Quote:
Originally posted by dave-G
So, I wonder -- how do you compare? Listen to something, then unplug, change power cord, plug back in, power up, and listen to the same thing again? That's a lot of subtlety to remember over the course of this procedure, and a lot of room for your mind to work on your ears, isn't it?
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I've had this current monitoring system set up for several months and have been using the stock power cords. I'd had these Requisite AC cords around for awhile, so I figured I'd just try them on the monitors and DAC1.
I was expecting some sort of subtle change - the kind you mention, Dave, where you have to do some double takes and make sure it's not just your mind exhibiting some sort of placebo effect.
I was shocked. The difference is dramatic. This sounds like analog tape again. I've watched and heard all the things I haven't liked about using digital media fly out the window. I am thoroughly convinced that digital media has not been the problem. The problem has been all the crap analog circuitry we have surrounded the digital media with.
For everyone who has a DAC1 and has been so impressed by it, you haven't heard what it can really do if you're just using the stock power cord.
After having experienced the difference first-hand, I will never use stock power cords on critical components in my studio.
Quote:
hollywood_steve
God, I really wished that these things worked. I am about half-way done moving into my new space and I just had the landlord fix a faulty outlet in my room. Having now seen the cheap crap that runs over 100ft from my room to the electrical closet, it would be swell if adding 3FT of high quality cable at the end of the line would somehow make up for the 100ft run to the closet, but I just don't see how that could work. |
Actually, it will make a difference, and your waterhose analogy is one you could use to think about this. No matter how the water has travelled to your house, the main thing that makes the difference in how the water comes out of the hose is the nozzle. And depend on how you have the nozzle set, you change the flow of the water. Same thing with a quality AC cord. It's the geometry of the AC that affects how the electricity enters the components. And that affects the sound of the component.
And even these aftermarket AC cords sound different. I switched the $300 Requsiite AC cable out on the DAC1 and plugged in a $700 6'
Golden Sound Premier AC power Cable. (Blue). The difference was mainly in the midrange, where the Golden Sound put across a cleaner sounds, whereas the Requisite cable on the DAC1 makes the soundstage bloom more. I couldn't say one is better than the other, and so - as with mics and mic pres - it comes down to personal preference and application.
This is not voodoo. The difference is as apparent as a quality mic pre compared to a cheap mic pre.