Powercords - $40,000 Versus $40. Here's My Opinion!
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- čas přidán 15. 04. 2022
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#boulder - Auta a dopravní prostředky
![If you can't hear this then you're not an audiophile [See description for link to followup video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/48PxwspDvrE/mqdefault.jpg)
Brand new wireless Lavalier. I hope you all don't complain anymore 😂
Dude you’re looking great. Forget audio I’d pay you to tell me what you’re doing for diet and exercise. Real talk 😎
@@Puroplatino hahahaha
@@Puroplatino he looks like Shrek, only better.
@@rickyblair8802 Is that like an insult, only better? Lol
@@Puroplatino i just went back to the gym last week and i genuinely need to know how someone can be suport the life of an ultrahigh end audiophile and also be so healthy.
I would love to know the manufacturing cost of a 12,000.00 power cord.
Lol, me tooo. I am in the wrong business
It's always great when someone has the courage to speak their mind and not just go with the flow, but what you do which that challenges group think. I am extremely happy for what you bring to us in your channel! I agree with everything you said in this video. I would also add that many times when comparisons are being made we sometimes are focused too much on something and it takes several days of listening to truly appreciate what a product has to offer as a whole. For example, I just did a interconnect compare and was focused on the high frequencies only, after several days of different sessions of listening I arrived at different decision on what was best, because I listened holistically to the sound, not just the high frequencies.
Nice one Jay. I think this is your best vid so far. Thanks for putting some very sensible perspective on a (potentially) contentious subject. A good system is something to enjoy not obsess down a rabbit hole-where you can't hear the music anymore.
Thank you so much
Great video, thanks for doing the cable comparison Jay!
My pleasure
Loved the video. Jay. The sound is amazing. Thank you and always stay encouraged. Yes, you are truly blessed. Nothing but love for you.
Thank you
Very interesting video. Looking forward discovering the power unit you are going to promote 👍
Like Nazi ice cream
Can't wait to know what this product is Jay I'm very excited about this one.
Jay, have you ever tried making or have made for you a power cable that uses the same wire that's in your walls? Just wondering. Did you try switching the cables in only one unit at a time to see in which unit a change made the greatest difference?
100% agree with everything you're saying here, which I've learned over the last 45 years. Continually learning still!
Awesome
I’m guessing Shunyata Everest, just based on my own experience. It was a game changer in my system, leading to a full loom of Shunyata Omega, Sigma, and Delta V2 power chords.
Yes, Denali 6000s v2 w/Alpha v2 xc
Hi Jan, What PC works the best on Mephisto ? I know you mentioned AQ Dragon HC ones, what else would you recommend ?
You are doing the right thing, comparing gear that most people don’t.
Love your channel, keep going mate 👍👌🎼🎼🎼
HUH ? The boulder was reviewed a Shat ton of times . John Darko wrote about the MSB select II in 2015 and the Focals ? You are kidding right ? I guess you guys don't read audiophile rags.
Thank you for all these videos! All I have to say is you don't have to have a million dollar system to enjoy music... But I really appreciate what you do in us allowing access to products that some of us will probably never have the opportunity to have! What I find unfortunate with some people is that they spend more time listening to their systems than listening to the music itself... Maybe that's why some people in the presence of live performance, seem to find it doesn't sound right... That's why I really wonder if their systems are really high fidelity or just that they fashioned it to their tastes... I presume that there will be as many good systems as there are pairs of ears to listen to them! Thanks again for your good work!
Thank you Andre
Thanks a lot of your efforts, love it and keep going, as you have a quite nice setup!! Yes, yes, cables matter, like special Ethernet switches/filters or analog/digital cables!!
Did I miss something? So, what WAS the cable you swapped on the Boulder preamp? I thought the second presentation was audibly better in many aspects, but mostly on better defined space around the singers, better resolution.
I just changed out my Prima Luna Dac for the DCS Bartok. Before I had through Roon wifi on computer to Apple tablet. I had ethernet hard wired from main cable router. So far I like the Bartok extra detail but it's not dialed in yet. With Prima Luna the singer was more upfront and cymbals in the background. With Bartok I find the cymbals to forward in the staging and singer too far back. I read a bunch of modes on the Bartok to adjust voltage and the phasing and settings. My guy was out of town that helps listen and adjust after install but will come by my place in May to help dial it in. The audio place I use has the main installers put gear in and do small test and then more experienced sales person comes by to dial in.
Great presentation Jay!!!! 👏 I learned so much from this topic.
Thanks man
Reason #1 , should be the only reason for the craziness we embark with in this hobby. Pleasure talking with you over lunch today Jay. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me and have a great conversation about the journey yesterday!
you are correct to do what you do jay , i say check everything you can and decide for yourself if its worth the difference in money .......
Very good videos and your system is beautiful keep up the good work.
Like ice cream
Like Nazis ice cream
I own Venom 10 and 12 power cords Venom 8 Power distribution with the Defender protection all from Shunyata. Very pleased.
what about stock cords vs mid/high end w/a conditioner? you are genuine jay?
thank you for all you do jay.......God Bless you!
Jay, im new to your channel and absolutely love it. My budget is mid hi-fi, but ive had some great gear. I appreciate living vicariously through your vids. Thank you! 😂
I use some nice Shunyata v2 A/C cords on my Focal/Parasound/Mola Mola setup.
It’s not necessary to get good sound, as you proved. However, I do find that it makes a significant difference.
You should do amazon basics/stock cables on everything versus aftermarket that would be super interesting
Big believer in power cords. AND cables that match the system. Think that’s why I loved the Nordost Odin 1 power cords with the McIntosh gear I had. The more forward presentation of Odin matched well with the warmer McIntosh. Good video!
Don't believe - As that, " Is the absence of proof ".
@@99fulham99 Proof to who? you?
@@beyondonethousand Belief - Is a state of mind that leads people to believe something -In the total absence of supporting evidence. Get it now?
@@scottwheeler2679 I am saying that the Nordost was a great match to the Mac gear and sounded better vs another brand I had.
@@99fulham99
I get YOU now. You don’t believe in anything, mostly your own self. Go live by yourself.
Great discussion. Power conditioner may be a better investment for me. Waiting on your reveal. Thx Jay!
Stay tuned
Most good amp manufacturers recommend just using the supplied power cable. If I had the cash to burn I would also spend 200 k just on cables as well those fancy power cables are hard to stay plugged in . There’s no question that you took this hobby into the next level.great video.
At the same time with an extra 200k to spend you could use it to get a full body massage, take some edibles, go on vacation and get your dick sucked while listening to your system and still have 199k to spare. Just sayin
Amplifier plugged into wall socket with russ Andrews Mini Purifier SuperClamp beside it ,everything else plugged in AudioQuest niagara 1200 or russ Andrews X Block.The Mini Purifier SuperClamp will sort the noise like fridge lamps computers on the power line.
You are absolutely right, many "audiophiles" pay attention to details and nuances, but they don't care about the "basics": the mains supply (and to cure maniacally the ground/earth level !) must be as clean as possible and the room must be as treated as possible (without creating a "dead room" or an anecoic chamber). I'll be very curious about your thoughts on room correction software, especially for the low and deep low end of the audio spectrum. I guess that this is the way to squeeze the last % in sound quality, more than spikes, feets or also "stupidly expensives" cables.
I build speaker crossovers for my speakers and use alligator leads to experiment with crossover components. But when I had completed the crossover build (without the alligator leads) the crossover sounded different! So much so that I had to change some components. Cables do make a difference. The (cheap) alligator leads are made of iron, not copper and I think that is the problem.
probelm is not in material of aligator leads, but in the aligator clips contacts, so you have some added resistance when using a aligator clips, which affect the crossover filter resonance behaviour.
Also break-in of the components will change!
Can't wait to find out the Equipment you are Representing! I am going to be setting up a rural power pole connection with it's own transformer to the building! Jay, do you prefer Power Conditioner's or Power Regenerators for best results!✌️
You'll find out soon...stay tuned
Loved this video Jay! Takes a lot of courage to stand against the audiophile snobbery and just continue to do what you like. Tons of respect and thank you for what you do! And I might be one of the few who actually like the videos where you give your opinions more than the ones with just music playing.
Thanks brother
Understood Loud and clear Sir!
You are absolutely right jay love your verity of content ALWAYS 👏
Thanks John
Hi Jay, thank you for inspiring me to buy power cables, incredible gain. Can I ask you if you have a playlist? Beat Hotel is an amazing tune.
Here's my tidal playlist
tidal.com/playlist/14d2b4e5-4a02-44b6-9f63-65d7109e82db
Can take even longer than days or weeks for cables to break in throughly with your system.
Yep
Jay much appreciate you sharing your gear and educating us .Thank you my man your gonna save me some scarce $$
Glad to help
what you did is very clever, congratulations!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Jay, Great video! You're never going to convince a percentage of people about the differences in audio cables, so keep in mind you don't need their validation or belief in what you *know* to be true. Looking forward to the video you teased about "power"
@@scottwheeler2679 I'd like to know the ratio of god belief:power cable believers.
@@scottwheeler2679 agreed. I'm not immune to suggestion or emotional triggers either. Far from it. And that's even while possessing the intellectual awareness of it, as it's happening.
I've bought plenty of things based on aesthetic when it was really meant to serve a specific function.
I also have AQ interconnects, speaker and a few power cords. Again, I like the way they look. A big fat meaty cable +1 manliness for me. Like Jay's muscles. It all helps quell those human insecurities and if you believe it helps, it probably helps. It's just a jar of dirt though. So there's that.
What is happening when the cable "settles in" to a new system?
Dielectric bias...
Hi Jay nice to meet you, i come from Macau...
Omg!! Incredible collection!
I guess it would be a good idea to use 1 highend kabel for the "powerstation" itself and from there everything gets "cleaned up" and then it isn´t most important to use expensive cables to the units or would say ALWAYS us great powerkabels for every unit?
Great Video Jay. I must say allot of the high end power cords are way to heavy to allow a sound electrical connection to the IEC input plug these IEC plugs were never designed to have such heavy cables plugged into them. The weight of these types of power cables will pull the cable down at an angle partly reducing the contact with the IEC electrical pin and so worsening the connection. Also the IEC plug maybe PCB mounted within the component this again will stress the connections between the IEC socket and the PCB and again worsening the connection. I believe Furutech have a range of products to help support the weight of the these cables and plugs to help maintain a better connection. I certainly believe good quality power cables make an audible difference to a well put together audio rig but I also like to see how far you can strip it back and maintain a good soundstage so swapping out a $6k power cord for a $10 power cord on all components is fully stripped back and as you have found your audio rig still sounded very good :) Don't forget a well engineered audio component will take the AC line in at mains voltage and filter it using a high quality mains filter to screen out RF & high frequency noise. The filtered AC voltage will then be reduced to say 12-24volts using a high quality step down toroidal transformer and then convert this lower AC voltage to DC using high quality fast diodes before applying a huge amount of secondary filtering using good quality capacitors. This lower DC voltage will then be regulated maybe up to 3 times before its allowed to enter the sensitive parts of the analogue audio chain this whole process is commonly called a linear power supply. This low voltage heavily regulated DC power supply looks nothing like your AC electrical supply entering your House if you were to analyze this DC supply on scope it would be be ruler flat like a straight line not wavey like an AC sine wave. My advise is don't waste your money on hugely expensive power cords put your Money into well engineered audio components with well engineered built in power supplies using high quality components with lots of regulation and capacitor reserves this will have a far greater positive effect on your audio signal than any power cord on planet Earth regardless of materials used, design and price.
The built-in (but located in a separate chassis) LPSUs are a key to the performance of the MSB Select Dac. As for power chords, fully agree DIY Furutech cables are the way to go - they actually offer close to the best if not the best engineering in the world, and if done DIY you remove expensive labour cost mark-ups and can create $2000 value cables for around $300.
I call BS. Power cords don't "settle or cook in". The physics of the electrons in electricity don't change, nor does the physics of the wiring. When it's plugged in, its energized and electrons flow. Go ahead and A - B them immediately. If you have terrible power to your home (noise or fluctuations), a 4' cable won't magically fix it. Would these cables change the sound if your system was running at the power plant, running off the source? Change the sound of your system with your home outlets delivering 105 volts coming from them? Have you replaced all the 12 - 14 gauge wiring in your home to something twice, three times as large?
Here's a GREAT video for you to do. Bring in ten people, do a cable comparison of all your different cables, and see if anyone can hear which cable is the Amazon or stock cable. Don't worry about "cooking" them in, because they'd all have the same conditions for the test, and it doesn't matter anyway. Ten cables with one would being the cheap one. See how many people can determine which is the cheap power cable. That would be must see TV.
@@scottwheeler2679 I'd be willing to bet a thousand dollars not one of the ten audiophiles could pick the cheap power cord, unless by luck. Lots of changes make sonic differences in good systems, but power cords are psycho acoustic changes. If you think it sounds better great, but let's have a video of ten audiophiles trying to select (hear) the cheap power cord. While we're at it, let's do the same with speaker wire floor risers. That'll never happen because Jay has a financial interest in what he's selling.
I think the ultra hi end stuff probably has a power supply that’s not as susceptible to cable variants as lower price components. I have a modest system and cabling makes a difference.
That's the real answer on this stuff. Your lesser system will benefit much more than an Uber system like Jay's.
we should make a solar set up for hi fi/clean and quiet
It's interesting and yet too bad that the microphone 🎤 doesn't adequately show the differences in the bass region. I remember that one of the most awesome experiences happened with my system 25 years ago when I replaced 2 stock power chords with upgraded with ones I made out of Audioquest midnight speaker cables. The bass took on a whole other level. Apparently, the ear and body is quite a bit more sensitive to change than the microphone for bass.
I'm not sure I follow. You're stating that the human ear is more sensitive to measuring audio than a sensitive measuring mic?
Im right with ya brotha! You can experiment in ways most of us can only dream of, so sharing your adventures holds much value for alot of us watching. Shit... Id love to see you mix more bottom shelf with top shelf & behind the counter gear ; )
Thanks man
@@jaysaudiolab I definitely think there would be value in setting yourself up a 2nd rig for on the fly A-B testing btw ; )
Good video. Can't wait to see that A/B comparison. I would be SURPRISED if I hear an actual difference. Please just make sure it's blind to the audience. And I'd suggest that you if you have a poll where people can vote, you include amongst the voting options, "hear no difference" (in addition to "cord A sounds better" and "cord B sounds better", or however you choose to word it).
Sounds good
@@jaysaudiolab I'd like to add that you also ought to be subjected to a blind test on these cables. Cuz let's be honest: you're terribly biased, whether you agree or not, as you believe in pricey cables. Ideally, you'll have someone else do the switching and capturing of the cables/music playback. That person should simply call it cable A and cable B, and allow you to upload it, but without you knowing what cables A and B are. And THEN you should also participate in the comparison and tell us what you think about the sound of A and B. Then finally, that person will reveal to you which cable is which. That's what you ought to do.
Perfect timing for me since I'm getting ready to buy power cables. I'm not going to use the stock power cables but I'm not going to invest a fortune in cables either. I think for under $500/Cable I can get a nice cable that will do the job.
All depends of the system and money you have. Thats all!
I believe in RESULTS! The cost of something does not always reflect the outcome. You generally get what you pay for, but not in all cases. TY! for being our guinea pig! Now we know something we may have never known. Not everyone can afford the best. Me, I can only afford things that are a few hundred dollars. I follow you for the education, and because of curiosity. You (Jay) and OCD Mikey are great people! TY! TY! TY! TY! for all that you do for the rest of us!
THANK you
So was there a difference? I couldn't hear anything at all.
So your entire house is wired with normal wires but the power cord that comes from your wall - that one needs to be 40k. Would love to see the science on that.
Call me strange, I prefer to hear the difference instead.
@@DaveJ6515there isn’t one - that’s the point lol
@@Sloimer says who? A mister nobody who never heard my setup. Go figure.
@@DaveJ6515 says anyone not entranced by gear addiction and with some common sense.
@@DaveJ6515No,it would be the people who actually test the regular chord and the high end power chord and compare the two and realize there is literally zero difference in eliminating noise or distortion. There are plenty of CZcams videos on this. Your ears are deceiving you
It is sad that people can't just enjoy the ride.
I totally agree with you Jay, cables need to settle. It cannot be emphasized enough how important this is.
Very much looking forward to the new "power" product you will be repping.
Thanks man
Jay, great content and you exposured the haters just as manufacturers of cables.
Thank you
What I'm trying to figure out is why a company would make a 20-100k amp, and then ship it with a normal UL rated power cable if it made their equipment sound crappy? Can someone explain why they would do that?
Ever read the owners manual on a high end component?
They often state they supply a cheap cord because they know it will get replaced with something better.
Customers who believe power cables don't matter will use the stock cable (often called a "courtesy cable"). Customers who believe power cables matter will want to pick their own custom cable.
100% agree. New cables needs to settle or "burn in" as it's called. Then a few hours extra of listening to music to decide if it's actually better than the old cable.
If the songs you always like sounds boring or off just sell the cable or use it for the coffee machine or something ;)
Hahah
They do make it taste better😜
There's break-in, and then there's letting a cable settle in, if it's just been installed, even if it was already broken in. When it comes to break-in, I think most cable's and equipment take a full 1000 hrs of continuous use to be fully broken in.
Yes sir
If you believe cable break-in is real then you're not one of the skeptics this video was made for in the first place. I for one have not been able to reliably hear a difference on systems I've had north of 10K. I tried super expensive wire and connectors that are like 300 just for the connectors and 100 dollars per foot for the cable (OCC Copper+Silver mix 10ga) and I couldn't tell the difference from other cables, be they industrial 10ga stranded I made up or the stock 14ga cable.
I'm not trying to say there is no difference, just that I can't hear it. I have been able to hear differences in interconnects, speaker cables, different DACs, etc. So I know my system is resolving enough to show those particular differences.
@@amirjubran1845 i can show you in my system...
*❌✅ Amir Jubran 👋🧐‼️ here’s your real TEST. For the (( AUDIO F.OOL )) ASK Them if they Can hear the deference between Super Expensive Optical Cables **_or_** Cheap Optical Cables//. If they Say YES that’s A* _❌ ((AUDIO F.OOL)) ✅_ *P.S. ; I don’t believe JAY has ever done this So I will stay Subscribed to him and ODC Mikey. The two Best on (YT)👋😎‼️*
*❌🤣👍 (( ONES & ZEROS ))*
Hi Jay have you ever auditioned Stromtank power regeneration
Not yet
The power from the home breaker box to the outlet, continuing on to the electronic component, can be no better than the weakest link. That weakest link is probably the wire from the home breaker box to the wall outlet. I don't know about a $9.99 power cord from Amazon, but a high quality 14 gauge power cable should work fine from the wall outlet to the electronic component. Obviously, adding a power conditioner also helps, but no reason to go overboard on that either.
Stay tuned for more!
You are so wrong ......
I wasn't shocked I knew it would sound just as good. Appreciate it.
❌Yup👋😎 __ some are miss understanding // that 1-100 ((💯 👈 being a big deference)) your maybe only gonna get a 5% Deference in sound ,and that only applies if you one ☝️ have a grounded system or two have some gear with a weak power supply an rectifier & filter circuit design ‼️ I have seen even so called High End companies skimp on this ☝️🤣‼️ the biggest change you can get in cables will be the speaker cables , they can and will change sound depending on brand and type , but the only question there is do you want to color the sound or not 🤔❌
Great video Jay! What the heck happened with your room acoustics? It used to be really echo’y and now nothing. Different mic? Thats so strange. I wonder if it was a mic issue all along because you (Jay) were saying the room was not exho’y…
Anyhow great vid on power cords. Much appreciated video. Awesome job
I got a Lavalier
You're da man. "Because I can"👏👏
I already made a comment but after the video I wish to make another one. People need humility. How dare people talk shit to you since you have one of the top 1% of set ups around. I’m sure the ones who critique or dismiss things as snake oil generally are the same kinda of people who argue politics on Facebook. Who has time for that? Keep doing you brother. We follow you because we understand you and most of us, myself especially, think you are one of the most honest guys in the audio business. One day I’ll email you and get some paid advice but for now I’m waiting to finish a few things. When it comes to fine tuning I’m gonna hit you up for sure. Cheers from Italy 🇮🇹
Thank you brother. I appreciate your support so much!
It's ironic that a serial virtue signaller is talking about humility
Lol so cute, the Cable Nazi is angry. When he is angry he predictably resorts to racism, and is not smart enough to even know what virtue signaling is or understand what he's been actually doing all along. Just wondering, is being a racist bigot grounds for banning someone from posting on this channel?
"$40,000 dollars worth of powercords" should never be a part of anyone's vocabulary unless they work in a powercord factory
great vid
I would guess that, with the new addition of the Stromtank, you wouldn't need to get ultra expensive power chords anymore. Makes sense?
It was an excellent comparison and chance to hear.
Agreed
The key is not to decide based upon price, you need to decide based upon performance.
If they don’t make a difference in YOUR system, they are a waste of money no matter what ANYONE says.
If they DO, only YOU can decide if the improvement is worthwhile.
It’s all your personal call.
Agreed man
Bravo Jay! 👍
Power conditioner or regenerator is also required
Going where angels fear to trod! Running the gauntlet! This dude!!
Can’t agree more. I remember when I first hooked up my system on to the fabulous Audiomagic Oracle power purifier with their Clairvoyant power cords. I was gobsmacked at the sonic improvement.
Yea, Audio magic made some great stuff. I was blown away by their Sorcerer speaker cables. Those silver ribbons just got it right. No grain and great bass. Unbelievably thick though, and not flexible .
Has i said to you Jay previously, try the esprit gaia power cables, they are amazing. I have one in my power and compared with nordost, shunyata and transparent all of the same level models, the esprit wines so far from the others. Give a try! They are amazing.
great system !
Keep doing what you do jay.
WOW…!!! Great Info.!!!
Attended an Audioquest power cable shootout from the stock powercords on a very modest system. One cable to an integrated through a CD player. The stock one sounded closed in and vailed. Worked our way up to the 10K dragon powercord. What I learned was there is sweet spot in the $200 to $500 range which I could live with in this very modest system.
Diminishing returns as everywhere else in audio.
That makes totally sense, I would never spend thousands of dollars in cables on my university student system: it would be perfectly useless.
The power answer is have a dedicated line put in by your electric company.
Dedicated lines are great and is the first step IMO. Power cords still make a significant differences, especially on clean dedicated lines. There are less noise to muddy the water and any differences can be picked up much easier.
Just get an S-Booster.
Try it , find out.
Very interesting thoughts which in a way comes down to the ancient argument in audio that has split opinions to two opposing sides in regard to 'settling in cables' and might as well include 'burning in audio components such as amplifiers and speakers.' The people who on the whole feel its hifi voodoo seem to consist of scientists, engineers or similar professions who answer why does the sound change the longer one uses the system etc..because probably the listener is getting use to the new sound. While the otherside opinion comes from users, reviewers and audiophiles who know by listening that the sound does change (hopefully for the better...!) I believe that others do believe in hearing in improvement of sound. I have never heard it in my systems but when I had my previous old laptop which was slow in nearly everything, it did improve after two hours of use (does that count in a round about way....?)
You hit the nail on the head addressing cable naysayer’s and the most likely reason why they are naysayers , spot on .
Thank you
@@scottwheeler2679 Well that sure is saying a lot 😂
@@scottwheeler2679 No need , your all stuck in your ways and unfortunate you will never hear the potential of your own systems or just don’t have a resolving enough system to ever hear changes. Either way it is what it is I know what I hear along with those that know better.
@@scottwheeler2679 And you keep going and going and going to try to seat yourselves as all knowing lol, love it when you trolls reveal yourselves 😆. Have fun with your negative naysaying BS 👍and also you don’t know about me either so stop making assumptions guy .
@@scottwheeler2679 Sorry but I don’t follow orders from anyone anymore since my 20 plus year retirement from the Army let alone trolls so please take your weak useless argument somewhere else or better yet go back Amir’s forum where all you measurement none listening people go 🤣
Sorry! But when will you be revealing this “new marvel of equipment” you were spoken about at the end of this video ?
Can’t wait anymore as I am working on building my new listening room !
Thanks for your reply and keep up the good work !
If you are desperate to know then consider my consultation service. This is why I offer this.
Jay, did you get a Stromtank?
Stay tuned to find out
I agree that cables and power cords matter, but they do not have to be expensive. The wires in the walls and outlets matter too, but they do not need to be expensive either. Good quality, commercial/industrial grade wires chosen carefully can be as good or better than fancy audiophile products, and they can save the hobbyist a lot of money.
I would venture to say whether you hear improved sound with a upgraded power cable depends on how inferior the original cable was. For example, using the same upgraded cable on my oppo 205, and the Sony ES 1100, it made a small improvement and a larger improvement respectfully. Using the same cable on my computer made a big improvement in sound and picture.
@@scottwheeler2679 Is a $5.00 steak the same as a $30 steak? Can u tell me why? I am not an audio engineer. However, I know what my ears are telling me.
@@scottwheeler2679 What part of I'm NOT an audio engineer do you NOT understand! Besides, I'll bet that if I was to research it, and give you the facts, that you will come back with ALTERNATIVE facts! End of discussion.
I'm with you, and I think that power cables make a difference. But in my opinion you are better off getting less expensive cords and putting the money into EQ'ing your room properly. I know that this sounds like some hometheater talk but, the interaction of your speakers with the room makes a huge difference. For years I ran my hifi rig with just room panels and other things you can do to help. BUT, unless you have the perfect build size room along with treatments, you are never going to get you rig to sound balanced.
Every room has peaks and nulls and unless you measure your room and you compensate for the peaks and nulls you are never going to get your rig to sound balanced. Sorry but that's just the way it is.
I recently removed my DAC/Preamp "very well regarded by the way" and installed a different one. One that includes room correction built in. WIth that, I was able to find that my room had a 12db peak at 70hz and a dip somewhere around 120hz. The preamp allowed me to correct for that "to a point" and the sound is the most clear and satisfying bass I have heard on my rig.
I have gone through power cables and with some I was able to hear the differences they made in my rig but what properly calibrating your rig to the room can do is much more than any cable can do.
I recommend people focus and spend their money and energy into EQ'ing your rig to your room. The gains very significant.
Juan, I agree with you 100%. If people saw the response of their rooms especially at bass frequencies they would be shocked. Room treatment and equalization seem to be thought of as not being true to the hobby by the audiophiles. “The simpler the better” is the mantra of many. Simple tone controls could help so many poor recordings that have great musical performances, but no, tone controls and EQ are not allowed in the signal path as they could lose information in the recording. Very few people have anywhere near enough bass trapping. Multiple subwoofer placed around the room can smooth the bass peaks and valleys better that simple acoustic absorbers. But no, subs are not for true audiophiles, let alone 3 of 4 of them. Todd Welti has shown and proven that multi-subs smooth bass response. Why do Audiophiles limit themselves when the best possible reproduction is their goal? I hope Jay addresses this topic someday.
@@Random-kq4pz correct. Most audiophiles don't like to address those issues "at least not in public" and when I first got in this hobby/addiction I was one of those people that didn't use subwoofers and tone controls in my rig. And while I can understand the concerns that some people had in the past with sound degradation happening by installing another piece of gear and routing the signal through it. Now a days you have tone controls and EQ adjustment that is made in the digital domain. Less degradation of the signal if any and the gains of having it surpasses that of not having it. I now have a stereo rig that uses room correction and dual subwoofers that extend my speakers to "full range" and it sounds really good to me and people that hear it. I find that many audiophiles and even people myself "in the past" fight with progress and fail to see and accept that technology is moving forward and that it can be use to our advantage. The biggest things in a sound system are the speakers and the room. Get those 2 things right and everything else will just be icing on the cake.
@@JC.LC. Well said Juan, I agree. Let's not forget how important the source of our music is. The output of the system can be no better than what we feed into it. I will add the source to your speaker and room importance order, these are the big 3.
@@Random-kq4pz off course, garbage in= garbage out.
@@JC.LC. agreed
Thank you Jay for telling the truth about power cords!
Are those the real Carbon Specials?
I always listen to CZcams through my 1985 Sony Trinitron ( set on channel 3) and the radio directly through the wall power outlets - AM only. You know how much money I've saved in components!?
Jay, I have to say something that I believe does make a difference when comparing power cords. We know that during the times of day or night or periods of time our system does sound different. At night everything does seem to sound better due to the fact that there is less noise in the electrical system as a whole coming to and through our house. With certain meters we can pick up this noise before and after the line conditioner. So if we are using a conditioner or not, would it be a good idea to record the amount of noise at the same time we are comparing the power cords?
If there is for some reason more notable noise coming in, then the comparison maybe should not take place.
Good idea
I am convinced SQ significantly improves after sun down.
Un shielded power transmission lines are subjected to solar radiation during the day. As light is also electromagnetic ,an interference of the 2 fields occurs when they interact. We perceive that as noise in our audio systems.
You seem to forget your audio equipment converts AC to DC, so the line noise and distortion is pretty irrelevant , plus all passive AC filters have a negligible difference on distortion, given the size of equipment needed to filter second and third harmonic at 15/20 Amps they are lucky if they have any effect below 500 hertz and most of the distortion lies there not above ie 120, 180, 240, 300, 360 hertz etc
I wouldn’t trust those meters on you conditioner you need to check with decent testing equipment
it a absolutely does not make a difference. what you are experiencing is a function of biology. your ears are like a muscle. by the time night rolls around, it has been in use all day and does not function the same. power has absolutely nothing to do with it.
further more, if your IEC makes a difference, your gear is broken or you're imagining things
@@nolondon yes, I don’t understand the logic here, if there super pcs conduct incredibly well, and I have no cause to doubt it, then they are conducting 3% distortion from the wall to their machine, then it goes back to ordinary wire, and is converted to DC by the power supply all ordinary wire of appropriate gauge
The fundamental noise and distortion of a device is self-made, not external unless very bad power supply design which even $500 Dacs don’t have anymore
My biggest worry is that many of these cables are not certified safe, I hope if they get a short, the cables don’t catch on fire :(
The boulder 3050 mains hum is -130 db at 60Hz the limits of hearing is -115 db with nothing else playing otherwise it’s about -40db with other tones you couldn’t hear a difference even if one existed seriously …..self-delusion on an expensive scale !
I manufactured my own, high spec. 6 x 1.5 m. power chords for around €600 .
Personally I found no difference in AC cable for my gryphon Diablo 300. On the other hand, my streamer is totally opposite. I tried 8 cables on the streamer and every cable clearly change the sounds. Its like I have change equipment brands. It’s not all about the cable but also the quality of the equipment. Just like Taiko didn’t matter when plugged in to the MSB dac. It all depends…
Yep
Jay what you're talking about is foundation it is so important so so very important.
Thanks
The bigger question is, would you be better off taking that $40,000 and put it into better equipment versus power cables. In your case, you're already have top of the line ultra components, so that question may not apply to you. But what about those with more modest systems? Would anyone putting a system together be better off using stock power cords, and putting that money into a better amp, or preamp, or even speakers?
Apparently you didn’t watch the whole video or if you did you tuned out the part when he addressed this.
Hard to answer this question
Jay I think you should go and look at your 3050 internal ; if you look at the wiring to and from the boulder 3050 transformers, there is no magic super cable, it’s just plain old wire, the idea that this has no effect but your power cord does, is just magic thinking
It seems that audio system 'synergy' is key...perhaps the most "synergistic" sound system is a battery powered transistor radio.