I only got off the phone with Rick on the 22nd to inform him that I have (2) Power 3 cords that needs to be recalled. He told me the Power 2 with cryo treatment are ready to be sent out in 3 days, the 25th. Yet, I received (1) Power 2 in the mail today. I have already opened it up and plugged it in for burning. However, it just occured to me that I received this is cable too soon for it to be the batch of Power 2 to be cyro treated.
I will have to ask him whether this cable is treated or not, plus, I ought to have 2 of them, not just one.
At this moment, I am not too happy with their logistics. He already sent me an Audition powercord that isn't cyro treated that I have to send back to exchange for the cyro treated one. Before he sent it to me, he informed me I had a choice of either cable, and I am to give him my decision before the cable is sent. Now I have to pay for the to and from shipping charges for the Audition. I hope I don't have to do that for the Power 2 as well.
How can I knock a company that puts out such a great product with such great value. I realize Rick and company must be swamped. If this was another company, I'd be totally furious and asking them to reimburse my shipping charges. |
Bro 57,
The Power 3 and Power 2 are exactly alike, size wise. Only way I can tell the two cables apart is the difference in color on the shrink wrap and the little lable on the connector with its model number. |
Rick was suggesting that I get an outlet splitter and plug all the power cables directly into the wall via the splitter.
He also felt modern equipments are protected by fuses and such, so a surge suppressor isn't necessary. |
I got Rick's email that he is sending me the Power 2s last week. Everyone got theirs except me!! ARGHH!!!! |
No room on da boat for you, Gunbei! The email Rick sent me stated that he sent out the Power 2s last week, I think it was either monday or tuesday. I hope the mailman isn't an audiophile and decide to take it home for a (permanent) audition. |
Hey Gunbei,
When I got my Power 3 cables, I had the goofy center focus thingy too. Instead of toe-ing in my speakers, I took out the bi-wire and went fullrange with the speaker cables. I think this sounds better than toe-ing in for my system. Why don't you give it a try. Just plug the jumpers on youe speakers since the Audition cables are only biwireable. |
According to Foster Farms, their chickens are the freshest, never cyro-ed.
Logically, I don't see how cyro-treatment can be of any benefit to metals and its conductive nature. I think cryo treatment is supposed to uniform the crystalline molecular structure of the metals so there will be less distortion when conducing electrical current.
It makes more sense to me if you heat the metal up and let it cool over a long period of time under high pressure. This is how crystals form. But, this takes millions of years. So, is cyro-treatment a crystallization shortcut? |
Gun,
Leave your speaker cables exactly the way they are now and put the jumpers in place.
I used to run AQ Argent to the highs and AQ Midnight to the lows. Now I just have AQ Argent to the lows and using a Goertz jumper.
By forgoing bi-wiring, I snapped the center of the soundstage back into focus with increased cohereny in the midrange. It is much more natural sounding than bi-wiring. The bi-wiring seemed to work before because it compensated for my speaker's lack of dynamics, but this is before using the VD cords.
Now with VD and running full range speaker connection, I get more dynamics, details and coherency. |
Hey Sherod,
Yup, I've given them a few gentle reminders. As you can see from the first reply to this post, I said I had just got off the phone with Rick regarding this matter, which was on March 25th. I sent him another email last Saturday. He hasn't replied me, and I have yet to talk to Erin. *waiting~waiting~waiting~waiting~* |
They finally arrived! Erin FedExed them to me on 4/9. *dancing on top of a table with the cloth around my head* |
Hey Gun,
It's weird how one of the speakers don't work when you slot a jumper in. Oh wellz, it is not mean to be. But, at least you are enjoying the sound you are getting the way it is now.
Rick sent me one Power 2 about 2 weeks ago, and I discovered 2 things:
1)
The Power 2 and my amp pair up gorgeously, way better than when I was using the Power 3. My speakers move much more air now with that spine tingling decay effect in the high frequencies.
2)
The Power 2 and my digital preamp pair up gorgeously. My digital preamp is also a dejitter device. The mirange became frigtheningly real when the Power 2 is on the preamp.
But, I only have one Power 2 cord. Rick still owes me one since I had a pair of Power 3s. I also have an Audition powercord that I am still waiting for, patiently.
For now, I have the Power 2 on the amp. Using Lat International on all the other stuff. |
A summary on my experience with Power 2 cables.
It has been a week since I received a pair of Power 2 cables. After playing them for about 6 hours a day, I don't feel they burned in at all.
That is my summary. |
Hey Sherod,
We're starting to sound like a support group, haha.
Well, I think I like the sonic signature on P3 better, even though, the P2 is more open and detailed. The P3 just sounds more involving.
Maybe they need more breaking in. So far I got about 50 hrs of playing time on the P2. |
It was Gunbei who pressed the "buy" button at 4am. (I am the on still in denial in this support group.)
When I got my first P2 power cord, it sounded already burned in when I first attached it to my transport. Maybe cyro treated cables take longer to burn in.
Speaking of compulsiveness, I just got an ARC amp. I didn't even ask if the amp has detachable ac cord iec input. I just assumed it did. Sure enough, it doesn't. I so badly wanna use duh P2 cord on it. |
it is finally here, the cyrotreated audition powercord. it is certain dimunitive in size compared to the power series, althought, the connections look very similar to the power3, atleast color wise.
i never got an email from rick. i dont think i am on his email list. he never emails me. not on his preferred customer list. pretty smart considering i am now in degrading stage as opposed to upgrading stage.
i never saw any ad of another cable using similar designs to vd. on a side note, go check out vd on audioreview.com. someone did a comparison of vd with wireworld i think. |
1 month? Patience is a virtue. Speaking of Virtue, where is my Audition Powercord, Rick? I am tired of calling you and emailing you...
Yup, the ARC doesn't have an IEC thingy, but, as some of you know, I have a ps audio juicebar which I have a P2 cord attached from wall to bar. So, the ARC is still somewhat benefiting from the VD P2. You still get the best sound by connecting the cord straight into the component. The sound is smoother and less fatigueing, but the noise floor isn't lowered by not directly hooking up the VD cord to the amp.
I will look into maybe getting an iec thingy installed with a local arc dealer. btw, the arc component is an integrated amp built in 1997. I assumed all ARC amps built after 1990ish have detachable ac cords. I guess not for the integrated.
Oh, sherod, i am the 4am guy. I just wanted to place blame on gunbei cuz i am supposed to be in denial. |
Gunbei, ain't single life great? I assume you're single anyways = X. We can hit the "buy" button, and no wife will hit us back.
I just sent another reminder email to rick about the audition powercable today.
One thing about these Virtual Dynamic power cables, they are very hard to hide. They are like those very tall unmanageable weed that sticks out from the ground. My once clean looking system looks like something out of Terminator 2 now. |
Hey Sherod,
I rewired my system on friday nite. I wounded up the VD cables very tightly, navy rope style, and they look very managed now. I no longer have Terminator 2 cable system. I wonder, does your system sound better after you immersed your system inside thick vegetation? I think they absorb ambient frequency between 500-900 hz. |
Wow, Rick emailed my Audiogon correlated email address. I actually didn't need him to email me since I already got my Audition cyro treated powercord last week which I ordered in March.
So far, the cord is being burned in by placing it on my transport and with the transport left on repeat. Yes, I know amps burn them in faster, but I don't want to play music all day long.
So, now I got 2 Power 2 and 1 Audition powercords burning in at the same time. |
Gunbei,
Currently, I have 1 Power2 from wall to amp and 1 from juicebar to DAC. The Audition goes from juicebar to transport. I havne't played around enough with the Audition to say where it is best used in my system.
I am using the ARC integrated amp as preamp. My system sounds marginally better with a preamp than without. Remember, this component doesn't have detachable powercord. I feel the benefits/sonic characteristics of using VD on my other components are reduced because I am forced to use the stock cord on the preamp. This makes powercord comparison that much harder. |
Hey Gun,
Rick told me he's got some high quality splitters for ac outlet. Ask him about it.
My ARC's resistor for one of the power tube just blew.... wtf..... |
I talked to Rick back in Feb. He was offering me a deal on the Audition package and tossing in the splitter when I told him I needed a line conditioner with multiple outlets to power up 4 components. He said his high quality splitter would work better for me than getting a line conditioner since his powercables doesn't need to be connected to one. |
Gunbei,
Instead of keeping the P2 cords, you could have returned them to Rick through his "trade-up" policy? I guess you wanted to keep those cords just in case.
I actually wanted to add there might or might not be certain virtues by using a splitter instead of the monster line conditioner. I suppose Rick would say something like your system won't sound like it is supposed to until you lose the conditioner; furhtermore, them cords already condition the ac.
Regarding Megasm's concern about surges, Rick told me modern equipment already have fuses that prevents vital parts of the equipment from being damaged.
Boys and girls,
I got a lesson that I learned the hard way to share with you all. I just got my "new" ARC amp back from repair. The repair costs me over $600. Why? For you newbies like myself, buying second tube equipment is tricky business. Here are some rule of thumbs:
1) Don't buy second hand tube equipment.
-This is what everyone in the audio business told me when I was seeking a technician to fix my amp.
2) If you do buy a second hand tube amp, make sure the seller installs the right tubes in the amp!!
-The ARC amps are designed to use 6550C, but the amp I got came with KT88.
-The technician told me these tubes ARC told me using any tubes other than 6550C is risky at best.
3) Don't buy second hand tube equipment!!
4) I don't want to hear personal testimonials about how you have purchased second hand tube amps without any problems.
-In tube amps and preamps, you need every tube to have matching voltage. All the input, driver, and power tubes need to match.
-This prolongs the life of the tubes and equipment, and this sounds the best.
-Hand sellers who mix and match tubes probably don't know what they are doing. Unless you are good with a voltage meter or know of a guy who is, don't get involved with a person who are trying to sell you a tube amp with mystery tubes, even if the tubes are well known and highly recommended by "enthusiasts".
5) I just learned the "rule of thumb" came from old english common law where you are not allowed to beat your wife with a stick that is thicker than the width of your thumb (I have no sources). |
JC,
My message are for the newbie tube enthusiasts who are not handy with voltage meters. |
