Great review!!!You have pretty much summed it up as well as anyone could do.Unfortunatly I only have one Shark at the present,the rest being Whales and one Top Gun.As far as the Shark is concerned,there is no other PC on the market that can match it's value and performance.I've had various Snakes and other so called super cords in my system and the BMI Shark outperforms them all.A well deserved 5 star rating.Great work Brian and once again,thank you!!!!!!!
Review: BMI SHARK Power cord
Category: Cables
Powerchord construction: Uses 9 gauge stranded jewelers Platinum conductors and a 9 gauge copper conductor for the ground wire. Wattagate 330 and 350 are used at the ends. The fit and finish are excellent on the Shark and unlike the BMI Whale which is soft to the touch the Shark is very dense and more flexible than the Whale Elite Mk II. The Shark's Diameter is a lot smaller than the other superchords currently on the market adding to its relative flexibility but its weight is about the same as the much thicker Whale Mk II due to its high density previously mentioned.
The BMI Shark Breakin: Based on my experience expect at least 400+ hours to reach its full potential. Platinum conductors take much longer than copper or silver conductors to break in so be prepared for a long wait. What I did is I went to Home Depot and bought a $9 Halogen 250 watt light and cut off the end and replaced it with a male IEC I purchased from a electronics store for $2. Then I connected the Shark for 24/7 for continues breakin and ever 100 or so hours I would listen to see how it was progressing. With more time the BMI Shark became much smoother and added weight and balance. It take 15-16 days going 24 hours a day to reach the 400 hour mark but its worth the wait.
The BMI Shark Sound: It is on the sunny side of neutral but unlike some silver chords has Zero brightness or glair and sounds as smooth as silk. It's hallmark is supreme transparency, very high resolution, vibrancy and the most highly defined bass I have herd from a powerchord. The Shark is ruthless to source material and the notes are presented with pinpoint clarity. Vocal material takes on a new dimension with the Shark being so clear and lifelike in its sound. There is more "air" between the notes and vocal material with the Platinum Shark has a much greater sense to "see thru" the music. The mid bass very clean and clear and the low bass extended without be bloated like some copper chords can do. In my view what I hear is a improved version of silver without silvers potential drawbacks. It takes the best qualities of silver and expands upon them creating a much more lively and engaging silky smooth sound. My previous reference the King Cobra V1 sounds slow and dull in comparison to the BMI Shark. It's speed, precision and vivid lifelike sound become addicting once you have heard it. I currently have (6) sharks in my system and with each addition there was a noticeable improvement in sound. The biggest difference occurred when I added my last Shark in my critical component chain and the sound became so much more lifelike and vibrant.
Is the Shark Perfect: NO, I don't believe any product does everything right 100% of the time. The BMI Sharks strengths are many but it does have a few weaknesses. First it does not have as much Weight on the bottom end as the best copper powerchords do. Second it does not have the "Slam impact" of the best copper chords do but this must be put in context to its many areas the BMI Shark excels in. In my tube based system with the sharks installed brought me closer to the music and up one full level compared to my older setup with a mix of Whales MkII and King Cobra V-1. The higher energy level combined with the other positive qualities previously mentioned with the Shark improved my total system 20%-25% .
In Conclusion: While not perfect the BMI Shark is my powerchord of preference. With Platinum being over $600 per ounce and the suburb build quality I do not believe there is a better value especially under $1000 on auction. In today's often over hyped cable industry with glossy full page ad's in sterophile and overinflated retail prices the BMI shark is a breath of fresh air. John
Associated gear
Basi Debut Vaccum Turntable, Graham 2.2, temper Supreme Cart. Hovland Preamp, Convergent Audio JL2 Amp, Merlin VSM-M Speakers with Rel Sentor II Subwoffer
Similar products
None, no other manafactures use Platinum wire.
Powerchord construction: Uses 9 gauge stranded jewelers Platinum conductors and a 9 gauge copper conductor for the ground wire. Wattagate 330 and 350 are used at the ends. The fit and finish are excellent on the Shark and unlike the BMI Whale which is soft to the touch the Shark is very dense and more flexible than the Whale Elite Mk II. The Shark's Diameter is a lot smaller than the other superchords currently on the market adding to its relative flexibility but its weight is about the same as the much thicker Whale Mk II due to its high density previously mentioned.
The BMI Shark Breakin: Based on my experience expect at least 400+ hours to reach its full potential. Platinum conductors take much longer than copper or silver conductors to break in so be prepared for a long wait. What I did is I went to Home Depot and bought a $9 Halogen 250 watt light and cut off the end and replaced it with a male IEC I purchased from a electronics store for $2. Then I connected the Shark for 24/7 for continues breakin and ever 100 or so hours I would listen to see how it was progressing. With more time the BMI Shark became much smoother and added weight and balance. It take 15-16 days going 24 hours a day to reach the 400 hour mark but its worth the wait.
The BMI Shark Sound: It is on the sunny side of neutral but unlike some silver chords has Zero brightness or glair and sounds as smooth as silk. It's hallmark is supreme transparency, very high resolution, vibrancy and the most highly defined bass I have herd from a powerchord. The Shark is ruthless to source material and the notes are presented with pinpoint clarity. Vocal material takes on a new dimension with the Shark being so clear and lifelike in its sound. There is more "air" between the notes and vocal material with the Platinum Shark has a much greater sense to "see thru" the music. The mid bass very clean and clear and the low bass extended without be bloated like some copper chords can do. In my view what I hear is a improved version of silver without silvers potential drawbacks. It takes the best qualities of silver and expands upon them creating a much more lively and engaging silky smooth sound. My previous reference the King Cobra V1 sounds slow and dull in comparison to the BMI Shark. It's speed, precision and vivid lifelike sound become addicting once you have heard it. I currently have (6) sharks in my system and with each addition there was a noticeable improvement in sound. The biggest difference occurred when I added my last Shark in my critical component chain and the sound became so much more lifelike and vibrant.
Is the Shark Perfect: NO, I don't believe any product does everything right 100% of the time. The BMI Sharks strengths are many but it does have a few weaknesses. First it does not have as much Weight on the bottom end as the best copper powerchords do. Second it does not have the "Slam impact" of the best copper chords do but this must be put in context to its many areas the BMI Shark excels in. In my tube based system with the sharks installed brought me closer to the music and up one full level compared to my older setup with a mix of Whales MkII and King Cobra V-1. The higher energy level combined with the other positive qualities previously mentioned with the Shark improved my total system 20%-25% .
In Conclusion: While not perfect the BMI Shark is my powerchord of preference. With Platinum being over $600 per ounce and the suburb build quality I do not believe there is a better value especially under $1000 on auction. In today's often over hyped cable industry with glossy full page ad's in sterophile and overinflated retail prices the BMI shark is a breath of fresh air. John
Associated gear
Basi Debut Vaccum Turntable, Graham 2.2, temper Supreme Cart. Hovland Preamp, Convergent Audio JL2 Amp, Merlin VSM-M Speakers with Rel Sentor II Subwoffer
Similar products
None, no other manafactures use Platinum wire.
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