Review: Audioquest IEC 3US Power strip Tweak

Category: Accessories

Budget esoterica review magazine
June 2014 mini review

Many audiophiles own stereo gear that have detachable power cords. This gives them the freedom to upgrade to their power cord of choice thereby offering them a possibility to upgrade the sound. Owners of stereo gear that have fixed or captive power cords do not have this luxury, however there are still ways to improve the sound. One way is to plug your components into an audiophile multi-outlet strip that is plugged into your favorite audiophile power cord. In my case i plugged in my nad stereo receiver and denon dvd player, both of which have fixed cords, into the audioquest IEC > 3US power strip which i then attached to my Cullen cable power cord. This is probably not going to give you as good performance as if you had hooked up an audiophile power cord directly without the power strip bypass and your fixed power cord, but you should notice some improvement.

The Audioquest mini power strip sells for under $35 and is available at a wide variety of retailers. It allows you to plug in 3 components and claims to use a high-purity copper buss connection. It is a well designed and nicely finished product. In my system it seemed to pass through the signal and power flow without any changes in sonic integrity, and indeed i could hear some of the positive attributes of my Cullen power cord also.

One improvement i heard was a better sense of rhythmic flow.
This was most notable on the Rhythm Of The Saints cd by Paul Simon. I also noticed a slightly smoother sound with a little better sense of liquidity.

While listening to the Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees cd i noticed an improved sense of airiness on track number five and once again the rhythmic flow was very good. There also seemed to be a reduction in muddiness. The highs and mid range may have been a tad smoother too.

One of my favorite Miles Davis cd's is friday night at the Blackhawk, San Francisco. This is a 2 cd set with 24 bit digital mastering on the Columbia label. The power cord tweak seemed to soften up the sound a little bit and made the recording sound a little less harsh. Horns had enough bite without going over the top. On disc number 2, track 5,
if you listen closely you can hear a phone ring twice at around 12 minutes and 47 seconds into the song.

Pros

reduced muddiness
slightly smoother
quieter sound
better liquidity
improved rhythmic flow
improved airiness
reduced harshness

The Audioquest IEC > 3US power strip gives owners of stereo components with fixed cords the flexibility and freedom of choice to use their audiophile power cord of choice. You will then have the ability to receive some of the benefits of an aftermarket power cord with your components. I noticed slight improvements in my system and i think you might also.
For under $35 i consider this a worthwhile tweak. Recommended.

Associated gear
NAD 7125 stereo receiver
Denon DVD-1000
Ace hardware 14 AWG speaker wire
Signal cable analog one ic
Teac LS-H265
17 inch tall vintage speakers used as stands
Cullen cable red copper pc