PS Audio AC-3 is very good with a digital source, and at a bargain price.
Rega Saturn R power cord {stock} wanted to upgrade to better quality power cord
I just purchased a Rega Saturn R cd player and noticed the the power cord that comes with it seems very thin . I was wondering about changing it . Would a better power cord make a difference ? Can anyone recommend a better one ?
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I would use caution with eBay. Many counterfeit cables there. Check out Cullen Cable. I've been very pleased with their power cables. Patrick Cullen has an extensive background in audio. Thier cables are well made, perform great and are a very good value. http://http//www.cullencable.com/ Cheers, Scott |
The AC-12 is a 8 gauge power cable which is better served for use with a high current component, such as an amp. A CDP or DAC draws a low amount of current. Plus the 12 is very thick and hard to work with behind a rack. Would not trust Ebay especially when there are authorized PSA dealers online. Cullen also builds excellent PC's. You need to consult with Patrick for the best cable to suit your needs. Great guy. |
I have the REGA ISIS valve spinner and REGA OSIRIS integrated amp..... both came with the REGA Reference mains cable. Ive auditioned them A-B swap-out with a bevy of both high priced and mid-priced 3rd party offerings to this power cord. It is very well constructed and a fine performer , made by KLOTZ in Germany for REGA. I stood them up against a bevy of $1000 power cords including OYAIDE , FURUTECH, ATLAS, ECOSSE, LFD , DIY with the top FURUTECH components , SHUNYATA and about another dozen in the $500 range including PS Audio, Audioquest blah blah In all cases, tbe REGA was at least the equal and frequently actually better than all these contenders and pretenders...full stop. my take: If your new REGA gear has the same power cable, just forget the fear and paranoia of thinking that a new 3rd party will get to a new perform level. You are wasting your money. |
Here is the REGA website specs and pics http://www.rega.co.uk/mains-power-lead.html here is a dealer website info https://www.musicdirect.com/cables/rega-ref-mains-power-cable If you still want my system pics, send me a PM with an email to reply to PS in my chats with my local dealer, they highlighted to me that certain high end electronics from UK and Euro brands ( including inter alia LINN, NAIM, LFD and REGA ) perform at their max with their own proprietary power cable offerings, independent of price and whistles and bells when compared to the expensive 3rd party contenders and pretenders As a dealer he said that REGA, LFD, NAIM, and LINN are all sensitive in like manner My experience with my REGA cdp and amp confirmed the same. (Dealer was actually onsite at my home with the 3rd party cables when we did the first wave of A-B swap-in swap-out shoot-outs and bake- offs) . Let’s remember the REGA Reference power cord is a $200 range cable quality build accessory ... so don’t get fooled into stepping down to SIGNAL or like budget cables ."Thickness" and similar isolated hype metrics are meaningless and mean squat. REGA’s own is the only one that I would pair up with REGA gear. FWIW, I still use my quality build and fine performer LFD, ATLAS and DIY top-component FURUTECH power cables as fine performers in my "B" system. |
Would the rega reference power cord be a good match for the elicit-r? Hooked up a shunyata venom HC and was disappointed with the results. Had some positives (felt like it added some clarity and strengthened the mids) but really felt like it noticeably narrowed the soundstage compared to the stock cord to the point that I preferred the stock. If I traded in the shunyata for the rega reference would that give me the best of both worlds? Thanks! |
FYI like any other cable and equipment piece, there is a break-in period. Before it settles down into it’s optimal performance status. That includes ALL the new components, including your new cables and electronics. For me, the REGA ISIS Valve cdp and the REGA OSIRIS integrated amp jointly and severally took about 400-odd hours for the initial 90% level of new gear break-in; with an incremental audio performance improvement series of steps on its Yellow Brick Road to Audio OZ .... and it it was NOT a linear process either. Rather, it was an irregular and totally ad hoc series of steps . Go figger... there were flat periods and then .... oh.... it sounds a bit better. YOUR TAKEAWAY : (1).... patience...patience..... on BOTH your new electronics AND cables break-in period. My power cable break-in ( all cables actually....) was done in parallel to the electronics, but intuitively, I never tracked it separately . However, there likely is not going be any quick fix magic bullet "ah-ha moment " as soon as you take the brand new power cable out of its pouch and just plug it in. If the ISIS experience above is any better yardstick, your new electronics may follow a similar timeframe. (2) The REGA cdp electronics in my experience crave a warm-period of at least 2 hrs (?overnight is better ....) to see that "edge" and any sibilance evaporate . |
My Rega Saturn-R and Elicit-R combo sound much better (to me) when powered on overnight than they do cold. Because of this, I leave them on 24X7. I sometimes even leave music playing (via Radio Paradise playing through one of the digital connections on the Saturn-R) overnight if I want to listen the following day. This may not be necessary and it may be obsessive, but it works for me. |