Absolute Power Cords? Any opinions?

Hi, I had used three Absolute Power Cords in my system for about seven months then switched to three Power 2 cords from Virtual Dynamics. The improvement was amazing. More dynamics, more extension at both ends, the soundstage grew and strangely the volume went up. Just more life overall. For me the difference between the Absolutes and the Virtual Dynamics was like unstuffing congested sinuses.

Bluenose, I forgot to mention that first I installed an Acoustic Zen Tsunami on my amp while the other APCs were still in place. The AZ had a mellowing effect on the sound, which was very welcome indeed. Then I got the VD P2s for my transport, DAC, and preamp, and thats when things started getting good.

Megasam is, er..."absolutely" correct, PCs like anything else are very system dependent. I purchased the APCs based on MANY positive testimonials on Agon, but they just didn't work for me. And again as Sam points out a lot of that is based on personal taste in music reproduction. With the APCs my system exhibited a kind of sponginess, and while being nice and mellow it eventually started to bug me. The Virtual Dynamics brought amazing life to everything without introducing any harshness, overall a much more convincing reproduction of musicians playing in front of my listening chair.

It should be noted that Rick Schultz sells the VD Power 2s for $125 which is more than double the cost of the APCs, but he does offer two other PCs closer in price to them. The Basic I believe is $30 and the Power 3 is $50.

BTW, how have you been Sam?

Sam, as you know I'm pretty new to all of this, especially power cords. So I was shocked that such a change could occur from just the wall to the component.

I haven't really been into headphones since the 70's. But that was more to hide the fact from my parents that I was laughing so hard because it wasn't music but Richard Pryor and George Carlin that I was listening to sometimes. I use a pair of Grado SR60s here at work for MP3s and Quake3, but I've never played with the better offerings out there.

Audio Aero Capitole?!!! Wholly cow, that's sweet. I just got a Kora Hermes last week and have really fallen in love with it so much so that I may end up selling my Bel Canto DAC 1.1 soon. It's very good, but not as refined and natural as the Kora.

Back to PCs, I just couldn't bring myself to purchase a gang of BMI Whale Elites for $4-500 per. I'm so glad there are such affordable offerings these days.

Don't wait too long...Pull that trigger now!!!!

No kidding Sam, these Virtual Dynamics Power 2 cords ARE hard to bend, but I think that depends on which ones you get. Mine are 7/8" thick tree branches, but some of the other VDs have three strands making them easier to bend and twist behind racks.

Bluenose, give Rick Schultz of Virtual Dynamics a call before ordering anything. He's in Canada, and not the same Ric Schultz who does those great digital mods. I'm sure he has at least six levels of PCs so you can definitely find one in your price range. Rick will give you a 14 day trial period on any of his cords and cables, so check the classifieds here for more info on the cables and how to contact him.

Good luck!

Stbhorn, I believe Rick sells the Virtual Dynamics Power 3s for $50, the same price as the Absolute Power Cords. The Power 2s I have are a single thick cord, but many of Rick's other designs are composed of three separate strands. I don't know which category the Power 3s fall into. Take a look at the classifieds for Virtual Dynamics on Audiogon for more info. Good luck.

Or how about this one Psychicanimal, "True refinement seeks simplicity". Not from the Tao of JKD, but something of his I read when I was in high school.