power cord for pass 250.8

JPS Labs Aluminata PC is just incredible on my amp!!!

@roxy54 the pure silver xangsane are up there with the very best. To be honest I haven’t heard the power cable, but their interconnect and digital coax are absolutely amazing and would still be great value at 10x the price IMO. I don’t see any reason to think the power cable would be any less good.

@audphile1 Xangsane is a genuine brand with quality R&D and great build quality and materials, not a 50$ knockoff. You just can’t put them in the same bin. You obviously haven’t tried the pure silver Xangsane, I’d urge you to, you would be surprised.

@dhite71 I did a tour of the Shunyata facility about a month ago with my local audio club.  They were excited about the Gamma and Theta lines but we didn't audition them.  We were very impressed with their listening room and the demo of the Altaira grounding system.  I imagine having a great listening room as a laboratory to test your products makes a big difference in what you make.  Caelin was impressive and seemed like a very serious guy.  The Gamma cords were a little above my price point but they would be a good option for the OP to consider.

@pinwa good to know...I will check them out as well

Another seemingly good option is Shunyata's latest releases.  I spoke to them back in December and they were very excited about the Gamma and Theta lines in that they are their best cost to performance ratio products ever in their lineup.  I spoke to a couple dealers that said the same.  I know I am talking to the MFG and dealers so there's that, but still very reasonable for big name PCs at $500 & $1000 in their standard lengths.

@dhite71 I have a NRG Custom Cables 4 outlet distribution box and attached cable.  It is very well made and wasn't particularly expensive but I have no idea if it improved the sound quality since I didn't do any careful A/B testing.  He isn't taking new orders until September.

Another small manufacturer is Ice Age and I did buy a loom of Ice Age OFC cables and after burning them in I can confidently say they are a significant improvement to the Pangea AC-9 cables they replaced.

I've never had any of the uber expensive power cables so I can't comment on them.  

I am always intrigued by the small companies that could very well be turning out great products at a fraction of the cost of the big-name products.  I don't see where anyone has acknowledged piebaldpython's post about NRGCustomCables

I went to the website and seems to be a straight shooter audiophile that is trying to mfg great cables for reasonable costs.  

Is there anyone else that is familiar with his products?

G…hurricane’s not a great match with pass amps in my experience. Had it twice sold and bought again and sold for the final time. Unless you have a bright and sibilant speakers or want extremely meaty and thick sound, I would not recommend it. It might work great with ARC tube gear and SF speakers. Not doubting that. 

I just have to say that my search for the right power cord went on for nearly a year. The problem I had was that most cords (high end) would ever so slightly attenuate the treble. The Hurricane did not… even a little. So, perhaps it depends on what you are comparing it with and your equipment. I am very certain it will not be attenuating anything with a Pass amp.

@roxy1927 if you’re looking at the long term power cord, the aliexpress options aren’t it. You get what you pay for. If you’re expecting a $50 Nordost Tyr 2 killer, pinch yourself. 

+1 jpan. The Hurricane HC will damp your treble, I traded mine. SR Galileo SX might suit you better, has just a trace of that silver sound but still has a full sounding bass, and the SR cables come with tuning bullets that can be useful. I haven't heard dragon. I'm also intrigued by the RSX Beyond and guess it would have better macro dynamics than the others.

Are the Xangsane DIY?

I use the Purist Audio Design Corvus power cords and speaker cables with my Pass X260.8’s.  Yeah, I had to buy two power cords.    The noise floor dropped noticeably with these cables.  Sound is excellent.  The two amps plug directly into an outlet on a dedicated circuit.  

Well the Xangsane is comparably affordable and has a 90 day return period so maybe worth a try. Though could it be comparable to a Shunyata Research Sigma V2 or an Audioquest Dragon or Nordost TYR 2? I'm looking at the long term here. But these others I can only afford used. And used they're on the expensive side.

This is the current best value in power cables. Don't dismiss it because it's chinese; they make absolutely stupendous cables at very affordable prices. Yes it's a lot of money, but it's PURE SILVER.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005006205342779.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.13.7910br36br36KV&algo_pvid=589f0dd0-9065-4db6-bcb9-92b34578ba38&algo_exp_id=589f0dd0-9065-4db6-bcb9-92b34578ba38-6&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21EUR%212084.85%21959.03%21%21%212209.46%211016.35%21%402101c72a17112725002068637e4992%2112000036269508148%21sea%21BE%212226284102%21&curPageLogUid=qZxiYOmc4PYM&utparam-url=scene%3Asearch%7Cquery_from%3A

I use Transparent Audio Reference for my Xa100.8s.  

I have a past labs 250.8. I’ve gone through three differen on it. First I started with the stock cable. Then I replaced it with a Morrow Audio MAP3 power cord, which was a definite and distinctive improvement over the stock cable. Then I swapped in an audience power Chord for the Morrow and there was not much of a difference . Then put in a Shunyata Alpha V2 power cord, which was slightly better than the audience and the morrow. I now have a full loom of Seda tables and love them

Shunyata Sigma NR v.2 or the Alpha NR v.2

Not if you have your speakers 25ft apart and one if em is jammed into a corner with a ginormous sectional in front of it. A stock power cord will do just fine. 

Surely there has to be a power cord that costs more than $3000, and that will automatically sound EVEN better.  Right?

@audphile1 +1

Listen to as many as you can.  [I have Shunyata (Alpha v@ NR) and love them and other options like Nordost may float your boat more)

I mentioned Nordost Tyr 2 in my earlier post. Let’s add Shunyata Alpha v2 NR. Try before you buy though. 

OP indicated his sound was on the laid back sound, and was looking for something a bit more forward sounding. Which cables would tend to go in that direction? Something by Nordost, maybe?

I use a ZeroSurge 2R15W between the outlet and my Pass XA 60.8s. I chose it because of the surge protection it provides and the review on ASR that showed no change from input to output. It has a captured power cord that cannot easily be replaced. Curious as to thoughts about the value of replacing the amp power cords in this setting.

Well you spent $150 and got no ROI so I call thar a waste of money. The stock power cords are solidly built. You could have paid for a year worth of Qobuz subscription with the $150 you dumped into a purchase that brought no improvement to the sound of your system. What would you call it? The audiophile nervosa insurance?

@audphile1 

Why?

@megabyte I think you wasted $150

You did ask the question can you do better?

Maybe ever so slightly. Probability nothing audible but I’m a believer in spending enough to make sure you have no weak links but not buying into the Uber expensive esoteric cords. I absolutely believe there are no audible differences between 2 well made power cords of suitable gauge. That being said, for peace of mind I bought an AQ NRG Z3 14 gauge just in case. Found one new open box for $150. I hear no difference. But I like knowing I have a properly made heavy gauge cord. I’d also be completely happy with a Supra hospital/audiophile grade cord for about $200. If I were you I’d get something like that. Try it out. Then buy a pricey cord you can return if you don’t hear a difference. I sincerely believe you won’t.

I’ve changed all of my cables over to Audio Sensibility and extremely satisfied. I’m using the “Statement” power cords for all of my equipment, including Pass Labs and Audio Research. 
 

From Audio Sensibility:

At the heart of this cable is Ohno Continuous Cast (OCC) copper. Copper purity is 99.9999% (6N) and a special annealing process is used which creates an ultra smooth surface.

Cable Geometry: The conductor bundle consists of three 11 AWG OCC copper conductors encased in an irradiated polyethylene dielectric.

 

Does anybody have any response to what bojack says?

Or is this a controversy that goes back to before the flood?

@roxy1927 goes back to before the flood. Several responses here fall into that category. 

Yes, you should definitely explore a better cable. You don’t have to rush and do it. It might be worthwhile just to listen with the stock cable and get familiar with the sound, etc. At some point, I recommend moving on.

I have the XA60.5 mono blocks. I did an extensive audition working with the Cable Co. It was worth the effort. I landed on the RSX Beyond PC. (In the mix were similarly priced cables from Synergistic, Audioquest and Shunyata.)

PS: No offense but, of course, Nelson Pass is going to be diplomatic on the subject. 

Does anybody have any response to what bojack says?

Or is this a controversy that goes back to before the flood?

 

 

wolf_garcia

6,565 posts

03-19-2024 at 02:33am

Nelson Pass recommends the cord that is supplied with the amp. I’ve never heard him say otherwise

I think in the very early days of aftermarket power cords, Nelson said this somewhere but this hasn’t been true for quite some time. Just read the Pass manual for .5 or .8 series amps. Every single Pass Labs preamp and amp that i ever owned reacted to upgraded power cords.

Nelson Pass recommends the cord that is supplied with the amp. I've never heard him say otherwise.

I’ve read in many places that Pass uses Silent Source cords and cables, both in-house and at shows...

The best power cord you could use is one that is made from OCC single crystal wire it is far superior to anything OFC at any price there's a lot of good manufacturers out there Neotech, harmonic technology, acoustic Zen, Zenfino, and rectangular OCC is even better than the round, neotech has two flagship lines the Sahara which is their rectangular copper OCC and the Amazon which is their silver rectangular OCC also check out the Grand that's their newest designed power cord just Google Neotech cables and then look for rectangular cables and also the Grand on their website they started about $1,800 US per meter.

What about a new pre instead? Backert labs tier one rhumba is just forward enough. I had it paired with a 250.8 and really enjoyed it. Just dont know a cord will deliver what you’re looking for. I wasnt a big fan of Pass labs preamps. They always sounded a bit flat and lacking of character. They werent bad but maybe too neutral for me?

@jomace new Audioquest Hurricane 2m for $550?

Sounds too good to be true and you know how the saying goes, right?

There’s so much counterfeit out there and AQ happens to be one of the most popular in that space together with Shunyata, Cardas and Nordost. While I hope your Hurricane is authentic, I wouldn’t bet my money on it especially when it was purchased from Mercari. Good luck.

Ansuz Mainz cables work pretty well with Pass electronics.

There must be as many power cord manufacturers as there are things to plug them into. I bought a new 2-meter Hurricane on Mercari for $550. There is more wiring there than buyers, apparently, so a big bargain occasionally.appears. My experience with the Hurricane? When I press the button on the Pass Labs XA 25, the lights go on. I use Morrow mostly. 

@jovlinger that’s actually not a bad idea! You should blaze this trail with your Radio Shack receiver you use in your system and report back what you hear. 

...as the aftermarket cord manufacturers go laughing all the way to the bank.

I wonder whether this improvement could be taken a step further. Do we trust that Nelson used the best solder in the circuit boards?

it seems like resoldering the components with something better should have a big improvement, surely? Similarly there are often wires within the amp — from the power transformers to the main amp circuit for example — which could likely be improved upon. 

Pharoah powercord by Grover Huffman.  I used them on my PassLabs 250.5s and they were excellent.

Have heard the Furutech Project V1 twice on a Pass XA60.8 brought out the best in the amp

I'm using a SR Galileo UEF on my Pass XA30.8. Very happy with changes it brings. Bass is smoother and more defined with a much more refined top end. Noise floor is lower too. Lots of options out there. Good luck

I’ll paste here what I responded on another thread (audioquest vs audience) ….

Audioquest Hurricane is a very full, bottom heavy sounding cable. I had several and the more I added the more of this effect I heard. It could be a pro or a con depending on how your system is balanced. The bass is big with great texture and detail but can be overwhelming. Natural and full mids. Highs are laid back and at times can sound slightly pinched. The cable is best on amps and or power conditioners. I didn’t like it on my DAC and it was OK on preamp. Soundstage is deep but the width of the stage is average and can become overcrowded. I sold and bought this cable few times thinking I was wrong but in my system I don’t hate it…just don’t love it.

Cerious Matrix or Lumniscate 

@roxy1927 

The Hurricane will exacerbate the laid-back nature but in a good way. The Dragon will give you what you want. I have both in my system, and their presentations are very different. 

I use this one with a Pass Labs X350.5.....

NRG Custom Cables | Reference Power Cable | Hand-Crafted

Just under $400 and well constructed ;)

Used the Hurricane on XA30.8 and ended up not loving it.
Based on what you’re looking for, Nordost Tyr 2 power cord will possibly end your search. Try and audition it.