10-12-05: Nsgarch
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IMO, power amps are the acid test for power cords. Or to put it a different way: If placing a particular power cord on the power amp doesn't improve the sonics of your system -- specifically: tighter bass, better center fill of the soundstage, better transients and blacker noise floor and (belive it) louder volume at a given preamp setting, then it probably won't do anything special elsewhere in your system (where differences are sometimes a little harder to identify.) I will disagree with you on this. IMO, power amps are less likely to display any significant difference among power cords. Especially good power amps with a properly designed power supply. So saying that if the cord does not make any difference on the amp means that it won't make a difference on any other component in the system just hasn't been my experience. As a matter of fact, it is the other way around. If a cord makes a difference on digital, that doesn't mean that it will make any difference or will have any positive effect on the amplifier at all. Power cords are not only system-dependent, but also component-dependent. |
I traded all my Transparent Reference cable which I had loved for many years for Virtual Dynamics power cords and cables. They put my system up on their website:
http://www.virtualdynamics.ca/content.php?id=96&secondary_id=52 |
Thats OK, you can disagree - no hard feelings. I just have a whole lot of audiophiles and companies that seem to agree with my position - Elrod, Shunyata, DCCA, etc., etc., etc. (Also, the Elrod SigI reference above should have read Sig3).
Anyhow, its all a learning process.... |
Fplanner, your experience or experiments may have led you to your particular conclusions. Mine have led elsewhere.
My conclusion about power cords (and I'm sticking to it) is that it's all about power transfer -- the higher and faster the better. I have discovered that certain shielding configurations (when shielding is even used) may yield subtle variations with some front end stuff (especially CDP, CDT, and DACs) but my conclusion is otherwise the same.
Power transfer, of course, is affected by many factors in addition to wire size, but that's still the biggest single parameter IMO. |
Nsgarch: I completely disagree with your powercord over-generalization. Different cords yield different characteristics, as least in my system. For example, Elrod Statements are on my back end (wall to conditioner, conditioner to amps), while Electraglide Epiphanies are on my front end. Each cord is best where it currently is and swapping them was nowhere near as effective as their current positions. That is why, for example, Elrod and others differentiate between front end(Sig II) and back-end(Sig I) powercords.
I am also about to receive a VD Revelation PC from Rick S. who said I would hear the most change with the cord on the front end. Does that mean its no good to my amp? Probably not, just that he designed it as more of a "front end" cord.
I currently also have a VD Revelation Signature IC from my CD player to preamp and a pair of Bi-wired Revelation speaker cables driving Legacy Whisper speakers. The system is very resolving as well as dynamic, thanks in large part to the proper matching of power cables to components, IMO. |
I,ve used various VD cables throughout my system., I stared with NiteII, Master and now own the Revelation PC, IC and speaker. I have a Wadia/CAT/Dunlavy system and without reservation believe that these cords are one of the best I've tried. I have tried various products over the years and each one has made marginal but positive improvmnents. My last set was the Synergistic Research Designers Ref X2 with Active sheieding. The Mater totally blew away these. I didn't think the Revelation series could do much better than the Master but I was totally surprised.These are a major step forward.
I haven't heard the David's, but you will not understand how much better the Rev/Master cords are until you try them. This is where the VD cables really outdistance themselves from the competing brands at similar price points.
I would rank the benefits of the Rev and Master cords by saying that thye produced as much, if not more, benefit from replacing my Krell FPB600 with a Convergent Audio JL2. The difference and benefit was that big. No other cables I tried have even come close to this level of change.
With regard to Transparent, Ken Stevens from CAT has had experience with both. He shows with VD Revelation, but he admits that as good as the VD cable is, it doesn't "blow away" the high end Transparent cables which he uses in his system.
I can't say since I haven't made the direct comparison. But what I will tell you is that the VD Revelation has been just that...a total revelation! I will never replace these cables. If you get them, you would be wasting money and time trying to better them. Money better spent on front ends at that point.
An important point is that you need to try the complete VD system. Until then, you will not really know what these cables can do.
Also, the Revelation PC transformed my Wadia CD player.
Key strengths of the REvelation is POWER, detail/resolution, tonal accuracy, soundstage etc. These are high energy cables without ever sounding bright or edgy. They are the most natural cables I've used by a longshot.
In all of the equipment I've fooled arounfd with, I consider these cables as the best investment I've made. I no longer have any interest in trying anything else.
I agree with the other posts in that you should give Rick a call. Try them and be prepared to want to purchase them.
Andrew |
Neil
PAD and VD are fabulous and their power cords are easy to show differences. Just try VD .....and tell us.
Also don't underestimate what a good pc cord can do to a preamp.
George. |
Brian, thanks for your overview. It really is very helpful to know what else a person has tried, even if it wasn't a direct A-B, and even if they didn't try one's own favorite cable! The Purist Dominus is the best I've ever heard on my amp, even better than the Purist Venustas, although they're both 10 AWG. So maybe I will give the VD Master a try.
IMO, power amps are the acid test for power cords. Or to put it a different way: If placing a particular power cord on the power amp doesn't improve the sonics of your system -- specifically: tighter bass, better center fill of the soundstage, better transients and blacker noise floor and (belive it) louder volume at a given preamp setting, then it probably won't do anything special elsewhere in your system (where differences are sometimes a little harder to identify.)
Thanks again for the details.
Neil |
Nsgarch, Your system is Killer by the way. I have owned like 3 set of VD cables so far. I keep saving up for the next series. I now have the masters from the nites and from the audition series. If you have'nt ever tryed a VD cable, and with your system, you should. Rick sometimes will send you a cable just to try. I know for me that was all it took.So on my way up to the master series of cables,
I would try different cables, swamp out one cable for another to see if it would add or subtract to my system. I could never replace a whole systems wires at one time because of the cash thing. So an apple to apple is hard to do.The wire you add or subtract may not be the weakest link, but when you wire with all one brand, you sometimes strike a synergy. This is what VD cables do IMO. The more you add, the more the system comes together. I am sure you already know all of this with your fab system. I have used over the years cables, and speaker wire from Rat shack, Kimber, Audioquest,Audience, Nordost, Wolff, ps audio, and shunyata, a couple homemade, maybe one or two more that I have forgotten. This isn't an apple for apple, but everytime I changed out a cable, I alway went back to VD. AS a whole system, yes it will transform your system. Try one on your killer system, just to see if you gain or loss anything.By the way, Stereotimes has a review on the master series which you can read if you wish. |
"Know other cable that I know of comes close to VD cables. Call Rick and transform your system. Brian"
OK Brian, I'll bite:
What other brands/models of IC and PC have you personally A-B'd with VD cables, apples-to-apples in the same system, which led you to the above conclusion??
Just curious :~)) |
I replaed a set of Cardas Golden Cross cables with the Davids. I'm going to listen for a week or two and then swap back to see what the difference is.
Sorry for changing more than one variable at a time.
V |
Ask Rick at VD to send you a power cable or Speaker cables to try. You will be hooked!! VD cables will change a system with every cable you replace.
I run my whole system with VD masters, Power, I/C's and Speaker cables. I also have VD's BX armored in my walls. I have changed componets and have not gotten the changes that VD cables made in my system. Emotion, you feel the music. Know other cable that I know of comes close to VD cables. Call Rick and transform your system. Brian |
You didn't say what IC's the VDs replaced. Were they Transparent Audio?? If they were, I'd put my money on the dedicated lines!
VD makes good stuff, but it's not going to make that kind of improvement (if any) over Transparent Audio or any other expensive high quality product. What you describe is what always happens after dedicated lines are installed.
If you really want to be fair, now put the Transparent ICs back in, and see if your system doesn't sound pretty much the same as with the VDs. Let us know :~)) |
