For years, the debate has raged on-line and off regarding the perceived value of after-market power cords within professional and consumer audio-video systems.

Though there are many sound and visual professionals who report experiencing dramatic differences when replacing stock power cords, there are still skeptics who point to a lack of measurements as proof that no real difference can exist.

Shunyata Research scientist, Caelin Gabriel, has put an end to the debate by revealing not only one -- but three dramatic measured differences between stock power cords and an inexpensive audio-grade power cord.

DTCD (Dynamic Transient Current Delivery) Analyzer
DTCD is a method of current analysis that measures instantaneous current delivery in the context of a pulsed current draw. In layman's terms, it is a way of measuring current performance into typical electronic component power supplies.

The DTCD Analyzer allows the measurement of pulsed transient current through a variety of AC power products, including power cords.

The measurements represent three critical performance criteria:

The quantity of instantaneous current available through a specified power device or circuit. Measured in amperes.

The amount of voltage drop across the device during the conduction period.

DTCD Current Measurement: This measurement depicts the difference in available impulse current between Shunyata's Venom-3 power cord ($99 retail) and a standard black component power cord. Note the enormous difference in the quantity of current available compared to the stock power cord. The stock power cord delivers only 47% of available current compared to 84% with a Venom-3 power cord. By any standard of measure, this is statistically significant.

Voltage Drop Comparison: The voltage drop depicted for the stock power cord was so profound that several models were tested to validate the standardized measurement. A 15 volt drop in voltage during the conduction period compared to only a 5 volt drop with a Shunyata Venom-3 power cord represents a night to day objective difference. This magnitude of difference is certainly significant in a high performance entertainment system.

NOTE: DTCD tests are an extreme test of the limits of power cord performance and do not represent normal operation into a power supply.