do power cables make a difference
WHY POWER CABLES MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Galen Carol Audio Speaker cables can (and sometimes do) sound different with a given amplifier and loudspeaker combination, even where they are well designed and of reasonable gauge. Ideally, measurement techniques should be used to focus in on the noise floor. Most of us have LOTS of those lying around at home, so finding a pair should be no problem. (I'm no electrical engineer btw. Other times, you need 10 feet, but the device only came with 6. Especially, when somebody makes actual measurements of physical conditions - like noise on a power line - that conflicts with your own belief system. Lack of supporting evidence does not mean that something does not exist. Which is of course why Shunyata wants to show you measurements sometimes. Many of these IEC packages were created for office and computer products and are required to pass certification tests for EMI emissions. There is a wide diversity of preference and subjective perception among individuals. What's hogwash? Measuring at the AC outlet, or measuring a medical device, does not verify the claim that their product alters audio signals. And, most certainly, an awful lot of the explanations are plain hogwash. Power lines present a high impedance to MHz and GHz signals due to the relatively high inductance of power lines. Whats worth your money doesnt always have to perform betterif you enjoy something the placebo effect is strong enough that you will prefer it. (Its still being studied, from what I can tell.). Multiple filter networks can resonate and generate unintended results that have subtle but audible ringing / pinging sounds. Esthetics is also important especially when the system is located in a beautiful home. Do DC power cables make a difference - Audio Chews First well start by testing the output of a test speaker in as controlled an environment as possible, including pink noise, log sweeps, and square waves. I could be wrong, of course. Most audiophiles it seems will never acknowledge the power of sighted bias. I assume you didn't hear lower noise floors, etc., with current capabilities being the same. Of course, cables with the wrong connection type wont work out so well. Although capacitance is of a bigger concern for data and not so much for audio, you can somewhat correlate the conductor's quality to capacitance. Generally speaking, the more capacitors and inductors that you have in a circuit, the more complex the dynamic interactions will be between the devices. Keep in mind, this is an absolute worst-case scenario for cabling: unshielded steel and zinc arent even as good as low-end cables. Then, begin the test by listening to your system (through your test cables) critically, using one or more of your favorite, very best-sounding recordings. If it was worse (which it ended up being - at least to me), well, that sucks, but at least I gave it a try. And, again, if you say "maybe it's just not something for which they can produce technical results demonstrating their claim" then of course.skepticism is warranted, rather than just accepting the claim. Misconception #5: There is some sort of conspiracy among audio designers that keeps them from producing a "proper" power supply that is not affect by power cable quality. The samples were recorded at a distance of 6 away, on-axis, and repeated five times per cable. "Most of what I have to say here are my "conclusions" based upon observation through trial and error testing. You're basically taking the opinions of a bunch of people and molding them into scientific truth. If this hypothesis is true, then even a wire coat hangermade of some of the crappiest-quality metals for carrying a signal (steel, zinc)should be able to carry a reasonably clean signal. Nothing. To be honest, cables potentially only can perform modest filtering functions compared to bulk filters. Crazy. Not much in there to disagree with. As a trained (but not practicing) science, I get especially peeved at the closed-minded folks who wrap their biases in the cloak of basic scientific principles that they often they understand poorly. What do you think happens during a hearing test? WARNING: This experiment calls for cutting the jackets of the cables, so DONT use any cables that you arent willing to risk changing! Answer: This concept is like saying that if a speaker where properly designed, you wouldn't need to use a good quality speaker cable. But, generally their view of flaws in electronic systems are pretty simplistic and focus on first order effects. Some have pointed out that, of course the Shunyata presentation doesn't tell you they chose what seems to be a smaller 18ga stock AC cable to test against the higher 14ga Shunyata cable. Thats not of question, at least to me. 177466-165892 What difference do power cables make? It just does for a lot of people. There is just hard work, occasional inspiration and lots of testing.. Additionally, you dont want to be responsible for screwing up your equipment or house if you mess up somewhere and short something. The problem is that the measurements and demonstrations, do not verity their specific claims. Perhaps you want to give it a try for yourself. Theres absolutely no reason to sit at home and solder up your own network of coathanger cables, because theyre just too unwieldy to use. We created many jigs and test apparatus that allowed us to test wire types, dielectric materials, connector contacts, dampening materials and a variety of transformers, chokes, coils, ferrites, capacitors, triacs and diacs. Saves money, time, product size and weight, and so on. Especially, when somebody makes actual measurements of physical conditions - like noise on a power line - that conflicts with your own belief system. The price is around $350.). Hi-Fi mains cables only make a slight difference in amp output and noise, but the difference isn't large enough to cause an audible change in sound quality. Do Cables Really Make A Difference? - Audiophile Review mpitogo Posts: 464 April 2018 edited April 2018 in Electronics I read another thread that you can hear a difference in power cables. These are measurable. After you have listened to everything, and believe that you are certain that you know what the System sounds-like set up that way, DOING NOTHING ELSE, AND MAKING NO OTHER CHANGES OF ANY KIND, PULL THE JACKETS OFF BOTH TEST CABLES AND LISTEN AGAIN, using exactly the same recordings played at exactly the same levels. Where we found some issues that were potentially audible with the measured response of the speaker, there are none with the cable itself. It's just how human beings work. That certainly sounds like a bias to me. Justification: High end power cables have better connectors, shielded wire, and better wire (higher conductivity and flexibility). My one exposure to them wasn't a success. Theres a reason the normal cable designs havent changed in the better part of a century. I'm not arguing that. Even a cheaper DAC like Behringer shows that such sensitivity is due to poor DAC design than anything to do with USB cables. In the second case, a number of test instruments, not only all imperfect but of different designs (genetics, early age learning, and so on) are observing something probably unfamiliar to them. If you want something with interconnects and shielding that a tank couldnt bust: thats also great! Lack of these measurements, by anybody, suggests to me that either nobody cares about this, for reasons I don't have an answer to, or that it's too hard to do with existing test regimes. 2. I have read many posts from folks who have invested $$$ in power supply units and cables. If you are truly bored one day, and I mean truly bored then there is circa 200 pages worth of reading on DTV forum regarding whether power cables make a difference. For control wires, we selected the Mogami TS patch cable, and a mystery 14-gauge oxygen-free copper braided cablealthough in the course of our recordings we tested other cables, including offerings from Kemper, LyxPro, and others to check to make sure our results were repeatable. Nor will you in the future, so the comments are pretty moot. (By the way, conventional definitions of the word skepticism do not imply having an open mind going in. Really, just consider the utterly astounding number of dubious things people have become convinced they felt, experienced, heard, saw etc (attend a New Age Fair and you will find honest testimonies to the effects of every single wild device or nostrum sold. Isn't this what you are seeking of as necessary proof? Some of these use a relatively small wire size of ~18ga, that sounds surprising full in the bass. Just use as much wire as you need, which is always good advice for cabling. This chart is so zoomed-in that its almost meaningless outside of you wont hear the difference. From this we learn that only at 10kHz, where no fundamentals of our music live: using a coathanger as a cable will result in aslightlyincreased range of emphasis,only when no other sounds of similar frequency are present, andonly when no other harmonics that occupy the same range. If you need a cable like this, it means that the engineers who designed your products were not worthy of the title.". Each of the metal's inherent "sonics" can be ameliorated by careful adjustment of the other materials used in the construction of the final cable. We dont have access to an anechoic chamber, so we went to a recording studio to collect our samples. Except I also took the further step most people don't bother with. Everyone agrees that speakers sound different. As I said I hold no a priori belief that AC cables can not make a sonic difference. That's why in blind tests you can tell people to report which they like when switching between A and B, and even if you are NOT ACTUALLY switching, but remain on the same "A," they can develop a "preference" for what they think they here with "B" (or A). But, don't you wonder why this is? In the first question, the coathangercrushed both other options with 57.1% of the votethrowing off our results big time. Power supplies are designed and tested for this, and it's electrical engineering 101. The noise floor is NOT minimized through averages of multiple sweeps and other noise reduction techniques. It may be perfectly reasonable to ask for most anything. How would being able to measure noise on a power line "conflict with my belief system?" Across all comparisons and samples, the vote broke down like this: Im not entirely sure how or why that first coathanger sample was so convincing for Android Authority readers, but I suspect that there might be something that compelled many people to simply choose the first option on the listperhaps to see the results faster? This is where aftermarket power chords make bigger differences. Smoke Machine Blue Point, Medical Grade Tubing Manufacturers, Belangor Angora Yarn White, Tarrytown Hotel And Conference Center, Articles D
WHY POWER CABLES MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Galen Carol Audio Speaker cables can (and sometimes do) sound different with a given amplifier and loudspeaker combination, even where they are well designed and of reasonable gauge. Ideally, measurement techniques should be used to focus in on the noise floor. Most of us have LOTS of those lying around at home, so finding a pair should be no problem. (I'm no electrical engineer btw. Other times, you need 10 feet, but the device only came with 6. Especially, when somebody makes actual measurements of physical conditions - like noise on a power line - that conflicts with your own belief system. Lack of supporting evidence does not mean that something does not exist. Which is of course why Shunyata wants to show you measurements sometimes. Many of these IEC packages were created for office and computer products and are required to pass certification tests for EMI emissions. There is a wide diversity of preference and subjective perception among individuals. What's hogwash? Measuring at the AC outlet, or measuring a medical device, does not verify the claim that their product alters audio signals. And, most certainly, an awful lot of the explanations are plain hogwash. Power lines present a high impedance to MHz and GHz signals due to the relatively high inductance of power lines. Whats worth your money doesnt always have to perform betterif you enjoy something the placebo effect is strong enough that you will prefer it. (Its still being studied, from what I can tell.). Multiple filter networks can resonate and generate unintended results that have subtle but audible ringing / pinging sounds. Esthetics is also important especially when the system is located in a beautiful home. Do DC power cables make a difference - Audio Chews First well start by testing the output of a test speaker in as controlled an environment as possible, including pink noise, log sweeps, and square waves. I could be wrong, of course. Most audiophiles it seems will never acknowledge the power of sighted bias. I assume you didn't hear lower noise floors, etc., with current capabilities being the same. Of course, cables with the wrong connection type wont work out so well. Although capacitance is of a bigger concern for data and not so much for audio, you can somewhat correlate the conductor's quality to capacitance. Generally speaking, the more capacitors and inductors that you have in a circuit, the more complex the dynamic interactions will be between the devices. Keep in mind, this is an absolute worst-case scenario for cabling: unshielded steel and zinc arent even as good as low-end cables. Then, begin the test by listening to your system (through your test cables) critically, using one or more of your favorite, very best-sounding recordings. If it was worse (which it ended up being - at least to me), well, that sucks, but at least I gave it a try. And, again, if you say "maybe it's just not something for which they can produce technical results demonstrating their claim" then of course.skepticism is warranted, rather than just accepting the claim. Misconception #5: There is some sort of conspiracy among audio designers that keeps them from producing a "proper" power supply that is not affect by power cable quality. The samples were recorded at a distance of 6 away, on-axis, and repeated five times per cable. "Most of what I have to say here are my "conclusions" based upon observation through trial and error testing. You're basically taking the opinions of a bunch of people and molding them into scientific truth. If this hypothesis is true, then even a wire coat hangermade of some of the crappiest-quality metals for carrying a signal (steel, zinc)should be able to carry a reasonably clean signal. Nothing. To be honest, cables potentially only can perform modest filtering functions compared to bulk filters. Crazy. Not much in there to disagree with. As a trained (but not practicing) science, I get especially peeved at the closed-minded folks who wrap their biases in the cloak of basic scientific principles that they often they understand poorly. What do you think happens during a hearing test? WARNING: This experiment calls for cutting the jackets of the cables, so DONT use any cables that you arent willing to risk changing! Answer: This concept is like saying that if a speaker where properly designed, you wouldn't need to use a good quality speaker cable. But, generally their view of flaws in electronic systems are pretty simplistic and focus on first order effects. Some have pointed out that, of course the Shunyata presentation doesn't tell you they chose what seems to be a smaller 18ga stock AC cable to test against the higher 14ga Shunyata cable. Thats not of question, at least to me. 177466-165892 What difference do power cables make? It just does for a lot of people. There is just hard work, occasional inspiration and lots of testing.. Additionally, you dont want to be responsible for screwing up your equipment or house if you mess up somewhere and short something. The problem is that the measurements and demonstrations, do not verity their specific claims. Perhaps you want to give it a try for yourself. Theres absolutely no reason to sit at home and solder up your own network of coathanger cables, because theyre just too unwieldy to use. We created many jigs and test apparatus that allowed us to test wire types, dielectric materials, connector contacts, dampening materials and a variety of transformers, chokes, coils, ferrites, capacitors, triacs and diacs. Saves money, time, product size and weight, and so on. Especially, when somebody makes actual measurements of physical conditions - like noise on a power line - that conflicts with your own belief system. The price is around $350.). Hi-Fi mains cables only make a slight difference in amp output and noise, but the difference isn't large enough to cause an audible change in sound quality. Do Cables Really Make A Difference? - Audiophile Review mpitogo Posts: 464 April 2018 edited April 2018 in Electronics I read another thread that you can hear a difference in power cables. These are measurable. After you have listened to everything, and believe that you are certain that you know what the System sounds-like set up that way, DOING NOTHING ELSE, AND MAKING NO OTHER CHANGES OF ANY KIND, PULL THE JACKETS OFF BOTH TEST CABLES AND LISTEN AGAIN, using exactly the same recordings played at exactly the same levels. Where we found some issues that were potentially audible with the measured response of the speaker, there are none with the cable itself. It's just how human beings work. That certainly sounds like a bias to me. Justification: High end power cables have better connectors, shielded wire, and better wire (higher conductivity and flexibility). My one exposure to them wasn't a success. Theres a reason the normal cable designs havent changed in the better part of a century. I'm not arguing that. Even a cheaper DAC like Behringer shows that such sensitivity is due to poor DAC design than anything to do with USB cables. In the second case, a number of test instruments, not only all imperfect but of different designs (genetics, early age learning, and so on) are observing something probably unfamiliar to them. If you want something with interconnects and shielding that a tank couldnt bust: thats also great! Lack of these measurements, by anybody, suggests to me that either nobody cares about this, for reasons I don't have an answer to, or that it's too hard to do with existing test regimes. 2. I have read many posts from folks who have invested $$$ in power supply units and cables. If you are truly bored one day, and I mean truly bored then there is circa 200 pages worth of reading on DTV forum regarding whether power cables make a difference. For control wires, we selected the Mogami TS patch cable, and a mystery 14-gauge oxygen-free copper braided cablealthough in the course of our recordings we tested other cables, including offerings from Kemper, LyxPro, and others to check to make sure our results were repeatable. Nor will you in the future, so the comments are pretty moot. (By the way, conventional definitions of the word skepticism do not imply having an open mind going in. Really, just consider the utterly astounding number of dubious things people have become convinced they felt, experienced, heard, saw etc (attend a New Age Fair and you will find honest testimonies to the effects of every single wild device or nostrum sold. Isn't this what you are seeking of as necessary proof? Some of these use a relatively small wire size of ~18ga, that sounds surprising full in the bass. Just use as much wire as you need, which is always good advice for cabling. This chart is so zoomed-in that its almost meaningless outside of you wont hear the difference. From this we learn that only at 10kHz, where no fundamentals of our music live: using a coathanger as a cable will result in aslightlyincreased range of emphasis,only when no other sounds of similar frequency are present, andonly when no other harmonics that occupy the same range. If you need a cable like this, it means that the engineers who designed your products were not worthy of the title.". Each of the metal's inherent "sonics" can be ameliorated by careful adjustment of the other materials used in the construction of the final cable. We dont have access to an anechoic chamber, so we went to a recording studio to collect our samples. Except I also took the further step most people don't bother with. Everyone agrees that speakers sound different. As I said I hold no a priori belief that AC cables can not make a sonic difference. That's why in blind tests you can tell people to report which they like when switching between A and B, and even if you are NOT ACTUALLY switching, but remain on the same "A," they can develop a "preference" for what they think they here with "B" (or A). But, don't you wonder why this is? In the first question, the coathangercrushed both other options with 57.1% of the votethrowing off our results big time. Power supplies are designed and tested for this, and it's electrical engineering 101. The noise floor is NOT minimized through averages of multiple sweeps and other noise reduction techniques. It may be perfectly reasonable to ask for most anything. How would being able to measure noise on a power line "conflict with my belief system?" Across all comparisons and samples, the vote broke down like this: Im not entirely sure how or why that first coathanger sample was so convincing for Android Authority readers, but I suspect that there might be something that compelled many people to simply choose the first option on the listperhaps to see the results faster? This is where aftermarket power chords make bigger differences.

Smoke Machine Blue Point, Medical Grade Tubing Manufacturers, Belangor Angora Yarn White, Tarrytown Hotel And Conference Center, Articles D

do power cables make a difference