aggressive timing that it knocked with SOME 91 octane (California no 93 AKI
) gasoline brands but not all, I would consider that design flawed.
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I find it telling that none of the proponents seems interested to actually find out the cause of these alleged audible mains cable differences. I see bragging about 1GHz scopes and state of the art FFT analyzers, but the end its always '... I really don't know why'.
Are you guys not interested? I mean, even a simple resistor is measured and tested and quartered any which way to find distortion, noise, voltage coefficient etc etc. Why not apply your considerable expertise and creativity to finally get the lowdown on mains cables?
Or did you already investigate and found the emperor naked?
The evidence so far suggests it is a nice story at best and a scam at worst.
Jan
Are you guys not interested? I mean, even a simple resistor is measured and tested and quartered any which way to find distortion, noise, voltage coefficient etc etc. Why not apply your considerable expertise and creativity to finally get the lowdown on mains cables?
Or did you already investigate and found the emperor naked?
The evidence so far suggests it is a nice story at best and a scam at worst.
Jan
I have been told some of these wire design secrets over the decades. Each individual designer usually has a different approach based on what that designer finds most important.
For example, Vandenhul tends to be worried first about material purity, and then conductive material. He shared with me some exotic custom cable samples over 30 years ago. He has also made some measurements that are quite exciting, but nobody seems to believe him, even though he went into significant detail with me about his measurements decades ago. I think that he got discouraged early in trying to show engineers anything, and now just goes for what his wires, etc, sound like.
Bruce Brisson (sp) seemed to go for wire geometry, almost ignoring wire purity, go figure! Now, he seems to go for optimum group delay.
Who is to say who knows better? However, if I and my associates hear differences, then I go with what I hear. I have been doing this for over 50 years, rather successfully, so I will go with what I hear, even if I don't completely know why one is better than another.
I realize that some here cannot go along with what they cannot pin down without a measurement, but I can. Whatever works is my motto! '-)
For example, Vandenhul tends to be worried first about material purity, and then conductive material. He shared with me some exotic custom cable samples over 30 years ago. He has also made some measurements that are quite exciting, but nobody seems to believe him, even though he went into significant detail with me about his measurements decades ago. I think that he got discouraged early in trying to show engineers anything, and now just goes for what his wires, etc, sound like.
Bruce Brisson (sp) seemed to go for wire geometry, almost ignoring wire purity, go figure! Now, he seems to go for optimum group delay.
Who is to say who knows better? However, if I and my associates hear differences, then I go with what I hear. I have been doing this for over 50 years, rather successfully, so I will go with what I hear, even if I don't completely know why one is better than another.
I realize that some here cannot go along with what they cannot pin down without a measurement, but I can. Whatever works is my motto! '-)
Its not that simple. First don't forget that qualities that reduce noise are not always compatible with current requirements, and don't always work subjectively. Also there is no + / - to this, as noise only divides so there are no brickwalls. Parasitics while possible to deal with many, are sneaky.
Now how should I design a PSU to counter all noise? Hm well I guess I would model all the appliances, chargers, etc, on my AC system, and all my neighbors on the transformer to know what Im dealing with, dynamically, evolving, changing....
I've seen engineers claim the PSU caps are all the filtration necessary... oh, so funny. But its coming from those that mantra "adequet".
BTW, I have seen mistakes in JC's designs, depending on how you quantify them. Also I don't know why you like low leakage transformers specifically... I prefer some since it acts against HF noise, dual bobbin transformers and such.
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