Is Bigger Better?


In my opinion, most of the lastest hype or "marketing" in audio these days have to do with power cords. 1st, all my gear has aftermarket cords but I just viewed the BMI Virtue site with the Whale Elite Power Cords. I found the site enlightening but at the same time entertaining. Pictures of the muscled designer with these huge phallic power cords. Now the disscussion, some of the best cables ive used and owned have been far from large in diameter. I recently had my home wired with 4 dedicated lines and when I asked the electrition to use 8 or 10ga wiring, he assured me that this is needless overkill, that heavy industrial machinery and huge office complexes are wired with 10ga. Are we pawns in the huge marketing machine of audio?
128x128justlisten
The size of the wire can go both ways. All I care is that it sounds great. Recently purchased a WHALE and yes the size is huge and impresssive but the results are even more impressive. I have some interconnects that are pretty thin, but with the right metal and connectors they sound great.
I have a digital cable on order from Mapleshade that would be considered "tiny" and definatly not "big". If tiny also sounds good another benefit of "light" cables is that they do not tend to interfear (as much) with any isolation components that you may be using on your equipment. I suspect that the heavy HT Truthlink IC's that I sometimes use detract from the isolation of my CD player more than the light Homegrown Silver IC's that I also use. It is just a logical hunch and there is no way to tell for sure. Also use a HT Pro 11 PC. I like the sound of the HT's and don't dwell on this at all. It is just a thought.
I have only one thing to say in response to 1439bhr's comments on this subject....... AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!
Bigger does not have to be better, however in this case it is! Two friends in different parts of the country purchased Whale Elites and have demoed them with their Viper, Fatboy (etc). I can't wait to order mine, the reviews are phenomenal! Brian knows how to make AWESOME power cords. (This is my opinion and I am not associated with the business)
Yes. Submit. Also, keep in mind these corollaries: (1) if it costs more, it's better. (e.g., "I suppose Revel Ultima Salons are OK if you want to listen to the radio in the kitchen and you don't mind your ears bleeding after a couple of hours, but when you're ready for real speakers, go do what I did and get some JM Lab Grand Utopias.") (2) the smaller the effect, the greater the hyperbole (e.g., "but then I replaced the granite pebble on top of my speakers with one of feldspar and I was transported to heretofore unimaginable realms of audio delight.") (3) the more esoteric the tweak, the more avid the devotee (e.g., "no, trust me, I swear! Waving a chicken bone in time to the music really helps with the sense of rhythm and pace! I can't bear to listen to music any other way anymore!" (4) The shakier the case, the greater the ad hominen attack: (e.g., "if you can't hear the difference between running your cables forwards and backwards it's because your system isn't resolving enough and/or you are an undiscriminating philistine who takes audio equipment recommendations from Consumer's Report and buys at Walmart.") (5) The hipper the salesman, the better the equipment (e.g., "I realize that dCS processrs are all the range in Bucksnort, Idaho, but you know, if you don't want something that's like, so dot-com, then you absolutely shouldn't be looking at anything besides this Floobmeister 7. Only it has the necessarily ineffable sine qua non of single-ended triode logic gates.") I would tell you more, but I must go home now. Dinner is waiting.
I usually don't get involoved in topics, because they turn in to a pissing contest. But Justlisten, I am glad that you find BMI's Whale Elite entertaining and enlightening. Bigger is Better can be used as a misconception. If size only matter we would be using Alaskan pipelines as a cable. You have a lot to learn. Bigger is better, if the process of building hi-end power cables requires it. In this case of the Whale Elite, it does. The correct combination of conductors, insulators and shielding material. Proper matching and synergy of components is the key to success. Also, hand twisting specific ways gives the conductors a variety of characteristics in sound. Building the perfect power cable is more than a couple plugs and wire, it's a science. If it was this easy, all cables would sound the same. Justlisten, I think you are your own worse enemy with the marketing hype. With power cables, hi-end cables in general there are a lot of debates and myths. The goal of BMI's Whale Elite (and hopefully others in the same field), try to build the perfect cable so one can maximize your expensive equipment's potential. And ultimately, once the cables and components are in place, just sit back and "Enjoy the Music". Thank you BMI