We all know that a power cord can be the difference between operating something safely and having that power cord cause a problem, up to and including a fire. There are, believe it or not, other considerations for the use of higher quality and better standards of power cords.

Your sound and the overall quality of your electronics of any type can be determined to some extent by the quality of the power cord that you use to drive it. Sounds like a sweeping statement doesn't it. While it does sound like something that is overstated, the fact is that it is not so.

A power cord can make a vast amount of difference in how your product works. It can determine if it works and how well it works. Your speakers can even sound different by the kind of power cord--or the quality of the cord that is driving the stereo.

Here's why:

Nearly every electronic device that you'll use today and specifically audio devices are using a DI or a direct current. Those voltages can be from a couple of volts all the way up to hundreds of volts. What you get sent to your home is not direct current, but alternating current.

AC power changes from moment to moment. Electronics and other devices demand clean and stable power supplies. That's where DC current comes into play. The better the power cord, the better and the more stable that supply is. The power cord accepts and converts the power that comes into your home.

The better that power cord, the more stable and the more perfect the power supply will be. The better the power supply is, the more stable and the better the electronic will operate. This is true of speakers, stereos, computers, televisions and many other products.

Just as an example, some of the top stereo and speaker manufacturers in the business today state that for their audio equipment, the modestly priced to the very expensive, there is not an audio component alive that cannot be made better by the use of a better power cord.

There are well documented standards about what is and what is not a good and a safe power supply. Those standards exist for safety, but they extend to other areas of product use.

It is important that agencies that make power cords do so in a way that allows them to meet or to surpass the standards for not just the United States but for international bodies as well. Better power cords can make longer lasting and more useful electronics.