I highly recommend that anyone with Tesla line Power Cables to audition the new Element Power cables.
I upgraded to Element Power Cords. The new Element CTS Analogue and Digital power cords and Element Copper/Tungsten Power Cord with 32-amp connecter on the Powercell 10SE Mk.III Power Conditioner. These NEW power cords are completely different than the Tesla line and are much more open and quieter with an increase detail cause blacker background. Complete system upgrade over the Tesla line Power Cables!!! |
That was funny King. LMAO!! |
And no hard feelings, I enjoy reading your very special posts. Lucky you, your customer from HELL. Reminds me of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction ... a illogical cat with 9 lives kept resurfacing. |
Sabi nearly 20-years ago when the review for the AC Master Coupler first appeared there were virtually NO High End / performance power cords on the market, let alone a High End power cord product segment. In 1994 the AC Master Coupler was a revelation compared to stock and then available high end power cords. The fact is, the success of the AC Master Coupler can be directly linked to the emergence of the High End power cord market while the AC Master Coupler predates power cord specific companies like Shunyata Research. But let's not let a pesky thing like "facts" interfere with your droning pontifications.
And no hard feelings, I enjoy reading your very special posts.
Yours in music,
Ted Denney III
Lead Designer, Synergistic Research Inc. |
Ted_d,
My apologies for the publication date error. But my point was the superlatives used to describe the Master Coupler sound more like they would belong to the Apex or Element series, not to the very modest non-active-shielding Master Coupler. |
The review for the AC Master Coupler was first published in The Absolute Sound in December 1995 not 2004 as was incorrectly stated in this thread. At the time the reviewer, Brian Damkroger, was writing for TAS and later moved to Stereophile in the late 90s where he still writes to this day. For the record the AC Master Coupler was in production from late 1994 through late 2007. In all over 10,000 AC Master Couplers were sold during its 13-year production run. To celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we released a 20th Anniversary AC Master Coupler incorporating significant performance upgrades and improved power cord flexibility while maintaining the originals hallmark signature of powerful bass, detail and warmth. Yours in music, Ted Denney III Lead Designer, Synergistic Research Inc. Link to 1994 TAS review of the original AC Master Coupler |
Knghifi,
I'm one step ahead of you. I'm already working smarter.
When you stated, "Market sets the price via supply and demand" this does not address the matter that was on the table which was people not wanting "to deal with" selling their audio items. I reiterate -- most people will take the better deal. If they can get a better deal by selling the item themselves they will normally do so. If they feel their chances of selling the item at a good price are slim they will opt for up-trade or The Cable Co. We are not talking about markets setting the price here, we are talking about selling options.
I don't understand this sentence of yours. What do you mean when you say, "No alternative is only obvious if Ted has some inappropriate videos of you and Bacardi".
It is a moot point that innovation brings better quality at lower prices. Again, this is not the point. The point is that when you spend $5,000 on an audio product that 2 years later requires you to spend a further $6,500 to get value out of it this is not the same as a computer that sells for $1,000 this year and 2 years later sells for $500 with twice the memory.
This is pure mathematics. With the latter you can pass your old computer to a friend or relation and you are only out of pocket another $1,000. With the former you pass your power conditioner to the company you bought it from and pay them an extra $6,500. So it's $1,500 for the computers and $11,500 for the audio products. That's an extra $10,000 for the audio products. And that's only one small part of an audio system we're talking about.
You stated, "DAC is ... basically a computer". I disagree. There is far more to a good DAC than simply converting 1's and 0's to analog. If DACs were merely computers they would all sound the same. I think it is obvious that they do not all sound the same. So it is far more than 1's and 0's we're talking about here.
You stated, "Whether a product is over priced or good value is up to the individual purchasing the product to decide and not you." If I am one of the individuals purchasing the product then it is also up to me. Companies set the price and impute value to their products. Whether the value they claim is there actually is there remains to be seen once customers evaluate those audio products in their systems.
The fact that customers are willing to pay the price is only an indication that the company is charging what they feel is the maximum that the market will bear. It is not an indication that value is there commensurate with the price customers are willing to pay. The words "over priced" and "good value" come into the picture after the fact once there has been customer evaluation.
If Joeyboynj wants to up trade it is an indication that he either was not able to get a good price for his product in the marketplace or he wanted to purchase another SR product twice as expensive and was willing to settle for 70% of the value. In this case it is a win-win situation. But in many cases it turns into a win-lose situation for the customer.
You stated, "Have you ever considered SR is NOT TARGETING for your business?" This is precisely my point. SR chooses not to offer an upgrade program. They are successful enough not to have to worry about unhappy customers. But I contend, if they were working smarter, as you suggest customers should do to be able to afford their expensive products, they could choose to make a win-lose situation into a win-win situation and thereby increase profits. Admittedly, this would probably mean a reduced profit margin in this area of their business, but it would be more than made up by goodwill and a larger retained customer base which would end up benefiting them far more, in the end. IMO.
Of course, I realize SR is not going to create an upgrade option for their customers. This is just to indicate that creating an upgrade policy is a decision that is built into a company's fundamental way of looking at how they want to serve their customers. This is done from the ground up. The decision not to offer an upgrade police is not dictated by the marketplace. It is dictated by corporate philosophy -- and business plan then follows through. |
I don't know anyone on Audiogon who does not "want to deal with" selling an item that will fetch them a reasonable price. The uptrade policy of SR is for those who have virtually no alternative. This is obvious. Who would take up the "offer" to purchase an item twice as expensive as the one they bought earlier if they were not already in the market for that product -- unless they had no other choice -- or had very deep pockets? Market sets the price via supply and demand. Some auto companies try reconditioning/recertifying their used vehicles to increase the value but basically it's set by supply and demand. Trade In is essentially paying the company selling for you so they will charge a fee. No alternative is only obvious if Ted has some inappropriate videos of you and Bacardi Of course, your analogy is totally false. Computers are not high end audio equipment. They are not upgradeable in the way that many audio companies upgrade their equipment ... The point is with innovation, competition, productivity ... price will drop in new releases with improve performances and functionality. This applies to most commodities whether it's audio, upgradeable, computers ... DAC is an audio product It's basically a computer that convert a file of 1's and 0's to an analog signal. I replaced a DAC bought 4 years ago. It's 40% less expensive with improved sound and features thanks to innovation. Until this area of technology matures, we should get this type of improvement periodically. Regarding your comment about taking "MORE effort, sacrifice", I work 365 days a year. I do not need to be lectured on working harder. Thank you. You are very Welcome. I'm sorry and my only comment is, work smarter and NOT harder. This is about giving audiophiles who can afford to enter the ballpark more choices. The companies that do so are to be highly commended ... Whether a product is over priced or good value is up to the individual purchasing the product to decide and not you. Perfect example is Joeyboynj, SR upgrade policy works for him, enjoys the new products and probably finds them good value. Since it's his money and system, why should anyone care? It's a win win for both he and SR. It should be the goal but a company can never satisfied 100% of their customers. As long as the majority of their TARGETED customers are satisfied, they will succeed. Like I said, SR has been in business for many years so I can assume they are doing most things right. Have you ever considered SR is NOT TARGETING for your business? |
"Power cords. They cant possibly make a difference, can they? ... The answer is Yes. Unequivocally, resoundingly, and oh my, Yes. How big a difference? ... To put it in perspective, the difference is akin to replacing an undistinguished MOSFET stereo amp with a pair of absolutely top-flight mono tube amps or replacing a midfi direct-drive turntable with a well set up Linn, Sota, or VPI. To say I was unprepared for the difference these power cords made would be a big, big understatement ... for what they do, they represent the biggest bang for the audio buck I have seen."
What are we talking about here? The Apex or the Element Tungsten? No. This is from the The Absolute Sound 2004 review of the SR Master Coupler power cord reprinted on the Synergistic Research site here:
http://www.synergisticresearch.com/reviews/ac-master-coupler/
This is what I mean by being careful how you spend your hard-earned audio dollars. Don't believe everything you read. You might be reading the same thing tomorrow about the next latest and greatest. |
Knghifi,
You stated the following:
1. "Trade in or upgrade program are for consumers that don't want to deal with selling it themselves."
I don't know anyone on Audiogon who does not "want to deal with" selling an item that will fetch them a reasonable price. The uptrade policy of SR is for those who have virtually no alternative. This is obvious. Who would take up the "offer" to purchase an item twice as expensive as the one they bought earlier if they were not already in the market for that product -- unless they had no other choice -- or had very deep pockets?
2. "Sabai, I know you are special but I hate to break this to you, companies exist to make money and not to serve you." They can ONLY exist if profitable ..."
Since I am no more special than other Audiogon member I have no idea why you make this rather puerile statement about being "special".
I am a businessman. It may come as a shock that I know businesses have to make money to survive. But you got the last part dead wrong. Without serving their customers a business will have no customers. That's a moot point. The problem is how well they serve them.
3. "My 1st desktop computer running Windows 3.1 cost $7500 and my latest laptop with everything top of the line cost $1750. It's call innovation, increased productivity and I LOVE it."
Of course, your analogy is totally false. Computers are not high end audio equipment. They are not upgradeable in the way that many audio companies upgrade their equipment -- Merlin and Atma-Sphere come to mind. And there are so many others. Innovation does not always mean abandoning an earlier version of a product. In fact, many audio companies build their customer base on upgrading. So, the audio fact is often the exact opposite of what you are stating.
4. "If you want something bad enough, IMO, the only way is to improve your financial situation. Taking action takes MORE effort, sacrifice ... than complaining and blaming others for your short falls."
The point is not "short falls" at all. The point is that high end audio has many buyers with deep enough pockets that they do not need to "take MORE effort", as you put it, to make more money. They just don't want to throw their money away unnecessarily. I have made enough money these past years to put together a pretty good system. I can afford what I want. But I am not foolish enough to throw my money away. Why should I? I work too hard for it. I want the best possible value for my audio dollars.
Regarding your comment about taking "MORE effort, sacrifice", I work 365 days a year. I do not need to be lectured on working harder. Thank you.
This is about giving audiophiles who can afford to enter the ballpark more choices. The companies that do so are to be highly commended. They truly serve their customers well. And, you may have noticed, they attract a following of loyal and often vocal supporters who are happy to stick with them because they appreciate what those companies are doing for them. It is like a partnership. These are the companies I especially like dealing with. These companies show they care. They work hard to please their customers by adding value -- at a reasonable cost -- to an already valuable product. They do not require customers to sell their products off at a loss in order to purchase the next version.
There are different ways to make a profit. The route that companies choose to take is not inevitably, as you make out, against their customers' best interests. There are many possible routes to take that will produce a profit. This is a choice that companies make. There is no law that says that companies must refuse to act in the best interest of their customers to be successful. On the contrary. Those that choose to do act more in line with their customers' interests do very well in high end audio. |
@Knghifi, read Foster_9's message to you....read it well..... |
There's a COST for enjoying/using Version 1 to the time Version 2 is released. Version 1 starts to depreciate immediately after purchase. This is true with every commodity with the exception of investments. Washing machines, toasters, computers ... For example, once a new car is driven off the lot, it has depreciated 20 to 30%. If traded it in after 5 years with 120K miles, the dealer has to consider the over head in selling it, time in inventory, market price ... basically they have to make a PROFIT in the whole transaction. So in MOST cases, it's always better to sell it yourself. Trade in or upgrade program are for consumers that don't want to deal with selling it themselves. Probably 99.9% of the time not financially advantageous. Sabai, I know you are special but I hate to break this to you, companies exist to make money and not to serve you. They can ONLY exist if profitable so is a factor in every policy decisions. Like I said, SR has been in business for a long time so I can assume the customer base supports their overall business practices. If not, SR has to change or go out of business. Another way of looking at this is that, 2 and a half years ago, you spent $5,000 on a product that has perhaps, if you are lucky, 20% of the sonic effectiveness of the equivalent-priced product today. How do you feel about that? My 1st desktop computer running Windows 3.1 cost $7500 and my latest laptop with everything top of the line cost $1750. It's call innovation, increased productivity and I LOVE it. How many times can a customer afford to up-trade? How many audiophiles have pockets deep enough to play this game? Many audiophiles have to be careful with their audio dollars while others do not. Probably 99.9% of the population has to live in some budget. If you want something bad enough, IMO, the only way is to improve your financial situation. Taking action takes MORE effort, sacrifice ... than complaining and blaming others for your short falls. By the way, you may live in an entitled society but I do not. I live abroad -- in a third world country where there is no entitlement at all. 47% in my country welcomes you with open arms or maybe 51% now ... Hmmm! 11-22-12: Bacardi
@Sabai, I agree with your post 100%. I couldn't have said it better than that...
Bacardi (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread) Why am I NOT surprise. |
I have the Powercell 10SE mkII and have tried one of the Tesla power cords, so I follow this thread. Not surprising since we live in an ENTITLED society. Instead of taking action to improve ones situation, just complain complain
11-20-12: Knghifi An audiophile equipment forum is not the place to put your editorial opinions on the nature of society. |
@Sabai, I agree with your post 100%. I couldn't have said it better than that... |
Joeyboynj and Knghifi,
Here is another way of looking at this Powercell thing. Version 1 cost you $5,000. About 2 and a half years later version 5 will cost you $5,000. How much is your version 1 now worth? At least 80% less than your purchase price -- and perhaps your version 1 has no actual resale value in the marketplace.
So, you may be forced into an up-trade policy that says you have to spend $10,000 to get a 70% value from your old Powercell. That means you have to find another SR product you want to purchase that costs at least $10,000 which will see you a further $6,500 out of pocket -- total out of pocket in 2 and a half years comes to $11,500. Who could honestly call this a generous up-trade policy? This is what I call a "we win -- you lose" policy. And if you get cheesed off or don't have another SR product you want to buy with the up-trade -- and have the deep pockets for it -- you are out in the cold. That's the real audio world -- sans hype.
Another way of looking at this is that, 2 and a half years ago, you spent $5,000 on a product that has perhaps, if you are lucky, 20% of the sonic effectiveness of the equivalent-priced product today. How do you feel about that?
If there is one cell in version 1 and there are 2 cells in version 2 and there are 3 cells in version 3 then one might come to the reasonable conclusion that all of this was part of a carefully planned marketing scheme. This may make sense for the bottom line -- but there is another side to the coin -- the customer's side. How many times can a customer afford to up-trade? How many audiophiles have pockets deep enough to play this game? Many audiophiles have to be careful with their audio dollars while others do not.
Ultimately, IMO, this kind of policy is destructive of customer base. People start to walk away -- which is what so many are doing now. The feeling is "I've taken a huge haircut in a very short time -- and I dont like the feeling". The logical remedy for this is an upgrade policy. Thats a win-win situation. Not a win-lose situation. |
Knghifi,
Thus, you have agreed with what I have been saying -- that the SR line and trade-up policy is only for the well-heeled. The Basik line is not worth a pinch of coon -- it's just a token gesture to give people without deep pockets the illusion that they can also be members of the club. They cannot. Same for the trade-up policy.
All of this has nothing whatsoever to do with entitlement. It has to do with maximizing the audio value of one's hard-earned money. I imagine there are "more than enough" SR customers like yourself who don't have this problem. But, in case you did not notice or are unaware of the fact, SR is very well aware of changes in the marketplace. Their new cables are far less expensive than their previous line and they deliver more, thus destroying the value of their earlier line for resale and forcing customers into the trade-up program if they want to see anything at all back from their old cables. SR are no fools.
By the way, you may live in an entitled society but I do not. I live abroad -- in a third world country where there is no entitlement at all. |
This is what I think and have experienced myself with S.R. Set your budget and be well prepared. Because once your start, you'll need to finnish. If you have many components you will need many. And that will empty the pocket rather quick. It all depends how deep your pockets are......Sabai is absolutely correct. It's just when S.R upgrades a model more often than most companies, the user tends to want to keep current and also is too curious and has-to-have it. This very well becomes a never ending road. HiDiamond may be the end for me and some others, and for what the HiDiamond gives to my system/for the money, I am glad I researched HD and followed through....... |
11-19-12: Joeyboynj
I used Synergistic's upgrade (up-trade} program. Whatever it's called. I dont have money issues with Synergistic. I have always followed Ted's program and I think its plenty fair. IMO!
Joeyboynj (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread) BINGO!!! Only ones with money issues complain about upgrade programs. Why not just buy what you can afford or make more money? Not surprising since we live in an ENTITLED society. Instead of taking action to improve ones situation, just complain complain
SR is growing with new product introductions, I can safely assume there are more than enough customers with the financial means to support/grow it. |
Joeyboynj,
That's what I thought. I believe the SR trade-up policy works for those with deep pockets -- not for those who have to watch their budget carefully. With all due respect, if this does not present a money problem for you then your pockets must be deep enough to take the loss without feeling it. This is not my case. |
I used Synergistic's upgrade (up-trade} program. Whatever it's called. I dont have money issues with Synergistic. I have always followed Ted's program and I think its plenty fair. IMO! |
Joeyboynj,
I did not lose interest at all. Why should I? How much of a gamble is it to try a power cord that has been universally acclaimed? Not much, IMO. I gambled and I won -- like the vast majority of others who have "gambled" on HiDiamond cables.
I only trust -- inside or outside the audio business -- to the extent that Ronald Reagan expressed: "Trust but verify." I trust my own experience and my own judgment. In the case of audio, I also trust my own ears. My ears have never let me down with HiDiamond cables. I have had both good and bad experiences with SR equipment.
You got an upgrade on your new SR cables? I didn't know they had an upgrade program Please provide the details. I thought they only had an "up-trade" program. Up-trade is not at all the same as upgrade. With the former you lose a substantial part of your investment. But with the latter you do not. If SR had an upgrade program for their Powercell I would not have had to take a huge haircut when I sold mine recently. If you wait long enough the Powercell you bought last year and may want to sell this year or next year may have no resale value at all.
This is the kind of think that irks me so much. A good quality amp or a pre-amp or a DAC or a transport or an isolation transformer or a power regenerator can retain a lot of its original value and, if sold off, can fetch a reasonable price even after many years.
But a power conditioner that sees one iteration after the next loses most of its value eventually -- and is eventually seen as not living up to the marketing hype that accompanied its purchase. Each iteration is accompanied with more superlative superlatives -- and each version eventually becomes redundant. It is not easy to reconcile the two halves of this coin |
Worldwidewholesales and Sabai,
Actually, unlike Synergistic Research, HiDiamond does not offer their cables for in home trial. If you want to try HiDiamond cables, you must first buy HiDiamond cables. When I discovered this I lost interest. I mean if their cables are so great why don't they make them readily available for in home auditions?
Anyway, my brand new Element Copper/Tungsten (32-amp), Element CTS A and Element CTS D are on their way and I'm very excited for the upgrade. I'm going to enjoy a mix of Tesla SE and Element power cables in my system. I for one trust Synergistic and Ted. I've been using Synergistic for years and I never had a complaint about how does my system. I enjoy it everyday and I just hope you all too cause come down to it thats whats its all about. My mouth drops every time I listen to my main system. To me thats what it's all about at any price level. I just got the upgrade bug and going to see what this new Element series is all about. I have years of experience with Shunyata Research, PS Audio, DCCA, Hi-Fi Tuning, Morrow, Wireworld, Audioquest, Voodoo, Virtual Dynamics, Mapleshade, Pangaea, Belkin, Monoprice to name a few. And I still enjoy, upgrade when new line is out and use these brands in my many other audio systems I own. But I prefer Synergistic Research for my main 2-channel high end system. |
Sabai,
HiDiamond may be giant killer as you keep saying but no home audition or local dealer so that makes it hard to just buy on faith! |
Glory;
I think if you make a statement where the world can read that statement that you make sure it is accurate so here is the actual process and materials used to build the HiDiamond Power 3 power cord;
First part of the process is starting from the raw materials; in the Power 3 there is a combination of graphite and cooper. The materials are extruded through an extruding machine at the exact diameter and length needed for that cable. Once the strands have been extruded then the strands go through a process called 4VRC; this is a process that involves cooking the strands 4 times to purify all the materials that are being used in that cable. The Power 3 is then assembled and a very high quality specially built ends are used to finish and allow for a clean signal. The Power 3 is then check before leaving Italy and one Power 3 takes approximately 10 men hours to build. I would highly recommend that you go to the HiDiamond website and look under technical data and construction of cable because there are very few manufacturers that tell you exactly how there cables are made or have 46 employees and an actual purifying process to produce such a clean sounding cable.
In NA we have sold over 1300 HiDiamond cables and our number 1 selling HiDiamond cable is the 2.0 meter Power 3 for $750.00.
Cheers, |
Glory,
I have no idea what your agenda is but it is obviously there for all to see with your flagrant baiting. It is a sorry state of affairs when this sort of thing starts to happen on these forums -- once again. We have seen this time and again here -- people allowed to come onto forums and gratuitously trash manufacturers with information that is not only totally false but that is also intentionally malicious.
The fact is that the HiDiamonds have the very highest build quality of any cables I have ever seen -- made with graphite, 4 x purified, with obviously expensive terminations -- the most sophisticated high-end terminations that I have ever seen on any speaker cables. And the sound quality of HiDiamond cables is the best of any cables I have ever heard. So where you come off with these totally outlandish statements -- while lobbing grenades over the fence -- is totally beyond me. |
|
|
Joeyboynj,
There is nothing fishy at all about HiDiamond cables. They are the real thing -- and there are a heck of a lot more than 5 people saying so. And, as Thankful just pointed out, "You don't have to hook up several $400 MPC's." In fact, the SR Galileo MPCs cost over $500 each for overseas customers like me.
One should be very careful about using the word shill. Would you say the same thing about someone who liked SR cables and who wrote about their preference on the forums? Do you mean the new guy on the block, HiDiamond, has to be put under a microscope because they are selling superior cables at a much more reasonable price than SR cables who, on top of out-of-this-world cable prices, charge a very hefty price for extra Galileo MPCs. Do you mean with the old guy on the block, everything goes -- including $1,800 power cords that used to work that no longer work but that's OK because there is an "explanation" for it?
By the way, I am not connected in any way with the audio industry -- except as a customer.
Tbg,
What are these HiDiamond cables all about? Please read the HiDiamond threads to find out what users are saying about these amazing cables. |
I recommend the Master Built (by Delphi Aerospace) cabling across the board. They are in a different league than SR. Extremely musical. You don't have to hook up several $400 MPC's. |
Sabai, as to your claim, that so many audiophiles are raving about HiDiamond. Well I can only find a handful, as in less then 5 people shilling HiDiamond while attempting to tear down competing brands. This smells fishy to me. |
What are these HD cables? |
Glory,
Before making such uninformed comments it behooves you to become informed of the facts by visiting the HD site to see how they actually make their unique cables. I wonder why we are reading so many amazing reviews of HD cables on these forums if they are simply copper with cheap ends. Of course, your claim is totally false as shown by the facts of the painstaking manufacturing process. Cheap ends? Puleeease. It appears you have never even seen an HD cable -- or you would never make such a comment. I own a full loom of HD cables. They are the most amazing cables I have ever owned. |
HD is just a copper cable and cheap ends. You get what you pay for. $600.00 for a AC cable is a fair price for a copper cable. |
Synergistic has just released an entirely new line of power cables. Has anyone here heard the new Synergistic Research Element Hologram A and D and also the Element Copper, Element Tungsten and Element Copper/Tungsten power cords? And yes, these are replacing the older Tesla line of power cables. More importantly has anyone COMPARED these to HiDiamond? Cost set a side...until you try them in your system and hear for yourself, No one can conclude that HiDiamond's power cord is better than Synergistic's Element power cables. |
Sabai, of course, you are suggesting that I have not tried this. In the past I did. Some of these will fight each other, but do what you want. |
Tbg,
This is like those who comment on the sound quality of audio equipment they have never heard. You may hear a muddled mess but that's because you have not heard my system -- with all due respect. You have an open invitation to visit. I have not spent the last 7 years wasting my time, energy and money. I'm not that dumb -- or that hard of hearing. |
Tbg,
Sorry, that should have read isolation transformer > Bybee Stealth power conditioner > power regenerator. |
Sabai, I hear a muddled mess. You should start with a nuclear generator. |
Tbg,
I have a complex front end in series -- isolation transformer > power regenerator > Bybee Stealth power conditioner. This approach has been discussed on other site forums. I do most everything in series. If you can find the right combinations the results can be stunning -- far superior to running cables and front end in the conventional way -- one of everything. |
Sabai, Why would you try power conditioner in series? That is like saying that a drug you use is working so you should take twice as much. I have three conditioners I am considering presently. None are those you are considering. Each has to be done and compared, although this makes for a long term A/B comparison, given that you have to change all the wires into each and then await their recovery from being unplugged and for the components to warm up. Also each needs to be compared with just plugging into the wall. As I have 11 things to plug in, this is a cumbersome assessment. |
Thankful,
You stated about SR cables, "They produced a holographic sound that was cool but did not sound like live music (un-natural).". I agree. I own many SR products. There is a certain level of holography that they produce, but it is nowhere near the level of naturalness of the HiDiamond cables that I am now running -- at a fraction of the cost of SR cables. HiDiamond is giving SR more than a run for their money. In today's "new normal" economy HiDiamond came on the scene at the best possible time for customers. Their line may start to change at some point but they have had the same line for a very long time. I have no experience with the Von Schweikert cables so I cannot comment. |
I tried the SR stuff all the way to the Apex with the expensive Galileo MPC's....Yes I drank lots of the SR formula. They produced a holographic sound that was cool but did not sound like live music (un-natural). I have since found the best and most musical line of cabling I have ever heard which are the Von Schweikert Master Built (by Delphi Aerospace) and they simply make beautiful music regardless of whether a power cord, interconnect or speaker cable. They are not cheap but neither is the SR stuff which changes every other week. The word is musical! |
Joeyboynj,
I just accomplished something dramatic -- like what you are describing -- by placing a 1" x 1" x 2" neodymium magnet 3" under my Bybee Stealth power conditioner that is in series with my Powercell 10SE MK II power conditioner. The cost was $18 on Amazon. Give it a try. The difference is stunning. |
I recently traded in my Powercell 10SE MkII for a Mk.III because I liked the reviews it was getting. The new PowerCell 10SE Mk III differs from the MkII is that it has a new ground plane (Tranquility Base built in) in the EM cell. I can confirm the new ground plane delivers a significant increase in air in a larger sound field, low frequencies are also tighter with more apparent punch and control and the blacker noise floor. Plus even better ambient retrieval. From near zero you hear subtle details and micro transients that make recordings sound more alive this is the greatest effect on my system. So if youre looking for higher/more performance with your electricity give the new version a try. But I also recommend if you are perfectly happy with your current version and dont feel like you need to upgrade its OK to be happy with what you got. Both units are superb. I would have definitely not have been feeling like I was cheated cause of the new unit came out. Again, both are awesome units. |
Correction: High FIDELITY CT-1 ics. |
I just replaced my CTS SR demo ics between source and preamp with High End cables' CT-1 from my old buddy Rick Schultz, since I couldn't get what I thought was a fair deal on the SR's from Cable co. Glad I'm trying Rick's cables - big improvement over the CTS in my system and less than 1/2 price of CTS(faster, better detail, more organic).
Kool-aid comes in different flavors. Sometimes we forget that simple fact..... |
The Base is the one to get, if you are going to do this. It has the full technology. The Basik does not - which is probably why it has not gotten much attention. |
|
Joeyboynj, Just for my clairty. The Lifetime Passport trade-in program means you had to purchase items costing twice as much as you traded in to get 70% off the trade in.
In other words you had to buy $10,000 of equipment to trade in your $5000 Powercell to get $3000 for it. Meaning you had to come up with $7000 to purchase the $5000 new Powercell and etc items.
Is that correct? |
Joeyboynj, Just for my clairty. The Lifetime Passport trade-in program means you had to purchase items costing twice as much as you traded in to get 70% off the trade in.
In other words you had to buy $10,000 of equipment to trade in your $5000 Powercell to get $3000 for it. Meaning you had to come up with $7000 to purchase the $5000 new Powercell and etc items.
Is that correct? |
