First of all, let me say that I fully expect the maelstrom of responses to this thread keeping in touch with what I've read in the archives. There's no way that a power cord can affect your sound--that seems to be the consensus.
I purchased the ESP MusicCord (which is the less expensive of the 2 power cords) recently, influenced by a couple of gigs where I had to deal with suspect power but also because of my interest in having high-quality connections for my stuff. I'm one of those foolish people that believe that my bass sounds just a little better when I'm using the right cord to my amp. Why not get the best connection to the AC? I used the MusicCord on one gig and, quite honestly, was very surprised. I was not perceiving something much better, but 3 things jumped out at me (and my untrained ears):
1) More gain.
My amp was a little louder--same settings.
2) More punch.
I perceived the sound of the instrument to have bit more presence and 'punch', particularly in the lower mids, but very focused. While the sound with the original cord might sound like a flashlight with a wide beam that fades out around the edges, the MusicCord was much more focused with sharp edges, like a spotlight--"tighter" sounding.
3) No noise...at all.
This one surprised me a bit. I play a Fodera 5 with Bartolinis and was a little used to that hiss that comes if you turn your treble up all the way on a gig. The amp was totally quiet...ridiculously quiet, studio quiet--no matter what setting, whatever volume. With less than perfect power (sharing a strip with keys), the amp, at HIGH volumes, was like I had the bass on standby. Nice.
I also put the cord through its paces at home through various amps, combos, etc. The audible differences were SUBTLE, but were there. Trying to describe the sound of the MusicCord with my bass through my gear would probably be like trying to describe my mom's fried chicken. You can't know unless you've had it. I will say that if you can hear the difference between certain instrument cables, you'll notice a difference with the MusicCord. Some of you hear it, some of you could give a damn. To my ears, there was a subtle audible difference and the way it took away the noise and hiss was obvious. Was it worth $130? To me it was, but I also play a "boutique" bass with "boutique" cords through a "boutique" cabinet. It makes everything sound a LITTLE better, which is why I bought it in the first place.
Disclaimer: I am a nobody. You've never heard of me. You probably never will. I know that most of you have never used this piece of equipment, but I thought it a service to share my experiences with it so far. I thought I'd offer an opinion on this piece of gear because nobody wants to spend that much money on a power cord. That's why we go to talkbass, no? Your Mileage May Vary, but In My Humble Opinion, the MusicCord seems to make a difference, especially in the noise dept.
I purchased the ESP MusicCord (which is the less expensive of the 2 power cords) recently, influenced by a couple of gigs where I had to deal with suspect power but also because of my interest in having high-quality connections for my stuff. I'm one of those foolish people that believe that my bass sounds just a little better when I'm using the right cord to my amp. Why not get the best connection to the AC? I used the MusicCord on one gig and, quite honestly, was very surprised. I was not perceiving something much better, but 3 things jumped out at me (and my untrained ears):
1) More gain.
My amp was a little louder--same settings.
2) More punch.
I perceived the sound of the instrument to have bit more presence and 'punch', particularly in the lower mids, but very focused. While the sound with the original cord might sound like a flashlight with a wide beam that fades out around the edges, the MusicCord was much more focused with sharp edges, like a spotlight--"tighter" sounding.
3) No noise...at all.
This one surprised me a bit. I play a Fodera 5 with Bartolinis and was a little used to that hiss that comes if you turn your treble up all the way on a gig. The amp was totally quiet...ridiculously quiet, studio quiet--no matter what setting, whatever volume. With less than perfect power (sharing a strip with keys), the amp, at HIGH volumes, was like I had the bass on standby. Nice.
I also put the cord through its paces at home through various amps, combos, etc. The audible differences were SUBTLE, but were there. Trying to describe the sound of the MusicCord with my bass through my gear would probably be like trying to describe my mom's fried chicken. You can't know unless you've had it. I will say that if you can hear the difference between certain instrument cables, you'll notice a difference with the MusicCord. Some of you hear it, some of you could give a damn. To my ears, there was a subtle audible difference and the way it took away the noise and hiss was obvious. Was it worth $130? To me it was, but I also play a "boutique" bass with "boutique" cords through a "boutique" cabinet. It makes everything sound a LITTLE better, which is why I bought it in the first place.
Disclaimer: I am a nobody. You've never heard of me. You probably never will. I know that most of you have never used this piece of equipment, but I thought it a service to share my experiences with it so far. I thought I'd offer an opinion on this piece of gear because nobody wants to spend that much money on a power cord. That's why we go to talkbass, no? Your Mileage May Vary, but In My Humble Opinion, the MusicCord seems to make a difference, especially in the noise dept.
