Review: Michael Wolff power cords Carbon Gain Power cord


Category: Cables

For my system, and my listening room, the Michael Wolff CARBON GAIN CORDs have been a true find. I have lived with 2 GAIN CORDs for 4 months. They seem to capture the music’s honest expression. I don't plan on switching anytime soon. Mine are the copper/silver/carbon variety, and they have no trouble on my hefty Blue Circle BC-8 MONOBLOCS (120,000 uF capacitance per channel AND 2,600 watt power transformer, PER BLOCK!!!). For me, the 2 most important criteria are: "tonality", then, "soundstage". Most of the power cords I have tried seem to destroy, what I perceive to be, the authenticity of the artist's expression by either shifting the tonality and/or shifting the soundstage to unrealistic extremes. Not only do these cords nail the "tonality" and REALLY nail the "soundstage", BUT ALSO, they go even further into the expression. The "clarity" is great, and the "purity" shines through, and this enables the expressions to breathe. For example, the bassoons, oboes, and cellos, have a depth, a strength, an air, a crispness, and a delicacy. This embodies the whole expression, not just one dimension. The highs have a great delicacy to them, never bright. And the bass is expressive down to the lowest registers. And, finally, a hanging note breathes of life, from beginning to fading away. These are great testaments for a happy, well-powered system. And against the rest of the competition I have tried, that says a lot! A very happy recommendation.

Associated gear
Audio Note CDT-2 transport, 3.1x BALANCED dac, Emotive SIRA, Blue Circle BC-8 MONOBLOCKS, JM Reynaud OFFRANDES mains, Audio Physic LUNA sub, Equitech 1.5Q power supply.
HMS Grand Finale II speaker cables, bi-wired, Esprit ETERNA digital cable and I/C.

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mattend
I just ordered a pair to try today. Michael was specific that I should use them on my dac. my transport, or my preamp. Given the results on your amps, I will try them there, too. Did you try them on your dac and transport? What did think? Thanks for the well written review.
Yes, on my dac and transport, I now have the SOURCE CORDs. I have had them on for about 2 months now, as they bettered my Harmonix X-DC STUDIOMASTERs that I had on the transport and the dac previously. The SOURCE CORDs seem to reveal more space and air in-between the notes, while maintaining a coherent musical image... that is, they revealed more, without being hyper-detailed. I find hyper detail to be fatiguing, and, in my view, a false perspective (<----in my experience, some power cords can do that.) I also feel the SOURCE CORDs have more delicacy than the X-DC STUDIOMASTERs did...that is, I think they get deeper into the core of the note.
Mattend, Thanks for the description of the source cords. I did not realize that "Gain" cords were for amplifiers.