Let's See What Makes Your Vinyl Spin!

Angsty said:
Most power conditioners, from what I’ve seen in bench performance testing, make no demonstrable improvement to the output of audio components. It turns out that most power supplies do a pretty good job of filtering and rectifying AC to DC on their own. Getting rid of 60 Hz ripple is a problem the power supply has to handle on its own; upstream conditioning cannot help.

I have seen evidence that some can provide protection from voltage and current surges. I do own a SurgeX for that reason.
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Interesting. Thanks for your response.
 
Angsty said:
Most power conditioners, from what I’ve seen in bench performance testing, make no demonstrable improvement to the output of audio components. It turns out that most power supplies do a pretty good job of filtering and rectifying AC to DC on their own. Getting rid of 60 Hz ripple is a problem the power supply has to handle on its own; upstream conditioning cannot help.

I have seen evidence that some can provide protection from voltage and current surges. I do own a SurgeX for that reason.
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I also have a Surgex.
 
OMC said:
Like @Mather says, give it a serious try. To me, it’s a question of balance and there is no sense in having quality components connected with a lesser quality cord. There are different price levels for a reason and you get what you pay for on balance. But you know that already. 😁
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I find it interesting that component manufacturers don’t make power cord recommendations nor do they generally offer branded upgrades.

As an example, Bryston (a favorite manufacturer of mine) does sell interconnects and speaker cables but no upgraded power cords.
 
Mather said:
I get it, I'm just saying, try it. Then see.
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100% agreed. If someone could hypnotize you, and afterwards you believed your system sounded better than anything you've ever heard before, so what? ALL of the sound is processed in your brain, anyways.

It's about the experience (how you define that is up to you) and if personal bias or wish fulfillment is the reason it sounds better, why does that matter? And if specs and science get you to a point that you are comfortable believing what you hear is real enough, thats great too.
 
I've heard upgrading the amp power cable bears some fruit but it's fairly pointless to upgrade the TT power cable.
Have most upgraded one of the other here?

I did like my upgrade on the phono ICs. I think Technics includes some decent RCAs but expects customers will upgrade in the end.

If you want to try cables, Crutchfield has a nice 60 day policy.
 
Jbraswell said:
I've heard upgrading the amp power cable bears some fruit but it's fairly pointless to upgrade the TT power cable.
Have most upgraded one of the other here?

I did like my upgrade on the phono ICs. I think Technics includes some decent RCAs but expects customers will upgrade in the end.

If you want to try cables, Crutchfield has a nice 60 day policy.
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The only AC cable I haven't bothered to upgrade is the TT. Amp, Stage, Sub all upgraded.
 
Jbraswell said:
I've heard upgrading the amp power cable bears some fruit but it's fairly pointless to upgrade the TT power cable.
Have most upgraded one of the other here?

I did like my upgrade on the phono ICs. I think Technics includes some decent RCAs but expects customers will upgrade in the end.

If you want to try cables, Crutchfield has a nice 60 day policy.
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I put an upgraded power cord on my VPI’s motor simply because I had an extra. I can’t say I noticed any change with it, but it looks nice and it the right length.

It’s been my experience, with the equipment I own, that the general rule of thumb is the closer to the source, the bigger the difference. Also, some items/sources reflect more of a change than others. The standout biggest change I’ve experienced was changing the power cord on my AppleTV 4K. And yes, as daft as this sounds, the cable was more expensive than the ATV4K.

Other sources I’ve had positive results with are my tube phono pre, DAC, streamer, my hybrid integrated amp, and my AV preamp.

I can’t say I’ve noticed much improvement on my class D amps in my HT, subs, the aforementioned VPI, or my JVC projector.

It’s an interesting tweak, and I’d not worry about it until you’ve gotten the rest of the system sorted. I’ve found though that upgraded power cords can make more of a difference than IC’s. I also tried swapping power cables as a skeptic, I really didn’t think there would be any difference, and I was surprised to find one.

I’ve also noticed that some brands (Audioquest and Shunyata, when you start looking at mid tier and up) made more of a difference than others (Cullen, Morrow, Anti-Cable).

Regarding power conditioning, I have units from Furman in their “Elite” line. They are very handy and as we get decent thunderstorms I feel a little better that the equipment has “some” protection. I don’t feel that the Furman’s have made any noticeable audio or video improvements though.

Of course, IMHO, YMMV, etc.
 
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SnowmaNick said:
I put an upgraded power cord on my VPI’s motor simply because I had an extra. I can’t say I noticed any change with it, but it looks nice and it the right length.

It’s been my experience, with the equipment I own, that the general rule of thumb is the closer to the source, the bigger the difference. Also, some items/sources reflect more of a change than others. The standout biggest change I’ve experienced was changing the power cord on my AppleTV 4K. And yes, as daft as this sounds, the cable was more expensive than the ATV4K.

Other sources I’ve had positive results with are my tube phono pre, DAC, streamer, my hybrid integrated amp, and my AV preamp.

I can’t say I’ve noticed much improvement on my class D amps in my HT, subs, the aforementioned VPI, or my JVC projector.

It’s an interesting tweak, and I’d not worry about it until you’ve gotten the rest of the system sorted. I’ve found though that upgraded power cords can make more of a difference than IC’s. I also tried swapping g power cables as a skeptic, I really didn’t think there would be any difference, and I was surprised to find one.

I’ve also noticed that some brands (Audioquest and Shunyata, when you start looking at mid tier and up) made more of a difference than others (Cullen, Morrow, Anti-Cable).

Regarding power conditioning, I have units from Furman in their “Elite” line. They are very handy and as we get decent thunderstorms I feel a little better that the equipment has “some” protection. I don’t feel that the Furman’s have made any noticeable audio or video improvements though.

Of course, IMHO, YMMV, etc.
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Good to read your thoughts on this subject, @SnowmaNick, as I am a firm believer that power cords affect nearly all pieces of the reproduction chain. I agree with your comment that sorting out the hardware first and then tying them together with quality cords is a great way to proceed. I am also a proponent of a loom of all cables and cords from a single manufacturer.
TheCableCo.com is another source that has a lending library of just about any wire you can think of.
 
Angsty said:
I’m a deep skeptic when it comes to upgraded power cords. I can see from the physics how some interconnects might produce audible differences, but I just can’t get there with power cords. To me, fancy power cords get grouped with cord “lifters” in the audiophile tweaks bin.
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I welcome everyone to be a skeptic, and I welcome everyone to try it. I’m not a skeptic, but there is also a reason I’ve neglected that section of my system for so long. It’s expensive and I generally think there are usually bigger gains to make elsewhere.

I also tend to think it’s much easier to experience the difference when you do all the power cables at once. Got from full stock IEC cables to full upgrade to midrange and that will be the largest jump. The upgrade from midrange to higher up is less eventful in my experience.

I also think it has more factors of influence than elsewhere in the system. Meaning some equipment will have less of a response to upgraded power cables than others. Lastly, I think the power coming into your home makes a huge difference. I remember watching an interview with one of the Sterophile reviewers going through his equipment. He moved from NYC out to the country. He said in the city he spent a small fortune on power conditioning equipment and still had fluctuations in quality throughout the day. But when he moved out to the country he tired the system without his power conditioning and decided it just wasn’t needed in their new home.

So it all depends. But I would say give it a try if you get the opportunity. If you don’t find it significant, Smile and enjoy spending that money elsewhere.
 
SnowmaNick said:
I put an upgraded power cord on my VPI’s motor simply because I had an extra. I can’t say I noticed any change with it, but it looks nice and it the right length.
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I did the opposite, actually. My turntable is a Japanese model, so it needs a 120 to 100 volt transformer. The OEM cord is a thick, supple cord that sells for $100+ alone. The transformer cord is a skinny zip cord affair that is likely 18 gauge. But, it works flawlessly.

A turntable motor control system is not electrically connected to the cartridge output at all. So long as the cords can deliver the 6W needed to power the motor and speed control circuitry, it’s doing it’s job.
 
I’m Just Ken said:
Is that table an upgrade for you?
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Not a contender to replace the Technics on the main 2ch system. I do have a phono stage and some small bookshelf Klipsch sitting around that would be a nice set for my teenager daughter whose birthday is coming up. Not sure if she will really want it in this digital age. My 12 yr old son is second in line. I enjoyed blasting cassettes and records in my room growing up, but we didn't have an internet distraction back then either. Different times.
Hemotep said:
What finish are you gonna pick?
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I picked the Walnut. The color choices are really interesting but kept with a classic since I'm unsure how this plays out.
 
Jbraswell said:
Not a contender to replace the Technics on the main 2ch system. I do have a phono stage and some small bookshelf Klipsch sitting around that would be a nice set for my teenager daughter whose birthday is coming up. Not sure if she will really want it in this digital age. My 12 yr old son is second in line. I enjoyed blasting cassettes and records in my room growing up, but we didn't have an internet distraction back then either. Different times.

I picked the Walnut. The color choices are really interesting but kept with a classic since I'm unsure how this plays out.
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They might have let you trade it for a nice cartridge!
 
Jbraswell said:
I have no idea. I didn't ask any questions and provided the requested information.
It's absolutely bizarre and counterintuitive to see a streaming service giving away vinyl and a turntable.
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Qobuz actually seem to care about what the content is they're promoting and hosting, vs the big S who only seems to care that you either have a premium subscription or stream enough to run as many ads as possible
 
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