Review: Michael Wolff power cords Carbon Gain Power cord

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.

Mattend, I do not have a fraction of the powercord experience you do, but I am curious: Although based on my own testing I do agree that powercord changes can seem to cause shifts in tonal balance and soundstaging, among other areas, your statement about how most upgrade PC's "destroy...the authenticity of the artist's expression" through these shifts raises questions. Do you therefore think most upgrade PC's sound worse than stock cords? Because one could read that implication into your statement.

But don't think I'm dismissing that sentiment ; I've long suspected there may be a legit reason to feel exactly that way, in least to a degree. It's this: Components are presumably voiced by their makers while being fed from their stock OEM cords. So in theory it may not be so surprising if upgrading cords - while usually offering improvements in many areas such as transparency and transient response - still seems a crapshoot when it comes to tonal balances and soundstaging (which is affected by tonal balance). That could be because the intended voicing is subtly altered, and that most gear would sound best if it could somehow be voiced using the particular upgrade PC with which it will be ultimately be run.

If my supposition is at all true, then one implication will be that there probably never can exist just one ultimate, superior upgrade PC for all gear, but that different PC's may work best with different gear, and that is of course what many of us observe, myself included. Still, I usually do think that with most gear, most upgrade PC's will represent an overall improvement, even if perfect synergy is not achieved (is it ever?). As I say, I haven't tried the number you have, or gone to the expense level you have in the ones I have tried, but I've also never felt any of them 'destroyed' what I was hearing vs. the stock cord (even the one [which is on your list] I didn't prefer for any of my gear and subsequently sold).

Anyway, it's interesting to read about another cable using carbon - I'm currently getting into some VDH IC's employing carbon, the cable use of which I believe they pioneered, although I haven't yet tried their PC's. Enjoy your new cords!

Zaiksman
(Anyway, it's interesting to read about another cable using carbon - I'm currently getting into some VDH IC's employing carbon, the cable use of which I believe they pioneered, although I haven't yet tried their PC's. Enjoy your new cords!)

For clarification, Michael Wolff Carbon Ribbon Power Cords are the only product on the market which use Carbon as both a conductor and for shielding for the AC current.

The VDH IC's transmit an audio signal which is completely different. (Of Course)

Thanks,
Michael Wolff