A $1,000 power cable?!

[Precision345]

What a joke

 

[HolmeBass]

Or, how about we just examine the logic behind how a power cable with a bunch of malarkey affixed to it can make the amplifier sound better, decide that there's no such logic, and conclude that Ed was suckered.

There is always the possibility that one may overlook something in their logic, or make another error. Hubris is not a good scientific tool.

I think I already mentioned here that I use a power cable borrowed off an IBM AIX server only because it is like 9' long, not because it has extra-big square ferrules on it or any other hooey.

LOL I use one that was floating around here at work- not sure what kind of box it came from- but it has a side-angled plug on the IPC end and is 9' long. I use it for my pedal board.

Sure, go do your double-blind test. I think I'm pretty safe in assuming that a cosmetic wrapper around my power cable can be skipped and I can just go for the $9 alternative.

Pretty safe, yes, absolutely positive, no, if you're going to be honest with yourself. Let's be honest, if we're going to work on the side of empiricism.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Pretty safe, yes, absolutely positive, no, if you're going to be honest with yourself. Let's be honest, if we're going to work on the side of empiricism.

One cannot argue that the claim is true until proven false, otherwise all kinds of silly claims could pass as truth. The burden of proof is on those making the claim.

If an independent entity wants to spend time and money trying to prove that these cables defy the laws of physics, well, that's their business. But I'd rather have them figure out whether rosewood sounds different than maple.

 

[fuzzychaos]

Does it come in tort? Also, do they have separate 4 string and 5 string power cables?

Why are there always people with more money than brains?

 

[David Jayne]

I'm holding out for an 'active' power cable, to REALLY smooth out the flow of the thingies or whatever. It'll run on a 9v battery and have a cute LED.

 

[seamonkey]

Well, as expected, but I wouldn't mind repeating with a bass rig.

Also, remember the fairly famous high-end violin test conducted recently. Most concert violinists couldn't tell the difference between the modern high-end instrument and the Strad, but *one* of them could with over 90% accuracy.

You have to test with lots of sets of ears to rule out the possibility that just because some subjects can't hear a difference doesn't mean that no one can.

This blind study?
Invalid Link Removed

Nobody got 90% accuracy

In one amplifier test, it turns out one person could hear distortion artifacts from a broken amp. One subject could tell which was which - that is until the broken amp was fixed.

The blind tests really don't need to be many many sets. Just reasonable. I suspect for the price to be able to snap your fingers results. "(Snap) - That's the power cable I want". If no one can snap their finger and say "Strad" I can bet no one is going to snap their finger to a power cable.

There's bigger fish to fry than power cables. No way will a power cable double blind test happen. Results would be obvious, and it would not matter to those who buy the hype.

 

[mushav66]

I like the girth. I think I'm going to get one.

 

[blowinblue]

The same company also had little stands to keep the speaker wire off the floor. There was a guy on one of the HiFi forums who swore by that stuff.

Scoff if you will but I use those for my bass rig when playing live. Also for our PA. And I make my guitar player use them, too. No cables or cords are allowed to touch the floor during our performances. Our band also has an agreement among ourselves that we will not step on any cracks or seams in the sidewalk within 500' of the venue.

M. M.

 

[MVE]

I know this thread is about a power cable but I just have to tell this story.

A few years ago I was in a high-fi store here in Chicago where I was laughing at the ridiculous speaker wires. The guy in the store tried to explain to me that speaker wires really DO NEED TO BE SHIELDED as the RF can infiltrate the high-current signal driving the speakers.

I told him there was a very simple test to tell if RF was infiltrating your speaker wires... "Shut off the system and listen for radio interference. If you hear the radio in the speakers when it is OFF, then yes you do indeed have RF interference"

[It should be pointed out that standing underneath an AM broadcast tower with a tiny speaker and a really long speaker wire - you might actually pick up some speaker crackling noise.]

However, suffice it to say, no speaker noise was detected that day at the high-fi store.

 

[BurningSkies]

I like the girth. I think I'm going to get one.

It is girthy, all coiled there, innit?

 

[Major Softie]

The power of suggestion and placebo effect can apparently inflict people no matter how good a player they are.

This is absolutely true. I'd just as soon not assume he went crooked without any evidence, especially when the above is an absolute truth. Anyone who knows anything about comparison testing knows that people are affected by both expectation and placebo effect regardless of education and whether or not they are familiar with the effect. I mean, the necessity of double blind is that even when scientists know that they can throw the results by the clues that people pick up from them, no matter how hard they try, they absolutely cannot prevent it from getting through. And, while most people are familiar with blind audio testing, how often do they bother to double-blind?

On top of this, everyone familiar with audio knows how poor the human memory is for sound and how much auditory perception is affected by expectation. That's why you can only trust double-blind A/B tests done in quick succession. A/B tests, even when done double-blind, are useless with even a minute between A and B.

Science can make mistakes too, but it's still 100 times more trustworthy than "impressions."

 

[Major Softie]

Also, remember the fairly famous high-end violin test conducted recently. Most concert violinists couldn't tell the difference between the modern high-end instrument and the Strad, but *one* of them could with over 90% accuracy.

You have to test with lots of sets of ears to rule out the possibility that just because some subjects can't hear a difference doesn't mean that no one can.

You don't need any sets of ears to determine if there is a measurable effect.

 

[will33]

Forward all of your vintage Fender guitar and bass pickups to me. I'll give everyone a modern-issue Fender pickup in exchange. I'll also take any oxygen damaged Gibson humbuckers dating from the mid 50's through the mid 60's and trade those out for newer low oxygen replacement pickups.

Dibs on any PAF's that might come in.

PLEASE be careful with these special power cables !!! They MUST ALWAYS be stretched-out as straight as possible. If you must coil it because it is too long you HAVE to use a clock-wise coil in the Northern Hemisphere and a counter clock-wise coil in the Southern Hemisphere or the Earth's magnetic field will cause your lectrons to back-up and the flux-crapacitor will reverse-charge causing your input fuse to blow all your output transmissions. BTDT and it HURTS!

I thought that only applied to toilet swirl...perhaps I should ask Ed or Vic?

 

[Munjibunga]

Well, as expected, but I wouldn't mind repeating with a bass rig.

Also, remember the fairly famous high-end violin test conducted recently. Most concert violinists couldn't tell the difference between the modern high-end instrument and the Strad, but *one* of them could with over 90% accuracy.

You have to test with lots of sets of ears to rule out the possibility that just because some subjects can't hear a difference doesn't mean that no one can.

I'll get around to it when I get done rooting the palm tree roots out of my area drains.

 

[Munjibunga]

This is absolutely true. I'd just as soon not assume he went crooked without any evidence, especially when the above is an absolute truth. Anyone who knows anything about comparison testing know that people are affected by both expectation and placebo effect regardless of education and whether or not they are familiar with the effect. I mean, the necessity of double blind is that even when scientists know that they can throw the results by the clues that people pick up from them, no matter how hard they try, they absolutely cannot prevent it from getting through. And, while most people are familiar with blind audio testing, how often do they bother to double-blind?

On top of this, everyone familiar with audio knows how poor the human memory is for sound and how much auditory perception is affected by expectation. That's why you can only trust double-blind A/B tests done in quick succession. A/B tests, even when done double-blind, are useless with even a minute between A and B.

Science can make mistakes too, but it's still 100 times more trustworthy than "impressions."

Also the sound can vary if the location of your ear changes as little as a couple inches between tests.

 

[SactoBass]

Can it handle 1.21 gigawatts?

 

[svtb15]

You know I could see this working IF the whole line from the Electric power substation was made of the same stuff or better... .. BUT that is not the case...

I was just talking about this with a friend earlier today..

Funny story,,, I was on a gig and Rick Derringer ( git player) was on before us..
And he had one of these cables going into his amp... His was dark green.
I asked him what it was for. And he told me....
Me, being in my ball busting mode and joking with him and said , Oh I thought it was a garden hose and your amp was Water Cooled..
He laughed pretty hard... Yup Looked like a garden hose.

 

[David Jayne]

You know I could see this working IF the whole line from the Electric power substation was made of the same stuff or better... .. BUT that is not the case...
.

Yes, we've........been there.

 

[BrewsterRooster]

I use this power cord because I find I get fruitier, more whimsical highs, and a nice peatiness in the lower mids reminiscent of the scottish highlands

That is the most hilarious thing I've read all year. Appreciate ya!

 

[subdude67]

what really infuriates me about 1000$ power cables is that I did not come up with the idea myself!