PRE-INTRODUCTION

When I was a little kid, my mother told me that there is the "black death" hiding in the power socket. It was a simple threat, of course, intended only to protect my life. Many parents use such a "tricks" where through a magical, but very suggestive and meaningful for the children's psyche and imagination, stories, they simply try to protect theirs offspring against electrical shock, the deduction by a car or falling out of the window.
This is the way the adults look at it. They manipulate child's imagination to obtain measurable benefits believing that "after some time children will mature and outgrow of this staff...!" But I think that they are wrong! These all fairy tales, good or bad fairies, monsters lurking behind the window sill, etc, etc, all of them build the inner

So, is it ok to tell a fairy tale to a child? Naive stories about flying carpets, sleeping beauties, knights murdering dragons in defense of princesses virginity (!!)? Obviously yes! The child's psyche is not ready to take the world as it is. As well as the young animal learns the art of hunting through fun, what ensures its survival, the child learns through listening to stories with simple, understandable for him symbols, to absorb its moral. But only if there is the moral… Do not insert a screwdriver into the power socket! Fairy tales introduce children’s psyche, which is unformed, and therefore very sensitive, to the world of rational, adult emotions, values and life choices. Who become a young boy all day long killing the enemies, stealing the cars and making a few more things yet (…!!) in his vitual wold of computer games? I believe that the human psyche is shaped very early. That’s why the kind of a fairytales you had heard as a child is so important, as well as the kind of fairytales you will tell to your children…! It would be rather quite naive to believe, that man will overgrowth it - for example I'm afraid of electricity till now!

Who’s the audiophile fearing the electrical current? Let's ask otherwise: who is the sailor who can not swim ? Or even better yet, what kind of ship sinks in the moment when it touch the water...?! The useless one, the thing, unable to function in accordance to its purpose. To fear the current it's the same as if to be afraid of the water in the tap. We live thanks to the water. We are made from it in more than ninety percent. For our musical equipment current is like the water to us, the power socket is a tap. The more it's able to draw from it, the more it will cook the soup. Even if you put the best ingredients in the pot: meat, vegetables, spices, but you don't pour water into it, the soup will be only the empty promise...! I don't know if I should further explain using these fairy-tale comparisons? I think that's enough ...!

Let me tell you a tale, not about the Puss in Boots, but specifically about power cords which have been designed "only" to provide this "life-giving" elixir to your systems. And here we come (probably only a few agree) to the second meaning of the term "fairytale". What kind of stupid fairytales are you telling? Literally "fairy tale" = crap, bullshit...! Those who weren't told a fairy tales in childhood by their grandmothers, or those who were condemned to watch cartoons for hours by their (due to parents` laziness), may perceive this genre of literature and oral tradition in a such a negative way. Among them are also people who "matured" too early becoming ‘weenies’ who tends to examine teenage life from the perspective of the galactic core, as Goethe in "The Sorrows of Young Werther". They're not afraid of electricity, and nobody will tell them any fairytales about it! So, what kind of fairytales ... about the power cords are you telling me..., again?!

INTRODUCTION

Just as in the previous edition of Close Encounters of the FIRST Kind, where we dealt with the influence of the length of the IC on the sound system, now we decided to examine this aspect but with the power cords. And again we met with a very cordial response from cables producers and distributors. As many as six identical sets of cables of different lengths have been delivered to us! Honestly, this test scared me more, than the previous one. At the beginning I had the feeling of entering “terra incognita”, which so far, was for me the theme of power supply. Considering that the so-called public opinion doubting the cable impact on anything..., I was afraid that the study of the effect of the length of the power cord on the system sound will result in accusations of heresy, reproaches of worship and belief, voodoo and the occult! And here it is, the reality has, as usual, different plan. Further pairs plugged into my system immediately and easily to distinguish showed the difference in sound caused by changes of length. My fears proved unfounded, just as baseless are arguments not supported by any evidences, which, in our audiophile world, are our ears and our attention devoted to music.

Just as in the previous test we made sure that the tested pairs of wires were basked, or not basked at all. Differences in the sound of my system after connecting various power cables were the same as in the previous test of interconnects simply "dramatic". But as I mentioned above, the difference between the lengths of one pair of wires was so large that it was much, much easier to hear, than in the previous test of interconnects. Tested power cables were connected to the SACD Yamaha player, because here the difference in sound between their lengths was the greatest. At the end of the test, only for checking, attempts were repeated, for some cables, with connecting the amplifier Luxman and turnable preamplifier RCM-Sensor.

A new "member" joins our team for this test - WOMAN! According to general opinion, an ALIEN in the audiophile community consisted of middle-aged men with emotional and social problems, and what is the worst, with impaired one part of body... We'll see if this "creature" detached from "everyday domestic duties" will hear something... ;-).

ADAM SCHUBERT Gigawatt-the owner
Translation-Krzysztof Kalinkowski

INFLUENCE OF THE LENGTH OF POWER CORDS ON SOUND

Differences in sound of the different lengths of GigaWatt power cords must be explained with the fact, that there is a dependency between the length of the cable and the sum of electro-physical phenomena happening inside it. While in iterconnects and loudspeaker cables it is desirable to reduce their length, in power cords the opposite is true, and shortening of the signal path may not be favorable and have a significant effect on the quality and character of the sound. Interestingly, this influence will be comparable (or even greater) than the one coming from signal or loudspeaker cables. Why?

Each power cable should have set mechanical and electrical parameters, defined during the design stage. The used isolator, conductor material, their geometry, or the amount and density of shielding are the most common parameters defining a power cord. However there are other physical parameters resulting from the construction of the cable and materials used, which will determine the final sound of a power cable.

The construction of a cable is closely related to such parameters as capacitance, inductance and resistance. A combination of those results in a low-pass RLC filter, which effectiveness will be different depending on the length of the cable, and in consequence, from the three parameters interacting. The proportion, dependence and relationship of those parameters is never random, sometimes this is the most heavily guarded secret, as it is key for the success of a power cable and determines its position on the audio market.

To better understand the mentioned phenomena, we can simplify them to say, that a power cable acts as a kind of anti-distortion filter, which eliminates noise. This happens not only due to the capacitance and inductance created between the leads of the cable, but also due to the existence of a shield, which has to protect the cord from negative influence of external electromagnetic fields. Shortening of a cable also diminishes the effectiveness of such shielding, what can lead to worsening of the performance of the cable and in result have a negative impact on its "sound".

On the other hand, the resistance of a cable should be as low as possible. With shortening of a cord its resistance also gets lower, but the final result is also influenced by parameters like the material of the conductor, its density and cross-section. Silver has the lowest resistance. This means, that it is a metal, that has the lowest drag against electrical current - it is the best conductor. Copper has second place.

Although the value of the resistance diminishes with the increase of the cross-section of the leads, it is worth mentioning, that during the many years of our research and experiments with different conductors we discovered, that the purity of the conductor is absolutely not a key parameter defining the sound. The armaments race to get the copper as pure as possible is nothing else than a marketing hype, trying to catch clients using a "dead parameter". Our company searched a long time for a supplier of copper, or copper leads, with the highest possible purity at a reasonable price.

A 5N purity can be achieved only in very demanding conditions, and what is most important, it is very difficult to prove such purity. This is the reason, that often clients become victims of dishonest manufacturers, who groundlessly overuse that parameter. A declared 6N and higher purity can be regarded as fairytale, unless the copper works can have cleanness parameters comparable to those from Intel laboratories. This is also the reason, that GigaWatt uses the best copper, from Polish copper works, with a real purity of 99,99% in two flavors: highly conductive cathode copper Cu-ETP and silver plated oxygen-free copper Cu-OF. 

Summarizing (and giving away the results of the experiment): there is a reason, that a longer, 2 meter cable "sounded" better than the shorter, 1 meter length. This is also the reason, that we offer as standard 1.5 meter lengths of our cords. This is a "golden" compromise between the price and the final sonic result. Of course, a 2 meter piece of cable will be better, but will also be more expensive. However the relationships we described have also their limits. Cables with 5 or 10 meter lengths will not necessarily sound better, because in their case, the sum of the electrical phenomena may work at their disadvantage - mostly due to losses coming from their increased resistance. This is the reason, that for longer distances we use a completely different cable, a dedicated in-wall cable GigaWatt LC-Y.

CABLES TESTED:

1. ENERR Delight Anima 1,8 m i 1,5 m
2. FURUTECH FP-314 Ag Fi-11G i Fi-E-11G 1,5 m i 2 m
3. GIGAWATT LC-2 MK3 1,5 m i 2m
4. GIGAWATT LC-3 MK3 1,5 m i 2m
5. P.S.C. (Pure Silver Connection) POWER Pristine Signal Transfer MKII 0,9 m i 1,8 m
6. SUPRA LoRad 3x2,5 MkII 1 m i 2 m

MEETING PARTICIPANTS:

Alexandra Sumorok – Ph.D technical sciences, art historian and specialist in the field of Stalinist Architecture and Art of Socialist Realism period. Like most women, she is not interested in musical equipment. With the greatest pleasure she likes to hear ... silence, which is very rare in our house... ;-). Hereinafter referred to as AS.

Marek Moczkowski – IT manager, electronics and short-wave radio fan. With audio equipment he has rather little to do, but he likes to listen. He takes part in my "testing" of a new equipment from the moment when I bought in the 90’s my first CD player. It means from the very beginning! Mark was always "good" in physics; hereinafter referred to as MM.

Witek Kamiński – architect; hereinafter referred to as WK.

Unspecified being called in dead language-Latin "Spirtus" (rctified spirit), located in different concentrations in beverages which man must drink in order to maintain vital functions of the body ... It hasn’t directly expressed an opinion about the sound, but had a definite effect (purely scientific) on ours ...

THE SOUND SYSTEM:

• Amplifier: LUXMAN L-507s
• Digital source: SACD YAMAHA CD-S2000
• Analog source: PRO-JECT RPM-5.1/ORTOFON 2M BLUE, Custom Version One
• Loudspeakers: VIENNA ACOUSTICS Beethoven Baby Grand
• Power cords: SUPRA LoRad 2.5 MkII
• Interconnect SUPRA EFF-I/NEUTRIK XLR
• Interconnect (turntable) VDH D-103 MKII
• Speaker cables VDH THE REVELATIONS

RECORDS USED IN TESTING:

SACD:

• Carmen McRay, Live At Birdland West, Concorde Jazz.
• Gustaw Mahler, Symphony no. 6, B.F. Claudio Abbado – DG.
• Gustaw Mahler, Symphony no. 2, W.P. Gilbert Kaplan – DG.

LP:

• Rachmaninov, Symphonic Dances, LSO, A. Previn; EMI Angel Master Series, DMM (1975-77).
• The Trumpet Summit meets The Oscar Peterson big 4, Pablo Records (1980).
• Beethoven, Symphony nr 2 in D major, P.Ch.P.O., Wojciech Rajski, “Tube Only”; TACET 180 g, (2007).

1. ENERR Delight Anima 1,8 m i 1,5 m

AS: Both wires played a homogenous, natural, smooth and coherent sound. The longer section presented a wider soundstage and a more spacious sound…
MM: I do not like the sound of a shorter one, at all. I have this impression that I can hear the sound of half instrument. I like one and eight meter , it is more precise, but seems to me that it's a little cheating in the arrangement of instruments on the stage.
WK: Longer Enerr tried to show greater and deeper soundstage, tried to better stretch the sound, tried to create the 3D effect. He did it all, at the expense of sound clarity and loss of detail. The shorter cable doesn't have this ambition! He decided to be honest. This resulted in a simpler, but more natural transmission, and so in my opinion much better. I like much more the shorter one!

2. FURUTECH FP-314 Ag Fi-11G i Fi-E-11G 1,5 m i 2 m

AS: The shorter cable didn't leave behind a good impression ...! In a sense, it can not be compared to a longer one, because it "plays" just like a completely different cable! The longer showed a better and wider sound, which more precise and better heard instruments . The sound become shiny and full of energy.
MM: For me, one and a half meters played "unsaid" sound ... Longer did everything better. Better was the space and the instruments were better arranged on the stage.
WK: The two-meters did all better, a lot better. The instruments have become more sharply drawn (more precisely). The sound became more transparent. In the sound were much more high tones, which were better. Music became livelier, more energetic, lively sound took a shine.

3. GIGAWATT LC-2 MK3 1,5 m i 2 m

AS: I didn't heard big differences between the wires. The shorter one was more dry and dull. The longer one played cool, but it was a little unreal sound.
MM: Shorter played "philharmonic" sound, with less separation of instruments. Two meters showed more detail and the air around the instruments, but I had the impression that it is a little "cheating" us...
WK: For me the longer cord played quieter, but deeper and more extended sound. 3D effect has appeared ! The instruments were better embedded in the scene. The sound was a little more thin and round, but with no loss of dynamics.

4. GIGAWATT LC-3 MK3 1,5 m i 2 m

AS: In this case, a gulf divides both the lengths of the cables! The longer one is the master of dynamics-music has a "breath", a huge space, the music scene is like on the hand, although I do not know if this effect is fully natural. The sound is literally torn away from the speakers. Shorter plays quieter, flatter and tighter. There was no space and 3D.
MM: I can not hear the special differences in sound, if I've to say something, it seems to me that a longer wire causes strange and not natural placement of instruments on the stage.
WK: I also think, that both lengths sound very different . Longer cable plays louder, with more dynamism, which is less compressed, more freely. The sound is better stretched, and on the other hand more detailed and precise. The presentation is very realistic and very three-dimensional. There are more treble and they are much better. In comparison with it, the shorter wire sounds flat.

5. P.S.C. (Pure Silver Connection) POWER Pristine Signal Transfer MKII 0,9 m i 1,8 m

AS: Shorter played very wide sound. The instruments sounded very precisely. The sound was soft and ductile and at the same time very detailed and coherent. The longer one presented incredible depth and created almost holographic effect. Instruments literally surrounded me-very interesting impression, but a little bit, not true;-).
MM: I do not want to analyze the differences because I like the incredible sound of both and I think that is practically identical. Incredibly realistic message. Present but not intrusive detail, reverbs, space!
WK: 0.9 sounded clearer, better drew instruments. It showed a better micro dynamics and the definition of instruments. He showed more detail. 1.8 meters showed a different approach to musical presentation. Here, more important was the message of the whole musical event, rather than individual instruments, or relishes in the form of creaking, knocking, etc .. It's not that there were no details, but they just played second fiddle! In addition, the sound was lower, smoother and more spacious. It was excellent 3D effect!

6. SUPRA LoRad 3x2,5 MkII 1 m i 1 m

AS: Longer wire is clearly better! The instruments sound better, There is larger soundstage and a more extended sound. The cable also showed a larger space.
MM: Longer has a better bass, more noticeable. It sounds more spacious. Shorter sounds dull.
WK: Two meters mean a better stretched, more defined, more fluid and surround sound. Better is the dynamics, the instruments are clearer and have more shine. In comparison with it, one the meter sounds dry and flat.

AT THE END

So, what is the moral of today's tale about wizards who are stealing the life-giving elixir for elves living in our audio equipment, from the Black Death in the power socket? Was their mission, despite the fact that difficult and dangerous, successful? Will the elves, almost doomed to extermination by an evil witch is called public opinion, survive and will continue to laboriously spin their cranks so that we can hear lovingly played music? And finally, was the evil spirit of the iron cable, which had signed an exclusive contract with the Black Death in the power socket, finally was banished from Middle-earth? They are not questions for me... Good fairytale, as I wrote at the beginning, just ends, and the children themselves already know what to do next.

So listen to a fairy tales. Who listens to ... not errs!

Fairy tale (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia) - A short work of fiction containing moral (instruction) can be rhymed, sometimes humorous. The moral may be at the beginning or end of the story or it may be the result of its content. An important feature of the fairy tale is allegory. The characters of fairy tales may be people as well as animals, objects and phenomena that embody human types, traits or opposing views and positions.

Legend (myth) (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia) - One of the fantastic epic genres, usually small in size, usually referring to folklore. It is dominated by elements of fantasy. He tells the story of the supernatural, miraculous events, characters and supernatural phenomena. One of the most important features of a legend is undetermined time and place of action. It includes folk wisdom, presents magical and folk beliefs. Story can be based on the tales.

Analysis of Bruno Bettelheim (Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia) - According to Bruno Bettelheim, a fairy tale reveals the existential problems in a compact and simple form, that is understandable for the child. Its specific features (such as lack of details in the story, the characters who represent a certain type, not a unique individual) make the story useful to your child in providing explanations concerning its own psyche and supporting the development of children's personality, the maturation. Bruno Bettelheim points to the constant themes in fairy tales, allowing child overcome fears of adolescence and emancipation, detachment from parents and fears associated with the opposite sex. Fairy tales, according to Bettelheim perform a therapeutic function, as well as communicate a basic understanding of the culture in which a child grows up.

Bruno Bettelheim wskazuje na stałe motywy w baśniach, pozwalające dziecku pokonać lęki przed dorastaniem i usamodzielnieniem, oderwaniem od rodziców oraz lęki związane z płcią przeciwną. Baśnie zdaniem Bettelheima pełnią funkcję terapeutyczną, a także przekazują podstawową wiedzę na temat kultury, w której dziecko dorasta.

ENERR cables supplied for testing by distributor: www.arspoaudio.pl
FURUTECH cables supplied for testing by distributor: www.rcm.com.pl
GIGAWATT cables supplied for testing by manufacturer: www.gigawatt.pl
P.S.C. cables supplied for testing by distributor: www.bestaudio.pl
SUPRA cables supplied for testing by distributor: www.bestaudio.pl

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