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Power Cords - more about .
I am saddened to see the Power Cords thread, started by Jaynaldo , is closed , and particually because there are some good points made by a few of the posters .
Many people misunderstand about Wire , Cables , etc ... of all types used in Audio , AND , I do understand such , because we are not taught of the additional matters , but only about the simple matters , such as wire gauges and Resistance , and then Capacitance and Inductance only for R.F. and other high-frequency applications - above the Audio bandwidth .
Consider seriously :- all ports in an Audio component are both Input and Output , despite their primary purpose labelled as either :- Input ; Output ; Mains Power . Examine a schematic diagram , for those who understand such , or consider this :- it is primarily a matter of the Impedance at the port , the degree it will operate mostly as an Input or an Output .
Cables act as Aerials and pick up Radio frequencies and whatever else similar is in the area . R.F. thus gets into the CD player ; Amplifier ; Tuner {in other cables than simply its aerial} , etc ... This R.F. is seen as Signal the same as the Audio signal , and the component processes it as such , eg:- in the Feedback loops in almost ALL Active audio components , etc ...
OK , so the mains supply is supposedly rectified and filtered , thus should be pure DC on the power supply rails in the component , but all filter capacitors are not effective over parts of the Electro-Magnetic spectrum , and owing to their physical construction all capacitors in the power supply sections have some parasitic Inductance , thus electrical resonances occur , and the high or low Impedance points associated with electrical resonances . These points are the frequencies which then cause problems in the circuit , eg:- intermodulation distortions ; reduction of Headroom ; etc ...
So , to power cords :- yes all the house wiring , etc ... before , is ordinary wire , and this picks up the R.F. etc ... , which a power cord that is designed as a Filter can prevent getting into the component , in simply its short length . None of these will be perfect , and some will filter in different ways depending on their electrical design and construction , thus some filter part of the R.F. spectrum and not another part , etc ...
There is more to all this than I have written above , however the above should be sufficient to explain that something is occurring .
Different audio components differ in their susceptibility to R.F. input on the mains supply , AND , in some areas there is more or less interference than in other areas , thus the same component can exhibit greater sensitivity to a change of power cord type in one listener's home than in another's .
For those listeners who do not hear any difference when a different type of cable is used , consider yourself lucky ! , and please let the remainder of us discuss these matters .
Respectfully , Chris .
Many people misunderstand about Wire , Cables , etc ... of all types used in Audio , AND , I do understand such , because we are not taught of the additional matters , but only about the simple matters , such as wire gauges and Resistance , and then Capacitance and Inductance only for R.F. and other high-frequency applications - above the Audio bandwidth .
Consider seriously :- all ports in an Audio component are both Input and Output , despite their primary purpose labelled as either :- Input ; Output ; Mains Power . Examine a schematic diagram , for those who understand such , or consider this :- it is primarily a matter of the Impedance at the port , the degree it will operate mostly as an Input or an Output .
Cables act as Aerials and pick up Radio frequencies and whatever else similar is in the area . R.F. thus gets into the CD player ; Amplifier ; Tuner {in other cables than simply its aerial} , etc ... This R.F. is seen as Signal the same as the Audio signal , and the component processes it as such , eg:- in the Feedback loops in almost ALL Active audio components , etc ...
OK , so the mains supply is supposedly rectified and filtered , thus should be pure DC on the power supply rails in the component , but all filter capacitors are not effective over parts of the Electro-Magnetic spectrum , and owing to their physical construction all capacitors in the power supply sections have some parasitic Inductance , thus electrical resonances occur , and the high or low Impedance points associated with electrical resonances . These points are the frequencies which then cause problems in the circuit , eg:- intermodulation distortions ; reduction of Headroom ; etc ...
So , to power cords :- yes all the house wiring , etc ... before , is ordinary wire , and this picks up the R.F. etc ... , which a power cord that is designed as a Filter can prevent getting into the component , in simply its short length . None of these will be perfect , and some will filter in different ways depending on their electrical design and construction , thus some filter part of the R.F. spectrum and not another part , etc ...
There is more to all this than I have written above , however the above should be sufficient to explain that something is occurring .
Different audio components differ in their susceptibility to R.F. input on the mains supply , AND , in some areas there is more or less interference than in other areas , thus the same component can exhibit greater sensitivity to a change of power cord type in one listener's home than in another's .
For those listeners who do not hear any difference when a different type of cable is used , consider yourself lucky ! , and please let the remainder of us discuss these matters .
Respectfully , Chris .
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