Some people get real worked up over cables, especially power cords (and Ethernet and USB cables). They use faulty science to explain why power cords cannot possibly make a difference, then make wild unsupported claims to explain away empirical evidence.
Using a pair of KEF R11 Floorstanding Speakers ($2999.99/each), Ayre MX-R Twenty Mono Amplifiers ($16,750), Ayre KX-R Twenty Preamplifier ($29,950), and QX-5 Twenty DAC (from $7950), Nordost‘s Michael Taylor changed this fine system’s sound, playing music mind you, by simply switching the DAC’s power cord.
First up was the stock cord (free), then the Blue Heaven ($249.99/1M), then Red Dawn ($439.99/1M), and finally the Heimdall 2 ($749.99/1M). With each change, the system’s sound, playing music mind you, improved in fairly obvious ways. End of story.
Epilogue
Have you ever heard someone speak normally then form their hands into a horn shape while holding them around their mouth to change the sound of their voice? It worked right? Did you walk away thinking, “I know I heard the sound of their voice change, and I know why, but I don’t believe what I heard. I mean, I saw them use their hands like a horn so I could have expected their voice to change even if no change occurred. I’ll have to try this experiment again without looking to make sure expectation bias wasn’t to blame.”
Welcome to the logic of cable deniers.