ESP MusicCord

[Mark Reccord]

This is a claim that should be EASILY measurable. Why then are there no such measurements available, by you, or any other user of this cable, or (perhaps most importantly), from the manufacturer?

The manufacturer does/did provide some generic frequency response plots suggesting better low and high frequency response from gear connected to the mains with their cables. No real data though. Most likely because they don't have any.

I'm going to put it to the test. Ordering one this evening.

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Bill makes speaker cabs, Bob makes amps. Both would have something to gain by supporting this magical cord if it worked.

I'm sure the power cord works, every bit as well as a $5 power cord does. It doesn't take much for a power cord to work as perfectly as a power cord can possibly work.

 

[scotch]

I'm sure he knows that rooms sound different from one to the next.

I would think so as well. This is why the story sounds, well, 'third hand' if you get my meaning. (The next section below makes this story sound unlikely as well...)

And I'm sure when he was going back and forth with the ESP cord and his standard cord that at the end of the day he felt that he made the best decision for his purposes.

Did that happen? You didn't mention that he swapped out the ac cables repeatedly. That's pretty ambitious at the gig! You also mention that he paid for the ESP cord on-the-spot. Was there a dealer at the gig? This sounds sketchy as well. I've never seen a sound company or backline provider (even when it's Fender, Gibson themselves, etc...) sell a product in this environment. I suppose it's possible, but not probable.[/QUOTE]

Kat's can talk all day long about how they feel about the ESP power cord but at the end of the day I could care less about who purchases one and who doesn't.

Those that did get one, got it because they wanted to and the reason is there's not of ours.

I agree here 100%! Wanting to buy something is absolutely justification enough, no argument there! Additionally, I don't really care who buys one & who doesn't either. Agreed!

 

[willgroove2]

Bill Fitzmaurice doesn't work for QSC.

MY BAD!!!! got twisted around between Bill and BOB

 

[seamonkey]

Here it is. How's an audio amp going to demonstrate feel with a recorded source? I know when I've played outside concerts in 90% humidity 15 ft from a lake and my rig feels less snappish. I know if an amp responds quickly or slowly. Shall I say delivers transients with less delay than another rig. Ask a tennis player if his balls are dead. They respond differently OK let's take a moment. Even if an engineer hasn't devised a measuring domain or device for feel doesn't mean it's nonexistent.
It's the same argument over and over. Really, do some of you actually play instruments?
Are you a hobbiest who collects and plays gear at home?
Are you a pro?
How long have you been playing?
I ask all this not for answers here but that you will self edit whether you are qualified to speak with authority on these subjects.

I play out all the time and have a following.

Bob, Bill, Mark, known engineers here are not posting because they play out. They are posting because the science fits. It's not their opinion. It's science.

I have a science degree, and patents but this doesn't qualify my posts. The science does.

Anything in the physical domain that people can detect, can be measured. Simple as that. Feel is just special pleading by those who feel it can't be measured.

 

[seamonkey]

Seamonkey, do you have any experience playing? Do you know what is meant by "feel"? Just honest, friendly questions!

"Feel" does exist, I'm afraid. For instance- a tube amp warms up (or gets too warm) and begins to compress and distort differently during a set/session. This changing dynamic response 'feels' different to the player & they adjust (often subconsciously) as they perform. This isn't that hard to grasp, right?

And it can be measured - if it's real. To me it's compression, EQ, and distortion.

"feel" is a vague term, it is not listed in any reference document, then it's not the same for every one. It's made up by those who can't quantify or believe in the answers they're given.

A cable giving "feel" is absurd. I'm just predicting it will be a free ride card when the science doesn't match what people believe. As it has before.

 

[JimmyM]

So Rich's cord came today. Can't try it out yet because my wife and grandson are sleeping, but it sure has a nice bag, and it's by far the sturdiest cord I've ever seen. So I guess later when everyone wakes up I'll get to try it out.

 

[billfitzmaurice]

So I told everybody what my experiences with the cord were and your dismissing what I said?

Yes, I am. Your claimed experience requires that said cord gets around The Law of Conservation of Energy. That puts you up against every scientist from Newton to Einstein to Hawking, and probably God as well; it's His universe, after all.
But if you do prove that your cord produces more energy output than there is available at the outlet it's plugged into, the only way that can happen is via magic, so you'll have a real claim on the the Amazing Randi's Million Dollar Prize. Details can be found here:
Challenge Info

Do I get a 10% finders fee?

 

[Sliderbass]

[
I have a thought..... why don't we all go out and purchase an ESP power cord, test it in the real world and then do another forum on it.....[/QUOTE]

Because for $150, I can build new AC cables for everyone in my band including the PA! That's why!

 

[bongomania]

Some people believe their ears are good tools for measuring reality. But the reality is that ears are wildly uncalibrated, and the equipment they're hooked up to (brain) is positively known and proven to fudge data that it receives. In fact that is one of the primary functions of the sense-receptor parts of the brain: to fudge incoming data until it matches a reference pattern.

 

[JimmyM]

[
I have a thought..... why don't we all go out and purchase an ESP power cord, test it in the real world and then do another forum on it.....

Because for $150, I can build new AC cables for everyone in my band including the PA! That's why![/QUOTE]
That and you'd need a separate road case just for all the cables. Man, these things are gigantic!

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

The only reason power cords exist at all is because electrical outlets are in fixed or semi-fixed locations and the things we power from them are not necessarily in those same locations. The ideal power cord would be none at all, just a direct plug into the outlet, but that’s just not practical for most things other than wall warts, small battery chargers, night lights, and stuff like that.

So somebody came up with the simple idea of using wires to connect these things to where the outlets are. Really, the idea probably even predated the conception of outlets.

Unless it’s over an unusually long distance or involves extremely heavy current flow, it’s not a demanding job to bring the AC from the outlet to the thing that needs AC power. All it takes is three good insulated conductors: two for the AC and one for the safety ground. This utter simplicity allows the job to be done equally well not only by $150 power cords (with marketing) but also by $5 ones (without marketing).

This is why I’ll never be a member of the magical power cord religion and why I’ll always tell people that there are no magical power cords, despite the anecdotes of their devotees.

 

[seamonkey]

"If it sounds good, it is good."
-Duke Ellington

That's a great quote, but taken out of context here.

Duke Ellington used this when talking about scale tones over a Chord, and how you can mix in other notes if it conveys the sound you're after.

Chords not Cords here

 

[billfitzmaurice]

All it takes is three good insulated conductors: two for the AC and one for the safety ground. This utter simplicity allows the job to be done equally well not only by $150 power cords (with marketing) but also by $5 ones (without marketing).

Don't forget that your $150 cord won't work right if you don't plug it into one of these:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[BassmanPaul]

iI just have one question though. In my country we do use AC power, and my amp is class-D with voltage switching (currently set to 230 volts accordingly). Does that mean that my amp receives AC power from the wall and converts it to DC, or just runs on AC power?

ALL amps run on DC. So called linear supplies have a large transformer feeding rectifiers and capacitors to supply the amp. Amps with switch mode power supplies, the AC is rectified and filtered and then "chopped" up at a high frequency to feed the transformer after which it is again rectified and filtered. Because of that high frequency the transformers can be made much smaller and thus lighter. The output from the SMPS is still DC.

 

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

So called linear supplies have a large transformer feeding rectifiers and capacitors to supply the amp.

And the so-called linear supplies are actually very non-linear!

The only power supply that comes close to being linear is a battery.

 

[seamonkey]

[
I have a thought..... why don't we all go out and purchase an ESP power cord, test it in the real world and then do another forum on it.....

Because for $150, I can build new AC cables for everyone in my band including the PA! That's why![/quote]

Sometimes it worth it to put in a cable order.

The standard 6ft cable is right in the range the doesn't have much use.

1ft to 1.5ft cables for rack gear, and 14 footers to forgo extension chords.

This is one reason you can find boxes of 6ft cables from data centers. They all get yanked for better fitting cables. Not for any "better" cable.

 

[aborgman]

And the so-called linear supplies are actually very non-linear!

Yes... the name "linear" for "linear" supplies may be one of the biggest misnomers around.

 

[superbassman2000]

So when are we starting the esp power cable tour thread?

 

[Paullee01]

Because for $150, I can build new AC cables for everyone in my band including the PA! That's why!

That and you'd need a separate road case just for all the cables. Man, these things are gigantic![/QUOTE]

I just find it odd that everyone has an opinion on this power cord without even playing through one or probably ever even seeing one in person. I agree it does look pretty darn big.

Let me ask some of you that seem to be pretty knowledgeable about electric current, why do you think it's so expensive? Is it just hype??? There has to be something about this cord that is different then the standard 16 or 18 gauge power cord that usually comes with an amp? Everyone has said what it can't do, well what can it do????