Are upgraded Power Cables really necessary?

[J!m]

Some power conditioners are better than others. The PS Audio offering from AA seems to be one of the better ones out there for sure. It is (if I'm not mistaken) a regenerative power supply, which converts the incoming A/C to D/C and then back again for full voltage and as much current as it is supplied. SOME of the high-end computer UPS systems do this as well; however many that are called UPS do not provide the true regenerative power. The ones that do as as much or more than the PS Audio one...

Although I have not done my power line up-grade yet (finishing other parts of the house take priority at the moment!) I have 'abridged' my method to make it a lot more user friendly, a bit less expensive, and nearly as effective.

I have had several lengthy discussions with people who are more knowledgeable than I am about RFI, EMI and also the electrician who did the major overhaul in my service.

Basically, the "bang for the buck" solution is to run from the top (new) breaker, run HEAVY cable to reduce voltage drop, and keep it away from all the other A/C service lines in the house. If you have to cross other A/C service lines, cross them at 90 degrees, and avoid all parallel runs as best you can.

This gets you 90% of the way to the (ridiculous) solution I came up with. It is still pricey, as the run of 10-ga copper is the most expensive part (unless you are paying for labor), but the voltage drop over the 50 foot run length (estimated in my case as I do not yet know the exact location of my outlet) is far less over 10-ga (1 volt) than even 12-ga wire (1.6 volts) [6-ga is less than 1/2 volt over 50 feet!]. 12-ga may be sufficient if your outlet will be close to the panel; however mine will be across the house.

There are many on-line programs that indicate voltage drop over distance of wire by gage. http://www.stealth316.com/2-wire-resistance.htm (is one of them) Typical house wiring is 14 or even 16 gage copper, and in some houses, 14-ga Aluminum. Aluminum is a fine conductor; however the aluminum oxide that forms on it over time is one of the best insulators known. It also gets brittle over time and likes to crack and eventually break. If you have this in your house, you know how much fun it is!

So:
heavy (copper) conductor for less voltage drop over the run
As short a run as possible
Nothing else sharing the line
cable kept as far as practical from the other A/C lines in the house
Top breaker in the panel
New, 20-amp breaker dedicated for the line
Good quality 20-amp outlet (isolated ground outlet is not required when one outlet is on a dedicated circuit- it is essentially isolated ground that way anyway!)

That should do it!

[Paranoid_Android]

I ordered the Pangea AC-14SE from AA for my Brio-R and it has made quite a big difference: its something that I could hear almost immediately after I installed it. It's the biggest improvement in sound quality than any Interconnect or Speaker Cable that I have tried on my system. I don't know what the right words to describe it but everything seems much louder (clearer) and it really brings out the Bass in everything I listen too. I don't understand the mechanics or the science of it all, but I can say that I was skeptical at first, so I ordered one and tried it, and was pleased with the results. In fact, I was so pleased that I ordered another AC-14SE w/ C7 Connection for my Musical Fidelity V-PSU.

I know people will still be skeptical about it, but I would go out on a limb and try it for 2.5 weeks or so; if you don't like what you hear, then return it to AA; they have a good return policy. Its only $55 or so for a 1M cable so it's not like you are putting your entire nest egg on something you are skeptical about.

[KateT1985]

husband of Crystal Cable also uses silver gold in all their cables besides the top of the line Crown and Double Crown. My power cords are Siltech. They are amazing. The only down side is the price.

[Bnew]

It is called audio jewerly. Why does one put wax on their sports car? Why would one have their teeth gold plated? Will it make the car quicker? Will the person be able to chew better? No and no; however, based on opinions they look better... Although, I have heard that if you baptize your cables in holy water your system will sound heavenly!

[BANANABRAIN]

i just wanted to say that i recently ,(3 days ago), bought a gutwire b-16 power cord and changed my old threshold s500 cord with it, and wow. i am now enjoying my system again, as when i upgrade to a new component or make speaker adjustments . its amazing. and i have the power amp plugged into a tice power conditioner ,and my pre-amp is plugged into a tice multi branch ac filter. i was a doubter,but ,no more. ill be changing more components power cords in the near future. thanks for allowing me to contribute,sincerely,ALLAN