AC Power Cords: What Actually Matters
An aftermarket AC power cord delivers current to your components more cleanly and rejects more incoming noise than the generic cable in the box. On a resolving system the audible result is usually a lower noise floor and stronger dynamics — real, but system-dependent. What makes a cord worth fitting comes down to three things: adequate conductor gauge, effective shielding, and the right current rating for the component it feeds.
Power is the part of the hobby where skeptics roll their eyes and enthusiasts swear they hear a quieter background. We sit in the middle: a properly built cord can audibly lower noise in a system pulling from a busy electrical panel, which describes a lot of older Ottawa homes. The honest test is an audition on your own gear.
Power Cord Specs at a Glance
Do Power Cords Change the Sound?
They can, by lowering the noise that reaches your components rather than by adding anything to the music. A shielded cord with adequate gauge keeps interference off the line and supplies current on demand, which on a revealing system tends to read as blacker backgrounds and cleaner dynamic swings. The effect varies with how noisy your mains supply is and how resolving your system is, so we treat it as something to confirm by ear, not to take on faith.
How Do I Match a Cord to a Component?
Match the cord to the component's appetite for current, not to the price of the rest of the cable. A power amplifier wants a generous, low-impedance cord that can pass peaks without sagging, while a source or DAC benefits most from quiet, well-shielded delivery. Because every cord here uses the standard IEC connector, the same model fits sources, preamplifiers, amplifiers, and conditioners alike — the choice that actually matters is the gauge and rating, not compatibility.
15A or 20A — Which Do I Need?
Choose 15A for most components and 20A for high-draw power amplifiers or a conditioner feeding the whole system. The cords we carry, such as the Cardas Clear and Parsec Power lines, are offered in both terminations so the cord can be matched to the wall outlet and the component. If you are not sure which a piece of gear calls for, its rear panel or manual will state it, and we are glad to confirm.
Cord or Conditioner First?
If you are upgrading one link at a time, start at the source or on the power line conditioner that feeds the rest of the system, where low-level signals are most vulnerable to noise. Power amplifiers come next, paired with a cord that can supply current on demand. A cord and a conditioner solve related but different problems — the cord delivers power cleanly, the conditioner cleans the power it draws — so the two work best together. For the wider picture, see our Cables & Power overview or our guide to interconnects and speaker cables.