How important are power cables and power filters?

[AltecLansingFan]

Nowadays you hear a lot about all kind of bad noises and signals, who are send through the electric power system.
Many audio people are filtering the power, with a powerfilter and they are using shielded or double shielded power cables to protect the system for these signals and get rid off RFI/EMS

Is there anyone on this forum, who has some experience with power filters and cables?

[Old Guy]

Opinions are like...

My opinion is most power cables are just plain ripoffs. Use a decent cable and forget it.

Power filters can be very valid. But they have to be good ones..I like Corcom.

If you have REALLY bad power, a GOOD (not cheap) computer type backup with PURE SINE wave out is useful, but costs. A lot.

I have found most places if I run a separate line for my system and use a Tripplite filter/spike protector I am fine. Fancy stuff ain't necessary.

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products...txtModelID=104

Hint: If you use a filter put it close to the system and keep the cords from it to the system short.

[Tubedude]

I put very little weight in the power cables, BUT power conditioners can help immensely.

I picked up a APC S15 for 300 bucks brand new and the difference was nothing short of stunning. The APC also has a backup battery source which provides a pure sine wave when activated.

[voice of the theater]

Opinions are like...

My opinion is most power cables are just plain ripoffs. Use a decent cable and forget it.

Power filters can be very valid. But they have to be good ones..I like Corcom.

If you have REALLY bad power, a GOOD (not cheap) computer type backup with PURE SINE wave out is useful, but costs. A lot.

I have found most places if I run a separate line for my system and use a Tripplite filter/spike protector I am fine. Fancy stuff ain't necessary.

http://www.tripplite.com/en/products...txtModelID=104

Hint: If you use a filter put it close to the system and keep the cords from it to the system short.

Well put, OG. This thread reminded me of one from early 2010 where someone posted a link to Parts Express reviews of the Wattgate 381 Audio Grade Duplex Socket. These reviews were unbelievably funny -- this link is for page 4 of reviews but page 5, 6, and 7 etc. have hilarious (even funnier?) reviews as well. All I had to do was a forum search for "Daniel Jackson" and the original thread from January 2010 popped right up--shows you how valuable this archive is (yes, I admit to being a Stargate SG-1 fan as well as all the Stargate spinoffs but at least I don't live in my parents basement or go to Star Trek/Stargate conventions)! Some "serious" (schill?) reveiws have been added to the Parts Express website since then but this link takes you to page 4 which is about where the funny ones start (pages 3-8?). Can you imagine paying $147 for a duplex socket?

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...ewRand=2818820

[AltecLansingFan]

Ok, maybe the whole story about cables and shielding or filtering is bull shit, I don't know.
The only thing I know are opinions from other people or reviews everywhere on the internet.
The best way to be sure is to try out something, and I read some good reviews about this net filter
http://stores.ebay.com/DSS-Verkauf?_trksid=p4340.l2563 I think I'm going to buy this one for a try out.
And for cables Furutech seems to be very good, but I think much or 2x much to expensive.
So for the cables, shielded or double shielded, there must be a much cheaper solution.
That's my first "job" tomorrow, find some good cables, and find out some prices.

[voice of the theater]

Ok, maybe the whole story about cables and shielding or filtering is bull shit, I don't know.
The only thing I know are opinions from other people or reviews everywhere on the internet.
The best way to be sure is to try out something, and I read some good reviews about the DSS NZ 4000 power filter
http://stores.ebay.com/DSS-Verkauf?_trksid=p4340.l2563 I think I'm going to buy this one for a try out.
And for cables Furutech seems to be very good, but I think much or 2x much to expensive.
So for the cables, shielded or double shielded, there must be a much cheaper solution.
That's my first "job" tomorrow, find some good cables, and find out some prices.

Nothing beats trying something out for yourself. You can read all the reviews in the world, but often times the only review that really carries much weight is your own. Not to mention when you try it out yourself you see how something performs under your specific/actual conditions--not how it performs at someone else's house under different conditions. If you're going to spring for some of this stuff and if it's expensive (like a power filter etc. might be), some places let you return certain items within 30 days if you're not completely satisfied for any reason--those are good places to buy stuff that you want to "try out" that you're not sure will work for your specific application. One reason I posted about the $147 duplex outlet was to give you an idea of how much money people will waste chasing rainbows/throw at a problem.....

[Old Guy]

Ok, maybe the whole story about cables and shielding or filtering is bull shit, I don't know.
The only thing I know are opinions from other people or reviews everywhere on the internet.
The best way to be sure is to try out something, and I read some good reviews about the DSS NZ 4000 power filter
http://stores.ebay.com/DSS-Verkauf?_trksid=p4340.l2563 I think I'm going to buy this one for a try out.
And for cables Furutech seems to be very good, but I think much or 2x much to expensive.
So for the cables, shielded or double shielded, there must be a much cheaper solution.
That's my first "job" tomorrow, find some good cables, and find out some prices.

????? Very weird reply?

I said most cables were bullshit and filters can help. NOBODY in this thread said filtering was bullshit. I have no idea where you are coming from on that?

As far as that filter, it is impossible that it works any better than a GOOD ten dollar one. There ARE laws to physics, and you DO NOT listen to the power source. You listen to it after it has been turned to DC then modulated by the tubes and transistors in your gear.

And as far as good power cables almost any adequate cable is a good cable.

Spend what you want. I won't argue, but please don't post we said filtering was bull when we did NOT.

And I would just as soon not hear about random opinions from the net. If the person holding the opinion has no credentials the opinion is worthless. Sorry.

There is always a following, even for the worst item on the market, there are people who bought it. Lotsa people claim their white van speakers are great, ignorance is bliss...

I guess we will get to a point where people will be auditioning boutique power filters.

As far as opinions on the internet, there are many. Listen to idiots or listen to somebody with 50 years in audio. it's your money.

You can find ANY opinion you want on the internet.

I have one final question...you had already bought into the hype before you posted, you got good advice and did not even consider it. Why did you bother asking?

[Old Guy]

I put very little weight in the power cables, BUT power conditioners can help immensely.

I picked up a APC S15 for 300 bucks brand new and the difference was nothing short of stunning. The APC also has a backup battery source which provides a pure sine wave when activated.

They can certainly help. The improvement will depend on two things....

1. How bad your power is...

2. How adequate the filtering in your equipment's power supplies is.

If you have clean power and equipment with robust power supplies...the difference is minimal...

Power from a pure sine wave supply is close to a 10 on a scale of 10...if you are at 8 or 9 to begin with, it's marginal. But if you are at 4 or 5 on a relative quality level...

And of course some equipment deals with bad power better than other gear.

The key is it's a SYSTEM... and like any chain, only as strong as the weakest link....

[voice of the theater]

....I read some good reviews about the DSS NZ 4000 power filter
http://stores.ebay.com/DSS-Verkauf?_trksid=p4340.l2563 I think I'm going to buy this one for a try out.

OMG, I just clicked on the link and even though it's not in English (is it in German?) it looks like it's $422 for the power filter you're considering--ouch! Way too much!!! I hope it's Wattgate (381 Audio Grade Duplex Socket) compatible......:doh:

[bfish]

... you DO NOT listen to the power source. You listen to it after it has been turned to DC then modulated by the tubes and transistors in your gear...

Worthy of repeating for emphasis! Invest your $ in better signal chain gear.