Cables are the missing link! No cables no sound, it doesn't get any simpler than that. How much to spend on cables you're often asked? Do you see the problem with this question? To relate sound to money, a typical MBA (Master in Business Administration) mould of thought, they are barking up the wrong tree, absolutely.
They try to rationalise amp to speaker budget ratio. For all you know, some speakers are cheap to own but need a heck of an amp to drive. Big amp means big money. What say you? Whereas with cables, their sonic diversity is even more manifold, it's hard to concur the cable budget ratio thing. This is the problem, some don't listen, they just rationalise...... all day long.
I know some skimp on cables, a big allocation of budget to the equipment. Not any different than high-end turntable on a budget cartridge because the equipment is the main feature. They do more posting than listening, sad to say. What about cable management? Go figure.
Showing posts with label Cable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cable. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Cloud Nine
If you're reading this, Argento FMR had been returned to the rightful owner by now. Now, wipe that grin on your face, you have done enough damage already. Stop rubbing salt on my wounds. Thank you for pointing out the weak link. You have got the better of me, for temporary only, I will rise again. And no, I'm not getting a FMR. I can't afford one. Time please, I'll think of something.
This friend of mine tried every high cables available, almost. All of them were heavily advertised and promoted, high prices too. I turned to boutique brands. A painful revelation, my first cord wasn't good enough, ouch! The first cord is of paramount of importance, the chain reaction shows its shortcoming.
I turned to google search for my cord, plenty of research. Wired the payment and patiently waiting for its arrival. The new cord has the utmost emphasis on shielding, the maker couldn't stop stressing how non-shielding weighting down the performance. Judging by his plug and IEC AC power connector selection, I believe that he's crazy as in an audiophile context. Because audiophiles listen while engineers read specs, take for example the earlier German audio products, you know it lacks musicality. The common "engineer" approach is getting the best parts available and assembling them together, and tada, you got the best product. Present nice measurements and technical white paper, tada. Me say, thank very much, see you next time.
Suffice to say, there are engineer family audiophiles who "worship" technologies, and ended up with a sound, let's just say not living up to the asking price. In engineering school of thought, there is no bad engineering but whether for the betterment or not, the user is the better judge. Stuck up is the what it is, most engineers know what is good for you. They simply know. Guess what, even the Swiss audio products too never show many measurements.
My cord finally arrived, no garden hose, no fancy packaging either. It ain't cheap, the maker knows exactly how much his cord worth (in sound). My friend smirked, "Are you nut? It costs almost an equipment." I know. Money coming out from my pocket, I sure feel the pain. The pain will go away. We must always tackle the weakest link, mustn't we?
Specifically stated, it is meant for 10A application ha. Not ideal for power amp. Ok, CD player it is. Run for 200 hours before I pen down my notes. First note, the silent background caught my attention without pawning away the details, some say the notorious infinitesimal electrical buzz. Ahem, you got my attention now. I am not sure if it was me, the sound gets purer. Dense and solid.
Whew, the soundstage grows in spatial volume! The separation too is corresponding to the expansion. This cord starts to worth its money, not bad eh? And for goodness sake, this is the second model from the bottom. How on earth would the top model get to sound? Not that my present cord is of any inferior but it loses a little of every single department, and it becomes significant when all add up. Particularly in this soundstage, the new cord is miles ahead of my present cord. We know that the lateral and height expansion are of herculean task and yet highly desirable. Now, let's brush aside the idea of raising the height of speakers, because doing so will cause the bass to lose its splendidity or you may add a sub to compensate the bass. How do you get the enormous soundstage? SAVR doesn't give you that. Schumann Resonator doesn't give you that either. Panoramic soundstage is a very attractive proposition, a virtue to die for for the sound has leaped out from the box. Everybody loves big sound. Big sound without big room, that's really something special.
The third virtue, I must give that to the bass control. Seriously, the bass was not as plumptious but the bass has enough volume and great tenacity to discern double bass notes. These translate to texture. Other cords may have overdo the double bass that bring about dull and cloudy notes. I'm not sure if this is system dependent, my bass nose dives more effortlessly without a hint of reluctance. As such, the music maintain the groovy-ness minus the grouchiness. The fact is I don't really care much for drum reproduction because the tendency of wanting a bigger bass could have screwed the overall balance of sound, the audio commandment you should abide. I must have my system must be able to show forth the double bass notes truthfully.
Have I unlocked an impasse? I like think I did. With the new cord, I'm not missing FMR. I could not have enough of the transparency. As a tone control cord, it is not. What it really matter is it does not stand in the way of the music, cheer! Worth very penny.
This friend of mine tried every high cables available, almost. All of them were heavily advertised and promoted, high prices too. I turned to boutique brands. A painful revelation, my first cord wasn't good enough, ouch! The first cord is of paramount of importance, the chain reaction shows its shortcoming.
I turned to google search for my cord, plenty of research. Wired the payment and patiently waiting for its arrival. The new cord has the utmost emphasis on shielding, the maker couldn't stop stressing how non-shielding weighting down the performance. Judging by his plug and IEC AC power connector selection, I believe that he's crazy as in an audiophile context. Because audiophiles listen while engineers read specs, take for example the earlier German audio products, you know it lacks musicality. The common "engineer" approach is getting the best parts available and assembling them together, and tada, you got the best product. Present nice measurements and technical white paper, tada. Me say, thank very much, see you next time.
Suffice to say, there are engineer family audiophiles who "worship" technologies, and ended up with a sound, let's just say not living up to the asking price. In engineering school of thought, there is no bad engineering but whether for the betterment or not, the user is the better judge. Stuck up is the what it is, most engineers know what is good for you. They simply know. Guess what, even the Swiss audio products too never show many measurements.
My cord finally arrived, no garden hose, no fancy packaging either. It ain't cheap, the maker knows exactly how much his cord worth (in sound). My friend smirked, "Are you nut? It costs almost an equipment." I know. Money coming out from my pocket, I sure feel the pain. The pain will go away. We must always tackle the weakest link, mustn't we?
Specifically stated, it is meant for 10A application ha. Not ideal for power amp. Ok, CD player it is. Run for 200 hours before I pen down my notes. First note, the silent background caught my attention without pawning away the details, some say the notorious infinitesimal electrical buzz. Ahem, you got my attention now. I am not sure if it was me, the sound gets purer. Dense and solid.
Whew, the soundstage grows in spatial volume! The separation too is corresponding to the expansion. This cord starts to worth its money, not bad eh? And for goodness sake, this is the second model from the bottom. How on earth would the top model get to sound? Not that my present cord is of any inferior but it loses a little of every single department, and it becomes significant when all add up. Particularly in this soundstage, the new cord is miles ahead of my present cord. We know that the lateral and height expansion are of herculean task and yet highly desirable. Now, let's brush aside the idea of raising the height of speakers, because doing so will cause the bass to lose its splendidity or you may add a sub to compensate the bass. How do you get the enormous soundstage? SAVR doesn't give you that. Schumann Resonator doesn't give you that either. Panoramic soundstage is a very attractive proposition, a virtue to die for for the sound has leaped out from the box. Everybody loves big sound. Big sound without big room, that's really something special.
The third virtue, I must give that to the bass control. Seriously, the bass was not as plumptious but the bass has enough volume and great tenacity to discern double bass notes. These translate to texture. Other cords may have overdo the double bass that bring about dull and cloudy notes. I'm not sure if this is system dependent, my bass nose dives more effortlessly without a hint of reluctance. As such, the music maintain the groovy-ness minus the grouchiness. The fact is I don't really care much for drum reproduction because the tendency of wanting a bigger bass could have screwed the overall balance of sound, the audio commandment you should abide. I must have my system must be able to show forth the double bass notes truthfully.
Have I unlocked an impasse? I like think I did. With the new cord, I'm not missing FMR. I could not have enough of the transparency. As a tone control cord, it is not. What it really matter is it does not stand in the way of the music, cheer! Worth very penny.
Monday, September 25, 2017
My shit hole
It isn't every day you get to test high-end cable, what more a friend surprise you with a high-end cable at your door front, with a grin. Nobody home? The temptation proved too strong. A Chinese proverb says to get tigress cub, you must get close to her, no risk, no gain. High-end cable is really my uncharted waters, it's an expensive endeavour. Everyone in my group is singing "we..... are in this together", you go buy first when comes to doubtful purchases. They jump to encourage everything and anything with audio, less with other matters. @#$%&*+ What kind of friends are these?
Long story short, Argento FMR power cord from Denmark is today's highlight. A flagship product from the Scans, you know it will not be cheap. The thickness of the cord resembles Voodoo cables, already spells high price, comes with immaculate finishing. FMR makes my cord collection looks like junk, my expectation on FMR rose. Deep down, the happy ending would be it's a very good cord but it's not for me. I gladly return the cord back to the rightful owner and I get to keep my money. Nobody lose.
Stiff cords errr...., I don't have the luxury of space to accommodate them, that's a real big problem of small room. Me and my cord ritual, nor over bending, no anti-clock wise twisting, no stepping, assist resonance support, I'm good to go. Believe or not, these steps give better sound.
Corresponding to its thickness, FMR isn't that stiff, still, you can't make small roll. Thank god it's 2-meter length, a great allowance for flexibility. The shielding and resonance control account for the cord thickness I suppose. Both ends housed in aluminum can which is said to reduce EMI interference. When comes to sound, use the right tool; the hearing, the sight stops there as far as I concern. Let hear what FMR has installed.
Without delay, I hooked FMR to my preamp, if there is any changes, it will be apparent. And my pre consumes little current, generally believed as the guardian of tonal balance. Well, it wasn't an instant revelation, I wasn't impressed. The sound was veiled and muddy. Absolutely doesn't live up to the asking price, FMR needs time, more time. While no scavenge online review to avoid developing preferential bias, very scarce information on their website but the usual cable luring. USD6200 isn't inexpensive but there are many cost more, the value proposition begs to sing louder.
Gosh..., I was told FMR was left idle for two weeks though it is a broken in cord. The old saying “good things come to those who wait", it miraculously happened. Take 50 hours to discern a change in sound and another 50 more to stabilize. A confident sound, if you know what it means. Bold, composed, detail and quiet. Quite extraordinary, the addition of FMR in my system is a TKO, it is everything I ever wanted in my system. It complimented my system, bringing out the best of my system.
FMR uses silver alloy as conductor is the only information available on their official website. The sound of alloy is unpredictable. Same with Echole cables with silver, gold and palladium alloy, Yter in a similar regard, as far as the metallurgy is a concern.
Because classical music is my sonic diet, I inclined to a balanced sound. FMR cleverly gets out of the music to conserve the steady flow of music. Yes, the slight warmth at the lower midrange does render a fuller sound. The energies extended all the way to the bottom, the mids is seductive, sweet but not overly so. Silky highs, the use of silver alloy did make a presence in the treble department, a tad more highs extension and a touch of lightness too, audibly. This cord combines the benefits of silver and copper, extended highs and weighty bottom, a Godsend for nonactive sub speakers.
Moving on to the pace, neither fast nor slow. An indication of balance, too fast suggests lightweight-ness, too slow indicates a drag. The owner told me his findings, partially contrastive description. My continued rolling of power cord confirmed that FMR amplifies the sonic character of the upper link.
My audio budget this year is yet recorded the highest ever, o... blame me. I'm not going to bore you with tuning and soundstage expanding techniques, this is more for the ears than to the eyes. Like a wise man says, an audio system is for the ears only. So, what is the story now? Argento FMR cord could be the missing puzzle of my system. I have dug myself a shit hole and jumped into it, heavy-hearted to return the cord. FMR is an abbreviation of Flow Master Reference, it seems me and the manufacturer do agree upon something, the flow thing. They used to tell me that the speaker is the weakest link but I would disagree now, cables are. If you couldn't discern the sound of different cables, good for you, you have one less avenue to spend your money on. For now, I'm thinking how to get myself out of this shit hole.
Long story short, Argento FMR power cord from Denmark is today's highlight. A flagship product from the Scans, you know it will not be cheap. The thickness of the cord resembles Voodoo cables, already spells high price, comes with immaculate finishing. FMR makes my cord collection looks like junk, my expectation on FMR rose. Deep down, the happy ending would be it's a very good cord but it's not for me. I gladly return the cord back to the rightful owner and I get to keep my money. Nobody lose.
Stiff cords errr...., I don't have the luxury of space to accommodate them, that's a real big problem of small room. Me and my cord ritual, nor over bending, no anti-clock wise twisting, no stepping, assist resonance support, I'm good to go. Believe or not, these steps give better sound.
Corresponding to its thickness, FMR isn't that stiff, still, you can't make small roll. Thank god it's 2-meter length, a great allowance for flexibility. The shielding and resonance control account for the cord thickness I suppose. Both ends housed in aluminum can which is said to reduce EMI interference. When comes to sound, use the right tool; the hearing, the sight stops there as far as I concern. Let hear what FMR has installed.
Without delay, I hooked FMR to my preamp, if there is any changes, it will be apparent. And my pre consumes little current, generally believed as the guardian of tonal balance. Well, it wasn't an instant revelation, I wasn't impressed. The sound was veiled and muddy. Absolutely doesn't live up to the asking price, FMR needs time, more time. While no scavenge online review to avoid developing preferential bias, very scarce information on their website but the usual cable luring. USD6200 isn't inexpensive but there are many cost more, the value proposition begs to sing louder.
Gosh..., I was told FMR was left idle for two weeks though it is a broken in cord. The old saying “good things come to those who wait", it miraculously happened. Take 50 hours to discern a change in sound and another 50 more to stabilize. A confident sound, if you know what it means. Bold, composed, detail and quiet. Quite extraordinary, the addition of FMR in my system is a TKO, it is everything I ever wanted in my system. It complimented my system, bringing out the best of my system.
From blur to clear
Where to start? The fluidity of FMR glued me to my seat, it isn't like listening to stereo but a live music experience. A buzzing bee, hard to get pass the electro-signal carries that fuzziness. It is a brand new experience to me, and rare too. No single frequency spectrum was emphasised, except there is a slight hint of warmth in the lower midrange. Put in a perspective, the music is intact like from the same cloth through FMR. I must say it is most apparent on digital playback where the harsh digital artifact is in included in a package. So, in a way, FMR smooths thing a bit but still very much keep the detail intact.
FMR uses silver alloy as conductor is the only information available on their official website. The sound of alloy is unpredictable. Same with Echole cables with silver, gold and palladium alloy, Yter in a similar regard, as far as the metallurgy is a concern.
Because classical music is my sonic diet, I inclined to a balanced sound. FMR cleverly gets out of the music to conserve the steady flow of music. Yes, the slight warmth at the lower midrange does render a fuller sound. The energies extended all the way to the bottom, the mids is seductive, sweet but not overly so. Silky highs, the use of silver alloy did make a presence in the treble department, a tad more highs extension and a touch of lightness too, audibly. This cord combines the benefits of silver and copper, extended highs and weighty bottom, a Godsend for nonactive sub speakers.
Moving on to the pace, neither fast nor slow. An indication of balance, too fast suggests lightweight-ness, too slow indicates a drag. The owner told me his findings, partially contrastive description. My continued rolling of power cord confirmed that FMR amplifies the sonic character of the upper link.
My audio budget this year is yet recorded the highest ever, o... blame me. I'm not going to bore you with tuning and soundstage expanding techniques, this is more for the ears than to the eyes. Like a wise man says, an audio system is for the ears only. So, what is the story now? Argento FMR cord could be the missing puzzle of my system. I have dug myself a shit hole and jumped into it, heavy-hearted to return the cord. FMR is an abbreviation of Flow Master Reference, it seems me and the manufacturer do agree upon something, the flow thing. They used to tell me that the speaker is the weakest link but I would disagree now, cables are. If you couldn't discern the sound of different cables, good for you, you have one less avenue to spend your money on. For now, I'm thinking how to get myself out of this shit hole.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Rooster tales
Cock is nothing ever good, especially to Chinese. We all know what cocky means, nevertheless, cock eyes (jealousy), cock ear (tone-deaf), cock brain (stupidity), cock (bad); these adjectives convey negativity. Except death chicken (too good a deal to pass up), we all are sucker for good deals.
Good sound is not accidental, absolutely not. It will drop from the sky. You need work on it. Bingo is rare, is only wishful thinking. The essential KPI of your sound, without a doubt, is your set up skills. Better electronics and better speakers will up the sonic performance, they will not beat a difficult room.
Friends don't understand me, what's up with this guy and his tuning. It seems like forever. Evolution takes place in small steps. Well, I'm a poor audiophile. Tweaking is poor man's audioing. I can understand big boys splashing huge cash going straight to the top because they have no time and money to waste. Their time is better spent with something else, tweaking is unproductive for them. Besides, they "buy" the dealer/s' expertise and experience, setting a system in their home when buying a high end system. Other eager dealers who want make some sales will have to prove their merchandise worth in their system. Zero risks. Stay if it work. Home-trial at the average audiophile home only happens in a dream. We don't have that luxury of home-trial unless you're a close friend of a dealer or some kind.
So, what am I busy with? Resonance optimization; it doesn't cost much money. Trying anything I can lay my hands on, I work on the principal that different materials have different resonance modes and difference materials curb resonance better, starts with two materials. The combo might seem infinite; wood, marble, carbon fiber and metal so far have been my experimentation objects. Once you work on it, you get the hang of it. Never work on it, spare me the talk.
As the time of my blogging, I'm can't say I totally happy with my highs. No matter how I try, it still fall short of life likeness. Somehow, somewhere, it must have diminished along the link. My sights set at my PCOCC speaker multi-strand cables, blame my crave for PCOCC. Don't get me wrong, PCOCC has its merits, it's addictive midrange and tonal density is exemplary. Relative narrow bandwidth is the deal breaker, strictly for me. I think different geometry may have resulted different outcome but this is something I can't thump my chest to confirm. I'm a sucker for ultra wide bandwidth.
Given that my speakers are bi-wirable, my choice is rather straight forward. Factory terminated speaker cable with bi-wiring option would fit my bill. Somehow, there aren't many choices out there. Incidentally, I bumped into Oehlbach Bi Tech 4. Of course, XXL would be ideal, I got caught in flagship sentiments. Knowing German, they don't mess around much. Constructed from 4 cables, a pair silver coated cables for the highs and a pair of thicker gauge copper cables for bass. It makes perrfect sense because different drivers require different cabling. Taking no chances, I had Bi Tech 4 checked for polarity before hooking up. Who can't afford to have his speakers blown up; now that my speakers are discontinued, they become even more precious. I have grown loving my speakers.
Bi Tech 4 works for me. Firstly, the highs receive the extension, improved spatial and separation while the bass gets the boost, punchy. Luscious mids is considerably diminished; many audiophiles are sworn by the audiophile liquid thingy. I want the skeletal voices, reject excessive warmth. Give me microdynamic, I'd happy to give up liquidity. Realism to me is as if broken drumsticks transient and sharp tonal contrast; you get what I mean.
Bi Tech 4 is a godsend to me. The luscious mids are euphonic; an add-on, not what I want. Next, I re-look into my system link, changing resonance parameters. All of a sudden, the bulb in my head lighted ...., I started swapping power cords and discovered a black swan; Reality Red Cord, the cheapest cord in my collection that gets the job; replacing the mighty ESP Reference Mk I. Red Cord is an unshielded 12 AWG Litz cable; an off the shelf product. Thanks to a review by a headphone fi from Hong Kong.
Prime for immediacy, high tonal contrast, lively and accuracy, people tell me that my sound inclination is not "mainstream" and many will not appreciate it. That's OK, I'm here to please me. A boring and euphonic presentation is definitely not for me. A Christmas prize if you will; with speaker cables and a power cord, I have removed a hurdle on Christmas day, shifting gear up in my dynamic department. Dynamic in my own definition, the ability to handle off-road conditions, to reproduce the sharp rise in music reproduction that gives music the richness. Albeit some rawness, I don't really mind for music doesn't wait. Smile is written on my face. I feel so blessed.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a good year ahead.
Monday, October 31, 2016
SAEC SL400
Vadym steamrolled the works, his occasionally asymmetrical smile is telling me, "I got this, I got this!". I guess Grieg works doesn't pose much difficulties to him. Artistically and technically, his calibre shouldn't be disputed though some may criticize his interpretation. I steered away because I am not musically trained, his performance is very good to my ears.
I would like to focus on the wonderful tone of the world renowned Steinway and Son piano. Was it a Model D concert grand? Each key strike produces pristine tone with a radiance of light shimmering bell like overtones with amazing cleanliness or tidiness. The flying hammers, ferociously hammering, the notes mixed up, setting f f f f crescendo at the closing. The crowd applaud broke the silence, bravo, bravo, bravo. Smiles of relief on the faces eased the lines of stress. The conductor and the maestro were courteously receiving the warm audience applaud. What a night! Grieg work sent me aftershock waves, my mind still lingering on the damn signatures of Steinway.
I am a big advocate of tone and rhythm. Bad acoustics smear tone, that's how it was, how's it is now and how it will be in future. Is DSP the new magic bullet? Let time decides. Going forward, I have developed precautions on things in the room. Some are detrimental to acoustics, needless to say. Hard to deny, passive tweaking can't change everything. Audio hardware, room acoustics and AC power remained the holy trinity of audio.
Quick overview; SAEC SL-4000 is serving as primary interconnects, TD Cable as secondary. My latest room treatment has led to further reduction of suck out, reduced haziness and with a bliss of acoustic energies. Playing louder is more at will.
Tone
Top end is now audibly less extended and rounded, so does digital inborn sibilance. In a way, less edgy highs too. Personally, it is a blessing in disguise because it grinds off digital spikes, soothing digital music. Let's face it, no all music is well recorded. Tone thickened up giving texture a boost. The bottom end receives fortification bringing forth fertile sound. All these attributes assimilate a firmer, substantial and more anchored sound.
Voices gained chestiness albeit softer outlines. As expected, cymbals and hit hat shimmer lesser, the strings, woodwind and percussion across the board bump up in presence department. Zu Varials clearly shows their class in image vividness, image localization, airiness and transparency, their highs are a class act for the money, take on threefold in price competitors, easily. In a way, SL-4000s introduce humane quality in which my system desperately needed some. Ahhhhh..... my system communicates to me better. Things take a turn from mids and downwards, SL-4000s warmth becomes apparent.
On voices, SL-4000s give a fuller sound, a more realistic rendition of voices. Piano is my ultimate reference, one of the benchmark that decide which stay which depart. Hard to describe in word, I could almost instantly recognise Steinway tones. Fresh from Grieg concerto, expansive shimmering overtones are still vivid in my memory. My rendition of Steinway concluded that SL-4000s are better in depicting colour temperature and grandeur of concert grand on the left keyboards of piano and less on glitz and shimmering. I got to get that from somewhere else.
I pulled out Kenny G Live, a CD seldom played. "Going Home" pinned my head. Seconds in to the piece, I never knew the kick drum could be this pronouncing. My jaw dropped for the new encounter. Overjoyed. The brassy sax blowing opened a new time and space, ushering a bizarre virtual reality. I pictured a beam of spotlight unveiling millions of particles on stage. I went on to listen the entire album.
Dynamic
The dynamic of SL-4000s didn't disappoint. The rise gives goosebumps. Micro dynamic is equally impressive, a core ingredient of music to stir emotions. Chants are not applicable here. Dynamic supercharges rhythm, rises jump factor to give vitality to music. Rhythm lagging systems are uninspiring, it kills listening interest. There is no such thing as over-dynamic, in my view. I gave Varials a slight edge.
Musicality
End of the day, I want music to speak to me. As opposed to hifi thingy, forward, cold, over emphasised details, I found comfort in warm, organic and natural sound that does not scream for attention. SL-4000s manage just that. Both interconnects are not off the chart into hifi thingy, just differ in sound profile.
Conclusion
I may have spent quite a bit here and there. My sonic goal is crystal clear. Every hard earned dollar spent is put under rigorous considerations, greatest bang for the money. It may seems Varials came up on top but my preference stays with SL-4000s. They offered a more intimate musical depth to me. A word of caution, SL-4000s are not an instant drop in success. No such thing. It took me a day to get tweaking up for their quintessential quality. Preference in audio is a prerogative even though the sound is obviously weird, I hope you agree with me on this. Nobody want no one opinions.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Interconnects galore from the East
Since interconnects are the first cable transmitting electro-signal out from the source, its importance carries substantial weight, so does the power cable to your source. As part of my research on my interconnects, I dug in to Japanese Rabbit blogspot. Needless to mention, it was hell of efforts to comprehend his content let alone one to one translation. Google translation doesn't really cut through. I did English and Chinese translation to cross examine, but I need to issue a disclaimer, guesswork is applied.
Zonotone AC-101 Meister 1.2m
5,499 yen
Transparent, delicate and dynamic. Shimmering, detailed and price presents good value.
Audio Technica EA1000 1.3m
6,700 yen
Energetic, warm with strong bass, great for bookshelf speakers. High on value.
Audioquest Copperhead 1.0m
7,700 yen
Bright, highly dynamic and very clean sound. The bass is articulate, a choice for loose bass.
Zonotone AC-101 Meister 1.2m
5,499 yen
Transparent, delicate and dynamic. Shimmering, detailed and price presents good value.
Audio Technica EA1000 1.3m
6,700 yen
Energetic, warm with strong bass, great for bookshelf speakers. High on value.
Audioquest Copperhead 1.0m
7,700 yen
Bright, highly dynamic and very clean sound. The bass is articulate, a choice for loose bass.
Luxman JPR-100 1.0m
9,167 yen
Even handed, articulate with rounded off edges. Jazzy materials sound natural albeit small scaled.
Zononote 6NAC-3000 Meister 0.7m
11,898 yen
Very lively interconnects, detailed and powerful. Strong outline, outstanding on jazz and percussion.
Creation PC-Triple-C 1.0m
12,000 yen
Glittering and yet dense sound. Highly detailed, balanced and wide bandwidth.
Inakustik IA-EXR 1.0S 1.0m
14,175 yen
Fast sounding, wide bandwidth, highly detailed and transparent. They depict space and possess a very lively character.
Oyaide Tunami Terzo RR 0.7m
17,599 yen
Articulate, crisp and quiet interconnects.
Furutech Alpha Line Plus 1.0m
19,500 yen
Densed, fine details and good depiction on orchestral majesty.
Real Cable CA1801 0.75m
19,800 yen
Delicate highs, extended, smooth and clean sounding.
NuForce IC700R 1.0m
21,000 yen
Lively sound with good focus. Good bandwidth, wonderful layering with fine decay.
QED QRAE 1.0m
21300 yen
Transparent, reasonable, plenty of drive and strong edge delineation. Organic. Guitar sounds crisp, Jazz demonstrates well behaved bass whiles orchestra is clear with no turbidity.
Audioquest Diamondback III, 1.0m
21,400 yen
Tonal errs to the bright side. No edginess, no haziness, the sound is transparent, the orchestra is rather downsized though.
Audio Technica RA5000, 1.0m
24,570 yen
Enormous details, colorful tone, fast and the bass goes deep.
Real Cable CA OCC90, 0.75m
28,500 yen
Glinting highs, spacious sound.
Nanotech Nano GS201 Nano 3, 1.0m
28,500 yen
Forward on certain frequency range, low noise, clean and dynamic.
Acrolink 6N 2030Pro II, 1.0m
29,999 yen
Impressive low noise, low distortion and sounds crispy.
Even handed, articulate with rounded off edges. Jazzy materials sound natural albeit small scaled.
Zononote 6NAC-3000 Meister 0.7m
11,898 yen
Very lively interconnects, detailed and powerful. Strong outline, outstanding on jazz and percussion.
Creation PC-Triple-C 1.0m
12,000 yen
Glittering and yet dense sound. Highly detailed, balanced and wide bandwidth.
Inakustik IA-EXR 1.0S 1.0m
14,175 yen
Fast sounding, wide bandwidth, highly detailed and transparent. They depict space and possess a very lively character.
Oyaide Tunami Terzo RR 0.7m
17,599 yen
Articulate, crisp and quiet interconnects.
Furutech Alpha Line Plus 1.0m
19,500 yen
Densed, fine details and good depiction on orchestral majesty.
Real Cable CA1801 0.75m
19,800 yen
Delicate highs, extended, smooth and clean sounding.
NuForce IC700R 1.0m
21,000 yen
Lively sound with good focus. Good bandwidth, wonderful layering with fine decay.
QED QRAE 1.0m
21300 yen
Transparent, reasonable, plenty of drive and strong edge delineation. Organic. Guitar sounds crisp, Jazz demonstrates well behaved bass whiles orchestra is clear with no turbidity.
Audioquest Diamondback III, 1.0m
21,400 yen
Tonal errs to the bright side. No edginess, no haziness, the sound is transparent, the orchestra is rather downsized though.
Audio Technica RA5000, 1.0m
24,570 yen
Enormous details, colorful tone, fast and the bass goes deep.
Real Cable CA OCC90, 0.75m
28,500 yen
Glinting highs, spacious sound.
Nanotech Nano GS201 Nano 3, 1.0m
28,500 yen
Forward on certain frequency range, low noise, clean and dynamic.
Acrolink 6N 2030Pro II, 1.0m
29,999 yen
Impressive low noise, low distortion and sounds crispy.
Luxman JPR-10000 1.25m
31,200 yen
Dense tone, weighty, rich and full of enthusiasm. Details, good transient attack, overall presentation is lively and palpable.
Gourd GCR900 1.0m
32,012 yen
Neutral, good jump factor, no obvious sonic irregularities or exaggeration.
Transparent MLP1 1.0m
36,960 yen
Super transparent, accurate and emotive on vocal. The piano note is clear while orchestra has scale. Jazz is involving.
Tiglon MGL-1000R 1.0m
39,799yen
Highly detailed, fast, clean background, no haziness and maintains realistic texture.
Saec SL-4000 0.7m
44,200 yen
Predictable and transparent. No obvious sonic character. Wonderful ambiance retrieval albeit and moderately dynamic.
Real Cable CA Flex 0.75m
46,600 yen
Detailed, no muddiness, fine texture. Piano shows obvious string reverberations. Orchestra is gentle albeit jazz errs to the warm side.
Acoustic Harmony SR1 1.0m
58,000 yen
Detailed, delicate, dramatic, bodied and powerful. Chorale and piano are free of congestion and no muddiness.
Acoustic Revive RCA-1 PA 1.0m
59,996 yen
Refined sound, vivid with quick transient. Vocal has presence. Piano sounds just right. Orchestra is fascinating and impetus.
Audio Re Plus REF-RU9000SZ 1.0m
102,900 yen
Well balanced, detailed with nice decay. Good presence and emotive with vocal and instrument, no edginess with amber space. Transient attack is commendable, very neutral interconnects.
Acrolink 8N A2080 Evolution III 1.0m
105,999 yen
Even sound, nothing stands out. Sounds pure, silky highs, detailed, helps to depict fine texture. Vocal is vivid and natural. Good grip on the sound, dynamic and powerful.
Furutech Line Flux 1.2m
189,600 yen
Impressive S/N. Lively, highly dynamic and realistic. Sounds pure, with refined highs while the bass goes deep. Could compete against interconnects above 500000 yen.
Asuka AS1000R-A 0.7m
210,000 yen
Bold, wonderfully precise and accurate sound. Low S/N, no edginess. The highs are skin felt. Response is not instantaneous though, refreshing. The bass digs low with articulation. The chamber music is rendered with harmonious beauty. The highs from cymbal can be felt through skins.
EMD Amrita Elixir 1.0m
247000 yen
Cymbal and guitar are metallic and rounded despite revealing nature. Resolution is high albeit loose bass. They are warm sounding and highly musical interconnects.
Please be mindful that the best interconnects is the one that works well in your system, not the best reviewed interconnects. Enjoy.
Please be mindful that the best interconnects is the one that works well in your system, not the best reviewed interconnects. Enjoy.
Monday, July 4, 2016
My soya sauce
 |
| Seasoning, anyone? |
Quite frankly, all fingers are pointing at my PCOCC speaker cables right now. In a midsize floorstanding speaker based system like mine, their shortcomings take a toll on my system performance. What a drag! Tara Labs RSC speaker cable validates just that, the lacklustre came from midbass and downwards and hence peculiar tonal balance, the notorious big speakers small sound syndrome. Tell me about it!
Star quad cable, dressed in Techflex, a plastic net mesh curbing vibrations, my Tara Labs feels substantial in weight. A good sign, weight means substance. Comes in bi-wiring configuration, it bettered than a single run speaker cable and jumpers, the later just another cost cutting measure. More juice flow to the speakers will always sound better. Due to solid core by design, the cables are not flexible. Forget about using them in a tight room. Took me an hour to clean up the connectors, arranging them, plugging them, providing adequate support and isolation, all these were done with great care. I subscribed to "a happy cable rewards".
 |
| The roaring bass |
Going strength to strength, Tara Labs adds vigour to the roaring bass. On Damien Rice's O debuted in 2002, this is a CD I normally avoid playing to save my embarrassments. Arranged with a great diversity of sound and gruelling low energies, you will sure melt in your chair. Not to mention Damien's masculine voice, "The blower's daugther" and "Valcano" packed with so much emotions. You are going to love this. Humongous, chewy and long bass grunt, my system is now sure footed. Couple with bursting dynamic, the rhythm is fascinating. The rise and retreat are fast and effortlessly. Be mindful of your volume, this recording has unbelievable gain that you don't want your neighbour to ring your bell.
 |
| The stage is set |
In spite of all that, I welcome warmth. Warmth fleshes out humane quality and defuses coldness and sterility. You would want to avoid the later foe. On Nneena Freelon's Homefree album, man! This CD begs to play loud! "Skylark" starts with stunning two double bass quickies. I gathered both upright bass's micro dynamic and timbre richness, the sudden change of bass notes with each plucking of gut strings and the resonance from the f holes raise the hair on the back of my neck. I scored a decent mark on top to bottom note articulation with little truncated bass.
Big voice from a rather petite stature, Nneena could accentuate her voice sharply with no sweat. Her wide vocal range injects energy and swing to turn standard into her own songs. It didn't go unaware that this recording quality is unexpected high especially coming out from Concord Jazz, with dynamics and transient were delivered in spades. It reminded me of Sheffield Lab recording. Likewise, the romantic Radka Toneff's Butterfly album, both have incredible vocal dynamic swing for the extra umphhhhh.
No evaluation is complete without classical music, the subject of examination is tonal linearity. Mahler Symphony No. 5, New Philharmonia Orchestra by Sir John Barbiroli is regarded by many the standard, orchestral colour, balance, diversity and explosiveness.
I enjoy the acoustic richness of orchestral works. On this masterpiece, the communications between the sections, spatial soundstage, transition, suspense, drama and transient attack is well captured. Strings, woodwind, brass and percussion display good clarity in a scaled down size. I have a third row seat and glad that my system devoid of any serious mischievous, collapses or crash considering this huge piece from Mr. Gustav Mahler.
 |
| Salute for their wonderful works |
When I start out to blog, I wanted to write responsibly. Perfect cable doesn't exist. A suitable cable in a system compliment the sound. Never mind about people's thoughts, your system is here to serve you, not your guests. They come, they go and they have zero stake. Do your homework, trust your ears and if you like your friend's sound, invite him over to assess and seek tips.
I hold dearly to coherency is musically correct, the rest of the goodies will come by themselves. The addition of Tara Labs further enhances my sonic foothold, with big bass as extra bonus. The sound is organic and balanced, nothing stick out. A good bass is a good balance of bass volume, articulation and extension. The day of shy bass is now a thing of the past, I'll drink for that, cheer! Most of all, none of the sterile sound of modern hi fi. Make music music, not any more with additive. Hallelujah!
Monday, April 27, 2015
Interconnect galore
Cabling is one of the easiest tunings ever, just putting them in and listen. Is that simple? Not so. There are more you can do to enhance the performance.
As a rule of thumb, should you still can't shake the sonic revelation off after three weeks, you are screwed. Unrest soul, no cure but to make the purchase. Even though you may have top notch audio hardware, cables can enhance the sound quality. Poorly designed cable will mess up your signal voltage and therefore, a muddling sound.
In contrary to Audioholic's Top ten snake oil, I believe a change in cable properties would bring about a change in sound. These technocrats ridiculed cable deceptions and view cable scientifically despite the dramatic audible difference. I quibbled about the exorbitant prices and wouldn't even think about some craziest claims cable, price shouldn't be the determinant of the cable. As a matter of fact, I like the Plain Jane LCOFC which stands for Long Crystal Oxygen Free Copper do to the sound.
Cryogenic was a closely guarded secret in a cable industry but it is now an open secret. However, the know how is still largely a commercial secret, the temperature, the duration, the temperature and the conductor properties, these factors affecting the outcome. How contradicting? They too suggest evaluateing loudspeaker via listening and not measurement.
Cable is a sonic alteration agent, period. It is said that there isn't any straight wire, the closest being the standard red and black stock wire. They can be had for little money. This goes without saying all audiophile cables or more so with pro sound cables, they impart colourations. What is neutrality? Even pro sound cables can sound different. Thus, I enjoy cables for tone control. So, do they by any mean suggest JVC studio does not scientific for using Harmonix power cords throughout? Carnegie Hall and pro sound endorsement with Tara Labs? Even guitarists play around with tubes, amplifiers and yes, power cords. Thing isn't as simply as it is, there could be hidden commercial dealings, or a deal too hard to turn down. Being the most saleable or popular does not equal to superiority.
I was once resisted to succumb to audiophile cables, I thought I could cheat with DIY cables. Tried many DIY cables or even some pros sound cables, Belden, Mogami, Canare, Sommer etc. They tipped the balance and make the situation difficult. Their compromised resolution is noticeable. Cat5 as speaker cable for instance, there hardly carry any bass weight, so to speak, the sound is tilted to the highs. They are not the quietest cable around either.
Venturing into audiophile cable is a natural progress. I look for cables with certain signatures that enhance my system voicing. Price comes later, I mainly glance at used cables. When comes to cable, I am very specific. Most commercial cables beefed up midbass to excite, these type of cables sell. Cable loom in theory sounded perfectly logical. Besides a strong commerce interest, only a handful of cable looms perform remarkably according to a cable reviewer. In an unfamiliar environment, I don't know. It adds a twist.
For the benefits to the readers, the following interconnect sonic impression is the work of a guy whom I believed is from Hong Kong.
As a rule of thumb, should you still can't shake the sonic revelation off after three weeks, you are screwed. Unrest soul, no cure but to make the purchase. Even though you may have top notch audio hardware, cables can enhance the sound quality. Poorly designed cable will mess up your signal voltage and therefore, a muddling sound.
In contrary to Audioholic's Top ten snake oil, I believe a change in cable properties would bring about a change in sound. These technocrats ridiculed cable deceptions and view cable scientifically despite the dramatic audible difference. I quibbled about the exorbitant prices and wouldn't even think about some craziest claims cable, price shouldn't be the determinant of the cable. As a matter of fact, I like the Plain Jane LCOFC which stands for Long Crystal Oxygen Free Copper do to the sound.
Cryogenic was a closely guarded secret in a cable industry but it is now an open secret. However, the know how is still largely a commercial secret, the temperature, the duration, the temperature and the conductor properties, these factors affecting the outcome. How contradicting? They too suggest evaluateing loudspeaker via listening and not measurement.
Cable is a sonic alteration agent, period. It is said that there isn't any straight wire, the closest being the standard red and black stock wire. They can be had for little money. This goes without saying all audiophile cables or more so with pro sound cables, they impart colourations. What is neutrality? Even pro sound cables can sound different. Thus, I enjoy cables for tone control. So, do they by any mean suggest JVC studio does not scientific for using Harmonix power cords throughout? Carnegie Hall and pro sound endorsement with Tara Labs? Even guitarists play around with tubes, amplifiers and yes, power cords. Thing isn't as simply as it is, there could be hidden commercial dealings, or a deal too hard to turn down. Being the most saleable or popular does not equal to superiority.
I was once resisted to succumb to audiophile cables, I thought I could cheat with DIY cables. Tried many DIY cables or even some pros sound cables, Belden, Mogami, Canare, Sommer etc. They tipped the balance and make the situation difficult. Their compromised resolution is noticeable. Cat5 as speaker cable for instance, there hardly carry any bass weight, so to speak, the sound is tilted to the highs. They are not the quietest cable around either.
Venturing into audiophile cable is a natural progress. I look for cables with certain signatures that enhance my system voicing. Price comes later, I mainly glance at used cables. When comes to cable, I am very specific. Most commercial cables beefed up midbass to excite, these type of cables sell. Cable loom in theory sounded perfectly logical. Besides a strong commerce interest, only a handful of cable looms perform remarkably according to a cable reviewer. In an unfamiliar environment, I don't know. It adds a twist.
For the benefits to the readers, the following interconnect sonic impression is the work of a guy whom I believed is from Hong Kong.
| Model | Sonic Impression |
| Accuphase 7N RCA | Less sweet, balanced. Very thin wire gauge, matches perfectly with Accuphase electronics |
| Acrolink 2110 | Detailed, quiet, warm, good mids, good frequency extension, a better choice than Acrolink 2200 in all respects. |
| Acrolink 2110 MkII | Detailed, bright, forward mids, layered, good extreme frequency extension but moderate transparency. |
| Acrolink 2200 | Detailed, quiet, warm, rather flat sounding, lacking in layering. |
| Acrolink 2400 |
Recepticle is of green copper and carbon fiber. Super quiet, smooth highs, warm, solid bass. Very balanced overall. |
| Analysis Plus Solo Crystal |
Very good IC indeed, warm yet lively and detailed, good high and mid, full body, less refine bass as compare to KS1130, Heimdall and Quattro Fil. |
| Audioquest Columbia | Very good vocal, exquisite highs, possess a little character. |
| Audioquest King Cobra | Pacey, good mids, solid lows. |
| Cardas Golden Cross RCA | Flavoured, bulging mids, slow, dull highs and weighted bottom. |
| DDL Encore Plus MK II | Pacey, slight lack in bass, precise imaging, sounds similar to Zu Gede Mk II. |
| JPS Superconductor Mk II | Very detailed, exquisite layered highs, good depth, balanced with good extreme frequency extension. |
| JPS Superconductor Q | Pacey, airy, above average detailed and slightly on the thin side. |
| Kimber KS1130 |
Very detailed, transparent and 3D, excellent high, tight and extended bass, the only downside is a bit tense and aggressive. |
| Kimber Select 1121 | Neither fast or slow, good detailed, super quiet, densed, refined highs but sounds thin and lacking bass. |
| Kimber Silver Streak | Transparent, vivid high and mid, loose bass, forward, a bit coarse when compare to KS1130 and Heimdall |
| Nordost
Heimdall |
Excellent cable! Crystal clear, lively, focus and palpable vocal, excellent low level, details, tight and extended bass though not as powerful as KS1130. |
| Nordost
Quattro Fil |
The best IC I have used ever. If you find heimdall is good, Quattro fil is better in all aspects. I found all other cables I've ever heard are congested, artificial, coloured or defective, since I own the QF! Don't know how good Vahalla is but don't want to try as can't afford it yet! |
| Siltech G5 SQ28 MKII | Believe it or not, Silver streak excels in all departments! |
| Stealh RCA Nanofiber | Very airy, transparency, forward mids. Sound marvellous, what more to ask! |
| TaraLabs Air 3
Series 1 RCA |
Good detailed, dynamic, highs tend to be a little hard and lacking in mid bass. Very stiff cable. |
| TaraLabs
Vector Mk II |
Pacey, airy, good detailed, slightly on the thin side and not as densed. Others in the family do not possess similar midbass. |
| Van Den Hul D102 MkIII | Not worth mentioning. |
| vDH Integration Hybrid | Smooth, laid back, dark (not only the background but the music itself) and boring |
| XLO Reference 2 RCA | Bigger than usual, balanced, the cable has strong coiling. |
| XLO Signature 2 Shielded RCA | Very quiet, natural. Both ended must be grounded. |
| XLO Signature 2 XLR | Average detailed, dynamic, bold, not as quiet as its RCA cousin. |
| XLO Ultra 1 | Holographic, transparent and quiet. |
| Zu OxyFuel | Good highs extension, weak bass relatively. Good cure for thick and fat sound. |
|
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Miracle cable, a polished performer
Today I am going to write about a humble speaker cable, code name Miracle. This is a prize I brought back from Taiwan. This speaker cable was a plain jack transparent PVC jacket loosely housed 4 twisted solid wires in a pair, 2 twisted wires cable per terminal. Not a whole lot of copper inside. It looks like a Nordost clone but not in sound.
I was warned they sound best at 2.46 meter or even better in 3.69 meter, an exponent of 1.23 meter. Miracle has been rigorously tested to come to such conclusion, it allows the fullest sonic flavor. Mine is a 3 meter in bare cable, no banana plug or Y spade. Hooking them up directly without banana plug or Y spade aka poor man's audioing. Connectors introduce sonic signatures or sonic contaminants, depends how you look at it. The cheap is of brass. And brass conductivity is not good, 28 as in reading compares with 100 with copper. Anyway, the cost of fitting the entry level Furutech connectors exceed the cost of cable. You can figure the price of Miracle.
Miracle is of high purity virgin oxygen free copper from Finland and cable drawing is done in France. One has sourced from the same vendor and draw in Taiwan but the sound was not convincing. So, there are some hidden manufacturing techniques in the drawing. The reviewed Miracle comes from France.
Sound impression
Let start with vocal, aha, this is where the prize is laid. The vocal regains succulent, fertile voices. The forwardness in the mids largely responsible to this bodied display. I welcomed the slight chestiness, to accord voices a touch of groan. This brings about a perceived maturity, more fat under the skin. What's a smooth performer. I know one guy who incorporated a small sub to his center speaker, loving it.
I want my Luciano Pavarotti to sound like Luciano Pavarotti not Placido Domingo or anybody else. Nobody comes close to Pavarotti's iron hung, not Jose Carrerras, not Mario Lanza. Powerful, deep voice. And Jacky Evancho had me fooled for a mature soprano belies her age. Anyway, I rediscovered her silky voice with Miracle which I had misjudged her in the past. Her tone is polished, the sax sounded sexier, the drum has more drum skin effect and the violin has denser tone. Bye-bye jarring notes. But, will the forward mids tips over the tonal balance to cause adverse effects? Read on.
Highs has profound effects on listening fatigue. Our ears have limited tolerance to screeching highs. I know it will make me turn off my stereo. Likewise, highs must also behave like sub bass, not calling attention to themselves. I have long dumped the grandiose sound inclination that Hong Kies were heavily propagating, a coat of gleaming fie sugar on your doughnut. Not real, man. Highs should only present when called upon. The quality of highs is measured by extension and graininess. The ease of extension makes the sound airy, relax and respond to music swing. Spiccato and staccato, you can hear the fascinating the string reverberations at ease. And the overtones, the second order harmonics is fantastic, our hearing is adept at discerning these things. The soundstage expands laterally.
Typically French, Miracle presents highs with a degree of coquettish. As with everything French, listen to the works of Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint Saens or Hector Berlioz, not to wander too far. Operatic Bizet's Carmen suite is one exemplary of Gypsy influence. Django Reinhardt not excluded. France is a lovely melting pot where the cultures from eastern Europe and northern and western Africa meet. The extended highs is a glaring trade mark of French. Images benefit from specificity, it makes possible to follow the movement of images like Harry Belafonte live recording. Harry talks to musicians behind him, turns head, teasing the crowd etc. Mr Belanfonte is such a crowd pleaser. Strings, guitar, chimes, cymbals, triangle and bell shine, giving a sizzle to the music. Sopranos and female voices enjoy an ethereal beauty, certainly not mechanically cold and robotic.
Miracle does not offer much bass volume, this is not to say the bass is deficient. Bass grunt is relatively shorter. What Miracle lacks, it makes up with bass agility and bounciness. Miracle redefines double bass and cello while others murk them, giving ways to percussion to make greater impacts. There are many speaker cables that deliberately boost the bass to meet pop, jazz and rock appetite. To be honest, all are not in the wrong. Just different in sonic expression and how you look at thing.
Conclusion
I waxed lyrical about Miracle here not because I bought it. Miracle is a great speaker cable for entry level or even mid fi. It is said Miracle replaces many garden hose speaker cables costing many times more. The owners are cashing in on these garden hose variants relegating them into reselling markets. The expensive one could be a different story. Personally, I prefer thin and not too stiff cable. The fact that Miracle makes me discover how grainy my speaker cables suffice for the switch. I also can't stand sluggish and vibrance-less sound. Better go fly kite. As Miracle done its time, it has got even better. Thumb up!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Power snakes continue
Power cord is more a silent tone control device than most would believe. I was devastated by the improvements they bring to a system and hence started this power cord mania. A great power cord can bring the best out of your system, period. For those who have not tried out a few power cords to get the taste, do so. You will be amazed like I do. Price talks, and almost all good things never come cheap unfortunately. Having said that, I could no longer bear with the noise introduced by cheap power cords, the smearing, they eat up a lot of details. These power cords strangle your system. Go ask KF, he is willing to testify in the witness stand. Exit is only natural.....
Some power cords are picky at where they are used. It could sound marvelous at the front end but not elsewhere. And some unavailing. I would not recommend a thick power cord for your front end, much as you do not want to agitate Bruce Banner, "You wouldn't like me when I am angry!".
When comes to girl friend, look comes first. Come on guys. Look always come as an expense, high maintenance chick, you got to pay for it, buddies. When choose a wife, look is secondary. I know a few guys are sworn by certain brands, me choose to listen. Garden hose, psychologically give a feel good factor, like a dick to a man. Bigger is better, that's so corky ....
Dude, if only you know how thick your house in-wall wires, you might have a second thought. My first and foremost criteria for power cord is no smearing. You know what cause the smearing, right. I have heard many with smearing sound but I choose to keep mum. That's not the nicest thing to say. I hear a lot of after market power cords that emphasize the bass too. Personally, I avoid these because there will always be a trade off. Like a Canto phrase 捉蟲入屁股 loosely translated to "do not let a worm goes into your backside", asking for trouble.
My current power cords on duty are Nordost Vishnu, Wywire Silver and Reality Cable, the later being my power amp cord.
Nordost Vishnu, you got to love this cord. This cord is really clean, airy and detailed. I can almost hear the drop of tear with this cord. The ambiance retrieval is its forte. Some claimed that Nordost sounds thin but I found it to be honest. Love the speed and attack. The bass remained to be its Achilles heel, bass volume and weight could be more. Nevertheless, it was my great buy. I could not think of a better cord at its price range for front end.
Wywire Silver is the back bone of Wywire that springboard the company. Silver is noticeably warmer than Vishnu. It is not overly warmer, it has a healthy BMI. Silver is now serving my BMC PureDac. If Vishnu and Silver trade places, the whole presentation will slip to the lean side. I prefer the details Vishnu offered at YBA transport, it has adequate sheen to sound realistic. The brass demonstrates the right amount of sheen to my ears, of course. The other benefit is the superb ambiance retrieval. Silver is neutral with adequate meat to the bone, the highs remained Vishnu's forte. You got to love the highs extension. The Silver's edge delineation strikes me, the tenacity and the Q-ness of bass awed me. Almost sounds like no power cord.
.jpg)
And lastly, Reality Cable red cord. This is an off the shelf cord. My gamble paid off. This is a star quad cable, very quiet and capable of throwing a huge soundstage. It provides a lot of juice. The tenacity and Q-ness are magnificent. The highs might have rolled off a bit but I appreciate the bass tautness, that I would not trade for others. I love bass definition, bass weight, SET like tonal density, soundstage, clean sound, it literally stomped my previous power cord, Shunyata Cooperhead at its game. I hear no smearing bass which itself is a compliment. Cooperhead is twice the asking price, mind you. This is an off the shelf cord, good for solid state electronics, the designer warned.
Audio Research designated power cord, this alone places Shunyata on a higher ground. Shunyata Copperhead does not look as bad as one might think even though they are not the cream of Shunyata. It does everything well. Only slightly smearing comparing to Reality Cable, Copperhead's highs betters Reality Cable, only a smidgen more airy. While Reality Cable matched Copperhead in soundstage dimension, it was in low registers Reality Cable is a runaway success. It trounced Copperhead in terms of quietness and bass quality. It better be, or I will hang my neck with it!
HMS power cord is a DIY cord, that accords serious bass grunt. This cord as if power on steroid. This cord reminds of PSY, oppa HMS style. If your bass needed some help there, this cord can storm. It turns bookshelf to floorstanding speaker, seriously.
WE power cord Model IV has a coquettish quality, the perverts first choice. It is like Sandra Bullock, an innocent girl who lives next door. The vocal has the flirting properties, melting you in your chair. Rounded note, very lovely sound that trade for transient and attack. To sum it up, Model IV is easy on ear. I know some fi are craving for the coquettishness, the least you are straight.
.jpg)
If budget is your concern, no worries. Get Viablue X25 and go DIY. This is very good power cord for the money. Baby Vishnu, I'd recommend it for front end, its performance will pop your eyes. Fast and airy power cord, detail like dropping from the sky.
If you favored ultra pure copper power cord, dense tone, I suggest you listen to HiDiamond P2 power cord, third from the line up. Not dull, I found this cord amazing on dynamic. Very nearly smitten by it.
BrunsAudio AC Soundstage Enigma, a DIY cord that share similar construction with the red hot Loosless, at least from the aesthetic point of view. It uses German copper and braided locally, presents a similar presentation with WE power cord Model IV, but with a broad bandwidth. Inoffensive and a unique flavor like English candy. Sweet, rounded with no rough edges. A warm performer that favor a smooth and easy on ear presentation.
PS Audio xStream Statement SC is a thick, stiff and heavy cord. The problem with all heavy cords is the sagging connection at the wall socket. You will have to think again if you have limited space because it didn't like bending that much. If you system thirst for fluid, this is the cure. This cord has a mellow and with a soaking wet presentation.
The problem with power cord purchase is you never get to test them, unlike in the States. Risk is inevitable. To help you in power cord purchase, I have gathered the following reviews from av-forums.net.
Accustic Arts Ferrite II - quiet, fine resolution, refined highs, neutral, spot on focal point, tight bass, lack of color.
Acrolink 4020 - quiet, good resolution, smaller focal point, slightly lack dynamic and punch.
Acrolink 4023 - good for CD player, good resolution, quiet, warm. Quieter and more highs than Acrolink 4020.
Acrolink 4030 - quiet, good resolution, relax, good vocal, bigger focal point, not lacking dynamic and punch.
Acrolink PC 7100 - muscular, slightly grainy.
AET HCR - neutral, quiet, detailed, lean. Excellent choice for subwoofer.
AET Hin - forward mids, transparent, detailed, fine vocal, smooth extension.
Belden 83803 - not quiet, prominent highs, hard, quick to raise, quick to retract, transparent, powerful.
Belden 15A - more balanced than 80803, good value.
BMI Orca - balanced, quiet, very smooth and attractive sounding, limited bandwidth and shorter decay.
Cardas Golden Reference - forward mids, slow sounding.
CSE L7R - punchy, neutral, good resolution, spot on focal point, sounds similar to AET but quieter.
CSE L30R - good density, good tonal balance, strong bass, fairly highs extension.
DDL Revolution - good drive, warm, slightly less transparent, stiff cable.
Ensemble Megaflux - punchy, slight pacey, quiet, lean, highs eccentric, low tonal density.
Fisch P0 - good punch, quick to raise, quick to retract, thin mids, fairly quiet.
Fisch P2 - quiet, highs eccentric, quick to raise, quick to retract, dark highs.
Fisch P5 - very quiet, quick to raise, quick to retract, balanced but harden highs, small focal point, good value.
Fisch P7 - very quiet, quick to raise, quick to retract, balanced but harden highs, small focal point, good value.
Furutech 3TS20 - quiet, slow sounding, weak low bass, forward, slightly bigger focal point, lustful vocal.
Furutech 3TS762 - poor resolution, thick, slow, bloated upper mid.
Furutech Reference III - smooth, good vocal, sumptuous, soft bass, fair imaging.
Gutwire Power Clef - neutral, average dynamic.
Harmonic Tech Magic - delicate, rounded, easy on ear.
Harmonix Studio Master - warm, smooth, less punchy, fair resolution.
JPS AC+ - quiet, sumptuous but grab attention, weak mids, quick to raise, quick to retract, wide soundstage, powerful.
JPS K - quiet, sumptuous, weak mids, quick to raise, quick to retract, wide soundstage, powerful.
Kimber PK 10 - punchy, neutral, good resolution, slightly coarse sounding.
Kimber PK 10 Gold - punchy, neutral, good overall resolution, slightly warm vocal, good value.
Kimber PK 14 - balanced, good speed, solid imaging, right image size, good value.
Kimber PK 14 Gold - extended highs with sheen, pacey, punchy, solid imaging, right image size.
Kharma KPC-R2A - polite, refined, warm but not thick sounding.
M5000 - very quiet, balanced, highs eccentric.
Mogami - balanced, smooth highs, average quietness, neutral.
NBS Monitor 2 - excellent bass.
Neotech 3003 - extraordinary resolution, fine, long decay.
Nickle Signature - good highs, slightly less bass, laid back.
Oyaide 2.6mm - neutral, slightly thick sounding, not slow, quiet, good resolution, generous bass volume, taut.
Oyaide Tunami - quiet, warm sounding, muscular, good soundstage width, caution to space constraint, this is a stiff cable.
PAD 20th Aqueous - average quiet, slightly thick mid, slow to raise, slow to retract, wide soundstage, smooth highs, strong bass but fair edge delineation.
PAD Dominus - punchy, average pace, extraordinary quiet, balanced, extraordinary tonal density, slightly flavored, good layering, smooth highs.
PAD Ven - average quiet, slightly thick mid, slow to raise, slow to retract, wide soundstage, smooth highs, strong bass but lack edge delineation.
Power Snake Viper V2 - high resolution, not hardened, detailed, big soundstage, grandeur.
PS xStream Statement - good bass delineation, quiet.
Python Helix VX PC - balanced, relaxed but good grunt, good compatibility.
Siltech G6 Ruby Hill SATT - excellent strings and vocal, sounds faster than older Siltech, good mids focus, very quiet, good resolution and control.
Sine Coliseum - balanced, very quiet, average dynamic, long decay.
Stealth Dream - dynamic, fast, neutral, quiet, good extension, sumptuous, good bass control, holographic.
Stealth M7+ - punchy, fast, quiet, balanced, refined highs, high tonal density.
Supercryo 30A - punchy, slight pacey, quiet, lean, highs eccentric, low tonal density.
Tara Labs Prism - rounded highs, huge soundstage, fast, clean bass, thin vocal, weak upper bass.
Tara Labs Prism AC Special - fast, punchy, clean bass, weak bass.
Transparent Power XL - extraordinary quiet, forward mids, good density yet good resolution, less vigor.
Van den Hul The Mainstream Hybrid - prominent highs, sumptuous, thin vocal, weak bass.
VH Flavor 4 - balanced, tight sounding.
XLO Reference 2 - nothing in particular stand out.
We always complain that there aren't many choices, but when there are plentiful to choose from, we get headache. Even with new power cord, some dealers does not allow testing in the showroom, home trial is a long shot unless it is flirty expensive.
Now, I do not recommend you guys to use what I use. The power cords are there for a reason. Suitability of power cord and your sonic preference supposed to your major concern.
Consclusion
錢要花在刀口上, spend when it matters. Typically, 1.5 to 3.0 meter is the sweet zone of any power cord to really impart its sonic signature. I know some who overwork the math, buying a 2 meter length wire, cut into half to get 2. Like I always say, if you are unwilling to spend reasonably to get good sound, go fly kite. It is cheaper to fly a kite too.
How you coil the power cord also changes the sound. A joke?
Despite my current cords, I still have an urge for one specific cord. Keep you in suspense. A word of caution, used power cord prices may sound too good to be real but beware there is a lot of fake power cords around. They are copied but not equal like your night market Rolex Submariner. Some were so cleverly copied that the dealers would not able tell the authenticity. You may need to exercise cautions there.
Until then, Happy Lunar New Year.
 |
| Wrong cords can be fatal |
When comes to girl friend, look comes first. Come on guys. Look always come as an expense, high maintenance chick, you got to pay for it, buddies. When choose a wife, look is secondary. I know a few guys are sworn by certain brands, me choose to listen. Garden hose, psychologically give a feel good factor, like a dick to a man. Bigger is better, that's so corky ....
Dude, if only you know how thick your house in-wall wires, you might have a second thought. My first and foremost criteria for power cord is no smearing. You know what cause the smearing, right. I have heard many with smearing sound but I choose to keep mum. That's not the nicest thing to say. I hear a lot of after market power cords that emphasize the bass too. Personally, I avoid these because there will always be a trade off. Like a Canto phrase 捉蟲入屁股 loosely translated to "do not let a worm goes into your backside", asking for trouble.
My current power cords on duty are Nordost Vishnu, Wywire Silver and Reality Cable, the later being my power amp cord.
Nordost Vishnu, you got to love this cord. This cord is really clean, airy and detailed. I can almost hear the drop of tear with this cord. The ambiance retrieval is its forte. Some claimed that Nordost sounds thin but I found it to be honest. Love the speed and attack. The bass remained to be its Achilles heel, bass volume and weight could be more. Nevertheless, it was my great buy. I could not think of a better cord at its price range for front end.
Wywire Silver is the back bone of Wywire that springboard the company. Silver is noticeably warmer than Vishnu. It is not overly warmer, it has a healthy BMI. Silver is now serving my BMC PureDac. If Vishnu and Silver trade places, the whole presentation will slip to the lean side. I prefer the details Vishnu offered at YBA transport, it has adequate sheen to sound realistic. The brass demonstrates the right amount of sheen to my ears, of course. The other benefit is the superb ambiance retrieval. Silver is neutral with adequate meat to the bone, the highs remained Vishnu's forte. You got to love the highs extension. The Silver's edge delineation strikes me, the tenacity and the Q-ness of bass awed me. Almost sounds like no power cord.
And lastly, Reality Cable red cord. This is an off the shelf cord. My gamble paid off. This is a star quad cable, very quiet and capable of throwing a huge soundstage. It provides a lot of juice. The tenacity and Q-ness are magnificent. The highs might have rolled off a bit but I appreciate the bass tautness, that I would not trade for others. I love bass definition, bass weight, SET like tonal density, soundstage, clean sound, it literally stomped my previous power cord, Shunyata Cooperhead at its game. I hear no smearing bass which itself is a compliment. Cooperhead is twice the asking price, mind you. This is an off the shelf cord, good for solid state electronics, the designer warned.
Audio Research designated power cord, this alone places Shunyata on a higher ground. Shunyata Copperhead does not look as bad as one might think even though they are not the cream of Shunyata. It does everything well. Only slightly smearing comparing to Reality Cable, Copperhead's highs betters Reality Cable, only a smidgen more airy. While Reality Cable matched Copperhead in soundstage dimension, it was in low registers Reality Cable is a runaway success. It trounced Copperhead in terms of quietness and bass quality. It better be, or I will hang my neck with it!
HMS power cord is a DIY cord, that accords serious bass grunt. This cord as if power on steroid. This cord reminds of PSY, oppa HMS style. If your bass needed some help there, this cord can storm. It turns bookshelf to floorstanding speaker, seriously.
WE power cord Model IV has a coquettish quality, the perverts first choice. It is like Sandra Bullock, an innocent girl who lives next door. The vocal has the flirting properties, melting you in your chair. Rounded note, very lovely sound that trade for transient and attack. To sum it up, Model IV is easy on ear. I know some fi are craving for the coquettishness, the least you are straight.
If budget is your concern, no worries. Get Viablue X25 and go DIY. This is very good power cord for the money. Baby Vishnu, I'd recommend it for front end, its performance will pop your eyes. Fast and airy power cord, detail like dropping from the sky.
If you favored ultra pure copper power cord, dense tone, I suggest you listen to HiDiamond P2 power cord, third from the line up. Not dull, I found this cord amazing on dynamic. Very nearly smitten by it.
BrunsAudio AC Soundstage Enigma, a DIY cord that share similar construction with the red hot Loosless, at least from the aesthetic point of view. It uses German copper and braided locally, presents a similar presentation with WE power cord Model IV, but with a broad bandwidth. Inoffensive and a unique flavor like English candy. Sweet, rounded with no rough edges. A warm performer that favor a smooth and easy on ear presentation.
PS Audio xStream Statement SC is a thick, stiff and heavy cord. The problem with all heavy cords is the sagging connection at the wall socket. You will have to think again if you have limited space because it didn't like bending that much. If you system thirst for fluid, this is the cure. This cord has a mellow and with a soaking wet presentation.
The problem with power cord purchase is you never get to test them, unlike in the States. Risk is inevitable. To help you in power cord purchase, I have gathered the following reviews from av-forums.net.
Accustic Arts Ferrite II - quiet, fine resolution, refined highs, neutral, spot on focal point, tight bass, lack of color.
Acrolink 4020 - quiet, good resolution, smaller focal point, slightly lack dynamic and punch.
Acrolink 4023 - good for CD player, good resolution, quiet, warm. Quieter and more highs than Acrolink 4020.
Acrolink 4030 - quiet, good resolution, relax, good vocal, bigger focal point, not lacking dynamic and punch.
Acrolink PC 7100 - muscular, slightly grainy.
AET HCR - neutral, quiet, detailed, lean. Excellent choice for subwoofer.
AET Hin - forward mids, transparent, detailed, fine vocal, smooth extension.
Belden 83803 - not quiet, prominent highs, hard, quick to raise, quick to retract, transparent, powerful.
Belden 15A - more balanced than 80803, good value.
BMI Orca - balanced, quiet, very smooth and attractive sounding, limited bandwidth and shorter decay.
Cardas Golden Reference - forward mids, slow sounding.
CSE L7R - punchy, neutral, good resolution, spot on focal point, sounds similar to AET but quieter.
CSE L30R - good density, good tonal balance, strong bass, fairly highs extension.
DDL Revolution - good drive, warm, slightly less transparent, stiff cable.
Ensemble Megaflux - punchy, slight pacey, quiet, lean, highs eccentric, low tonal density.
Fisch P0 - good punch, quick to raise, quick to retract, thin mids, fairly quiet.
Fisch P2 - quiet, highs eccentric, quick to raise, quick to retract, dark highs.
Fisch P5 - very quiet, quick to raise, quick to retract, balanced but harden highs, small focal point, good value.
Fisch P7 - very quiet, quick to raise, quick to retract, balanced but harden highs, small focal point, good value.
Furutech 3TS20 - quiet, slow sounding, weak low bass, forward, slightly bigger focal point, lustful vocal.
Furutech 3TS762 - poor resolution, thick, slow, bloated upper mid.
Furutech Reference III - smooth, good vocal, sumptuous, soft bass, fair imaging.
Gutwire Power Clef - neutral, average dynamic.
Harmonic Tech Magic - delicate, rounded, easy on ear.
Harmonix Studio Master - warm, smooth, less punchy, fair resolution.
JPS AC+ - quiet, sumptuous but grab attention, weak mids, quick to raise, quick to retract, wide soundstage, powerful.
JPS K - quiet, sumptuous, weak mids, quick to raise, quick to retract, wide soundstage, powerful.
Kimber PK 10 - punchy, neutral, good resolution, slightly coarse sounding.
Kimber PK 10 Gold - punchy, neutral, good overall resolution, slightly warm vocal, good value.
Kimber PK 14 - balanced, good speed, solid imaging, right image size, good value.
Kimber PK 14 Gold - extended highs with sheen, pacey, punchy, solid imaging, right image size.
Kharma KPC-R2A - polite, refined, warm but not thick sounding.
M5000 - very quiet, balanced, highs eccentric.
Mogami - balanced, smooth highs, average quietness, neutral.
NBS Monitor 2 - excellent bass.
Neotech 3003 - extraordinary resolution, fine, long decay.
Nickle Signature - good highs, slightly less bass, laid back.
Oyaide 2.6mm - neutral, slightly thick sounding, not slow, quiet, good resolution, generous bass volume, taut.
Oyaide Tunami - quiet, warm sounding, muscular, good soundstage width, caution to space constraint, this is a stiff cable.
PAD 20th Aqueous - average quiet, slightly thick mid, slow to raise, slow to retract, wide soundstage, smooth highs, strong bass but fair edge delineation.
PAD Dominus - punchy, average pace, extraordinary quiet, balanced, extraordinary tonal density, slightly flavored, good layering, smooth highs.
PAD Ven - average quiet, slightly thick mid, slow to raise, slow to retract, wide soundstage, smooth highs, strong bass but lack edge delineation.
Power Snake Viper V2 - high resolution, not hardened, detailed, big soundstage, grandeur.
PS xStream Statement - good bass delineation, quiet.
Python Helix VX PC - balanced, relaxed but good grunt, good compatibility.
Siltech G6 Ruby Hill SATT - excellent strings and vocal, sounds faster than older Siltech, good mids focus, very quiet, good resolution and control.
Sine Coliseum - balanced, very quiet, average dynamic, long decay.
Stealth Dream - dynamic, fast, neutral, quiet, good extension, sumptuous, good bass control, holographic.
Stealth M7+ - punchy, fast, quiet, balanced, refined highs, high tonal density.
Supercryo 30A - punchy, slight pacey, quiet, lean, highs eccentric, low tonal density.
Tara Labs Prism - rounded highs, huge soundstage, fast, clean bass, thin vocal, weak upper bass.
Tara Labs Prism AC Special - fast, punchy, clean bass, weak bass.
Transparent Power XL - extraordinary quiet, forward mids, good density yet good resolution, less vigor.
Van den Hul The Mainstream Hybrid - prominent highs, sumptuous, thin vocal, weak bass.
VH Flavor 4 - balanced, tight sounding.
XLO Reference 2 - nothing in particular stand out.
We always complain that there aren't many choices, but when there are plentiful to choose from, we get headache. Even with new power cord, some dealers does not allow testing in the showroom, home trial is a long shot unless it is flirty expensive.
Now, I do not recommend you guys to use what I use. The power cords are there for a reason. Suitability of power cord and your sonic preference supposed to your major concern.
Consclusion
錢要花在刀口上, spend when it matters. Typically, 1.5 to 3.0 meter is the sweet zone of any power cord to really impart its sonic signature. I know some who overwork the math, buying a 2 meter length wire, cut into half to get 2. Like I always say, if you are unwilling to spend reasonably to get good sound, go fly kite. It is cheaper to fly a kite too.
How you coil the power cord also changes the sound. A joke?
Despite my current cords, I still have an urge for one specific cord. Keep you in suspense. A word of caution, used power cord prices may sound too good to be real but beware there is a lot of fake power cords around. They are copied but not equal like your night market Rolex Submariner. Some were so cleverly copied that the dealers would not able tell the authenticity. You may need to exercise cautions there.
Until then, Happy Lunar New Year.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Power snakes
Christmas is near. Santa, Santa, how I wish I could get my desired tonal balance without breaking my bank. I am so close but not quite and sometimes I wish that I would not be so fuzzy on sound. A mind game? I hope not.
Power cord skepticism, those garden hose, ah.... I used to disregard power cord. Man, if you have not tasted decent power cords in your system, you do not know what you are missing! I don't blame you. How would two meters of aftermarket power cords affect the sound since our current travels hundreds of kilometer from sub stations to our home? And since our in wall wires are standard, why does power cords matter? And why do ugly guys get pretty chicks, why? You need to break the norm to achieve betterment.
Go see a psychiatrist? Good for you that you can't hear the benefits of power cord and go live a peaceful life. You can walk away from here and keep your money in your pocket. Stereotype is a stumbling block, there are many answers to a question and when you don't get answer, you must let God to come in. Free your mind, open to ideas, listen and be convinced. Ostrich head in sand will do you no good. The problems with fi today is that they rely too much on reviews and measurements.
Power cord is the lifeline to a system, it has a far greater weight than interconnect and speaker cable, in my humble experience of course. This goes without saying high quality power supply has a very strong say on good sound, circuit design and component selections come later. Spending hours research on power cords, by looking at the geometry and metallurgy, gives clues of how their sonic characters. I would draw a conclusion that there are four schools of power cord.
The school of metallurgy purity
Best represented by Furukawa, Japan and Neotech, Taiwan, focuses on the drawing of copper to achieve highest purity they know how. Prof Ohno invented PCOCC and Neotech refined it with UPOCC. PCOCC has become a trademark for Furutech and so is UPOCC for Neotech.
OCC, Ohno as of the inventor, Continuous Casting, not the crazy guys in Orange County Chopper. In short, these processes are to achieve not more than 10 parts per million oxygen impurities as opposed to OFC, 200 - 500 PPM. Mind you, Taiwan has the highest consumption of copper in the world, the birthplace of many reputable OEM brands. There are only handful of cable companies in the world that capable of drawing OCC wire.
The benefits of higher purity are a super smooth, high density sound and better resistance to oxidization. The downside is unable to draw a higher gauge wire, I think.
The school of Geometry
Typically Americans, with heavy emphasis on geometry, scientific research and measurements. These are trickle down technologies from NASA, telecommunication, military etc meeting their own set of unique requirements were then make available to audio. Noise rejection, phasing, speed, wide bandwidth, durability are their selling point drawing their customers. Oxygen Free Copper OFC is favored here, sometimes precious metal mixture for a specific character.
The downside is greatly system dependence.
The school of Neutrality
Mainly represented by Belden, Mogami, Canary, Supra, Sommer, Monster etc and lately from Switzerland like Swiss Cable, Vovox and Gotham. The later seem to burst into scene in a few years back thanks to the coverage from 6moons. They are largely colorless and honest, you get what's on the disc.
Their primary target market is pro sound, the volume is big. Volume does matters in almost every business. Neutrality is their goal but none of these cable sounds alike.
The downside is these cords are rather seclusive, some are not widely available.
The school of DIY cable
The sprouting of DIY cables in the wake of exorbitant cable prices, rose to offer greater run for the money. The move was started by Anti Cable, as the name implies. There are also many rebadging companies that use off the shelf cables as customized cable. Those cables that have strong association with specific speakers also fall into this category as well. Brands like Ocellia, Jorma Design, YBA, ASI and Audio Note came into my mind. Skogrand is on the higher end of DIY cable. Selling direct via web store, these groups of cable mostly run as home business. Personal touch is their strength, they personally talk and answer your questions. Certain chemistry will tend to form and many offer 30 days return if not satisfied.
They are a miss and hit. OK to great performance, good value and poor resale value.
We are spoiled with a plethora of power cord choices. It is impossible to go through exhaustive testing of power cord. Borrowing power cord from friends to try it out in your system is the way to go. My first power cord sting took place after Wywires Blue power cords powered my DAC. And there was no turning back, my skepticism turned religion. So much so that the thought of power cord influences are greater than interconnect and speaker cable sinks its teeth in my head.
I am a semi audio hermit, I found great pleasure researching on the net. There and then, I decided to get Wywires Silver power cord that I posted sometime back, a step up from Blue. Wywires Silver representing the sweet spot of Wywires range of products, the Silver shares the same house sound but with a full sound. Like a Vampire with the first taste of blood, I was unstoppable. Nordost Vishnu was my second catch and lastly Reality Cable power cord. Their applications were rigorously tested in my system after swapping them with only one goal, to achieve the most preferred tonal balance. That includes the correct AC polarity that I have had my wall sockets wired in phase and out phase to cater for this purpose. Incorrect phase will cause the staging restricted in between the span of the speakers. To add to the complexity, some gear work better with out phase. No chances taken. Cable loom, you say? I do not buy the idea simply it imposes a strong sound character and serves no avenue for sound tuning.
Power cord is one hell of difficult topic to write. Some are good for front end, the other at the power amp. "Put your best cord at the front end" therefore cannot be established. A safer rule is placing your most detailed power cord at the front, I am subscribing the thought of "what is lost is forever lost" and nothing you do can recover the loss.
Contrary to many, I am particularly fond of solid core power cord. All my power cords are solid core design. A super clean bass is my upmost priority, follows by clear not lush mid band and extended highs. Trust me, you don't want dirty bass plaguing the rest of the frequency range. Dynamic, O yes, I could not have enough!
I will not bore you further with fluff, more power cords score cards to come next year. I am done for this year. Merry Christmas everybody.
Power cord skepticism, those garden hose, ah.... I used to disregard power cord. Man, if you have not tasted decent power cords in your system, you do not know what you are missing! I don't blame you. How would two meters of aftermarket power cords affect the sound since our current travels hundreds of kilometer from sub stations to our home? And since our in wall wires are standard, why does power cords matter? And why do ugly guys get pretty chicks, why? You need to break the norm to achieve betterment.
Go see a psychiatrist? Good for you that you can't hear the benefits of power cord and go live a peaceful life. You can walk away from here and keep your money in your pocket. Stereotype is a stumbling block, there are many answers to a question and when you don't get answer, you must let God to come in. Free your mind, open to ideas, listen and be convinced. Ostrich head in sand will do you no good. The problems with fi today is that they rely too much on reviews and measurements.
Power cord is the lifeline to a system, it has a far greater weight than interconnect and speaker cable, in my humble experience of course. This goes without saying high quality power supply has a very strong say on good sound, circuit design and component selections come later. Spending hours research on power cords, by looking at the geometry and metallurgy, gives clues of how their sonic characters. I would draw a conclusion that there are four schools of power cord.
The school of metallurgy purity
Best represented by Furukawa, Japan and Neotech, Taiwan, focuses on the drawing of copper to achieve highest purity they know how. Prof Ohno invented PCOCC and Neotech refined it with UPOCC. PCOCC has become a trademark for Furutech and so is UPOCC for Neotech.
OCC, Ohno as of the inventor, Continuous Casting, not the crazy guys in Orange County Chopper. In short, these processes are to achieve not more than 10 parts per million oxygen impurities as opposed to OFC, 200 - 500 PPM. Mind you, Taiwan has the highest consumption of copper in the world, the birthplace of many reputable OEM brands. There are only handful of cable companies in the world that capable of drawing OCC wire.
The benefits of higher purity are a super smooth, high density sound and better resistance to oxidization. The downside is unable to draw a higher gauge wire, I think.
The school of Geometry
Typically Americans, with heavy emphasis on geometry, scientific research and measurements. These are trickle down technologies from NASA, telecommunication, military etc meeting their own set of unique requirements were then make available to audio. Noise rejection, phasing, speed, wide bandwidth, durability are their selling point drawing their customers. Oxygen Free Copper OFC is favored here, sometimes precious metal mixture for a specific character.
The downside is greatly system dependence.
The school of Neutrality
Mainly represented by Belden, Mogami, Canary, Supra, Sommer, Monster etc and lately from Switzerland like Swiss Cable, Vovox and Gotham. The later seem to burst into scene in a few years back thanks to the coverage from 6moons. They are largely colorless and honest, you get what's on the disc.
Their primary target market is pro sound, the volume is big. Volume does matters in almost every business. Neutrality is their goal but none of these cable sounds alike.
The downside is these cords are rather seclusive, some are not widely available.
The school of DIY cable
The sprouting of DIY cables in the wake of exorbitant cable prices, rose to offer greater run for the money. The move was started by Anti Cable, as the name implies. There are also many rebadging companies that use off the shelf cables as customized cable. Those cables that have strong association with specific speakers also fall into this category as well. Brands like Ocellia, Jorma Design, YBA, ASI and Audio Note came into my mind. Skogrand is on the higher end of DIY cable. Selling direct via web store, these groups of cable mostly run as home business. Personal touch is their strength, they personally talk and answer your questions. Certain chemistry will tend to form and many offer 30 days return if not satisfied.
They are a miss and hit. OK to great performance, good value and poor resale value.
We are spoiled with a plethora of power cord choices. It is impossible to go through exhaustive testing of power cord. Borrowing power cord from friends to try it out in your system is the way to go. My first power cord sting took place after Wywires Blue power cords powered my DAC. And there was no turning back, my skepticism turned religion. So much so that the thought of power cord influences are greater than interconnect and speaker cable sinks its teeth in my head.
I am a semi audio hermit, I found great pleasure researching on the net. There and then, I decided to get Wywires Silver power cord that I posted sometime back, a step up from Blue. Wywires Silver representing the sweet spot of Wywires range of products, the Silver shares the same house sound but with a full sound. Like a Vampire with the first taste of blood, I was unstoppable. Nordost Vishnu was my second catch and lastly Reality Cable power cord. Their applications were rigorously tested in my system after swapping them with only one goal, to achieve the most preferred tonal balance. That includes the correct AC polarity that I have had my wall sockets wired in phase and out phase to cater for this purpose. Incorrect phase will cause the staging restricted in between the span of the speakers. To add to the complexity, some gear work better with out phase. No chances taken. Cable loom, you say? I do not buy the idea simply it imposes a strong sound character and serves no avenue for sound tuning.
Power cord is one hell of difficult topic to write. Some are good for front end, the other at the power amp. "Put your best cord at the front end" therefore cannot be established. A safer rule is placing your most detailed power cord at the front, I am subscribing the thought of "what is lost is forever lost" and nothing you do can recover the loss.
Contrary to many, I am particularly fond of solid core power cord. All my power cords are solid core design. A super clean bass is my upmost priority, follows by clear not lush mid band and extended highs. Trust me, you don't want dirty bass plaguing the rest of the frequency range. Dynamic, O yes, I could not have enough!
I will not bore you further with fluff, more power cords score cards to come next year. I am done for this year. Merry Christmas everybody.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)