Stage III Concepts Power Cords PC

Hi, Stage 3 has introduced a new flagship power cable called, Liathan, from the Greek mythology, said to be better than the Kraken, very expensive!, :-)

Audiolabyrinth, I heard it at CES but not in a demonstration. It certainly is large. I thought the sound was okay for the lousy suites at CES.

I auditioned the Kraken vs VH Audio Trans ( blinded), and two of the 3 listeners preferred the VH Audio. It was very close, but the Trans just had better detail and more precise image outlines. Tonally, very close. Transients went to the Trans, by a slight margin. I chose the Trans as the best out of 9 choices they offered. Option 3 was a 500.00 TAS favorite power cable which compressed the sound, not even close.
The Liathan was compared the day before, some feeling it bumped the treble up too far, some liked it. Some preferred the Kraken, others the Liathan. I missed that comparison.
You cannot go wrong with either the Trans or Kraken.
Amps were Pass 160 monos, Ypsilon preamp, TAD speakers. PT

What is the VH Audio Trans? Thank you

The Trans is a Power Cord designed for amps, and higher current demanding equipment, and the Olos is the preamp/cd/DAC power cord from VH Audio. I have used his Flavor 4 cords in the past, and felt they were very good performers, and hard to beat under 1000.00 until I heard these. They, both Kraken and Trans are quite a bit better, this from a power cord skeptic. The Olos and Trans both are brand new, and made to order for length and termination options. We listened with the Furutech Rhodium Silver plug and IEC ends. Chris is the designer of the famous VCaps which much ink has been spilled over. He is using a new wire with a proprietary dielectric lower than any other cable available. Better than Teflon AKA fluoropolymer,..... essentially the best materials. I believe a great power cord has to have a 1. great design/configuration, 2. Great parts/materials, and 3.great terminations. After a break in, this cord is quite good. Of course, every system may not reveal these same results, but in this setting this is what we heard. I encourage you to audition them. Chris allowed a trial period, and this allows time to do a system evaluation for compatability and synergy. Depending on length and terminations, the power cord is 1600-2000.00. He also has the AirSine cable very favorably reviewed in several magazines. A friend bought 3 of them. They are so new, they are not officially available. You can e-mail him at chrisvh@vhaudio.com.
Listen to the Kraken, AirSine, and Trans. Be sure to have hours on each one as some do not sound very good for a couple of hundred hours. At least 75-100 hours.
Happy listening and evaluating, PT

Mr. P thank you for that information. I will certainly check it out. I've done business with Chris in the past and he has always been helpful. If his cords are even close to the Kraken - that is a big achievement!

Thanks! for sharing- Plasmatech.

it certainly sounds like a great PC. What is the cost of the Trans? What is the cost of the Olos ?

Keep me posted guys, Happy Listening!

Hi Tbg, yes, I first heard of the new stage 3 Liathan shortly after it's release, however, I have not listened to it yet, I would enjoy a written review by you on this power cord if you get a chance to break one in on your system, the feedback you have wasn't bad considering the environments at ces, lol.:-)

I have done business with Chris there at VH audio, talked to him many times, he is knowledgeable of audio, great to deal with, I'm impressed that he is making an attempt at the extreme high end with his cables, bravo!

Audiolabyrinth, I really don't expect to have much contact with the Leviathan pc. It is a long story.

I have heard that it having exceptional sales.

The Trans power cords were about 2k fitted with Furutech ends. You must ask for them as they are not "officially released" and no pics etc. yet. They are flexible, almost the size of the Kraken.

Chris' power cords are indeed excellent. Hard to beat for the price/benefit ratio. I have auditioned Chris' power cords against the Kraken and Levithan. Having the Stage III Kraken and Levithan power cords in my system has taken the system to a definite higher level. Both excellent cords. The best auditions is in your system an your ears making the judgement rather than any reviewer or testimonial.

There are many links in a system which can be the "weak link" so to fully appreciate these spectacular power cords, be sure the rest of the system is in order. Otherwise, they will not be fully utilized.

Thank you Tbg for your reply, I do enjoy reading your reviews, cheers😸

drpie

Thank You for re-viving an older thread. You own a BEAST of a system!
Comparing Stage III Concepts against Nordost or Synergistic Research, will become a matter of musical taste. At this level of performance and price, audition as much as possible, allow your ears to guide.
To date: I only auditioned the Kraken and Levianthan Power Cords.

A subtle difference between the two PC(s).  Certainly not a day/night situation. These cords extract micro-details / microdynamics, if this is your musical taste.

Happy Listening!