2. cables
  3. 181480-83831

Power cable dilemma

I have to ask the community for an explanation to account for an issue I encountered this past week. 
 

I received a Mark Levinson ML-23.5 amp this past week. I plugged it in with a high end power cord I purchased years ago (because it looked better than the cheap cord that came with the unit. Lol). I switched from an ML-9 so I had certain expectation of the sound. After listening for about 30 minutes, I noticed that the amp did not sound very dynamic. I got up to go feel how hot it was and the heat sinks were barely warm. I turned up the volume and listened for another 15-20 minutes. I got up to check the temperature and the heat sinks were still barely warm. Also, I was playing the amp at volume level 28 on my Cambridge 851N. That is pretty high. The sound was still lifeless. I shut everything down and just sat there, dejected. Was the amp defective? Was it just a bad match? Were my expectations too high? I don’t know what made me try it, but I swapped out the power cord with a plain black cord and powered up the system. Unreal. I was now listening at volume level 22 to the same song, with staggering dynamic impact, at what seemed to be a similar volume. Furthermore, after about 20 minutes, I went up to feel the amp and the heat sinks were very toasty! So the question is: what could have possibly been wrong with the original cord that would result in lower volumes and no heat buildup? It is like it was throttling the current. To me, a cord either connects or it doesn’t. It works or it doesn’t. There should not be an in between. Does anyone have an explanation for this?

jrimer

Showing 1 response by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,435 posts
 

The Pangea AC-14… assuming that was what you have is made for components like CD players. So, it is made for low current applications. It is also very far at the low end of the budget category, so, I would be surprised if it would sound better than a stock cord on any high end gear.

The amp you purchased has a very good reputation among folks that like the Mark Levinson sound. It would probably be worth while putting a good quality power cord on it. Power cords for amps are very specifically constructed for high current can make a startling difference in amp performance… I mean really surprising,. I suspect you just experienced that… but kind of in reverse.

I recommend you try several high end power cords… like DHLabs Powerplus or higher, Cardas Clear, or ever better one of the AudioQuest Storm Series power cords. These can be revelatory. Try about three, make sure you can return them, it is likely the result will be very surprising. I doubt you will want to, but if not worth the money, just return them.

I tried several high end  power cords on my amp over a year until I found the AudioQuest Hurricane (~$2K)… the difference was just striking. When I can afford it, I will definitely be looking to upgrade to a Dragon. 

 

 

More to discover