Having spent 15 years (give or take) as a reviewer and audio magazine Editor, I was fortunate in being able to audition – often in my own system – a wide variety of audio gear, including power cables. Like many audiophiles, I found that power cords sound different from one another (or more accurately, make the equipment to which they are connected sound different), and that the careful selection of a power cord(s) could make my system more to my liking.
Last year Mark contacted me and said that he wanted to stop by so I could hear his new EQUI=CORE “fully balanced AC power sources.” I had some familiarity with balanced power, and knew that it could dramatically improve a system; however, I also knew that most balanced power systems were quite expensive, usually in the neighborhood of $5000 and up. I was thus more than a bit skeptical when Mark told me how relatively inexpensive his products were.
I try to always keep an open mind (though some might say it is an empty head-!), so I agreed to give it a try. I decided to begin at the source, which was (and still is) an EMM Labs DAC2x. Though not to everyone’s taste (nothing is), I think most would agree that the DAC 2x is a pretty fine piece of equipment, and I used it with a power cord (a VERY pricey one, at that) that I felt optimized its performance.
You probably know where this is going: To my considerable surprise, the EQUI=CORE trounced my reference power cord. As this is by no means a formal review, I will keep it short and sweet: With the EQUI=CORE in the system, the noise floor was considerably lower, resolution was enhanced without any apparent frequency anomalies, and most saliently, the system sounded more natural. I have since tried the EQUI=CORE with other components in my system, and the effect has been consistent. This products amazes me when I consider its price and pure value for money play.
As coincidence would have it, around the time of Mark’s visit, I was about to embark on a career change. After 17 years in the field of pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent law, I was starting a home-based audio retail business. Mark agreed to allow me to be a dealer for his EQUI-CORE line of products, which (not surprisingly) is what brought me to this thread.
To simply introduce myself, I am Larry Borden and I am located in northern NJ, 30-45 minutes from Manhattan, Westchester, Connecticut, Rockland County, and of course northern and central New Jersey. If anyone is interested in demoing or chatting further with me about EQUI=CORE, please feel free to contact me here, or through my Distinctive Stereo web site.
I’m really happy to have found this thread and to find so many satisfied users. This is a great product and one that needs more exposure for sure.
