A/C POWER CORDS & ACCESSORIES 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Frequently Asked Questions About Essential Sound Products Power Cords and Power Distributors |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Question | Answer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Does plugging a MusicCord or MusicCord-PRO power cord into a power strip, or using them with an extension cord defeat the performance benefits? | No, the performance will not be significantly affected, with one exception. If you use a thin gauge extension such as an 18-gauge two-wire "lamp cord" extension, it will compromise the performance benefits. Use a 14- or 12-gauge extension, and you'll be just fine. In a 'live' performance environment, you likely will not be able to tell a difference betweent plugging direct into a wall outlet versus using a power strip or extension cord. You do not need to purchase a long-length cord to reach a wall outlet. Purchase the length that will allow the cord to reach the floor and not be hanging from the component chassis jack. For the majority of our customers, 2-meters length works great! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
With miles of cable and wire between the power station and the ac mains outlet, how can a 6-foot power cord make a difference? | The 18-gauge power cord included with most audio components acts as a "bottle neck" in the overall circuit. Essential Sound Products power cords have dramatically lower impedance, allowing increased current flow. Why not just get a standard 14-gauge power cord? Not! Larger gauge cords introduce phase distortions. You'll hear more bass but it will not be as well controlled, blurred imaging, and rolled off high frequencies. Essential Sound Products power cords are designed to filter phase distortions. You'll hear greater dynamics, more transient speed, improved clarity, more resolution, and more natural warmth in the midrange with fatter tone. For a more detailed explanation, please view the Essential Sound Products technology slide show. Through our over 17-years development experience we understand how to assure that the characteristic filtering effect is extremely consistent, no matter what a/c mains or audio components Essential Sound Products power cords are used with. Because each audio component's power supply is different, the magnitude of improvement will vary from one component to another. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Why do I need Essential Sound Products power cords versus using a "line conditioner"? | Essential Sound Products power cords address two causes of audible distortions: Phase Distortion - timing errors that occur between lower and higher frequencies. Inadequate Current Delivery - the amount and how quickly current can flow to your gear's power supply. Taken together, these factors can cause audible distortions including sluggish bloated bass response, dynamic compression, harshness in the upper mid-range, loss of clarity and harmonic integrity, and frequency anomalies including over-emphasis or suck-outs. Traditional "line conditioners" or "waveform regenerators" do not addresses these issues. In fact, of these devices can actually make matters worse by adding transformers and capacitors in the circuit which add phase distortions and can limit current delivery. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Which component will benefit most from using Essential Sound Products power cords? | The most popular initial application is a power amplifier, either for instruments or speakers, or powered studio monitors. The reason is likely because the affects of inadequate current delivery are most obvious with components such as power amplifiers that require a lot of current. There's a good arguement for the first application being the source component such as a CD player in a home audio system or microphone pre-amp in a studio recording system. The reason is that the quality of one's system is limited by the quality of the source signal. In audio, "distortion begets distortion", meaning that distortion from the source component gets processed and amplified by downstream components. Best performance is achieved when all system components in the chain are equiped with Essential Sound Products power cords. If you cannot equip each individual component with its own power cord, consider purchasing a Power Distributor. Because every plugged-in component experiences an incremental improvement, purchase of a power distributor offers the greatest performance value. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
What are the main differences between MusicCord and MusicCord-PRO power cords? | MusicCord power cord is equivalent 16-gauge. MusicCord-PRO is 14-gauge equivalent. Both are based upon our patented multi-conductor cable design. However, the extra gauge makes MusicCord-PRO do everything a little better. In the midrange, the cords are similar in performance. With both MusicCord and MusicCord-PRO, you'll hear greater dynamics, more transient speed, improved clarity, more resolution, and more natural warmth in the midrange with fatter tone. The frequency extremes are where the differences between MusicCord and MusicCord-PRO are most apparent. Especially bass frequencies, the PRO affords better extension and control. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Which should I get for my guitar or bass - MusicCord or MusicCord-PRO? |
This is a question we get asked a lot! Ultimately, you are the only one who can make the right choice for yourself. Guitarist and bassists have purchased both cords and been happy with the performance improvements. However, picking up on the basic difference bewteen the two cords, I strongly encourage bass players to audition the MusicCord-PRO. To many, the added bass extension and control afforded by the PRO wil likely justify the additional investment. Some customers and journalists have commented that tube amplifiers seem to benefit more from using our power cords than do solid state amplifiers. Our power cords are designed to be versitile and be used with any audio video components. However, understanding some of the basic differences between tube and solid state amplifiers, the effect of insufficient current to reproduce dynamic passages may be more noticable with a tube amplifier versus a typical class A/B solid state amplifier. Again this is only anecdotal feedback. For high current applications, MusicCord-PRO would again be the preferred choice. Because each component design is different, the magnitude of improvement will vary from one component to another. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Are Essential Sound Products power cords suitable for use with 220-240Volt AC mains? | Yes. Essential Sound Products power cords were designed to be suitable for use all over the world. You can read feedback from owners in Europe and Asis on our Customer Feedback web page. Essential Sound Products cables conform to UL (Underwriters Laboratory) style classifications for 600 Volts. In particular, MusicCord 'Professional' and 'Especial' series power cord assemblies are terminated to exceed even "hospital grade" standards in the US and Canada. The wire terminations are crimped and soldered, reinforcement rings are clamped to the calbe before overmolding, and the molded plugs and connectors have integral strain reliefs. International plugs are built to the same internal termination processes and strain reliefs as the plug for North America. "Hospital grade" means they have been tested and proven to meet higher "abuse" standards than typical power cords. We want you our customer to know that when you make an investment in our products, they are built to last even in sometimes harsh front-of-house environments. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Do MusicCord power cords meet "RoHS" enviromental standards for Europe? |
Essential Sound Products Thinks Green! Here's some examples of how we try to do our part to minimize waste and take care of the environment: All MusicCord Professional and ESpecial series power cords are RoHS compliant including the North American versions. For those who don't understand what 'RoHS' is all about, the European Union has established strict standards aimed at eliminating many potentially hazardous materials from use in the product or manufacturing processes. The objective is to prevent putting hazardous substances into the air we breath or landfills that could leak into ground water polluting drinking water supply. We believe that's a good policy to follow for all our products sold worldwide. We also considered the environmental impact of our product packaging. We chose not to put our power cords in clear disposable plastic because after you purchase the product, that plastic packaging is just waste. Instead, we package our power cords in reuseable, waterproof, luggage-quality cloth bags. You may not use the bag for the cord. It makes for a great gear bag for musicians to carry all those small items you need with you when you go to a gig. Like our products, we expect the bags to provide many years of service, a real added value you get with your purchase. Our customers like the bags so much they have given us feedback that has lead to improvements like the wrist strap we added to the latest version. Lastly, all our products are shipped in cardboard boxes. Cardboard is a fully recyclable and biodegradable material. So recycle those shipping cartons! |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
