I think the general notion is that anyone can do these tests with a reasonably good ear; however, I think the more trained ear you have, the better chance you have of discerning differences in cables, equipment, etc.

I think the best test is to start out with as near a perfect system as you can, then selectively remove various components, insert others, and then listen for the difference... The time-lapse between the two should be as little as possible...   (m.)

Hmmmm. . . I have a power regenerator and can hear the differences between power cords on the Torii Mk III quite clearly despite the regulation tubes (and the differences in the regulation tubes). So .. . It's not all that cut and dried for me.

Thats a good observation Ed.
How much is overkill ?
Tracing backwards, Steve extols the virtues of the rectifier valve. ok.
His power cable backs this up by not pretending to be anything but a well made component of good+ quality silver wires . No pretence of super ingredient x rf shieldings etc. I think he says it adds or subtracts nothing.
So plug in and play or go through a mains conditioner ?
Well, I had the conditioner before Steves amps so I cant comment as to whether there is a big change.
I would always however prefer to take out as much interference as I could so the cable/rectifiers have an easier job.  

oops out of sync. Sorry Lon/Ed

I have strong science based tendencies, and agree with much of the linked article.  

In spite of that, I find the sort of systems that would make Peter Aczel and his ABX sycophants puke blood somehow manage to be able to achieve more of the "Gestalt of music" in the end.  Often for less investment, too.  Decware gear is pretty much the definitive example of such.  

Why power cables matter
There’s a lot of controversy and misinformation surrounding the subject of AC power quality, power delivery systems and the importance of the power cable in a high-end system.  Power cables matter if gaining all that’s possible with any piece of equipment matters – and most high-end system owners would perhaps agree this is a goal worth pursuing.

One of the first questions people typically ask is why the last 6 feet of power cable matters when typically there are hundreds of feet of power delivery wires feeding the AC to the wall socket in the first place.  The answer is deceptively simple and can be addressed in two parts: the equipment is not at the end of the delivery system and most of the noise that degrades performance is generated by the equipment itself.

Your equipment is not at the end
It is a common misconception that a piece of equipment is at the end of the power delivery chain when, in fact, it is actually in the middle of that chain.

AC power has two conductors (ignoring the ground wire which is only for noise and safety) and power flows in a loop between the two conductors – your equipment sitting right in the middle of that loop.  So the unit is not at the end of the chain, but rather in the middle and this is the area where the AC power is subjected to high levels of noise – and that noise can degrade the audio or video quality significantly.

The source of noise
The majority of noise is actually generated by the equipment itself and for this reason, it is critically important that the externally exposed middle of the power loop be well shielded both internally (to the power cable) and externally (to the other equipment).

A stock power cable is perhaps the worst thing you can use to connect your equipment as these are neither protected internally or externally and their construction does not support the reduction of complex interactions and noise generated by the equipment.

To get the most out of your system you should consider replacing all your stock power cables with well designed low noise versions.  Doing so will help the performance of your system immeasurably and, depending on the type of power cable you wind up with, can contribute to significantly lower system noise, less glare riding on the music and better micro and macro dynamics.

It's simple, trust your own ears.

There is no truth in audio. Our systems will sound different from day to day due to an unbelievable amount of variables that we cannot control.

Some people use cables as tone controls. Nothing wrong with that. Some want warm systems, some want to hear more detail. There are many ways to achieve the same results.

I love what balanced power brings to my system, but others choose a different route for power conditioning. Some find silver harsh and detailed, I find it warm and organic. That what makes this a hobby! I find tweaking the variables makes me
feel closer to the music.

EdGuY wrote on 12/01/12 at 19:52:59:


+1

I think you can make sensible choices for your systems well being,
but there comes a point when it becomes like tube rolling. Not so much better, but different...a new flavour.

Sounds like what you really need is a buffer/cable driver Ed.