Power Cords & Cables Sonic Changes Obviated by Room Correction and To What Extent?

[Steve Bruzonsky]

Power Cords & Cables Sonic Changes Obviated by Room Correction and To What Extent?

Interesting exchange on another AV Forum on the web:

Amplifier performance has been below our discrimination threshold for a couple of decades.

Gee, I guess I was imagin ing when I initially got two Theta Digital Prometheus monoblocks (NCore/Hypex 1200) early 2014 and quickly noticed how they sounded better than the Theta Citadel 1.5 monoblocks I already had for my front left and right. Sounded so good that I then ordered three more of the Prometheus to replace my other three Theta Enterprise monoblocks!

Sounds like you are saying all amplifiers sound the same if equivalent power. You are certainly entitled to your own opinion of course (and hopefully me mine).

I do agree that amplifiers like people should not discriminate!

Your system sounded different when driven by Prometheus because it had very different frequency response. The Citadel 1.5's with no global feedback had a very high output impedance. Thus every speaker they drove had an unintended active equalizer in series with the output. Prometheus has extremely low output impedance and minimum frequency interaction with the load.



From my experience it's also true that N-Core amps, at least as designed by Morris/ATI, sound more dynamic than most other amplifiers.


It's also true that you were the first Theta customer to notice the differences.



Jeff

In all fairness I received the very first two Prometheus out of the factory - and within a day or two realized how outstanding they sounded, somewhat different and I thought better than the Citadel 1.5s, so I quickly ordered three more to replace my three Enterprises at center and surround!

Regarding what you are saying re frequency response, makes total sense! The improvement I heard was hardly just frequency response, but 3D imaging was more real and more like a live concert in an excellent sonic venue!

These days, if I change out any components, aside from using room correction measurements (Dirac with my prior Theta CBIVA SSP, Optimizer with my current Trinnov Altitude 32), I also use my ears with this test disc with frequency test tones from low to the very highest: https://www.highresaudio.com/en/album/view/g9f4n7/2xhd-system-test-audiophile-hi-res-system-test

Interesting is that using that test disc, with my prior Theta CBIVA SSP, I could hear 8 kHz clearly, and 10 kHz maybe 50%, nothing above (last March when I reinserted CB for 10 days or so as my new Trinnov SSP was in for a minor repair and addng channels); whereas with the Trinnov SSP I can hear up to 12 kHz clearly but nothing beyond. I wonder does this also have to do with output impedance?

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This gets me questioning the extent to which excellent room correction, such as Trinnov Optimizer, etc, obviates some or all of the differences audiophiles "hear" in changing power cords, interconnects, speaker cables, various tweaks, etc.

Anyone game?

 

[analogsa]

If the room correction is indeed "excellent" it will make all sorts of cable effects all the more obvious and important. Otoh, it is very possible the room correction device itself is far from transparent and masks the more subtle effects. A perfect solution for an objectivist.

 

[RogerD]

Will room correction change the strength and clarity of the phantom image and put it squarely behind the plane of the speakers? I myself really doubt it. People view SQ in so many ways though...

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

Will room correction change the strength and clarity of the phantom image and put it squarely behind the plane of the speakers? I myself really doubt it. People view SQ in so many ways though...

Generally I agree with you, I would think there is no substitute for excellent more properly placed floorstanding speakers re giving a great phantom 3D image extending well in back of the speakers. Though my recent setup and demo of a Lyngdorf MP50 SSP at a friends place showed amazing not only frequency amplitude correction but the soundstage itself remarkably improved thanks to Room Perfect room correction! Yet demos at CEDIA with all in wall/on wall speakers failed to yield this sort of soundstage, the exception being Steinway-Lyngdorf.