Is a heavy guage power cord helpful?

[zappafreak]

If You Have 14 Ga. Romex In The Wall Why Would A Thicker Ga. Power Cord Be Good?
Zf

[mtrycraft]

If You Have 14 Ga. Romex In The Wall Why Would A Thicker Ga. Power Cord Be Good?
Zf

Good question That doesn't stop an audiophile. They just make up reasons, any one will do

[zappafreak]

I Intended To Ask This Question In Regards To An Amplifier Pwr. Cord.
For Example... Along With My Ps Audio Hca-2 Pwr. Amp. I Received A Free 8 Ga. Cord And The Stock 14 Ga. Cord.
I Tried Both, And The Fatter One Won.
Is There A Scientific Reason For This Or As You Infered... I Just Wanted To Belive?
Zf,

[Beckman]

I Intended To Ask This Question In Regards To An Amplifier Pwr. Cord.
For Example... Along With My Ps Audio Hca-2 Pwr. Amp. I Received A Free 8 Ga. Cord And The Stock 14 Ga. Cord.
I Tried Both, And The Fatter One Won.
Is There A Scientific Reason For This Or As You Infered... I Just Wanted To Belive?
Zf,

First off everything I say is my opinion based on my experiance and knowledge.

Electricity is produced at power plants by synchronous generators powered by steam(usually). Next it is jacked up to a very high voltage (on the order of 30 kV depending on where you live. It travels many miles and is periodicly stepped up by autotransformers(voltage regulators) as the voltage drops due to losses from the transmission line resistance. It is stepped down several times until it has a line to line voltage of 220 Vrms. A 120 Vrms outlet in your house is line to neutral voltage. Keep in mind your wall outlet is connected to a power plant. Through all the voltage regulators, auto boosters. transformers, switching capacitor banks(reduce power factor), etc. These things can add harmonics. A perfect sinusoidal wave has only one harmonic. Harmonics refers to disortions in the wave. The voltage from your outlet can very a great deal 115V to 120 V usualy.

Now here is the kicker. With all the thousands of miles of copper and aluminum electricity has to travel through to get to your stereo a one meter power cable is suppose to make it sound better? I don't think it does. As long as the power cable you are using fits snuggle into the wall outlet and into the back of your amp and has the proper current rating it will work fine. As for harmonics, all an amp does is convert a AC to DC used to bias transistors anyway. Voltage regulators, auto boosters and other things that might cause harmonics are designed to switch in such a fashion that the harmonics are at much higher frequencies so they can be easly filtered out. Amp designers know from the undergraduate power classes they took in college that there are voltage fluctuations and harmonics and take this into account when designing their power supplies. The design of the power supply in the amp is what is important.

As for the 8 gauge cord at least you didn't pay for it

[mtrycraft]

I Intended To Ask This Question In Regards To An Amplifier Pwr. Cord.
For Example... Along With My Ps Audio Hca-2 Pwr. Amp. I Received A Free 8 Ga. Cord And The Stock 14 Ga. Cord.
I Tried Both, And The Fatter One Won.
Is There A Scientific Reason For This Or As You Infered... I Just Wanted To Belive?
Zf,

14 ga should be more than enough to handle most amp loading. It is safe for 15 A and rated for 20 For safe operations. All depends on the insulation type, not the wire ga, especially for short runs. So, that 14 ga should handle 1800 watts easy.

As was stated, if it is free, use what makes you happy. As to audible differences, hogwash. But, a credible DBT will convince me otherwise, or measurements at the amp output.

[okiemax]

I Intended To Ask This Question In Regards To An Amplifier Pwr. Cord.
For Example... Along With My Ps Audio Hca-2 Pwr. Amp. I Received A Free 8 Ga. Cord And The Stock 14 Ga. Cord.
I Tried Both, And The Fatter One Won.
Is There A Scientific Reason For This Or As You Infered... I Just Wanted To Belive?
Zf,

You either heard or imagined an improvement. Of these two possibilities, the more fortunate would be the second, as it would mean you have the power to enhance or even create pleasurable sensory experiences. All you have to do is just want to believe. If you aren't that lucky, however, you may have to settle for the first possibility.

[skeptic]

If you replaced your garden hose with an adaptor and a fire hose do you think water would come out of it any faster?

If the pipe between the valve under your kitchen sink and the faucet were replaced with a four inch pipe do you think the water would come out of the faucet any faster?

Of all the arguements about cables, the one about power cables is the dumbest and the DIY poses the greatest danger to people who don't know what they are doing.

[E-Stat]

If you replaced your garden hose with an adaptor and a fire hose do you think water would come out of it any faster?

On an instantaneous burst basis as through a pistol nozzle, yes. Burst pressures can be four times that of average faucet pressure. That is why even the lowest quality garden hose is rated for 200 psi. As for continuous duty, no.

rw

[skeptic]

Pressure is driven at the other end by the city or your well pump, not the nozzle end. A 4 inch fire hose at the end of a hundred feet of 3/4 inch copper pipe will not improve the flow rate. Same with a faucet. (BTW, pressure is analogous to voltage, flow rate is analogous to current.)

[E-Stat]

(BTW, pressure is analogous to voltage, flow rate is analogous to current.)

Indeed. I would expect little benefit from the poster's digital switching amp that draws relatively little current. Naturally, one would need to analyze other devices on the circuit if it were not dedicated. With my system, however, I can see a VOM monitoring the line instantaneously "wince" by a volt or two on it's dedicated circuit when my monoblocks are running full tilt at 20 amps playing something like Stravinsky.

rw

[mtrycraft]

Check out this link

http://www.swfm.com/audiofederation/...2002/index.htm

[mtrycraft]

With my system, however, I can see a VOM monitoring the line instantaneously "wince" by a volt or two on it's dedicated circuit when my monoblocks are running full tilt at 20 amps playing something like Stravinsky.
rw

WOW, that much? Maybe you should check and make sure you have good supply caps in the amp to take care of that sag, or get better amps that can.

[F1]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but there should be a fuse inside the amplifier and electric current has to pass safety fuse before power supply. If you look at inside the fuse there's only tiny string of wire corresponding to the max ampere it can take. So there is no point of adding heavier power cable if ended up limited by the fuse.

[E-Stat]

WOW, that much? Maybe you should check and make sure you have good supply caps in the amp to take care of that sag, or get better amps that can.

VTL 450s have something over 300 joules of power supply. I would happily get a pair of Siegfrieds if the budget allowed.

rw

[skeptic]

I do not trust these measurements. Even the slightest change to the room or the position and orientation of the microphone can result in radically different SPL measurements from one trial to the next. I would prefer to see purely electrical measurements made on a test bench. If acoustical measurements were to mean anything at all, they should be made under controlled test conditions in an anechoic chamber using a calibrated microphone. The use of this type of test introduces many unnecessary variables about which we know absolutely nothing. The reviewer also noted that the performance changed as the amplifier warmed up. The method of the test was obviously completely uncontrolled and therefore seriously flawed. There was absolutely no discussion of the test procedure or steps to assure that the comparisons have any validity whatsoever.

[mtrycraft]

I do not trust these measurements. Even the slightest change to the room or the position and orientation of the microphone can result in radically different SPL measurements from one trial to the next. I would prefer to see purely electrical measurements made on a test bench. If acoustical measurements were to mean anything at all, they should be made under controlled test conditions in an anechoic chamber using a calibrated microphone. The use of this type of test introduces many unnecessary variables about which we know absolutely nothing. The reviewer also noted that the performance changed as the amplifier warmed up. The method of the test was obviously completely uncontrolled and therefore seriously flawed. There was absolutely no discussion of the test procedure or steps to assure that the comparisons have any validity whatsoever.

Me neither Not much information to accompany it, how it was done, what levels etc.

[E-Stat]

Me neither Not much information to accompany it, how it was done, what levels etc.

Gee that's funny. You mean like all the DBT references you gave me ? (save the Tag McLaren one of course that does not support your viewpoint)

rw

[bturk667]

I Intended To Ask This Question In Regards To An Amplifier Pwr. Cord.
For Example... Along With My Ps Audio Hca-2 Pwr. Amp. I Received A Free 8 Ga. Cord And The Stock 14 Ga. Cord.
I Tried Both, And The Fatter One Won.
Is There A Scientific Reason For This Or As You Infered... I Just Wanted To Belive?
Zf,

1. Did you expect to hear a difference?
2. If so, what difference did you expect to hear and why?
3. Was the difference that you heard the one you expected?
4. Is the difference for the better?
5. Are you happy?

Lastly, always let your ears decide for you!!!

[RGA]

From Bryston

"A/C POWER CABLES
When you plug your power cord into the wall outlet you are in 'SERIES' with all the wire on the other side of the wall all the way back to the power source. The small length of power cord from the wall to the amp is insignificant compared to the miles of wire it is connected to. As long as the power cord can deliver the current and voltage required to drive the amplifier to full power it is as good as it can get."

http://www.bryston.ca/cablememo.html

[okiemax]

The subject of Bryston and power cords has been discussed at length over at AudioAslyum on the Cable and Prop Head Forums. Almost everyone who has reported trying an aftermarket cord on their Bryston amp has heard no improvment, but some of the same people have heard improvements on equipment made by other manufacturers. If you read all Bryston has to say on the matter (see their Newsletters), it looks like they are allowing for the possibility an aftermarket cord might improve the performance of a non-Bryston product.

I wonder about Bryston's "miles of wire" explanation. Isn't the power entering the amp a little different than what left the power plant? Oh well, at least the writer didn't go all the way back to the coal mine.

[mtrycraft]

Gee that's funny. You mean like all the DBT references you gave me ? (save the Tag McLaren one of course that does not support your viewpoint)

rw

Actually, they all support my view. You just cannot understand it. Over your head.

[E-Stat]

Actually, they all support my view.

Really? Let's test your reading comprehension skills. This ought to be fun.

What is the selling price of the two cable contestants in the test?

rw

[mtrycraft]

Really? Let's test your reading comprehension skills. This ought to be fun.

What is the selling price of the two cable contestants in the test?

rw

Irrelevant.

[E-Stat]

Irrelevant.

Interesting response from someone with the Dollar store cable mentality. A test that concludes that there are no audible differences between two cables each costing in the hundreds of dollars is a diffferent story than comparing any one of those to your preference.

I believe there are many fine cables in the $200-$300 range that are roughly equivalent and audibly better than the cheapo stuff.

rw

[Beckman]

I wonder about Bryston's "miles of wire" explanation. Isn't the power entering the amp a little different than what left the power plant? Oh well, at least the writer didn't go all the way back to the coal mine.

The power is the same, it is the voltages that are different. In fact a major part of power grid design involves voltage regulation. Making sure power factors and voltage levels are exceptable. You don't want the voltage level coming out of the wall to drop to 110 Vrms on Monday morning when the newspaper nextdoor turns on their presses.