eq_shadimar Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 K guy - Just so you know there is the same debate over AC power cords that there is with interconnects and speaker wires. Personally I feel that power is power (UNLESS it is run through a isolation device of some sort) and that I would buy $300 interconnects (which I won't :-) beofre I would buy a $300 power cable. There I did it I opened up a can of worms. I was bored hehehe. Living in mid-fi and loving every second of it :-) Lates, ------------------ Main System - CORNWALLS (circa '79 yippe) RC-3 RS-3's (white) SVS 20-39CS Harman Kardon AVR 510 Hafler P505 (running bridged 800W/4 ohms for sub) ProMedia 4.2 v400 for PC Bedroom - KG4's or RF-3's (haven't decided yet) Harman Kardon AVR 20 MKII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 KG, No, he wasn't kidding about the power cords. Some folks feel power cords make more difference than any speaker cables or interconnects. There was a review in Fi magazine a while back, think it was one of the earlier Accuphase CD players, in which the reviewer (Wayne Garcia?) wasn't going to recommend the CD player because its performance didn't measure up to its lofty price, but then he tried a different power cord, and Yumpin Yimminie the Accuphase was in an altogether different league, making some of the best CD sound yet to be experienced. There's a review of a $1,499 power cord, compared with other aftermarket power cords, available on soundStage! at http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/jpslabs_kaptovator.htm Here's how Grant Samuelsen winds up the review: "...The JPS Labs Kaptovators represent some of the finest power-line components Ive had the pleasure of using in my system. They imbue all music with an organic balance, lifelike tone and natural frequency extension that are a rare combination among power-line products. The Kaptovators proved their worth in capturing the delicate equilibrium of the frequency spectrum. They never called attention to themselves by highlighting or pushing information forward in a contrived or artificial way. Their distinctive construction is optimal for passing unhindered current quickly and quietly to high-power-draw components. My listening experience confirmed that the Kaptovators sounded effortlessly dynamic, balanced and timbrally correct on a wide range of music. They were also musically convincing when used on my source only, but fell just shy of being considered an absolute reference..." Have Fun! And watch out for those electrons - they's SNEAKY! Ray ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake2 Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 "...The JPS Labs Kaptovators represent some of the finest power-line components Ive had the pleasure of using in my system. They imbue all music with an organic balance, lifelike tone and natural frequency extension that are a rare combination among power-line products. The Kaptovators proved their worth in capturing the delicate equilibrium of the frequency spectrum. They never called attention to themselves by highlighting or pushing information forward in a contrived or artificial way. Their distinctive construction is optimal for passing unhindered current quickly and quietly to high-power-draw components. My listening experience confirmed that the Kaptovators sounded effortlessly dynamic, balanced and timbrally correct on a wide range of music. They were also musically convincing when used on my source only, but fell just shy of being considered an absolute reference..." In the immortal words of someone... Puhleeeze!!!! I can almost see the pipes and tweed jackets (with elbow patches, of course)! DD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 PB,well stated. TBrennen,just kidding. gamer,thanks for the laugh.You're right.You wasted your money. Keith I edited the sarcasm(you're welcome Gil). This message has been edited by talktoKeith on 08-13-2001 at 06:30 PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I have very little working knowledge of electricity and electronics, and I've never compared different power cords, so I'll reserve judgment. I must admit, however, that reading the above-referenced review produced a moment of cool, mineral satisfaction. If you genuinely want to hit bottom with solid authority, nothing surpasses audiophilia. It will be your salvation every time you approach such issues and walk away with eternal conviction about your tastes. Speaker wire, tubes/ss, interconnects, power cables, room treatments, component placement, component isolation, digital signal processing, horns/diaphragms/electrostatics, biwiring/biamping, diffusion/absorption, yada, yada -- these will be the puddles of your squallor. I, for one, look forward to many years of swimming in that muck. So far, it has been expensive, but fun; and I gave it an "8" because you CAN dance to it.... After all, who can't love the absolute solitude this obsession can inspire: is this something you do on dates? have you noticed that the quickest way to your friends' hearty yawns is to speak in earnest about your "stereo"? who wants to be seen with a person who spends hours moving his/her speakers around the livingroom millimeters at a time, tape measure in hand? It's as refreshing as a mountain landscape.... Vanity and seclusion, my friends... that's what it's all about. And the chicks dig it. ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake2 Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 PB - LOL, actually ROTFLOL!! I can see the eyes glazing over now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discorules Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 Hey Kieth. Can I interest you in a audio rack stabilizer. It keeps your cd player rock steady so you don't lose any precious bits off your cd and your amp from moving thus allowing your amp to process signals without extraneous stress. The overall musical impact is detail like you dream about and unmachted musicallity. I'll part with it for $5000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamer Posted August 13, 2001 Author Share Posted August 13, 2001 I might need one of those but I wont pay a penny less than $5500. Can you really put a price tag on quality?? PS: No I dont sell used cars for a living! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschguy Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I'm shocked! You guys were right! I read that entire article on the esoteric power cord. It almost sounds believable - good thing I know what that little pin under PWK's lapel said. KG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decibel man Posted August 13, 2001 Share Posted August 13, 2001 I can't say enough about my $4,000 pair of Kimber Kable speaker wires. Granted I had to sell my entire entertainment system. These babies do look great next to the empty audio rack and the newly used refurbished 13" color TV. These wires pick up absolutely no noise. Good luck and remember; more money equals better sound! JT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justin_tx_16 Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 i just have like 500 feet of 12 guage wire from radio shack. that is good enough to me. ------------------ -justin I am an amateur, but if it is professional help you want contact Amy. Email Amy IM Amy Or pick up that phone and call right now Toll Free: 1-888-554-5665 ------------------------- Just do me a favor and run up my counter... I know that sounds sad but so is my site! http://www.fortunecity.com/campus/berry/88/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 I just finished replacing all the power poles between my house and the substation. Nice, but subtle tweek. Next I'll be adjusting some turbines at the Shasta Dam. Nice thing is, if I decide I don't like the effects, they're all reversible! fini This message has been edited by fini on 08-14-2001 at 10:09 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prana-Bindu Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 I suppose it's a function of our tolerance for satisfaction. I could get to the grocery store in five minutes to pick up some milk driving my beat-up chevy, but I'd really like to get there a few seconds faster in a Ferrari. Are those few seconds worth the cost difference? Just because the cost difference is so frickin' huge doesn't mean you're not getting your milk a few seconds faster. Got clean A/C? ------------------ May the bridges we burn light our way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 fini, Hummm.... let's see. At $1,499 for a six foot cord (JPS Labs Kaptovator I referenced above), how much money are would it take me to do the same thing... I live in Oxford. The nearest power substation is in Seymour, about 3.5 miles away. I need to run from outlet to panel, figure, uh, 65 feet... panel to pole, another 75 feet... pole to substation, 18,480 feet... so to get the true effects here, I'd need 18,620 feet, which works out to $4,651,896.67. Geez. Figure in labor, and you'd be talking some serious money... Then, of course, there's the transmission system upstream from the substation... ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougdrake2 Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 This thread is a perfect example about what I love about this board. I know alot of this is tongue-in-cheek, and not meant to put anyone or their opinions down (polite-ness check, right Mystery Guest ?). But I am laughing like an idiot reading these posts. There is some true humor talent here (fini, thought I'd have to change my shorts). Group Hug - Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 Prana-Bindu, "...could get to the grocery store in five minutes to pick up some milk driving my beat-up chevy, but I'd really like to get there a few seconds faster in a Ferrari..." Would you rather spend that five minutes driving your Chevy, or spend the five minutes in a Ferarri? Me, I'd pick the Ferarri. It's not the destination, it's the journey... ...and I'm still trying to figure out which brand of silver clad oxygen free perfect surface copper conductor shielded power cord would work best as a 47,000 volt transmission line between the New Haven Harbor Station and the Seymour substation... ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Garrison Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 oh, one more thing, PB, almost forgot... ya gotta check this out... http://www.omphalos.net/files/filk/DUNE.TXT You're welcome... ------------------ Music is art Audio is engineering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 I didn't beleive it either, but after you have spent major amounts of money upgrading everything else, improving the speaker wire and interconnects with cheap wire is a tweak that is worth more than it costs. I don't believe the hype about power cords either, but due to the sagging power of my new home, I recently picked up a small uninterrupted power supply (UPS) and a new surge protector. With electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency (RF) filtering, the new power strip replaced a very old one. The combination made quite a difference for the money. It seems to lower the noise floor. There was more quiet in the room. Quiet passages had more air around them. Subtle differences I know, but good ones. This improvement is as effective as a disc mat or vibration isolation platforms. It is more noticeable than the difference I found between old and new Monster cable. On a scale of one to ten, where Stereophile speakers rate an 8 or 9, these improvements are a one or a two. When a new pre-amp or CD player can make a one or two point difference (and yet cost hundreds of dollars) then the value of some cables becomes a significant improvement for the cost. The investment should be in proportion to the cost of the system (and this is what the dealers know). What is a grand spent on connections when you already dropped $10K or more on the system? It is nothing to you, daddy warbucks, but it is very important to the dealer and the salesperson. It probably increases their gross profit margin on the sales ticket by 25%. When I was in sales, my profits were in the butter, not the bread. Are $1K in cable and interconnects a significant difference on a $10K stereo? I think it probably depends a very great deal on the impedance matching between the amp and the speakers ------------------ big old Cornwalls, Bottlehead 2A3 Paramour tube amps, Dynaco series II tube pre-amp, Rotel CD player, KSW200 & LF10 subs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBrennan Posted August 14, 2001 Share Posted August 14, 2001 Prana--I don't think your analogy of a Chevy and a Ferarri holds water. The differences in performence between cars are objective and demonstrable, not so with wires. You talk of satisfaction but deluding oneself into satisfaction has nothing to do with high performence. The last 2 times I saw Ferraris they were going 55 in the right lane anyway. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boa12 Posted August 15, 2001 Share Posted August 15, 2001 gamer, the monster Z1 is only 'bout $2/ft. not 2 outrageous. just get the bonneville SSEi of the speaker wire - a lil more prestige than the geo- & be done w/ it already or hey, if u biwire those 10s u could even drop down to monster XP. or get the mcx-2 biwires. & that's just monster. i stick w/ them as they were the 1st real opportunists i know of in speaker wire This message has been edited by boa12 on 08-15-2001 at 12:34 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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