Dave Funk's Tube Amp School

[grangeramp]

Now I don't feel quite as bad about my introductory post a few weeks ago.

[bnwitt]

Dave,
how would you describe this audible difference delivered by the power cord?

[stink]

Dave,
how would you describe this audible difference delivered by the power cord?

Come on bro, it's "monster" power cord... it HAS to sound better...

Such a deal price too....only $180

-Steve
________
GSX-R250

[UR12]

$300 wooden knobs, $180 power cords. Red wire sounds better than blue

[jjman]

Wow, this has been some thread. A technically inappropriate sales pitch to start. Albeit a great idea for a workshop. Then some intriguing inside information quite on subject. Now what appears to be voodoo? Where will the rollercoaster take us next?

Maybe throwing shoes at the President? Oh wait, that already happened.

[Thunderfunk]

Dave,
how would you describe this audible difference delivered by the power cord?

Come on bro, it's "monster" power cord... it HAS to sound better...

Such a deal price too....only $180

-Steve

If you don't know, Monster cords come with a lifetime guarantee, and last about 90 days. The way they do it is it's a 75% discount to the dealers and strict sales price controls. We're not talking about that. Listen to the download video off ESP's webpage. Even with the poor quality of the video you can hear the difference. Read the white paper. Why would I stake my reputation on some product that's hype and I don't even make any money on it?

Describe the sound? More "real?" For those who don't know I'm building a bass amp that's knocking off the big boys. Last year I changed the first chip in the signal chain from an opamp to a preamp. Until this proprietary chip was available you had nothing to compare it too. Opamp to opamp still sounded like an opamp. Some better or worse. But when you can compare an opamp to a PREamp, then you hear what was missing all along. until then, you didn't know. How would you? There was nothing to compare it too.

The cord sounds clearer, smoother, louder, and more natural. Now maybe you won't sound any better with it (practice) but your system will. A friend used one on a small Allen & Heath mixing board and now won't change it back. From Michael's webapge I never knew he was selling them for VIDEO systems as well. Maybe you can't hear, but you should be able to see. For guys cloning Trainwrecks, I thought you should know.

Now, I downloaded someone's "Trainwreck" samples and I gotta say, it sounded more like a Boogie than a 'Wreck. If you don't know what a 'Wreck sounds like, go hear!

http://www.myspace.com/glenkuykendall

Listen to the harmonics he "squeezes" off. How delicate the transistion is from clean to dirty to harmonic. More subtle than a Dumble. And it's true, you can't build a 'Wreck without NOS tubes. Mullard and Telefunken.

So maybe the power cord doesn't matter if you can't play to begin with (not saying I can), but you should know, these things work. And being in the guitar world you might not know who Victor Wooten is besides being an ESP endorser, but I'd say he's the most influential bass player in the world. And Bill Dickens showed me these cords at the 2008 Summer NAMM. What caught Bill's eye was that Henry Johnson was using one. Henry taught Bill how to play bass. And if you don't know who Bill Dickens is (besides being a Thunderfunk endorser) he's first call to backup Nathan Watts for Stevie Wonder. Now maybe you think these guys are deaf and can be conned or bought off, but you're just wrong. Billy told me that he still has to audition for the gig, and sounding the best he can is important to him. So laugh if you want, but I'm just telling you, these things work.

Dave

[bnwitt]

I'm just gonna keep my big mouth shut on this one.

[Tubetwang]

from 1990 to 2000 i was involved in Home Hi-Fi big time...just a hobby mind you...i was after getting the best sound for the cheapest greens...i'm a savy guy. I wanted to "understand" and "know how" to have a set up that i would enjoy when i listen to my music. Live and learn.

I was reading books, getting magazines from Canada, Germany, France, Italy and USA...building tube amps, modifying Class A transistor amps, re-clocking CD players, building speakers and subs...pre-amps etc...You know...you end up spending a lot of money in the end but you've learned a lot...

I joined an Audiophile Association...we visited guys that had dumped a cool million + plus in their he-man-hi-fi-rig, in dedicated acoustically treated rooms...guys that would play vinyls or cd's because they would resolved better... nothing wrong with that mind you...

Anyways...i saw and heard a lot of b.s.

I'll spare the details...

I really enjoyed Dave's comment on GW and KF ...

On the AC power cord...i urge you to listen before you purchased and maybe buy second hand if possible...usually half priced minimum...maybe try a blind test of different wires...

Ask yourself why one would you spend 180$ on the last meter of AC wire before your amp...

Someone will eventually come down with a 5000$/meter ac wire that will blow away the cheap 180$, and, jealous, you will be throwing your shoes out of frustration...

What will be next?

Change your house wires up to the fuse box? up to the main grid? up to the power plant?

Pretty soon the Electricity company will start to offer wire upgrades at a premium...

Just a tough ...

I knew Audiophile products would eventually "trickle down" to musical instrument...

[Structo]

I can see this not ending well but when I see things like this I immediatley think of snake oil.

Take this statement made about stock amplifier power cords:

The power cord is restricting current flow choking your component’s power supply and compromising its performance.

Bullshit.

And this about the "MusicCord".
Shielded Cable Construction – a maximum coverage braided shield contains the strong magnetic field that can cause EMI (electro-magnetic interference) in signal cables and components.
Bullshit

Oxygen-Free High-Conductivity (OFHC) Copper Conductors for greater detail and enhanced resolution.
Bullshit

Line and Neutral Conductors – Patented multi-conductor design, OFHC-101, 16-awg equivalent (MusicCord), 14-awg equivalent (MusicCord-PRO)
Bullshit

When I get a new cord for a new amp, I generally try to find a IEC 16 ga cord. It's hard to find one with 14 ga wire. Go figure.
Why? Because even though I know 18 ga in theory is big enough I just like the thought of a big gauge IEC power cord.

All I have to say about this is..........

BAWAHAWAHAWAHAWAHAWA!!!!

[Tubetwang]

Endorsement is the best way to sell a product...Image is important...

[Structo]

I actually wasted 10 minutes of my life and watched the demo videos.

Quite obvious that there were some funny video editing.

On the monitor test, there is no way that switching a power cord is going to bump up the bass on those speakers.
I think there was some EQ magic there.

Then on the acoustic guitar demo, I didn't hear any difference.

And besides, how are you going to show a sonic difference with a video camera.

Show some O scope before and after freq responses.

If I could try one without paying $$$ I might be interested but they are relying on the fact that most people won't return it.
Their RA return system sounds suspect because you have to RA it within 30 days of when it was shipped.

Snake oil.........PT Barnum was right.

[Tubetwang]

i watched the video and enjoyed Spiro's guitar playing...

I used my best earphones...Grado 325 straight into my Mac and my observations are as follow...

There is more volume on the second take...

Sound is the same but...

Now i was'tn there for the taping...did Spiro change the volume on the second track? Who knows...

[Thunderfunk]

OK. So I ask Omar if I can post here and he says yes. Then I get ridculed for stepping in "your" sandbox.

Then I get bitched out about how I "owe" you guys something in order to play here. I guess you think you own the sandbox. If I owe you, then don't you owe me? Like some respect?

Then you're mad because I'm not giving away Ken's secrets, all the while saying how much you love and respect him, while you're trying to rip him off.

Then I tell you the stuff you're wanting to hear, and you imply that I'm a liar, and idiot, or a whore. I guess you're mad that I'm not a slut? What if I told you you needed a very expensive Telefunken tube to make a Trainwreck work? That's OK? But a very expensive power cord must be bullshit? Why don't you admit that you're deaf? This is a forum discussing amps that sell for $40,000, but $180 for a power cord is crazy? How about $6,000 for a 1 meter stereo interconnect?

http://www.vandenhul.com/

And it's not even made out of metal! I guess you think there's a bunch of really rich deaf people out there? How else would these guys stay in business?

So if you don't like what I say, save all of us the flame, and just go somewhere else. There's plenty of threads for you to screw up. For those who aren't as prejudiced as the negative posters here, check out the cable, or don't. It's your loss. I made a pun!

Dave

[bnwitt]

Calm down Dave. It's all just words and opinions.

[UR12]

This is a forum discussing amps that sell for $40,000, but $180 for a power cord is crazy? How about $6,000 for a 1 meter stereo interconnect?

Dave

Personally, I think 40,000 for a frigin guitar amp is crazy so I am not sure what your point is. I can really see a need for a power cord that can deliver a lot of clean power to an amp, as long as that amp was in need of a lot of power (Current/voltage) like a 1000 watt PA amp that was driving a lot of bass, but please explain to me how a ac circuit capable of delivering 20 amps at the outlet would have a problem supplying a couple of amps to my 35 watt guitar amp through a 16 gage line cord.

I have actually installed one of these cords in/on an 35w amp I built at the request of the buyer. He even got an extra 1ft piece so I could run the same wire internally on the amp from the IEC socket to the fuse and power switch. My opinion of the cord I tested was that I could find a lot more bang for my buck spending that $180 on something else. Having actually tried the product, the cost vs return on investment is a joke IMHO. Someone is mixing up a new batch of coolaid.

I do wish you the best of luck with your school, but if you expect to come here and throw out "Endorsments" like that and not have any one question the validity of your statements as fact, then we wouldn't have much of a forum.