Get in touch with Bob Grost at Cerious Technologies, his cords were the ones that truly convinced me power cords make a difference. And since he started selling direct his prices are very reasonable. Just do a search for Cerious in the classified ads he usually has an ad running and shoot him a message. No affiliation just love his cables my whole system is wired with Cerious now.
Looking for a power cable upgrade
I got an itch to upgrade. The sound I'm getting now is great I like it but like most of us I'm want to look at the other side of the mountain for some thing better. This is what I'm using right now:
http://www.vhaudio.com/acrolink-7n-p4030.html
Im looking at spending around 500.00 per cord either used or new, and also would try a diy solution. If anyone as used my current cables and has moved to something else please comment. Or if you have found something fantastic please comment as well. Any input would be great.
http://www.vhaudio.com/acrolink-7n-p4030.html
Im looking at spending around 500.00 per cord either used or new, and also would try a diy solution. If anyone as used my current cables and has moved to something else please comment. Or if you have found something fantastic please comment as well. Any input would be great.
18 responses Add your response
Be careful in your upgrade trek -- expecting immediate improvements are not guaranteed because they are very system dependent. Changing power cables are just like ICs and speaker cables ... Each has a sonic signature that varies from system to system. Real- life example in my system: the REGA COUPLE power cord is an OEM provided power cable that is a standard recommendation with the REGA ISIS valve cdp and the REGA OSIRIS integrated amp. That powe cable as a standslone is a very good build quality designed by REGA at around the $200-$250 range. So my buddies and did a shootout with numerous alternatives ranging from $150 to north of $1200. My "A" system above: the REGA bested all comers with THAT system including a $1200 Furutech, and against expensive offerings from CARDAS , high-end FURUTECH, CHORD, ATLAS, LFD, LFD hybrid (LFD cable with the vert top FURUTECH connectors), ECOSSE, PS AUDIO, SHUNYATA and a bevy of others . A few were even a large step down compared to the the rest , and the sensitivities of the power cord were more acute in the cdp as the source. IN CONTRAST, in my more modest "B" system, the LFD hybrid reigned supreme ... even over the REGA. Your takeaway : system synergy matters big-time and upgrades to power cables (any cables....) in seeking audio performance improvements are very system dependent, full stop. I would NOT use any ad hoc testimonials posted in this blog as anything more as a name for filtering out to actually audition in YOUR system first. Changes are no guarantee to be upgrades ... They can also be a sideways move or even noticeable step back. |
my final chirp.... (1) putting in dedicated power lines with armoured cable was a quantum leap upgrade in performance when compared to the effects of the power cable itself. Power cables by themselves without doing this may be an improvement but only a comparative small one at best. Complete the cradle-to-grave power upgrade with an upgrade starting at the panel first. (2) contemporaneous with the dedicated lines (a separate one for the amp and another separate line for the source) I also upgraded the wall plugs to -- (1) first, to Hospital grade plugs, --and then-- (2) further upgrade later to expensive audiophile grade wall plugs. The latter are gold plated high grade pure copper with no nickel, brass or ? Components ( gold plated is oxidation resistant but pure copper is VERY soft .. So be careful and don't bend them cuz it's very easy to torque them and thus do so...) The latter new plugs are a further incremental "last step " upgrade to the hospital grade wall plugs, but only on my "A" system would I say they are worth the added not insignificant cash outlay. (3) Power conditioners -- a potential BIG limiting effect and crappy resolution limiting clouding veil. Sure ... In some circumstances they may prove fruitful if you live in an area with wild power swings or crummy old wiring blah blah etc. HOWEVER... a dealer twigged me in to the tip that many high-end gear with their robust power supllies do NOT need NOR WANT any intermediate PC insertion ... The latter can actually be just a messy added limiting filter that creates a step-down in resolution. He personally demonstrated it to me in my own system in MY home .... Damned if he wasn't right to the step-down of a PC in MY system. The performance downgrade with the PC in was not subtle. YOUR TAKEAWAY. : be careful... It's no "one size fits all " here either ... Again ...a PC is VERY system dependent in the first place, and maybe even an entirely avoidable step-down in a high-end system with its inherent robust high-end power supplies. |
I fully agree with AKG. If there is any way you can upgrade the feed from your panel to the wall socket, you will gain immense sonic improvement at all your equipment. I had a Rega Osiris too. I had a lot of mechanical hum out of the toroid coils coming from my dirty power. I installed a 1/2" emt conduit with 10AWG solid wire from my panel to a metal box with Porter Port receptacles in the wall. OMG. Everything jumped in performance. Some much more bass, clarity, immediacy in attack. Everything was better. But, I still had hum from the DC offset on the lines. I then bought an Isotec Syncro cable. The one with the huge barrel which I assume is a Capacitor in line. That took all the hum out of the toroid coils. It even smoothed a little of the hash of the top end of the Osiris. It made the whole thing better. However, I moved onto a Conrad Johnson Premier 140 amp with the Teflon upgrade. The Isotek took the hum out of that amp too. However it clouded that amp too much. Put a veil over the music. I then bought a Topaz 2.4 KVA line isolation transformer. I installed that in the basement inline with another 1/2" conduit and 10 AWG wire. This cut most all the hash out of the CJ amp and did very little to veil the music. However my First Sound Mark 3, Allnic HC1201 did not like it. They want pure unfiltered power. In short, if you can better your power from standard 12AWG romex in the wall to metal enclosed 10AWG you will gain a huge jump in performance. A day of labor is about $500, materials about $250. Provided there is access from the panel to your gear. Now every change in power cables will be much more noticeable. I have a mix of Signal Cable, Cullen and Sillnote. They are all decent for the money. |
I use a bunch of the Nanotec ac cords and love them, they now sell below the $500 (I paid more for my own!) http://www.audioasylumtrader.com/ca/listing/Power-Cords/Nanotec-direct-from-Japan/Model-PS-3J-with-F... |
This is how I get my end attached to my plugs. Dont try and do all 3 at once. Land the hot. Next land the ground. Make sure the leads have a little room for this next move. Now spin the plug so that the hot wraps over the ground and allows you to insert the neutral into the hole. If you spin to the left, you should in a sense be unwinding the conductor so as not to create too much tension. The ground should now be under the hot and neutral. Land the Neutral. Make sure everything is tight. You should be able to pull as hard as you can on any lead and it will not pull out of the plug. Test for shorts or open circuit now. Once you have the covers installed test for shorts and open circuits again. |