Good morning all,
I was wondering if you have noticed a difference with quality AC power cables compared to the original cables which cost a few dollars?
For example the Audioquest NRG-Y2 costs $100 US !!
For the amp only?
The DAC too? etc.
Thanks!
The people I know who see a difference are all running power regenerator, where the power cable is the only thing between them and the power source.
I would assume the bulk any impact would be the cable picking up RF noise, and introducing it to the power supply.
If your just plugging it into the wall there’s potentially hundreds of feet of wire to the source of the power, and your only impacting the last 6ft, could still have an effect, but seems less likely.
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There’s benefits to it all, whether it makes an audible difference or not has a lot to do with the power supply situation in your house.
Unlike other audio cables where the point is to keep noise out. (Good shielding) A/C mains cable can be a source of noise and twist, weave, shielding etc are trying to keep the noise from getting out, into your signal cabling, not noise coming into your power cable from other sources.
Keep them as short as necessary, no need to have longer cables that will generate more noise. Like @Polygonhell already said they provide more benefit in a very controlled environment but if you do basic common sense wiring and you have decent steady clean current to your house, their primary benefit is keeping radiated noise from getting into other cables.
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when you have top end equipment…leaving your power equipment as the weakest link isn’t a good idea. however, it’s better to get proper power filters and such before you start fiddling with actual power cables.
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There are thousands of miles of electric grid connected to your house acting as an antenna. And somehow the last 10 meters make a difference?
Get one that is certified by the known agencies (VDE, GS, TĂśV, etc.) and has the standard conformities (FCC, CE, etc.) declared. That way insurance pays if it burns your house down.
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Maze has a point there.
These cables are usually not certified.
Even Audioquest does not sell certified kanel with Ce test marks and the same that were regulated in different countries.
You can use such cables no question but under observation.
That means when you’re done unplugging or turn off the switch on the power strip.
Then you also avoid worse.
Who buys such cables should set its own limit.
And what he thinks is right.
I personally do not want to say that cable X is better or horny.
I bought mine because I was of the opinion that it tames Emf and Rf and meets the requirements of what the apartment gives.
I have once ordered on Amazon a supposedly top cable with Occ and supposedly super plug.
Well the opposite was the case it came from China and was richtkg bad and habs it sent back.
Soundwise I must say that it was so bad that the hardware store stuff was better.
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Through all my testing over the years, I’ve noticed no difference whatsoever. So for me, unless you have an issue with bad shielding, interference or otherwise then I don’t see the point at all. Unless of course you have everything else done in a super high end system, then I wouldn’t be able to justify it personally.
All my issues in regards to noise have been caused by other things, like my PSU or my GPU in the PC. Even low quality power adapter bricks or faulty USB hubs. 90% of my issues went away now that I rebuilt my PC and replaced the old EVGA PSU with a new Corsair (with Seasonic internals). The only remaining noise it picks up now (via my Yamaha AG03, no issues on other equipment) is from the GPU at very high framerates, which I can probably remove with some shielding or a separate USB slot card with better shielding just for my DAC.
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Sound wise? Nope i have never been able to reproduce any differences with any measurable or acoustic consistency. BUT, coming from old school car audio installation background where we made loud, high wattage systems oversized wire is an absolute must and safety necessity so I like thick cable. They look good and let me sleep comfortably at night knowing they are sitting there looking all beefy and such plugged into my walls behind the racks and furniture where i have to go out of my way and shine a flashlight to see them 
Heck if you have the funds it’s perfectly acceptable to spend 2-4% of the total cost of a unit on a cable if you are so inclined. Go ahead and spend more if you desire but at some point decide if you need nice clean power regeneration too. Have fun with it, it’s your hard earned money. Expensive for one man is cheap for another…it’s all relative.
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Thanks to all of you guys!
Really clear and detailed answers. This allows me to move forward and understand that I need to be interested in power conditioners before thinking of buying new AC power cables. Especially since for my two installations at home I did not notice any interference.
So I ask you the following question: do you have any recommendations with a limited budget for power conditioning (best value for money)?
@Nick_Mimi @Polygonhell @Marzipan @db_Cooper @MazeFrame @Deleeh @Ahobaka
But since this is a new question, I think I should post-it in a new discussion. So I invite you to continue the discussion if you are interested here: About Power conditioner : recommandation?
Power conditioners aren’t always considered to be a plus, power regenerators are, but they are very expensive.
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My understanding is this;
A well shielded A/C cable isn’t about “cleaning up” what’s being passed through the transmission lines and into your home - well built equipment will have power supplies that filter out the “junk” - it’s about keeping the “junk” in the A/C cable so it doesn’t affect the low voltage signal cables and open unused terminals.
The question is, will $50 do the job or do you need a $1000 cable (not!)?
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Meh, $1000 cables are for sprucing up the looks Of the rack…the “good” stuff costs a tiny bit more 
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Thank you ! this is what I was looking for !!
Do they accept PayPal?
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X15,999
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On the flip side of the coin, if my equipment costs enough, a $15k cable made to maximize it’s performance is not necessarily a crazy thing…
and probably a wise investment.
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When your unused connections pick up noise, then the equipment was designed by a filthier hobbyist than I am 
Concerning other cables picking up noise: Then organize your cables so the power and signal cables cross at a 90° angle.
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Agreed, the SINGLE best piece of advice… be neat about your wiring and follow best practice. No need for $1,000 AC cable.
There’s a show me your back side thread round here somewhere. 
That’s the only good reasoning I have heard for how shielded power cables could improve sound. They keep the noise in the power cables away from the signal cables.
To me, the fat power cables look better so I bought some moderately priced audiophile looking cables purely for aesthetics.
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To put this into perspective how well a simple braided shield cable does this, I use to work on battery packs for higher powered EVs and our 3 phase 600V inverter output didnt even put out enough noise to mess with our 32awg balance wires laid directly across them into an unshielded balance board 12" away. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t know much about DAC and AMP internals, but I would imagine that any decent unit would be able to remain isolated with even just vaguely clean power and a simple shielded power given the standard design practices in automation (where signal noise can be an issue as well)
Most (high end) audio devices I got pcb shots off, are surprisingly mediocre in regards to power filtering.