Do Audiophile Power Cables Make A Difference?

[@Dawizbuffy]

Powercords , Usb cables, intercons, power conditioner etc can have a positiv impact on the audio quality. I trust my ears, if something contributes a positv it stays.

[@Level10Productions]

Is there any way you could perform an A/B test and measure them under power? Is there any difference then? Not just measurements taken with no signal? Or has this been done? And can I see those results? Im still on the fence like many of us.

[@grandrapids57]

High quality power cord debunking always comes from a prior analysis, which is the problem I have with said debunkers.I don't have the equipment or an acoustically good audio room to resolve those differences but maybe some of you do.

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Quick answer: Yes, power cords make a difference. Without them I can’t hear any music whatsoever. This was with a properly done double blind test by the way.

[@Harald-MacGerhard]

LOL 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ryanling7319]

Science can't explain everything but It can explain how it work. Sound related topic here is kind of chicken and egg issue ... but different power cord do affecting the sound. But those danm expensive cable are really! too much. Haha

[@ickebins6948]

@@ryanling7319 They dont, end of story.

[@lawrencetomczyk9677]

Got ya! True… ya gotta have one plugged in LOL

[@robertsteich7362]

As an electrician, I approve of this message. Especially about the lack of the UL listings.

[@alphaniner3770]

'My 5k power cable made a HUGE difference, it really lighted things up...'

[@berthacdellasala]

Approved by Robert Steich, Master Electrician. Thank you Robert!

[@kirkcunningham6146]

@Mr Do that guy is rediculous. I would love Gene to comment on his silly wire pedalling video.

[@welderfixer]

Robert, I'm so glad that Gene talked about the crap home wiring in most home. I wonder who many system installers pro and/or DIY add up or measure the load placed on the power circuit. Surely damn few. I'm considering running a dedicated 10ga 30amp circuit to my system just to be safe. 15 amps add up quick.

[@kirkcunningham6146]

@@shannonwilliams6623 if Danny is such a badass then why doesn't he work at or for any one of the audiophile businesses such as let's say PS Audio?? Or Stereophile? Danny was founded by a KZbin beggar who literally begged his viewers for money because he had to move. Has his daughter crawling all over him during his videos. Danny is an arrogant man who is nothing but a snake oil salesmen who uses his channel to pedal is products period...

[@richardpeters2193]

Is everything really measurable? Take 10 violins, play open "A" (assume they are tuned) all will measure A440. I guarantee without a shadow of a doubt all 10 will sound differently.

[@willbrink]

Everything is not measurable, but you know what is? Power cable, speaker wire, and cables. Astounding that in 2020, we are still having this discussion and snake oil still putting other people's kids through college. As the man said "nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people"

[@richardpeters2193]

@@oldb3139 my point was all the violins will measure the same but sound different. I believe there are too many people saying different cables sound differently. Unfortunately, I am not able to buy enough of them to do side by side comparisons and stay married... That said they may sound different but measure different as well. For example, the two Kimber speaker cables the Audioholic likes both sound and measure differently.

[@MRPC5]

@@richardpeters2193 I'm confident you could measure the differences.

[@biteme263]

You could measure the difference with the right equipment. An instrument does not play a constant single tone like a tone generator does. They all color the sound to a degree. This is why a string intrument sounds different than a saxaphone or a piano or whatever. And each instrument will have a sound that is unique to itself. This is why when you go to buy one you play several different ones to see how they sound. And it can be measured if you can see the spectrum of sound it is putting out. The dominant tone will be 440 but there will be many tones around it. Pretty much everything you can hear (and can't hear) can be measured. Many of just might not know the technical term for it. If you think something sounds warm, bright, muddy or whatever it can be measured and compared to something else. And someone can tell you exactly what you were hearing that gave you that impression if you did indeed hear it. If it can't be measured it was probably your brain tricking you. Not everyone hears the same way and even something as simple as your mood can effect how you percieve sound. Humans are very poor measuring devices lol.

[@eetu2532]

Yes it is measurable. It's called harmonics and every violin has variation there even if the fundamental tone is the same. Proper measurement devices are way more sensitive than human hearing. Do not trust manufacturers that don't show measurements (or at least extensive specs).

[@Movieman2099]

I own a few AudioQuest NRG-2 power cables. Magnolia reps got me good when I first got in to home theater. Haha!

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

I was ready to buy one until I did some research on KZbin. Plenty of people have tested these junk chords by now and they do nothing.

[@bearblackhawk9362]

Same here. Doh!

[@spraguedawley]

shameful upvote. we can always sell them on ebay if we are unscrupulous.

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

I own an NRG-2 myself and I really like it. However, I never expected it to do anything for the sound quality of my system. I bought it because I wanted a well-made, high-quality power cable made from quality materials that would last. That's why you buy a replacement/after-market power cable, not because it will improve the quality of the sound you hear at all. (Oh, and I bought my used for around $22)

[@Mr_Spock512]

I changed the power cord on my microwave and now the popcorn tastes better ... I can even tell where the corn kernel came from. 😁

[@CasusBelli1000]

Just saw a Audioquest cable manufacturing demo her on YT... Hillarious... they invented cold welding they say... ( crimping) 😂😂😂 sadly comment are disabled on their channel... wonder why...

[@patl709]

Audioholics credibility went out the window for me when he stated that power cords and other cables do not make a difference. I have a high end system and power cords definitely make a huge difference. It’s not subtle at all. So I don’t understand how this guy, who is a dealer, hasn’t noticed this. Is he just so close minded that he won’t accept it? Does he, and other nay sayers, really think that intelligent people continue to spend additional money on cords if they make no difference? Maybe they don’t if you have a system that isn’t very good. But on a very good system they do. Believe me when I say that if they didn’t make a difference I would not pay good money on them.

[@Martyn2160]

In my system better quality power chords DO make a huge difference. Its audible and repeatable. However it works it does work. So completely don't agree with you.

[@arlenesauder1913]

With true high end audio a power cord can make the difference of an amplifier or preamplifier upgrade

[@JoFaL]

I'm going to get burned alive now 😂 I am so sorry everyone! I was so skeptical on this subject that I had to try this for my self. I bought some "HiFi" power cords. Not expensive, but alot bigger gauge than the standard cables. I have done serious a-b testing, and had no reason to wanting to justify my purchase "not that expensive" I am running a Marantz sr8012 bi-amped to a Rotel RMB1585 power amp. 5.1 system with Arendal Speakers. All pieces of my equipment got a new power cord. Again I am so sorry. But I can hear a difference. This is not placebo. I have done A-B testing with multiple non audio interested people and all could hear a difference. I can't argue with science, nor am I an expert on this subject. I do trust me ears though. Please don't be to harsh!

[@johnmann726]

I can't believe all reviewers who hear a difference are lying. There must be something more to this phenomena.

[@Audioholics]

@@johnmann726 not lying, just delusional. Without a controlled blind test with instantaneous switching, the mind plays tricks on you.

[@JoFaL]

@@Audioholics could be the case 🙂 but I am sorry, I and other non audio addicts can hear a difference. I can only tell people to try for them selves.

[@djbeatroot]

Lunatic! Haven't you heard that we have decided that power cords don't make any difference!? And who cares what YOU hear, as Gene said, you're clearly deluded. Having said that, I would never go back to the stock power cords, they suck all the life out of the music... but don't tell anyone I said that 😉

[@tadasks9427]

@@Audioholics not necessarily. His old cables might be bad/malfunction/broken. i can confirm from my experience that if cable is not capable for some reason to deliver current properly sound looses quality. In my case level of sound in right channel was dropping

[@Gma7788]

Most people buy a second hand house 🏠 Most people buy second hand equipment. Metal corrodes. Copper corrodes very easily. You must clean your connections and do regular maintenance on your sonic tools 🔧 Connections have to be CLEANED. COPPER needs to be inspected from time to time. You HAVE strands but your strands GO DOWN TO 1 STRAND. There's 1 strand of wire at the tiny speakers and at the phonograph needle. You're such a perfectionist that you failed to put on a suit and tie. What if someone ran over the cable to the amplifier with a truck 🚚 and then sold the stereo system to an unsuspecting person?? What if your power supply outlet hasn't been used in 50 years? Start talking to the real world 🌎

[@mserlin]

I run stock power cords on my full system but because I wanted to test for myself I put an audioquest NRG 4 on my main speaker amp (emotiva xpa2 gen 2). On a completely unrelated note I have for sale one 3ft Audioquest NRG 4 ;)

[@teddyruxspin8480]

You would think a 5 or 10 thousand dollar amp would have a sufficient power cord from the factory and if it made a difference wouldn't they include that in the price of the amp

[@cigarobsession]

Lalalalalala I can’t hear you! I just spent $20k on power cables and it lifted a veil on the soundstage, improved detail and image the micro dynamics came to li....pffffbwahahahaa I can’t do it!

[@davewatson5066]

Do cigars taste different? Can you measure that? I don't smoke. I guess you could try to explain it to me but I would not truly understand until I developed my taste for them and learned the differences. Sound is the same thing. I hate cigars, cigarettes but I believe in the freedom we have to enjoy those things. If I can tell the difference then why do you care so much. Are you just a Fan Boy?

[@jackryder6732]

If there are facts and proof then its just subjective because you blew that kind of money and someone made a good profit. I hear you. Which is a demo done in truetone electronics, Toronto. May be a fraction difference. But again depending on my brain

[@davewatson5066]

@@jackryder6732 Agreed. I mixed live audio for many years. I peaked on what I could learn on my own. I hired a degreed audio engineer and what he showed me was mind blowing but sometimes the.difference between a good mix and great mix were very small changes.

[@davewatson5066]

@James Tremblay You are just a fan boy.

[@etiennedesjardins5511]

I was really sceptical about cable stuff before but I have to confess, now I have felt into this rabbit hole. And yes it makes a difference! But beware there’s still a lot of snake oil for that matter. I don’t know why but measurements don’t seem to give all the informations.

[@garykarczewski6678]

I upgraded my system to all Shunyata power management and the audio improvement was very noticeable. Expensive but I found I appreciated the value.

[@vintageflanker7096]

Must be most probably related to your expectations bias. But as Gene says, DBT listening is almost impossible with power chords/conditioners, that lead to psychoacoustics/Placebo effect.

[@garykarczewski6678]

@@vintageflanker7096 False. Not only can it be heard which I have A/B tested if you review the data testing by Shunyata on how it does effect audio and signal improvements you will see why their products are used in the Medical testing fields then migrated to Audio.

[@munmunyee]

@@garykarczewski6678 cope

[@garykarczewski6678]

@@munmunyee ?????????????

[@Wordsalad69420]

@@garykarczewski6678 So you're telling me power that traveled hundreds of miles through antiquated power lines, then reached your 40 year old panel, with 40 year old breakers, then traveled a few more feet through your 40 year old wiring to your equipment is magically going to get fixed by an expensive power cable? Do people really believe this garbage?

[@mttrashcan-bg1ro]

My thoughts, by all rights it doesn't make sense for cables to make a difference to the sound, but it makes just as little sense as amplifiers and DACs changing the sound of headphones, and yet they do. I use a Focal Clear MG and heard an absolutely massive difference between my Asgard 3 and my Jotunheim 2, paired up with a Bifrost 2/64 DAC. At the end of the day, it's amplifying the sound and allows your headphone driver to vibrate and make sound, a different amplifier shouldn't change that right? Why would a DAC change the sound? A power cables or an interconnect doesn't sound any more ridiculous to me, it's what is providing the power, if a cheap cable has noise or EMI then maybe a more expensive one fixes that. After considering the powerlines, the power cables in the walls and the outlet, the last few feet of cable will of course matter. If it doesn't, then why do people use water filters on their tap? There's hundreds of feet of dirty pipes before it gets to your kitchen sink.

[@suryapratamak1690]

Maybe organize a double blind test with a few audiophile people who know their music very well and bring their own tracks and source gear....also with the proper gear to switch instantaneously. That will be something..the debate will be put to rest😆

[@markphilpot4981]

There are always going to be naysayers. If you say one thing, they say no it isn’t. Mediocre in means mediocre out. There hasn’t been 14 gauge power cables in houses for years now. That’s scary! Far as exotic power cords goes, I agree with you. But to say that your products’ internal supply can correct all power borne problems that come across it, buzz! Wrong answer. Digital equipment are far more sensitive to power borne issues than other equipment. Power cords may not make a care to equipment performance, but there are other issues that power conditioners can provide an aide for with power borne noise. That is a great subject for a video. I await that one with baited breath. Ever had a power transfer switch from a switch yard cause your equipment grief. If you haven’t, you’ve lived a blessed life or you had a power conditioner to stop that ugly before it got to your gear. I’m waiting patiently.

[@Audioholics]

I've NEVER run across a situation of a competently designed piece of audio gear saw an audible or measurable improvement in noise or performance by changing a power cord or using a power conditioner.

[@markphilpot4981]

Audioholics, Mr Gene, perhaps you will make a video on power supplies in equipment. Do you live in a place that does not have any electrical issues? I replaced the cable on my power amp. It had a 14 gauge power cord that was rather short. I replaced it with a heavier 10 gauge SJO cord and a UL rated plug. It may not have made any sonic difference whatsoever, but I did get to place my amplifier where I wanted. No snake oil there! Guess it won’t be current starved either!

[@eltoncrim3699]

I'm going to very politely disagree. I do understand this plays with the guys that critique audiofools and to the measurement crowd. And my counter is the question do different components in an electrical (audio) component sound different? For example do engineers and audio designers hear differences between capacitors of the same value but manufactured differently? The answers are yes, of course they do. Nelson Pass and others talk about the sound of various circuits and components. They switch out bits and listen to them in circuits and decide what to include and exclude based on cost and sound quality. You get the end result of that design process. Of course it includes measurement and testing but a lot of listening. Audio amplifiers are designed with different types of feedback and the types of feedback used and in what ratios, global and local change the sound as well as stability of the amplifiers. We buy those results and we all agree we can hear differences between different amplifiers, integrated amps which again are based on design choices which included listening and yes the bias of the designer. We can hear differences in rooms, anechoic chambers sound different then home listening rooms and if you have four friends with four different listening rooms each room will sound different. You won't need a measurement to tell you that. Then all of a sudden when we get to cables, which after all are only electrical components, we claim we can't or shouldn't hear differences. These cables are constructed differently, are drawn from different metals, may include varied amounts of different metals, different shielding, different terminations (again all electrical components) but somehow the measurement crowd says, well I couldn't measure a difference and all of a sudden though our ears and brains are sophisticated enough to hear differences between a compendium of electrical choices our gear represent, the rooms we listen in, etc. they are not sophisticated enough to hear differences in cables. All I can say is that you are wrong and the angst this perspective brings to the table is the result of pricing choices made in a capitalistic economic system. I get that many things are way way over priced, but unfortunately this is a market problem. We have allowed our market to become bifurcated by income and seduced by our desires for luxury into overpaying for gear that ought to be more reasonably priced. But that fact that many cables cost too damn much does not mean they all sound the same, nor does it mean that because engineers haven't figure out a way to measure these differences yet that they don't exist. Engineering schools by in large teach their students that electricity is electricity and wire is wire it's probably the first thing they learn in school. By the time they graduate they have absorbed this mantra so much that it has become a paradigm. They are stuck in it and they can not measure their way out of it and so it persists. As an audiophile in the hobby for more than 35 years and also selling audio gear for more than 20 years, I have heard different renditions of this over and over again. I would say to you all trust your ears with your gear and your cables. You are always looking for synergy to get the best out your gear. The engineers that built your gear have gone through similar processes of listening when choosing components, designing power supplies etc and so should you with cables and watch your own wallets not everybody else's. I have built my own power cables using different wire and different terminations and they sound different. I saved a lot of money doing so and I would suggest you try it as well. Lastly, even with Ul certification not every cable is inspected, in the same way not every slaughtered chicken in inspected. If you don't feel comfortable building your own cables then just stick with stock but if you try various cables you can at least tune the sound differently, at the end of the day whether something sounds better or worse will be a subjective one which may or may not be also measurable. The last issue I want to address is this issue of noise, the wire coming into the house versus the cables you use to connect your equipment. Obviously there is a lot of noise on the grid and yes to varying degrees equipment is designed to filter out some of that noise. The diagram was nice but to not point out that the choices engineers make in designing those components that filter noise have implications for each piece of gear's ability to filter out that noise. Not everyone builds a robust set of filters into their gear due to market based price constraints for the piece being designed. The noise to be most concerned with is in your own house, The number of computers, network based devices, refrigerators, freezers, poorly designed lights etc, all bring more noise, a properly designed power cable (I put ferrite cores on all of my own hand built power cables) So a power cord can help as a first filter if long enough and designed well and then can change the sound depending on the metals used as one example. copper versus silver or combined sound differently in your system and may or may not help you find synergy in your gear but you have to listen to it to decide. Lastly, it is not the cost of the wire that matters. I have heard really expensive cables that I did not think sounded better or were not synergistic in my system and if the cost of something is way out of proportion as many things are these days than just don't buy it. The price thing won't be corrected until the economy gets corrected which unfortunately, I don't see happening anytime soon but that is a different conversation...

[@bigjay1970]

Can't say your not passionate about the topic!🤓😎

[@nickvankreij1626]

You’re so right. Good powercables made my system go to another level. The level I didn’t expect to reach with the gear I have

[@bradleybunk6463]

Elton, that is perhaps the most intelligent post that I have seen on audio discussions. Seriously. And you have nothing to sell. I will think about this next time I buy a cable or eat chicken. Cheers.

[@lp1133]

I think you explained it very well. I thought the audiophile world was all BS until I bought my 1st McIntosh pre-amp and amp. Wow, night and day difference from my $2k Yamaha. Then I tried several power cables from $75-600 dollar range. Had a party with about 6 of my friends, did a blind test with stock vs upgrades PC's. Everyone in the room heard the difference. I guess we are a full of sh** according to this crew!!

[@marvingill7627]

Dang! I was hoping to see the word "synergistic" right away, but you made me wait till the end. Well played, sir. By the way, Walmart has a sale on tin foil. Better hurry!.

[@Odyss2023]

'Believers' LoL These crazy power cord believers never built an electrical circuit in their life. 120v or 220v voltage pressure just easily overcome any minor wire resistance. Thats why they kill people. If a standard power cord is not good enough to power an audio amplifier, how in the world it's going to power over 2,000wh electric heaters and air conditioners. Do you think your amp draws more current than those? Do they work better when you change the power cord? If you need newer thicker gauge power cords, there are plenty of regular priced ones or you can just DIY one quite easily.

[@badgod86]

Well, Gene is correct with one exception, he literally mentions the exceptions and says to disregard it, I work with multiple rack components both at work and home and behind the these the interference between cables is massive, and most high-speed network and server cables have some shielding so, I do use similar cables at home, nothing too fancy, many reputable cables manufacturers make SJT UL-certified cables for 2 to 10 bucks per feet that can be used to reduce noise, and obviously this only applies if the system has multiple devices on the same rack with cable management, as having 2 or 3 cables away from each other will not cause any problems. So in summary buying spending hundreds of dollars of magical cable topologies is a form of snake oil, having reputable cable brand cables on a component rack will reduce "noise"/ interference from component to component.

[@Wizardofgosz]

Any noise induced or otherwise in the AC mains voltage going into your gear will be filtered by the rectification and filtration of the unit's DC power supply. PERIOD. Amir over at Audio Science Review shows this in some recent videos.

[@Wizardofgosz]

@@aussie8114 is that the point? Because that's not what most audiophiles say at all.

[@Wizardofgosz]

@@aussie8114 Sure, use shielded AC cables. You won't hear it but if ti makes you feel better, fine But these people ("audiophiles") believe magic faeries are sprinkling dust on expensive audio cables and it makes them sound better, even though they measure exactly the same as a $1 cable.

[@Wizardofgosz]

@@aussie8114 thats audiophile nonsense. That the whole idea that the really expensive systems are more "highly resolving" than my medium priced system that I build is just nonsense. What exactly is it that my preamp or amplifier is failing to amplify that a $50,000 amplifier is amplifying, and that humans with tin ears can actually hear or perceive? Is my amplifier forgetting to amplify a cymbal crash? Is it failing to amplify a few bass guitar notes every once in awhile? Is it doing it on purpose? Like out of spite?

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

High-speed network and sever cables have some shielding? No, they don't, actually. That's almost always all just UTP. Unshielded Twisted Pair. They rely on the number of twists per foot withing the cable itself (on pairs of wires) to cancel out signal crosstalk among the cables. Almost no networking cables are ever shielded, with very few exceptions. Now, you can get shielded network cable, of course (STP) but unless you are in a VERY harsh, industrial-type environment with extremely high levels of EMI/RFI, that's not necessary at all and you are just paying for something that doesn't give you any actual benefit.

[@markphilpot8734]

Power cables are hyped up by the aftermarket. I have built power cables for clients made with only “listed” parts and wire. I use only those parts that are listed as these are tested and passed by the regulatory agencies that list products that passed their safety tests. You won’t see listed on these aftermarket power cords so I can’t see using them. A power cord will not improve your gear’s performance, but it will help you get reliable and safe power to your component. I use hospital grade plugs and receptacles as they do offer greater retentivity and contact over the standard offerings. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact proven and documented in the NFPA 70, which is the electrical law which rules the electrical trades. I don’t believe in nor will I ever use any thing but listed parts and wire. To expect power cables to improve sound is ludicrous, but suggesting that using better grade parts and wire will not improve current flow to your gear is also laughable. Just as there are levels of audio gear, so are there levels of electrical connections. It may not make a damn on the quality of sound, but it will yield the best power connection of your gear to the power your gear requires. I say your gear deserves the best you can give it, including the power connections it makes in your place of residence. Poor connections make for unsafe conditions and my gear as well as yours deserves the best you can give it, no aftermarket unlisted power cord will yield the safety a handmade, listed part and wire power cable will yield. Could care less if anyone agrees with me or not. Listed parts and wire are the only safe way to go. To do otherwise is just not safe or good. I agree with Gene on aftermarket power cords being snake oil! I also believe in highest quality for all your audio needs and you can do worse with mediocre power cords provided by the manufacturers. You do what you see fit. If your gear matters to you, only accept listed parts and wire under the electrical code as these are safe.

[@shashank_mittal]

Gene - Would you be able to debunk some myths about power conditioners? Things to look for and avoid? Why some people think power conditioners degrade the sound quality and who is the right candidate for one? I use a commercial grade Middle Atlantic PDU that includes surge and spike protection, as well as EMI filtering. While it doesn't "condition" the power, it provides me the protection from my power line.

[@Audioholics]

I will do a video on power conditioners. Long story short, I use them for power protection and to have a common connection point for ALL equipment in a rack. No magic.

[@joseluisruiz3789]

@@Audioholics thats a great topic, i have 2 power conditioners 1 is a Panamax M5400-PM for all my media stuff in the LivingRoom and a Furman PL-PRO DMC for my Mini Home Recording studio. I have had a couple power outages and the only thing ive noticed is the devices turning back on immediately upon the power coming back up. Another small issue is that my Panamax does make some Grounding hum but it doesn't affect what i have connected to it. I do like that it tells me on 1 gauge that i have 123 volts and the otherside tells me the amp hours all my devices are using.

[@jimshaw899]

@ Better yet: invest in prayer beads.

[@Bradimus1]

I have a big Belkin that theoretically does something but mostly is a nice big surge protector they lets me know the line voltage.

[@robertsteich7362]

I have an old APC S Type power conditioner S15 with 1,500VA of uninterruptible power supply. The thing is a beast and I cannot believe it’s still going for over a grand for one... while I paid $250 with shipping 10 years ago. Don’t remember why it was so cheap though, I tend to buy “broken” things and repair them, but I don’t remember in this case.

[@Old_Sailor85]

Romex from the breaker to the outlet, with a 500mA fuse feeding the unit (pre-amp). What the hell can 3-feet of "special" cable do in between? Fairy dust does the same thing.

[@kingelijah79]

Yes I think power cord make a difference but we don’t have a proper way to measure it yet

[@limitnl]

Quite arrogant of you to say

[@glazzarus]

To talk about power transfer and measuring related you need to understand power and energy behaviour and physical rules that govern energy flow. But real issue is power supply that are not up to audio requirements. Especially if you look as energy impulse transfer, as audio signal is actually impulse phenomena rather than average flow like light bulb. And there is no measurements made nor specify for that. So all this talks are nonsense by people that do not have proper knowledge on subject.

[@ElectoneGuy]

I do like the idea of a shielded power cable that's not radiating EMI/RFI into nearby audio-carrying cables.

[@Bob.martens]

Basic cable hygiene costs nothing.

[@OssidianOssidian]

Yes, but with shielding you will lose the Chocolatey midrange and buttery highs lol

[@jefflabute2946]

Everything behind the wall all the way to power plant is unshielded. Most audio cables are shielded though.

[@julianstorey2699]

Exactly!

[@mat.b.]

​@@jefflabute2946he's talking about interference with audio cables

[@davelistenstohifi]

If a different cable sounds better, then it makes a difference.

[@andydelle4509]

Great video. I like your reference to UL. I want to further point out another scam here. Some power cord vendors will buy OEM UL listed plugs and even IEC connectors. Then they claim "see our power cord is UL listed". WRONG! As you probably know Gene, replacement or OEM connectors are only UL listed by them selves. That listing does not extend to the entire cord assembly. In order to have a legally listed power cord, the entire assembled product must be submitted for testing. Just using UL listed plugs doesn't cut it. And what is scary is the unknown raw wire they use? Is it rated and listed for AC line voltage application? And another issue are these UL listed OEM plugs and wall outlets that are then re-plated with some exotic metal or cryo treated by the cable charlatans. Any listed electrical product that is modified beyond the OEM's instructions is no longer listed. That UL stamp on a modified plug or wall outlet now means nothing once it's re-plated or cryo treated. Harmless? You tell me? How was it plated? Is the plating metal compatible with the OEM surface plating or will it flake off over time and cause a metalized conductive track? Did the cryo treatment weaken the plastic to where the outlet or plug can split apart when connected exposing live terminals?

[@firstliaralwayswins7690]

But they sure do look cool.

[@dennisheadley4408]

Would the same principles apply to power strips with surge protection?

[@alexanderbelov6892]

Surge protection is a good way to save expensive audio equipment during thunderstorms with lightnings nearby. Better to switch off any equipment from powerline. But if you did not do it those surge protectors can protect from overvoltage surges.

[@Francois15031967]

The end of the world argument against audiophile power cable: if power cables make a difference in sound quality do you think high end hi-fi products manufacturers would spend a lot of money in R&D to then sell you their stuff with shitty power cables that make their effort worthless? Wouldn't it be like Mercedes Benz selling you a brand new cars with retreaded tires on it?

[@marcelvinicenco2853]

If you buy a car that you want to put on track to race, you won't go on stock tires 😉

[@hkgoodman888]

Your channel is fantastic!

[@Wordsalad69420]

So you're telling me power that traveled hundreds of miles through antiquated power lines, then reached your 40 year old panel, with 40 year old breakers, then traveled a few more feet through your 40 year old wiring to your equipment is magically going to get fixed by an expensive power cable? Do people really believe this garbage?

[@dm17nc17]

Yes!

[@BrianNC81]

Subscribing to premium electricity from your utility company makes a bigger difference.

[@OssidianOssidian]

"pay no attention to the man behind the curtain"

[@leekumiega9268]

An explanation that made sense to me (from Hans Beekhuyzen) is when a high current device like your power amp draws power a electromagnetic field surrounds the cord which is modulated by the power demands and can induce noise on your your low level interconnects even though they are shielded unless great care is taken to separate them and, this can be difficult with many devices in your rack, this is why a well shielded heavy gauge power cable can make a difference. Please comment.

[@DisconnectedAudio]

Hans Beekhuyzen uses a lot of technical sounding mumbo jumbo but he's a quack. He refuses to use any measurements to back up his claims.

[@PSM-IPADZ_OX]

@@DisconnectedAudio agreed 100%, saw his KZbin channel (Hans Beekhuyzen) and sensed that he’s more like a newscaster reading from a teleprompter rather than a reviewer or audiophile. Basically, Hans and a couple of others are just clueless but useful idiots to brands that sponsored their channel. Very fortunate that such misinformation are spread even given their limited audience and channel followers

[@Audioholics]

Very rare that can occur if you use shielded interconnects. Virtually nothing will get through to double braided double foil shielded coax like Belden 1694A. Also, use XLR anytime you can and try to route power leads away from speaker cables and interconnects. I've never found a need to use shielded power cables.

[@PSM-IPADZ_OX]

@@Audioholics correct, use XLR for long runs, fuss-free and no worries of interferences. Much cheaper and more effective than those exotics cables that cost a kidney yet does nothing. Acoustics principles are known and proven scientifically for so long that it’s sad that unscrupulous sellers use disinformation to mislead the general public.

[@Rory-jk9us]

Your power cord has equal current flowing in both directions which creates magnetic fields that cancel each other out.

[@WhatAreYouJewingHere]

Biases do exist, I 100% agree that placebo and confirmation bias is a real thing in audio and in many other things. Having said that, I find these 'trust the science' type videos to be slightly arrogant. Truthfully, there is a lot we know about electricity, losses and sound, but there is still a lot that we don't know. I think we should give the benefit of the doubt to some people who experiment with different power cords and hear improvements or detrimental impacts to the sound of their system. To just essentially imply that they are stupid and imagining things is a bit condescending in my opinion. There is a lot of truth to what he is saying, but its a very hardline stance. I wish he would take up the Synergistic Research challenge and fly over there and do a true double blind test with his own ears and let us know what he thinks. Sometimes people can be too smart for their own good. I've been humbled many times in my life by people and I think having a little bit of humility is a good thing, especially in audio where there haven't been billions and billions of dollars spent researching such a niche hobbyist market.

[@Audioholics]

Experimenting is fine if it's done controlled. Simply swapping out power cables and doing a sighted test is highly flawed and reveals nothing but placebo. To ignore objective data to help make a purchasing decision is both foolish and arrogant. The "Synergistic Challenge" was a ruse simultaneously tied to a threat for litigation from their attorney. It was never a legitimate challenge. Nice try.

[@WhatAreYouJewingHere]

@@Audioholics Just so I fully understand, are you saying that if we used three different power cords, all UL and all 12 AWG solid high quality pure wire from the same manufacturer and not found to be limiting the current delivery in any meaningful way. If we got these cords and had their contacts treated, one with gold, the other with silver and the other with tin plating, that they would sound identical? Now again, I’m not saying one would sound better than the other, but if they measured the same electrically, do you believe it is even possible within any stretch of the imagination that they would sound different whatsoever?

[@Audioholics]

@@WhatAreYouJewingHere If you tin them with a metal less conductive than copper, then resistance will increase and you can potentially have power loss and an audible difference if severe enough. If all 3 power cables have the same DC and AC resistance, then there will be no difference. Not rocket science.

[@WhatAreYouJewingHere]

@@Audioholics Gene. Your little adders of 'nice try' and 'not rocket science' and these little jabs is worrying. I like your channel and you've helped me a lot when it comes to setting up my subwoofer and I really appreciate the Star Trek stuff as well. I don't know if its the whole Synergistic Research thing, which we don't have the full story on, or maybe you've been attacked by a lot of zealots talking about how cables make a difference, but something isn't right with you recently. Maybe I just misjudged you initially and saw what I wanted to see, but the Gene from a few years ago wasn't so abrasive. If you pray, please consider praying about it. I am glad that you enjoy your sound and your system and its good that you have a channel and can share your experiences with others.

[@luisrodrigonunezolguin7038]

Gene, for the first time I disagree with you, I haven't bought expensive cables, but US$20 bulk cables from Alliexpress and the sound totally changed, more transparent, better positioning, more control in the low zone and more musicality. This time I affirm it with certainty because I have lived it.

[@MechanicalMan55]

Back in the day when I was experimenting with power cables I found that some makes of stock cable were more musical than others. You may have got lucky with the ones you bought. Snake oil doesn't exist at this level......

[@dmark2639]

Gene makes all the rational arguments, however he overlooks some truths that can affect sound quality in a high quality listening system. As just 1 example, all power cords act to a greater or lesser extent as both an antenna and a filter. Both can affect the SQ, even with a short length between the wall and your component. Second, connectors matter ALOT. High quality power cords use much better connectors, metal welding techniques instead of soldered connections, copper and gold instead of steel, and tigher fitment with the IEC connector. All of which can affect the SQ in a high quality system. Third, purer copper as well as gauge and geometry all can make significant AND MEASURABLE differences to the performance of the cable, and thus the SQ based on how it interacts with your specific electronics. Thatis partly why this topic is so subjective....everyone's system is different electrically, acoustically, and qualitatively. It's well established AND MEASURABLE that resistance, capacitance, and inductance all have an effect on SQ in a high quality system. Nice try Gene, but respectfully, you need to re-think your simplistic position. You are misleading alot of people out there with your opinion.

[@mike.thomas]

You’re just making bald assertions, and comically responding to “all the rational arguments” with “truths”. Where are the rational arguments and measurements for the “truths”, or are the only arguments left irrational ones? If it’s the latter, we’re talking about faith. This stuff gets into the realm of religion, astonishingly enough. We’re talking about power cables here. Did you happen to miss the entire part of the video where he explained the power supply? The power cable delivers AC into the power supply of your device, which converts AC to DC, the process of which filters out anything you might be worried about, basically by definition. The rest of the circuit is powered by whatever unvarying DC current that was generated by the component’s power supply. The 60hz AC and whatever might have ridden in with it is long “forgotten” by the time you’re in the circuit. But lets say you’re right: the thing is, if the component requires 3ft of fancy power cable to do its best job, then it’s a failed design (not “high-quality”), and was never worthwhile in the first place. If you think it’s worthwhile to put a $100-5000 power cable on an amp with a broken power supply, well it’s your money. I agree that connectors are important and must be sufficient to task, but they are hardly high technology or worth any great deal of money. It seems pretty safe to assume good-quality manufacturers are going to use power cables that don’t have faulty connectors. Similarly, yes, good internal connections are important, but what real difference do fancy “metal welding techniques” make over normal techniques, solder or otherwise, especially given the receptacle you’re shoving that fancy plug into has *screwed-on* connections to romex behind it, not to mention at the power panel, at the sub-station, and untold other connections upstream? All that said, I do own some aftermarket power cables, but only as seldom-seen “jewelry” to dress up the appearance of the system. They look good, feel nice in the hand, and get the job done. I just don’t kid myself that they do anything more than that. And even more said, I know this was all a waste of time to type in. Sometimes I can’t help myself. You do you and I wish you continued happiness with your setup. At least we can agree we like to listen to music - and I bet you have a cool system :-)

[@DjRjSolarStar]

Agree completely. I only have a 'special' $40 OFC cable on my custom toroidal transformer going to a class A headphone amp I use for IEM's. Can't say I heard an improvement, but for an extra $30, why not get a really nice looking cable with OFC for shits and giggles

[@zackw4941]

I would have been the last person to believe in power cords as well. That said, I run a pretty nice headphone system around my gaming pc. I have a discreet DAC and separate solid state and tube amps. I purchased a reasonably priced Furman power conditioner, mostly for better protection and sure enough, it didn't really make any difference to the sound. Later, I bought a handful of $30 'audiophile' power cords just to try out. I put one on each audio component and the pc and then left them all alone. It wasn't day and night, but I absolutely noticed that the solid state amp was closing the gap with the tube amp. The sound stage debth was more coherent and over all sounded more real. The tube amp didn't seem to benefit much. I brought out my older DAC/amp all in one that I felt didn't have the resolution of my newer gear. With the new power stuff, it also seemed more on par with the other electronics. I am a person who didn't think power cables could make a difference and always laughed at people who did. Also, FWIW, I think AB testing is good for finding frequency response or tonality differences, but not spacial cues. I take more time to explore the 'space' of the sound and then have to be familiar with both pieces of equipment in that way to make a comparison. To my ear anyway, these kinds of spacial cues are where higher end gear duke it out, over lower end gear, since it's not that hard to achieve frequency response and resolution these days. All that said, I still wouldn't advocate expensive cables, or expect to hear a difference right out of the wall. I also can't hear any difference between my $30 and $200 interconnect cables, either.

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

But my wifes chocolaty BF can hear the difference from the bedroom.

[@totalbliss1]

Rofl!

[@SlickBlackCadillac]

fucking lol

[@TonnisKooi]

try it yourself people. you can just do the test yourself. they OBVIOUSLY make a difference. I don't even understand how anyone can't hear it...it is not subtle at all. either your system isn't resolving enough or you are just so suck in your dogmatic ways that you refuse to admit it. measurements don't tell you how something will sound. I don't listen with measurement; I listen with my ears and if my ears hear a difference and the measurements show none well it would appear we aren't measuring the right parameters. most likely there are aspects to music we have not developed measuring tools for. honestly don't take this dudes word for it, and certainly don't take my word for it! it is an easy test to do especially in the age of amazon and guaranteed returns you can test it out VERY easily. I hope you test this and find out for yourself how big a difference it can make. you can watch some Audioquest cable comparisons on KZbin that are easy to find and with a good pair of headphones the change is easily herd even after processed through KZbin's algorithms. power cables have the most current going through it than of any of your signal cables and cheap power cables that aren't made well and not properly shielded can through out a lot of electro magnetic interference that can leak out and get onto your signal cables causing noise; not to mention if the cable is improperly grounded as so many cheap cables are. grounding both ends of the cable rather than just the amplifier end essentially turning the cable into a fairly effective antenna. no you wont hear your local fm station but you will end up introducing atmospheric electrical noise that will modulate your ground plane. just trust me you don't want that. lol. TEST IT OUT YOURSELF. or don't and laugh at me and ill just be over here enjoying music at a higher fidelity with no worries lmao..sorry... seems like little risk to just try. you may thank me later.

[@TonnisKooi]

I mean it don't take this guys word. and please don't believe a word I say!! you don't even know me. but like I said the test can be done with almost zero risk through amazon. I warn you though, you will not be able to unhear it. get someone you know to blind test them for you only swapping out the power cable and I have a feeling that even if you can't pick out the more expensive cable; you will have a favourite between the two and you would be be able to reliably tell the difference between the two cables during a blind test. it will be preference as everything is in audio but they will sound different. but don't listen to me lmao.

[@stevenbarall9227]

I bought a hospital grade power cable because it's 14 AWG and also the wall end of the cord has a really nicely shaped plug that's easy to grab. I think it was $12.00 US.

[@charlescalkins4732]

I bought a cheap pangera power cord from audioadvisor. Hooked it up to my McIntosh MC 352 amp. Right away I heard more bass. So I bought one for my preamp. Didn't hear any difference. Just my 2 cents worth

[@lepatientzero9637]

I am 90% convinced power chords don't make a difference but I like to entertain the 10%, just to keep it interesting. So, if I listen to these 10%, they'll telll me that you spend the whole video telling "power chord have no impact whatsoever" and the last 5 mins telling that you sometimes need a specific cable so that it has such propriety! Logically implying that some cables work better than others in certain situation. More broadly, my 10% rely on the fact that science does not identify the map and the territory. No science pretends to describe the entirety of any aspect of reality. So it's true that I don't get the "if it changed anything, we would be able to mesure it" argument. Why? How do we know for sure? (and this is an epistemological question, not an electronic one)

[@Jacknjellify531.]

Gene the timing of videos just right, i got a couple of power cables to compare with the stock ones.if power cords don’t make a difference then do the power filters or conditioners do anything?

[@alphaniner3770]

I recently got a filter, that can filter from a bit to a lot. When it filters a lot (on the amp) it makes the sound worse. When it filters a bit, it changes the sound - making some records sound better and others worse...

[@biteme263]

Can they? Possibly, depends on the power in your house. If you have power issues in, or coming to your house then yes they can make a difference. If not then it probably won't do anything but give you piece of mind. I use UPS's in my system because my power cuts out randomly sometimes. Will they make a difference in sound quality? I highly doubt it. Like he said this is what the power supply in the component is for. The component is already regulating, converting and filtering the ac signal. Filters and conditioners should be a safety concern, not a quality of sound issue. If I had a really exepensive system I would probably have some nice line conditioners just to help protect all that gear. And most likely an insurance plan that covered it too. I wouldn't expect it to make it sound better though. For lower end stuff like I own UPS's made for computers work just fine. That is what I use. They help with voltage spikes, cut outs and if the power goes out it gives me some time to shut everything off properly. If you hook a fancy line conditioner up to your system and it makes a difference in your audio quality I would highly suggest you call an electrician because you have issues in your house.

[@willbrink]

Sad Gene even had to make such a vid. I can see why some might think a speaker wire or interconnect could alter the sound (they don't...) but a power cord? OMG...

[@gboates]

Even if your new (expensive) power cord worked as described , this approach often results in no benefits to the system unless all other ground paths in the connected equipment can be totally isolated. An isolation transformer is not a substitute for the proper shielding or grounding of individual equipment. As G said...

[@chirocuras.r.l.6529]

Please put the Kimber Kable PK 14 with your CD or SACD.............if you can't hear that improvement then audio is not for you..............stunning.

[@tpobrienjr]

You can buy *shielded* power cords for only slightly more than unshielded.

[@raygunpyle]

What's next? Will we have audiophile grade air purifiers to help our wireless signals perform better? Wireless is a swear word for audiophiles, yes, but I'm just sayin' I wouldn't be surprised. If it's not an air purifier, maybe we will get to buy tanks of Himalayan air that shows air form the Himalayan mountains improves the wireless signal...

[@xaerothehero]

I don't agree with this at all. I had some terrible background hissing on my system. I swaped out the standard in-box power cord for a shielded Supra LoRad cable (think I paid 50 Euro for it) and the hissing disappeared.

[@slowpoke96Z28]

Is it possible the replaced cord was bad and an exact replacement would've fixed it? Could you test that?

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Love your image inserts! 🤣😂🤣😂☺️😂

[@operamatthew]

my local audio shop is trying to sell me upgraded power cables, i told them hold off and let me look into it. glad i did.

[@scottlowell493]

The rage is "hospital grade" power cables. $100+ per meter.

[@denisdube8893]

I agree with you dude

[@fubartotale3389]

Diminishing returns definitely applies here, upgrading from 20 ga. lamp cord to something heavier and maybe shielded probably makes a difference, going from that to $5000 cables, well, I'd like to see some double blind test results on that.

[@patthewoodboy]

its been done , no difference was heard

[@theflyisaspy7691]

@@patthewoodboy Shielded cable definitely helped in my specific case of noise coming from my computer. I had ground loop hum and fixed that, but there was still noise when I moved my mouse or played more intense games. Switching to a shielded cable helped. It is still unbalanced cable though. Balanced cable probably would have eliminated the noise too.

[@alessandro3139]

Audiophile power cables do make a big difference in sound quality. But if gear in your system is not high-end, there will certainly be a bottleneck that will mask any sound improvement. In order to avoid that, just connect these wonders directly between the speakers and an high end AC conditioner and purifier. And you will see! If that's not the case, it's probably because you forgot the cable riser!

[@xmj6830]

You should join the Religious Order of Power Cable Placebo, you're a perfect disciple...

[@ecstasy5317]

Cable risers? Mannnn you kiddin'? my friends had those things all around their houses, I asked one diehard self-proclaimed audiophile when was the last time he's been on the couch (head doctor) lol.

[@alessandro3139]

@@ecstasy5317 One audiophile invited me at his house. He had very high end $200,000 speakers. In order to maintain the signal path as short as possible, and avoid noisy and distorting amplifier, he connected the speakers (using $20,000 per feet high end power cables) directly to the AC Outlet. I was trying to stop him, but he said: "the ideal amplifier is a wire with a gain. And since the gain of these wonders is limited to 1, you need the full power of the AC outlet and some good cable riser in order to really appreciate the sound". And it was at that moment that suddenly, just a few seconds after his sentence, I've heard the most realistic explosion I've ever experienced. It was so realistic that you could also see the flames coming out of the speakers, and feel the smell of something burning. So please stop arguing about cable risers and good power cables!

[@Harald-MacGerhard]

I strongly claim that audiophile power cables make a significant difference ... on your wallet 😂

[@exitar1]

LOL :)

[@FileFixer007]

Only difference between good normal power cable and ultra super turbo space audiophile power cable are in deep hole on your bank account after bought this too much expensive BS.

[@unol]

Great video Gene. Is there a benefit to using shielded power cables? Not to shield the power line but to reduce emissions from the power cord to nearby equipment (provided the shield is grounded at the plug end).

[@Audioholics]

It's not a bad idea if that's a problem but just realize many shielded power cords don't meet UL due to fire safety issues. Personally keep power cord away from line level stuff and you will be ok.

[@unol]

@@Audioholics thanks for the reply, makes sense to me.

[@deanryder4922]

Gene great insight .You hear some of these audiophile utubers say how ac power chords make big improvements.bass is richer and there is space between the instruments and vocals blah ,blah, blah and meanwhile non of them have the credentials you have maybe a high school equivalency in their back pocket.

[@stevelueb7787]

4 Examples to KILL this subject!!! Are all power cords made to the same Spec? NO!!! Do ALL Metals Conduct Electricity w/same Efficiency? NO!!!! Tube & Solid State Amp Sound the Same? NO!! Even though they measure the same Are some types of resistors "quieter than others"? YES!!! Even though may meet the same Spec The Power Cables I Manufacture Substantially Improve Audio Quality (soundstage depth & clarity) & Visually (TV picture clarity sharpness & color saturation). I use True 8ga Cable (most car booster cables are 8ga) I can tell you why changing that 6' power cord (cheapest POS the mfg could find) to the wall makes a Difference. I recognize "People Believe it Doesn't Make A Difference" & "Cost Benefit" But preaching that the Cable supplying Electricity doesn't make a difference!!! Really? UL (Underwriters Laboratory) Approved doesn't mean squat (educate yourself find out what that really means it doesn't do anything for you? Is there liability to the manufacturer if it fails & burns house down? NO!) What matters is the power cable is Certified meeting the Specification & process of manufacture

[@jozefserf2024]

Proof?

[@michaelbeckerman7532]

I replace all the factory power cables on my system components with far higher quality, after-market ones. However, I don't do any of that in an effort to try and improve the audio quality of what I'm listening to at all, because I'm well aware that replacing a power cord will NEVER do that. I do it because those cables (which aren't very expensive at all, mine were all well under $60 each) are simply built to a far higher standard of craftsmanship, construction and quality - and are made with significantly better materials all the way around. They are better made, using better materials, with better craftsmanship and they will likely last substantially longer because of it. I really don't care about a lack of UL listing on them as I'm never even going to come close to pushing them past a standard power draw that would pose any type of a fire hazard due to an over-current situation. A lack of a UL listing on an aftermarket power cable (that already far surpasses the task I will ever be asking it to do) is the absolute least of my worries. As long as you don't go insane and spend (waste) thousands of dollars on a replacement power cable, there is nothing wrong at all upgrading them from the default ones shipped from the factory (that are the CHEAPEST ones that the manufacturer could possibly get away with giving you). Just be honest with yourself about WHY you are doing it and WHAT it is that you are actually purchasing when you do buy those replacement power cords. Then relax...and go have fun listening to and enjoy your system.

[@spacecadet6575]

This is what I’ve always thought intuitively. I recently heard another science-based testing site. The only thing he said that gave me pause is that the low voltage signal interconnects can possibly pick up electromagnetic interference if put in close proximity to a power cord passing high current power. So my interconnects from preamp to power amp would not go through a transformer. This is assuming that the cables are not properly shielded. Is there any validity to that?

[@techhie1302]

If you run your high impedance interconnect cable alongside the AC power cord carrying a high current, there will be some interaction. But the interconnect cable is shielded, and that will block the interaction. I don't think you can buy unshielded RCA to RCA cables. You would have to make them up yourself from pieces of wire.

[@bme7491]

Thank you. You probably literally saved someone a house fire.

[@futureshock7425]

That guy in Japan would beg to differ, he had the power company give him a dedicated power line into his house lol

[@robertsteich7362]

future shock There is a guy near New Haven, CT who has his own transformer pad on property. And if I remember correctly, it’s 3 phase too. But not for “clean” power... but actual POWER! I wish I could find the article, I read it mid to late 2000’s. He has over 20 vacuum tube amps powering 30 tower speakers. His average annual power bill was $200,000 at the time.

[@Jacknjellify531.]

That video is legendary, any link to the wsj full video ?

[@NickP333]

The Internetwanderer OMG, I’m laughing so hard right now!

[@futureshock7425]

@@robertsteich7362 lmfao get out

[@valcomaustralia]

Does the power company supplies him with DC or AC 😂

[@mat.b.]

I never understood how cables made an impact for the very reason you outlined: everything is happening before the transformer and filtering. Why would it matter if the cable going through your house suddenly changed to a different material for a few feet before it got to that transformer, rectifier, and filter? Is the cable filtering anything? Is it keeping out noise that only appears in your living room but not in your wall? I just want an explanation from these people

[@nachowifi2181]

Gene, we appreciate you. You have saved us thousands of dollars.

[@MohrMi]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and knowledge. You should make a video about isolation feet for Hi-Fi components. That would be interesting

[@a.grayman6349]

If "audiophiles" were actually concerned with real measurements as well as the actual limitations of human audio physiology, there would be 90% less companies out there hawking products designed for and marketed to fools.

[@user-xowo3vxy92b73h]

When reading several comments I realize that there is a lot of ignorance on the subject of the electrical network. Every electronic device is plugged into the electrical outlet, this is responsible for turning on most of the peripherals we use. These cables are useful for audio, home theater, music studios, etc..., they are NOT for appliances such as: microwaves, refrigerators, stoves, irons, etc... How do they work? Electrical networks have defects and fluctuations in their nature such as: low and high voltages, they also have noises that are introduced into their peripherals, which are audible in peripherals such as: radio, home theater speakers, studio monitors, headphones. , etc..., Professionals who dedicate themselves to creating music or sounds will notice it more than the rest of us. A good analogy would be a glass of water. Let's say we have two glasses, the first glass has sea water, which looks somewhat cloudy due to sea salt, pollution, etc..., in the second case we have spring water which looks crystal clear and clear. The same goes for the electrical grid. To solve this problem, electrical network conditioners were created. They come in different formats: 1. Cables that block radio frequencies. 2. Specifically designed outlets. 3. Unit sizes of a backup battery or consoles. Do you wonder if you can notice the audible difference? Well yes..., definitely 👌. It's like listening to music on KZbin at a quality of (144p Vs. 4k) or like listening to PC speakers ($4.99-19.99) from brands like: Logitech, Onn, Philips, Panasonic, etc..., Vs. audio system ($1,000-25,000) from brands such as: Focal Genelec, Neumann, Barefoot, Polk Audio, Klipsch, Sony, etc. I hope I have helped you friend.

[@Audioholics]

you're self realization is also lacking. Audio gear already has it's own filtering in the power supply when it converts AC to DC to bias the transistors to amplify the signal. specially filtered cables are NOT needed. Well designed shielded COAX or XLR for line level signals is all that is needed. A standard OEM power cord that comes with the electronic device is sufficient and should be used as the manufacturer intended for the device. Low resistance speaker cables with NO elaborate crappy filter networks of gimmicky battery packs are needed.

[@user-xowo3vxy92b73h]

​@@Audioholics1. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nWO2cp1tlrCLfdEsi=UfGlwFqW6WhmSto- 2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppW8fq2HZcuems0si=fwXxyK7zxaYfVgW9

[@user-xowo3vxy92b73h]

The thing about the manufacturer's cables is that they are not shielded enough to completely block RF. More to look for quality and price, they choose to use economical materials. If we add to that the rest of the equipment connected to the electrical network, all that noise is added in series, passing it through the circuits. You are also right that good speaker cable is key. A good XLR + Power cord is the key to that rich, pristine sound!👌 Highest purity, oxygen-free copper with gold-plated contacts🤤🎧⚡️

[@user-xowo3vxy92b73h]

What happens is that most of the time users with no knowledge on the subject... have bottlenecks and don't know it! It is not only the cable, it is also the outlet and the circuit or main switch (main breaker), we must try to avoid connecting: microwaves, stoves, irons, refrigerators, etc., to the line as much as possible. electric that will be dedicated to home cinema, music studio, etc...

[@haris525]

Of course they do! They make your wallet lighter, bank account emptier, and your ego larger. These power cords are so good they don’t even need any IEEE approval.

[@zemstafreda]

"You're just jealous because you can't afford it"

[@chriss881000]

@@zemstafreda who cant afford a 2.000$ power cable? Any grown person with a job can afford that. But a smart person would not buy that snake Oil

[@zemstafreda]

@@chriss881000 you dropped this 🧠

[@waterlover]

So much snake oil I swear, you tell it like it is

[@Mike-hb4pc]

This is hands down the most honest and accurate info on power cables I've seen. Thank you! Not much else I could add that you didn't cover already. Cheers!

[@michelmayrand9557]

It all comes down to a simple double blind test where, like for most audio components, people will f up 50% of the time. I just need to think about the audio influencers on youtube which will promote speakers or other components in a positive matter mainly if they get it for free. Ask them to do an honest double blind test and it becomes a joke. Thank you for your video.

[@harelgoren9711]

Please, please make a video about grounding loops.

[@jaymz168]

Look up Bill Whitlock (Quad-Eight, Jensen Transformers, former AES President). If you have an AES membership you can watch a two hour presentation he does on the subject but if not the powerpoints are out there freely available in PDF format. There are two of them, just search "bill whitlock ground loop" on google and you'll find them.

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

Ground loops are very much a hum problem to be solved if present. I've heard humming can also be from DC simultaneously being on the AC line, as it biases transformers into saturation resulting in hum and strain. Unrelated to that tidbit, I feel that people who use turn tables with RCA interconnects, and magnetic coil cartridges have the potential of picking up electromagnetic fields created by current moving through power cables and home wiring. If the neutral of the RCA signal picks up stray energy through induction, this energy on the neutral is going to cancel with the signal on the hot, the hot signal needs to balance with the neutral, every bit of pollution on the neutral will be chipping away at the potential between the hot and neutral, at low signal strength levels to later be amplified during amplification. Allot of efforts are made inside amplifiers to braid wiring and use toroidal transformers to contain stray electromagnetic fields to reduce the noise floor and the Total Harmonic Distortion. So I can see the reasoning in trying to protect interconnects from stray power cord fields through the use of shielding, or braiding. I use an A-1-1 certified Surgex power conditioner, which boasts a 6000v tolerant air core inductor to rebuke incoming noise and surges on the line, plus capacitors to absorb elevated voltage transients and automatic voltage disconnect under 90v and over 140v (Us 120v) it's got 20 amps on tap at every socket, and comes with the power cable soldered in, so cable upgrading is not even on the table for my main power distribution unit, but for the rest of the rats nest, I feel inspired to get shielded Power Cables, but where are those shielded energies going to go? to polluting my ground which will mess with my DAC clock referencing? no thank you! It's the same consideration between RCA interconnects, and Balanced XLR inputs. RCA is just neutral hot, so any shielding is basically just going into the neutral, which is why grounding the chassis can be super helpful. While Balanced has a dedicated ground for shielding allowing hot and neutral to hot pick up any stray field energy which would deplete the potential between the two. But you gotta remember your signal is coming from the DAC and the DAC needs the purest ground possible as reference for it's clock, so if the system is super shielded it's also turning the ground into a noisy antennae. So I even feel like it's worth running a second ground wire, either for the DAC, or some kind of faraday cage running around all your hifi gear's electrical spaghetti. The other cool thing about the surgeX is that it doesn't shunt or send any noise to the ground, it just handles it lol, so it keeps the ground clean. Typical Power strip surge protectors rely on MOV technology to redirect surge energy into the ground, so any flicker of the lights is possibly polluting your ground. When MOV Metal Oxide Varistor surge protectors get old, the MOV's get leaky and actually pollute the ground with trickles of energy, your typical Monster Brand power conditioner has a bunch of movs but also filter capacitors that by design fresh out of the box send high frequencies to ground. Great for creating a clean a hot-neutral RCA type stereo analog situation, but problematic for your DAC's clock if you're going digital. So whether you have a analog turn table with a coil inside of it susceptible to electromagnetic fields, or a DAC that needs a clean clock, will probably determine whether you would want a shielded power cable, or an unshielded power cable. At least, that's what I feel at this point. If you run a second ground cable for your DAC clock, make sure the interconnects don't create a ground loop by bridging the ground with the ground of the other devices through the cable shielding. The interconnect will need the shielding disconnected on one side, many come that way, and have arrows showing the side that's disconnected. It's likely that an XLR interconnected Digitally sourced hifi system will not hear any difference in power cables, but an analog record playing RCA interconnected hifi system might.

[@chefchutardo5215]

I would love to see you a Paul (p.s audio) have a coffe together. That would be one hell of a funny conversation 😆

[@yannik246]

He'd probably say that just because it's not measurable it doesn't mean you can't hear it (which makes no sense btw). He's the king of snake oil and probably couldn't discern one of his products in a real blind test.

[@chefchutardo5215]

@@yannik246 The new guy talking about speakers is very interessting. But Paul is mostly b.s. Those 1000$ power cables and 200$ electrical outlets gave me a good laugh. Thats why i listen to Gene, for the common sense and spending money in the right place.

[@yannik246]

@@chefchutardo5215 Oh okay, I'll have to check him out. The thing with Paul is that I think he actually believes the stuff he sais. Also he's in way to deep to admit those things now.

[@cleanpenida2]

@@yannik246 The thing is , Paul rarely makes a claim. He picks a question, then talks for 10 minutes without answering it. He should go into politics.

[@mickef5298]

Upgrading power cables on your petrol car will give you much cleaner combustion slight increase in ignition timing and +10 hp.

[@Cowclops]

They make a difference in Paul McGowan's personal bank account.

[@cvee2614]

I was going to order power cables from GR but then I tried the Encore XLS speaker kit build. Unimpressed with the Encores when compared to my home built open baffle design loud speakers, I opted out of the power cord upgrade.

[@timbohall2799]

I switched to extra crunchy peanut butter and it raised my sound stage. I’ll have to do a side by side comparison it seems to be make a hissing noise now.

[@captaincanuck7110]

LOLZ - I was going to comment on you 5k audio cable video about 1k silver power cord to a 2 dollar wall outlet with 20 bucks in romex copper cable and a 20 dollar breaker. "There is a sucker born every minute"

[@Ambienz1]

I really laugh at people buying this snake oil, bridging a 1 metre gap from their unit to the 13 amp 3 core household wiring behind the socket.

[@jamband4230]

So about the time you made this video, “scientists” (quotes cause I don’t know who they are) discovered a new sound wave. Something to do with perpendicular parallel sound waves that were previously unknown to us. We didn’t know to test for this wave so obviously we didn’t know how to test to see if this wave in interfering or enhancing our audio experience. We simply didn’t know it existed. I wonder if this is possibly an issue we might encounter when testing products like power cables. We simply don’t know what to test for. I get what you said about the romex in our walls and I agree with you. But this knowledge about this “new sound wave” gives credence to the fact that we might not know everything about sound and electronics or how to test something that we actually do hear because as much as we know about sound and biology we still don’t know everything their is to know. Just curious what your thoughts on this subject is? Thanks

[@mike.thomas]

That actually sounds like an interesting find. A link would be cool. However, back to audio: first, a power cable does not create sound waves. That was covered right at the beginning of the video. Second, consider how we got here, from electrical and acoustic theory, to potentially amazing-sounding electronic components and systems designed (using typical measurements), built (using typical measurements) and appreciated (not using measurements) that we have today. Did the industry somehow just “luck out” in being able to use only the typical measurements to somehow actually lead to good-sounding results, even though they did not take into account other factors like these mysterious perpendicular sound waves? Or is it more likely that the measurements that are used to design and manufacture (test) our equipment are actually quite good enough?

[@jamband4230]

@@mike.thomas I think last 2 words of your comment is what audiophiles argue about the most “good enough” when your passion is to strive for the absolute best “good enough” is never good enough. But electricity exist in the quantum mechanics realm. And even though our iPhones work just fine we still don’t understand quantum mechanics very well. Our macro science breaks down at the quantum level and we had to come up with new laws to describe those actions. You can buy a resistor for 50 cents that clearly doesn’t sound as good as a resistor that costs $8-30 because of the materials used to manufacture it. I don’t see why interconnects would be any different. Like I said I agree with power cable thing. But there might be something about the way the electrons move through the wires that we simply don’t understand yet. If you’ve ever seen the way water reacts under certain conditions certain frequencies some of the designs are naturally beautiful and some are naturally “ugly” I don’t know if it changes the property of the water but one sure does look better than the other. I don’t see why this wouldn’t apply to sound as well. Perhaps we just haven’t tested this enough to understand it. Of course I’m talking about the highest end of audio possible. These issues won’t change a $100 amplifier into a $10k amplifier but once you’ve reached that $10k mark materials you use will have an effect on the sound. I’m not making any claims in my original comment. I’m simply asking what people think about the notion that we still don’t understand enough about electricity or biology to know what to test for when it comes to sound. This science is in its infancy we’ve only had a 100 yrs or so to study this

[@mike.thomas]

@@jamband4230 I see what you’re getting at, but the thing is that “hand waving” (for lack of a better term at this point) doesn’t replace (or amplify) what we have to work with right now, re measurements. There are almost certainly things we’re missing, but until we can actually measure (and thus apply) them it’s essentially a moot point. The thing that is frustrating for me is that the very design and existence of the electronics we’re discussing is based on science, which is based on measurements. We wouldn’t even be having the discussion without the existence of those measurements. They first helped us to understand, and now to create. And yet, there’s this seeming need for people to want to introduce a bit of “magic” to sweeten things up and make “snake oil” products acceptable (not saying you are doing this, per se, but this chat is putting me into that headspace). Anyway, thanks for the respectful reply. Appreciated! I hope you feel that I have done so in kind.

[@julieta203]

I can see how people without any knowledge of electrical systems could believe power cables make a difference but to anyone with even the most basic knowledge (most audiophiles i imagine) its just ridiculous they coukld believe a power cable could make any difference. Its insanity! These people need to be locked up in a padded room especially they audio reviews claiming " oh this cable really added volume to the mids!" wtf!

[@Zero_dB]

Hey Gene with all your respect, I have to disagree on you for this one. I got tons of knowledge from your ch so im with you on most of the thing. Im not electrician anyway I've got double degree in other field of engineering and spend decade in engineering faculty. Ive done lot lot lot of lab test. Just to inform that im totally carry with scientific mindset. Since 10yr. Ago me and friend as engineering student we got "limited budget " So to be in HiFi world, our concept is that every dollar we spend.......must provide different result. I do know that there are lot of snake oil out here. But ...... With The power cable ...... we can hear the different ....yes sometime more expensive doesnt mean better. But we have try couple of different power cable ..... and they really do make different. I cant fight on scientific equation how do they make this different just describe what we've heard. Actually i really wish the result to be not different. So that i can put my budget on my other hobby instead. Just my opinion sir. ^^

[@C--A]

The differences you and a friend heard could be because the gauge of each power cable was different. Or the placebo effect. To compare power cords fairly you have to make certain they are the same gauge. Then do a blindfolded test (with someone swapping them) between the power cords. I'm assuming you and your friend didn't measure the power cables to make sure they were the same gauge. And you's didn't do the listening test blindfolded.

[@bradleybunk6463]

@@C--A so you do think wire gage makes an audible effect...so do I. That being the case, why is 18 awg the magic size that nearly all equipment manufacturers use?

[@Zero_dB]

@@C--A so why would different guage make a different then if we only discuss on scientific term. 10 11 12 13 awg all of them able to carry thousand watt of power which more than enough for any single amp. Why do they still make different then. They should all be the same isnt it.

[@jonmason1955]

Thank-you Gene! Simple electronic science! You've just blasted through the ignorance wall; myth busted! Once again, you rock!!

[@chuopskivlog]

I wanted some audiophile looking cables just for aesthetics but now I’m afraid it’s dangerous

[@amazoidal]

Spare Change had an interview yesterday with Garth Powell about how great the AQ cables with batteries are.

[@Audioholics]

Puke

[@ericshutter5305]

batteries included ... for the movie only 😉

[@davewatson5066]

They are really good. I bought a used pair of Rocket 88 cables with the 48V DBS. Biggest improvement in my system.

[@powersonic6255]

(1) The Isolation Transformer job is to isolate the equipment from the main supply + to step down the ac voltage to the desired level based on the design of the power supply . (2) The Bridge Rectifier's job is to rectifier the " Stepped Down " AC voltage and convert it to DC (3) The Filter capacitors / filter section is used to filter out AC ripples from the rectified DC that was was not rectified or resolved by the rectifier. (4) The Regulated power supply's job is to keep the output voltage constant with changing load or changing current demand . This means shielding your AC cables and spending big bucks on fancy AC cables is a waste of time , and also genuine ' Snake Oil " . Simply separate the interconnect from the power cables . " Actual Space " between the wires are more effective than shielding the wires .

[@quilnty]

Power cable make a huge diffrences, you dont know what you’ve been missing

[@quilnty]

Try between copper and silver cable on your dac, do some blind test. See if you can differentiate, do the same thing on speaker cable.

[@Darkbelovedcloud]

This whole argument is without scientific merit. Everyone knows that dirty electricity is the problem that only a $2500 ac power cord can solve

[@mrd.2090]

Always interesting with these debunking videos, thank you for making them. A video on ground loop-issues would be very much appreciated Gene! :)