Power Cord Shoot-Out: 14 Power Cords Reviewed

This is re-printed from www.head-fi.org.

Power Cord Shoot-Out: 14 Power Cords Reviewed

Intro
Yes, it’s another over-long epic Master’s Thesis from markl. This time it’s on aftermarket power cords, and what I learned about them along the way after having *finally* concluded my power cord quest (well, for now, does it ever really *end*?). In this review, I will endeavor to describe and review all 14 (actually closer to 20 as you’ll see) of the audiophile power cords I’ve auditioned or owned to date. I will also be rating each one on a 10-point scale on key areas of performance and finally ranking them in order of my personal preference.

Test Bed
Sony SCD-555ES SACD player with full sacdmods.com modifications

Ray Samuels Audio HR-2 headphone amplifier

Sony MDR-R10 headphones

What I’ve Learned About Power Cords
--Yes, they make a difference. This difference is on par with (and can be slightly greater than) the differences aftermarket interconnects (ICs) can make. If you can’t hear the differences between ICs, it is doubtful you will hear the differences between power cords either.

-- I suspect that the reason power cords seem to effect the sound more than ICs is due to the fact that they appear to actually impact the way the component produces the sound, where ICs only affect the way they pass the existing signal on to the next component. Therefore power cables can influence the sound in a more fundamental way.

--They require more break-in than ICs, and break-in effects are much more dramatic than with ICs. Try not to rush to judgment.

--It’s even harder to find a good power cord than IC. There is greater variability in the sound and performance of cords than ICs.

--Many power cords giveth and then taketh away. They offer substantial gains in some areas, but can take away from key ingredients elsewhere. Or, short of actually harming the sound, they can fall short on some parameters relative to the tantalizing enhancements they provide in other areas. This effect appears to be a factor regardless of price.

--Power cords are even more component-dependent than interconnects. A power cord that does not show good compatibility with one component, may really shine with another.

In What Ways Do They Affect Component/System Sound?
The answer is, “it depends”. Much like with interconnects, it varies from model to model and component to component. If I had to generalize, I would say, *typical* effects of adding a high-quality power cord are:

--More substantial sound, more “fleshed-out”, greater body and firmness

--Improved cleanliness of the signal, which equals less grain, improved clarity, and resolution

--Improved soundstaging, greater sense of air

--Greater sense of “ease” to the sound

--Greater sense of energy and power, greater dynamics

--Lower noise floor, letting you hear into the recording even more

That said, effects of power cords are not limited to these bullet points, nor does every cord successfully improve those specific areas.

I’m A Skeptic, Prove to Me That Power Cords Work!
I didn’t believe in them either, until I tried one on a lark a few years ago. It had a 30-day no-hassle return policy-- I didn’t return it, and haven’t looked back since. Yeah, I know there’s all that non-audiophile-grade cabling in your walls preceding your fancy new power cord. And then from your walls back to the power plant are miles more.

But instead of thinking of it as being the *last* 6 feet of cabling, it can be thought of as the *first* 6 feet. It may be more useful to think of it not in terms of *improving* your system’s performance but in terms of *removing the harm* caused it by stock power cabling. It is also possible that the superior power cords act as a sort of “conditioner” on the power line, conditioning the electricity before it enters your component. Generally, fancy power cords also have superior shielding for rejecting EMI/RFI “pollution”, providing a cleaner transmission of electricity to your gear.

My overall experience with power conditioners and especially with power cables has opened my eyes to the importance of having a good, clean power supply to feed your audio gear, it’s truly the “life-blood” of your system, and the effects of correcting shortcomings in the power feeding your gear is not small.

If that’s not good enough explanation for you and you have problems with the concept that power cables can effect system performance, do yourself (and me) a favor—just stop reading! This thread is not for you, and debate about their efficacy will not be part of this review or this thread.

Or, you can try one for yourself and see.

How Much Should I Spend On Power Cords?
A power cord is not a “band-aid” on a bad component. IMO, it should not be used in the hopes of magically transforming an “unacceptable” component to an “amazing” one; if you have that expectation, you will be disappointed. Putting a fancy power cord on a component that doesn’t already ring your bells is throwing good money after bad. Use your power cable budget and put it toward a better component.

Does it make sense to stick a $500 power cord on a $150 DAC, CD player, or headamp? I don’t think so. Common sense would tell you you’re better off with a well-chosen $650 DAC/CDP/amp with a stock power cord. A more interesting question is, “is it worth it to put any aftermarket power cable on a budget component of any kind”? I’m not convinced it is. Chances are that component is going to have a very cheap internal power supply; it will be noisy and flimsy with low build quality. To what extent can adding a power cord change that fact? You can feed it lots of clean power, but then it just runs smack into that unit’s potentially inadequate internal power supply anyway. It may just defeat the whole purpose.

I would argue that expensive aftermarket cords require components with at least mid-fi level or better internal power supplies. My conjecture is that bigger and better-built power supplies will benefit more from adding aftermarket power cords, or at least have the potential for more upside. (Or, maybe more accurately, with an audiophile-grade cord, they will suffer less degradation of performance than they do from their stock cords). YMMV.

OK, OK, so how much should I budget for power cords already? Well, it’s complicated. IME, aftermarket cables are a lot like headamps—they really don’t start getting good until the $250 mark and above. The lower-end stuff just taunts you by first opening your eyes to the possibilities, and then only delivering a partial down payment on what you can now picture so clearly in your mind. This may only succeed in whetting your appetite for something better (and more expensive). The lower-end stuff may not always add enough value to make it worth while to bother with, or, in many cases, they can do several things right, but fall short in enough areas that they will only succeed in frustrating you. Having glimpsed the Promised Land, you will want a cord that takes you all the way there, and that costs money. Sad to say.

And if you start investing lots of money in aftermarket power cords, you really ought to have gear worthy of them. Or else you end up back where we started this discussion--with a $500 power cord on a $150 component.

Like ICs, power cords have different “flavors” or sonic signatures. It may be that in terms of performance, you concede that two particular cords are roughly equal, but you happen to prefer the “flavor” of the one that costs $100 more, it’s just more compatible with your gear, gives you greater pleasure. So, is that difference in flavor and compatibility worth the extra $100? Obviously, that’s up to the individual to decide.

So, long story longer, getting into the power cord game is opening a huge can of worms. Believe me. Personally, I HATE breaking in cables, and I’ve been through so many in the last 5 months, it’s practically depressing. Be prepared to not find the “perfect” power cord on the first try. Or the second. Or the third… Still up for it?

Does Thicker-Gauge Wire = “Better Sound”?
Standard stock cords are typically between 22 and 18 gauge. Most aftermarket power cords are between 14 and 8 gauge. Shouldn’t you look for the thickest, fattest, heaviest gauge cord to make the biggest difference?

IME, there is *zero* correlation between power cord thickness and sound quality in a headphone system. In a headphone rig, you are likely looking at adding power cables to your digital source and your headphone amplifier, two very low-power units. There is nothing to gain by sticking an 8-gauge power cord on a 500mw headphone amp that draws 30 watts from the wall total. In fact, from what I’ve read, big heavy cables on low-wattage equipment can actually be detrimental to performance, and one of my experiences detailed below seems to bear this out.

So, long story short, don’t reject a power cord for your headphone system because it’s “only” 14-gauge. That’s *plenty* fat enough for this application. The gauge of the conductors in a power cord is just one of a dozen possible design factors that make it sound like it does, and far from the determining factor.

Where Should I Put My Best Power Cord?
Put it on your source. It all flows downstream, to the extent you can improve the performance of your source, you can improve the performance the rest of the signal chain.

One More Thing Before We Start the Review…
I want to extract one of my earlier observations for further contemplation:

Well, you ask, if that’s true, what is the point of even reviewing power cables at all? You don’t have the same system I do, so of what use are my babblings and pontification on this or that cord?

All I can reply to that is—“good point.”

In this review, I will try to capture the basic sound of each of the cords that have cycled through my system. Hopefully, I can paint some kind of sonic picture for the reader, so you can have some sense of whether one cable or another is likely to succeed or fail within your own rig. But I will still be critiquing and ranking them anyway, and I will still offer my own opinions on how good or bad they are in terms of absolute performance, but it’s up to the reader to keep these caveats in mind.

14 Power Cords Reviewed
*phew* OK, here we go, hope it was worth the wait. Welcome to the review section. After the general review comments you will find a series of ratings on a 10-point scale (10 being best) that try to apply a measure to several parameters of performance. They are listed in the order in which I owned them.

(Please note: When describing a certain power cord’s “sound”, obviously I am not describing the sound of the cable itself as it is not in the signal path. The description refers instead to the particular *effect* it had on the components in my system.)

1. Virtual Dynamics (VD) Power Cables

Website: www.virtualdynamics.ca

Pricing: varies

Review:
All of the Virtual Dynamics cables share a similar “house sound”. If their basic sound doesn’t appeal to you, there is no point in upgrading, you only get the same thing but further enhanced and refined. These cables aren’t particularly “neutral”; they do impart their own sound on the music, but I would think that sound would be appealing to the majority of music lovers on Head-Fi, as it’s on the euphonic, ear-pleasing side. I’ve owned almost all of the VD power cables, and each one was a winner in my system. As you go up the line, they get better and better.

I’ve owned 6 of their power cables from their “old” line, starting from the bottom: Power 3, Power 2, Power 1, Reference, Signature, and Nite. These ranged in (list) price from $150 to $1200. VD has recently greatly simplified its product line, as they have gone into distribution through audio dealers, as well as being available direct from the manufacturer. The names of their models have changed, but they are the same basic technology and build, with slightly different cosmetics.

The VD house sound is tonally warm, forgiving, and musical. They are great at taking the rough edges off of digital and making it sound less brittle, more inviting and “analog”, imbuing the music with a very organic, natural feel. They have slightly rolled high-end and a fat bass. They are extremely energetic and dynamic cables that deliver a lot of signal, they aren’t polite or veiled or muffled, but due to gently rolled highs and warm sonic signature, they aren’t fatiguing. These aren’t cables for people who want a dainty, quaint and light-weight sound; instead, they offer a powerful sound with lots of foundation.

However, they sacrifice some detail and some air to achieve their sound, which can be a little “thick” and heavy. If your system is on the thin and lean side, these are a great option for adding meat to your system’s dry bones. Bass is extremely deep, firm and “present”, but a bit loose, “one-note”, fuzzy, and non-directional. If your system seems to lack a solid foundation, you could do a lot worse than go with VD cables.

IMO, the best price-to-performance model in the VD line was the old Reference, which retailed at around $750. It has since been replaced by the David, which costs slightly less and maybe doesn’t have *quite* the same build quality, but should be close enough. Not the last word in transparency, but very pleasant cables to listen to.

WARNING: the VD cords have extremely poor flexibility, these are heavy-gauge solid-core conductors. You will need at least 6 inches of clearance to achieve a 90 degree bend.

Flexibility: 3
Build quality: 7
Tonality: 8
Soundstaging/imaging: 8
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 7
Resolution/detail/transparency: 7
Value: 7
Overall Performance: 8

2. KAS Audio Primus

Website: http://www.kasaudio.com/

Pricing (6ft. cord): $600 retail, $300 direct from manufacturer

Review:
This is my number 2 cable for the Ray Samuels HR-2 headamp. It also paired very well with the Stealth when I had a review sample in my possession.

Very hard to describe its sound, as this is a very neutral cord tonally. For many people, this cord will do what they think a cord should do—don’t add any fancy commentary or special effects, just enhance the performance of my component, thank you very much. If you already like the tonality of your source/amp, but want the other benefits of a power cord, this is an excellent choice. There is a *slight* brittle-ness to the treble, a bit of thin-ness up top and a tiny amount of fogging in the highs, but this is an *incredibly* minor nit-pick. Outside of that, I can detect no particular colorations, and am at a bit of a loss to further describe its “sound”. It will simply make your component sound more like itself, and improve on what it already does well.

It performs quite well along most of the parameters of the audiophile idiom, without doing any one of them in a spectacular way that will drop your jaw or make you think you are listening to a whole different component. But you will feel it has taken your current component much closer to its maximum performance level.

It has fantastic build quality, and sports a complex design which is very expensive to produce, so at the $300 price, it offers good value. As a nice finishing touch, the female end is adjusted by hand, and provides the best, tightest grip of any power cord I’ve ever had in my possession. A real “sleeper” cord no one knows about that is deserving of a higher profile.

Flexibility: 5
Build quality: 8
Tonality: 8
Soundstaging/imaging: 7
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 7
Resolution/detail/transparency: 7
Value: 7
Overall Performance: 7 (up to 8.5 on the right component)

3. Zu Cable BoK

Website: http://www.zucable.com/

Pricing (6 ft. cord): $249

Review:
I know that the Zu cables for the Sennheiser headphones are very popular around here. I’m also aware that the designer behind Zu has an excellent pedigree. So my expectations were pretty high for this cable, which is in the middle of Zu’s power cord line. Well, it didn’t work so well in my system.

My main problem with the BoK was in terms of tonality, it has an unpleasant coloration that carries over and infects every component you put it on. I would describe the coloration of the Zu Cable *in my system* to be a sort of an aluminum-plastic flavor, if you can imagine such a thing-- a synthetic taint at any rate, not huge but quite bothersome. Also, something in the frequency spectrum is out of whack, there's a slight incoherence to the sound, it can all get confused and muddled.

The BoK also seems to slightly sap the energy levels of the components it's attached to, they become sluggish, slightly lean, and dark. I felt this cable restrained the performance of gear rather than unlocking its potential.

Flexibility: 7
Build quality: 7
Tonality: 3
Soundstaging/imaging: 5
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 3
Resolution/detail/transparency: 6
Value: 4
Overall Performance: 4


4. Analysis Plus Oval 10

Website: www.analysis-plus.com

Pricing (6ft. cord): $219

Analysis Plus is a manufacturer who purports to base their designs purely on science and *measurements*. To this end, they've developed some very unique cable geometries (hollow oval) and special extrusion processes that results in “single-crystal” (ultra-pure) copper. Due to these unique design factors, they assert their cables are *measurably better* than other cables, and their trade show booths are famous for doing demos with their test equipment that show the "superiority" of their cables vs. much more expensive competitors. So, if having cables backed up by science and machines that go “ping” matters to you, these might be worth a look.

But sometimes, you need to actually *listen* to a cable to determine its true value and performance level vs. its measured specs. Listening to the Oval 10s is really something its designers should have done instead of simply taking their machines’ word for it.

On the plus side, the Oval 10s were extremely transparent, clean and clear with solid soundstaging. BUT they were way too bright and lean and thin in my system. Bass was lacking, the sound has no foundation, and they were fatiguing to me. Yes, they can dazzle you with their lightning fast delivery, they are extremely quick, almost unnaturally so. But you pay for that with a gauzy whiteness to the background, and the aforementioned thin sound and tipped-up, hissy highs that have an astringent, stinging quality. Music sounds “recorded” instead of natural. Edges can be a bit sharp, and when turned up loud (as I like to do), this cable can leave your ears ringing after a very short session.

Overall—dare I say it—I found the Analysis Plus too “analytical”.

Flexibility: 6
Build quality: 7
Tonality: 4
Soundstaging/imaging: 7
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 9
Resolution/detail/transparency: 8
Value: 5
Overall Performance: 6


5. Tek Line Eclipse

Website: http://www.teklineaudio.com/

Pricing (6ft. cord): $149 list (available for less on audiogon)

Review:
This is Tek Line’s bottom-of-the-line cord, it’s a new product for them, and isn’t even on their website yet. It sports immaculate build quality, and is very pleasing to the eye with a midnight-blue outer molded jacket with silver writing on the side. It looks a lot more expensive than the price you will pay for it on audiogon (I paid around $60 at a special intro price which is now over, instead you can bid on it in the auction section).

This cable excels at soundstaging, image width is very impressive. It provides a definite sense of 3D space, with a very "airy" presentation, easily allowing each instrument to comfortably occupy its own space. The cable really makes you feel like you are in the studio with the musicians, it's pretty eerie. Great image stability too, everything is very well-defined.

It has a very clean presentation, with a natural tonality, if a bit dry and a little laid back. Unfortunately, sibilants are emphasized, which sticks out all the more simply because everything else is so well-behaved. There's an area in the midrange centered around where male voices lie that is somewhat repressed and recessed relative to what's going on around it. For me, as someone who focuses chiefly on the vocalist ahead of the musicians, that can be an issue. But the major weakness of the Tek Line Eclipse in my system was the light-weight, gently rolled off bass.

Overall, bass performance excepted, this cable performs at a much higher level than it has any right to given its street price. Since this is Tek Line’s entry-level cable, I was tempted to move up the line and explore further, but for no good reason, I regretfully did not. Tek Line has been at it a while, but they don’t have any high-profile reviews anywhere and are still somewhat unknown. Based on what I’ve heard, I think these cables are well worth further consideration.

Flexibility: 6
Build quality: 8
Tonality: 6
Soundstaging/imaging: 9
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 6
Resolution/detail/transparency: 7
Value: 8
Overall Performance: 7


6. Iron Lung Jellyfish

Website: http://www.2baudio.com/

Pricing (6ft. cord): $29

Review:
While perusing audiogon, I came across an ad for the Iron Lung Jellyfish power cord, a no-frills, custom-built hospital-grade 14-guage cable. They have those see-through rubbery molded hospital-grade connectors you see on the Quail cords. They were a mere $29.00 each. What the heck, why not?

I ordered two of them, put one on my RS Audio HR-2 and another on my Sony SCD-555ES sacdmods SACDP. Let's just say I had *very low* expectations, but I was very pleasantly surprised (I would even say a little slack-jawed *given the price*). Tonally, they are very balanced with surprisingly good bass response. They are reasonably clean, but a bit grainier than the best cords I’ve heard, with decent soundstaging (although a little 2-D and flat relative to other cords), relatively low noise floor, but a bit "slower" than some other cords, but not bad. These are lively and “fun” cables, toe-tappers. Comparing them several times to the stock cabling, the difference could not have been clearer, the Jellyfish represents a significant jump in performance.

I think if you've ever been tempted to dip your toes in the aftermarket power cables pond, these are a great way to start. I don't think you would be disappointed. At $29 they give you a level of performance that is absolutely ridiculous given the cost of entry.

Flexibility: 9
Build quality: 5
Tonality: 6
Soundstaging/imaging: 6
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 6
Resolution/detail/transparency: 7
Value: 9
Overall Performance: 7


7. Absolute Power Cord Mark II

Website: http://www.gttgroup.com/

Pricing (8ft. cable): $49.95

Review:
Like the Jellyfish, the Absolute power cord is one of those very flexible, molded jobs that looks like a hospital-grade cord more than an audio-grade cord. Also like the Jellyfish, it has one of those rubbery see-through molded male ends that hospital-grade cords have, plus a molded plastic female end that matches the blue color of the cable. It only comes in an 8-foot length, no custom sizes. The manufacturer claims that the cable is completely custom built to spec, it is not an off-the-shelf cord with standard wiring inside. It is built and assembled in China to keep the costs down.

The Absolute Power Cord is advertised with heavy emphasis placed on its “neutrality”. The designers claim to have honed and refined the design to be the most neutral power cord on the market. Nice things have been said about the performance of the Absolute cord by people I respect. Nevertheless, they didn’t work so well in my system, but perhaps my experience is not typical.

Sometimes, saying something is “neutral” can be another way of admitting, “it doesn’t do very much”. That was my experience with the Absolutes. They were somewhat foggy, hazy and reserved. Behind the veiling, yes, everything is in proportion with regard to frequency response, but lack of transparency is still a “coloration” to me, and in that sense, they varied from the promised absolute neutrality. Soundstage was constricted relative to some other cables under review. Depending on the listener, they are either really refined, mature, and well-behaved, or a bit dim and lifeless.

It has a *very* quiet background, but it achieves this by damping down the sound, throwing a wet blanket over it all. Because of this, it’s also somewhat lacking in PRAT and dynamics. If you were trying to correct a problem in your system by suppressing it rather than eliminating it, the Absolutes might be a good choice.

I tend to like a more open, robust, expressive, vigorous and dynamic sound. I value clarity/resolution very highly. Viewed through my lens, the foggy, inoffensive Absolutes did not fare especially well, YMMV.

Flexibility: 8
Build quality: 6
Tonality: 6
Soundstaging/imaging: 5
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 4
Resolution/detail/transparency: 5
Value: 6
Overall Performance: 5.5


8. PS Audio XStream Plus

Website: www.psaudio.com

Pricing (2 meter cord): $279

Review:
Well, at least it *looks* awesome. This is by far the sexiest looking cord under review. Every piece of this is custom-made by PS Audio to their high specifications. The ends are not the usual off-the-shelf Hubbells or Marincos, but custom-molded and sleek-looking with the PS Audio logo built in. This is a very thick, beefy, and *heavy* cord. Although it’s 8-gauge, PS Audio recommends it for digital sources; they actually have a *6*-gauge cable for amps! Because of the extreme amount of shielding and the heavy-gauge conductors, this is one stiff cord, but still not as stiff as some I’ve tried.

PS Audio has left no stone unturned in their quest to completely re-think the power cord. They have specific reasons (listed in copious detail on their website) for every single design decision on every single aspect of their cords. Given the general reputation of PS Audio’s other products, their general level of innovation, and the fact that everything is custom on this cord, I had high expectations, and if nothing else, was expecting a cable that sounded like no other. And in some ways that’s what I got.

Tonally, I noticed right away that it sounded almost identical to a Virtual Dynamics cable. Not neutral or thin, but warm, rich, with that same heavy bass that’s a little loose and unfocused. Same slightly rolled highs, same sense of extra force being delivered with the sound, same extra meat on the musical bones, with a heaviness and real foundation to the sound. And that’s about all that I can say good about it.

First disc I played after installing the PS Audio on my source was AC/DC Back In Black, the 1994 Ted Jensen remaster with which I am very familiar. I was very perplexed by what I heard. It was as if heavy weights had been laid on top of the band, everything ground down to a halt. This cable is sloooooooooooooooooooow as molasses, like the performers are fighting against a heavy headwind, striving against the grain to make progress. That CD should sound energetic and powerful, make you want to bang your head, but it sounded dull, forced, and lifeless, as if all the passion of the performances had been drained out. I let it burn in for two days (it was a used cable so it already had plenty enough hours of burn in already), and then played numerous CDs and the effect of the cord was always the same. I switched it to my headamp, and that didn’t help either.

If I had to guess, my feeling is that, despite being billed as ideal for sources, a cable like the XStream Plus really requires a big beefy multi-watt speaker amplifier with high current demands to “pull” the juice through it to overcome the resistance that seems to be inherent in the cable. Gear like CD players and headamps that don’t draw much current don’t seem to suit it. It should also be noted that the XStream Plus is probably the most heavily shielded cable I’ve ever owned. In addition to the layers and layers of regular shielding, it has ferrite embedded in the jacket. That’s part of the reason the cable is so thick and heavy. From my limited first-hand experience, and based on what I’ve read elsewhere, I’ve never been a fan of adding ferrite clamps and such to my audio cables, I find it “chokes” the sound, and truncates highs. It’s *possible* (I speculate) that all that ferrous material might also be responsible for the cables seeming lack of speed.

Whatever the reason for its sluggishness, I couldn’t wait to get this cable out of my system.

Flexibility: 4
Build quality: 8
Tonality: 7
Soundstaging/imaging: 6
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 2
Resolution/detail/transparency: 6
Value: 6
Overall Performance: 4

9. VH Audio Flavor 1 & 2

Website: www.vhaudio.com

Pricing (6ft. cord): $103.99 - $114.99 (depending on Model and features selected)

Review:
VH Audio is a relatively new company, helmed by Chris VenHaus. VenHaus made his name on audioasylum by offering DIY-ers home-brewed recipes for power cables based on standard Belden wire. He apparently got so many requests from technically unskilled audiophiles for his cables that he eventually went into business for himself. His cables now apparently do not use off-the-shelf wire, but wire that has been custom-built to his spec. He also has his own trademark “counter-spiraled ground” which I won’t attempt to describe except to point out that it is clearly visible under the sheath of his cords as an individual wire outside of the main bundle that wraps around his cords.

Chris VenHaus offers several different “flavors” of power cords, each a subtle variation on his basic design, that he has deemed most compatible with each type of audio component. I ordered a cryo-treated Flavor 1 for my digital source, and a non-cryoed Flavor 2 for my headamp.

Man, did I HATE these cords when I first plugged them in. They were incredibly raw, poorly-behaved (actually out of control), frayed at the edges, white of background, frazzled and aggressive highs, with all kinds of frequency anomalies, and no soundstage to speak of. Chris VenHaus does caution you in advance that his cables require a lot of burn-in, possibly more than other cords. Well, based on my initial impression, I didn’t even want to bother waiting for them to burn-in-- I was ready to chuck them, as I’d never heard any cable or component change enough through break-in to compensate for what I was hearing from the VH Audio cords. Nevertheless, I left them there while I plotted my next move.

And much to my amazement, after 3 weeks, they were a very different animal, and quite enjoyable on their terms. The VH Audio cables are quite energetic, lively, extremely fun and engaging. They are a great choice for people who really like to rock out, play air drums and air guitar, and bang their heads while listening to their tunes. They are very dynamic, fast, hard-driving and rhythmic. Bass is the best I’ve heard in a power cord, if best is measured by going deepest and playing loudest and hardest. These cables are ferocious, barely-tamed beasts, and they came to party. If you like to listen as an active participant in the music, they’re sure to excite you in the deepest recesses of your lizard-brain.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that while these cables most definitely rock, they just don’t do finesse. Or soundstage. They are heavy-handed and aggressive, and they aren’t adept at the little nuances that many audiophiles get off on. Low-level detail? Nope. Air and space? Nope. Midrange lushness? Uh-uh. Sublime treble response? Fuggedaboudit. Subtleties just aren’t their bag, and get lost or just hammered away.

Still, in the right system for the right listener, they should really hit the spot. At this point in the quest, my ideal was to find a cable that could deliver the fun factor and dynamics of the VenHaus without losing all those little subtleties that are just as important in good/accurate music reproduction. I really did enjoy the VH Audio cords for what they were, and I miss their bass response. A lot.

WARNING: these are some of the stiffest, least accommodating cords ever made, they have a mind of their own. They have a rubbery tube around them that positively refuses to accept any shape you want to bend it in-- it just INSISTS on going its own way no matter what, refusing to be bent and to STAY. It automatically flexes back to its original configuration. You will have a devil of a time trying to get the female and male ends (especially the male end) to stay seated in their sockets or outlets. I could never quite succeed at getting a solid connection to the wall outlet, the cable always was displaced slightly, hanging down and out of the outlet, exposing a small part of the male prongs. While this may not affect the quality of the connection electrically, it’s still very frustrating and unsettling to look at.

Flexibility: 2
Build quality: 6
Tonality: 7
Soundstaging/imaging: 4
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 9
Resolution/detail/transparency: 6
Value: 8
Overall Performance: 7.5


10. Custom Power Cord Company Model 14 Series 2

Website: None. Out of business.

Pricing (6 ft. cord): $260 (retail when new)

Review:
Custom Power Cord Company (CPCC) was a very respected brand a few years ago, before they went out of business. Their higher-end cables won many awards and were included in several of the Stereophile reviewers’ reference systems.

Yet another extremely stiff cord. This one has a very thick garden-hose like rubber tube surrounding it with lots of air in between the outer shell and the internal wires, presumably to provide an air dielectric (but I can’t say for sure the purpose as there is no longer any website to refer to). Also refuses to bend in a 90 degree angle, and when it does, it causes the outer shell to sort of crimp up on itself at the point where it flexes.

This was an enjoyable cable. Very level-headed, neutral in tonality, except for a slight bass roll-off that was the ultimate reason I sold it. Very adept at portraying soundstage and air, nice 3D imaging. Definitely puts you right there in the studio with the musicians. Decent “palpability” factor, if a little reserved and polite. Very nice sparkly, effervescent highs, no roll-off, but not aggressive.

It’s a real pity it’s missing that extreme low-bass information. It needs more grunt, more foundation, and firmness. Otherwise, a very pleasant cable and a solid performer for the money.

Flexibility: 2
Build quality: 7
Tonality: 7
Soundstaging/imaging: 8
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 6
Resolution/detail/transparency: 8
Value: 7
Overall Performance: 7.5


11. Audio Metallurgy Gold Alloy 9

Website: www.audiometallurgy.com

Pricing: ~$1200 (fake “list price”, these are sold on audiogon auctions for around $250)

Review:
Many new cable manufacturers start out by auctioning their cables on audiogon. In doing this, they often create wildly inflated list prices to try to make people bid higher, or to believe they’ve gotten a really great bargain. (“Wow, I just won a $2000 cable for $400!). The reality is that no one ever purchases at the alleged list price, all items are sold through the auction process, resulting in street prices much lower than the inflated list.

Some people find the practice dishonest or deceptive. Personally, it doesn’t bother me that much, you can always look at the build quality to determine if you got a good deal or not. And when I paid $200 for a cable where the IEC connectors *alone* cost roughly $150 retail, I just can’t be bothered to get all that worked up about the practice.

Audio Metallurgy is “new” but their designers have made cables for several other companies. There are a number of other small mom and pop companies that advertise similar-looking products in audiogon’s auctions; they all share a familiar braided design with similar gold/silver/copper alloy wire conductors. This wire is actually made by Audio Metallurgy for them. Furthermore, the actual Audio Metallurgy cables use thicker-gauge configurations with more strands of this expensive wire, so you get more of the gold alloy wires for your money, *and* they deep-cryo treat it for 168 hours. They top it off with some of the most fancy IECs on the market, the Furutech 25 series gold connectors which retail at $75 a piece.

Well, given the build quality, the great connectors, the gold alloy and the good price I got the cable for, I was really anticipating the arrival of this exotic cord. If nothing else, it would surely sound very different than any other power cord I’d tried so far, and so it did.

There’s a fine line between smooth and soft, between lush and syrupy, between liquid and soggy, between sweet and sickly sweet, and the Audio Metallurgy crossed all of them for me. Not a tonally neutral cord, it has a distinct flavor that will either thrill the owner or completely turn him off. Highs are so sweet, they’ll give you a toothache. Midrange is so warm and fluid, it’s kind of “gooey” and overly honeyed. Bass is also very warm and slightly gentle and unfocused.

This is not the most dynamic or incisive cable on the block either. It’s fairly restrained and polite. It’s not the most transparent cable either, there is a whiteness to the background, and its lazy attitude keeps it from digging up all those tiny little details that can excite most audiophiles. While very easy on the ears, it lacks life and excitement. Edges are too blunted and warm and fuzzy to stay interesting or engaging for very long. It is quite grain-free and clean, however.

I concede that some people will surely *love* what this cable does, even if they have to admit in turn that it deviates greatly from any sane definition of “neutral”. I can see this maybe finding a use in a solid-state system where someone wanted to add a little flavor, or rid the system of the etching, grain, roughness, hardness, sharpness or some other typical misbehavior common to solid-state gear. I think that in a tube-based system this would just be too much—way way too much. YMMV.

Flexibility: 9
Build quality: 8
Tonality: 5
Soundstaging/imaging: 7
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 4
Resolution/detail/transparency: 6
Value: 7
Overall Performance: 6.5


12. TG Audio 688

Website: www.tgaudio.com

Pricing (6ft cord): $350

Review:
TG Audio is the name of Bob Crump’s cable company. Like Chris VenHaus, Crump is well-known on audioasylum for providing recipes for home-brewed cables that have been quite popular there in the past. Also like Chris VH, his own branded cables are very different (and greatly improved with special wire that’s not off-the-shelf) from the home-brews made from his designs. He’s been making his own power cords for some years (he started in the early 90’s I believe), which means that the 688 is a very mature product arrived at after years of experimentation. It replaces a number of earlier models. His web-site is beyond minimal, his seems to be mainly a word-of-mouth operation. And after lots of research, I couldn’t find anyone on audioasylum who had one bad thing to say about any of his cords. So I bit.

Like the VH Audio cables, both users and Crump himself report a longer than average burn-in period with the TG Audio cables. I can confirm the 688 does have some issues prior to break-in. I have around 450 hours on it, and it seems to have settled in, though Crump recommends 30 days or 700 hours to get fully cooked.

This is the best cable I’ve had so far—on my source. I don’t care for it especially on my headamp. It almost sounds like two entirely different cables on each position. This review reflects its performance on the sacdmods Sony 555ES only.

Tonally, this is a very neutral cord. Except for a bit of glare upstairs (which I am optimistic could be reduced with further break-in), I am unable to find fault with its presentation of anything else across the frequency spectrum, it is very consistent and coherent, nothing sticks out as being “wrong”. Very natural sound, instruments and voices sound like they are supposed to. Bass is excellent, if not quite as pronounced as the VH Audio cords.

This cable is a soundstaging champ. HUGE soundstage, with an eerie sense of *depth* to the image, more than I’ve ever heard before. Each musician is firmly ensconced in his own space, this is a very airy cable. It is the best I’ve heard in terms of ability to portray small sounds/events at low volume, and big/loud events LOUDLY, incredible dynamic range. Sounds remain distinct from one another, there is no jumbling or mixing, blending, or blurring together into a muddled, incoherent mush. It has an effortless feel to the presentation, it’s never breaking a sweat, no matter what you throw at it.

PRAT/dynamics and speed are first rate, it’s not quite the aggressive monster that the VH Audio cables are, but it comes pretty close. This is a powerful cable, very incisive, direct and firm. When big crescendos are required, it doesn’t hold back, it can deliver them all with authority. It’s a very lively, entertaining and engaging cable, one of those rare components that makes you want to grab every CD in your collection and hear them for the first time all over again. The TG 688 really brings the music to life in a very exciting way.

Where The TG 688 differs from the VH Audio cables is chiefly in its ability to get the slam, crash and bang down without sacrificing the subtleties in the process. This cable does both dynamics *and* finesse. This is a very versatile cable, comes pretty close to doing it all. It’s not the most dynamic cable I’ve ever heard, nor the most detailed and refined, but it offers a very nice balance of both. If you cherish either end of the scale, it won’t disappoint.

I would rate this cable near the top of the heap in terms of transparency and resolution. It has the black background, low noise floor, and plenty of micro-details. It has very good clarity and low grain level (although not quite the cleanest in this review sample). It has an open sound that invites your mind to come on in and take a wander around the soundstage. It’s quite a realistic and vivid presentation.

All that said, on my headamp, it lacked a little air, and was a little foggy; it didn’t strike me as anything particularly special in that position (but it certainly doesn’t sound *bad* by any stretch). As I mentioned at the outset of this review, it’s important to try your new power cord on all your components to see where it fits best, you may be surprised at how it affects different kinds of gear.

Flexibility: 5
Build quality: 7
Tonality: 9
Soundstaging/imaging: 9
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 9
Resolution/detail/transparency: 8
Value: 8
Overall Performance: 9


13. Michael Wolff Silver Carbon Source

Website: www.wolffaudio.com

Pricing (6ft. cord): $550

Review:
You may recall I recently wrote a gushing review of Michael Wolff’s Silver/Gold/Carbon interconnects (http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=135322&highlight=wolff). They are by far the best ICs I’ve ever had in my system. As it turns out, Wolff is primarily known for his power cords rather than his ICs. His latest revision of his Source power cord uses silver ribbons along with Wolff’s trademark carbon conductors. They are terminated with the extremely cool Oyaide P-046 and C-046 (orange in color) IECs. These are their top-of-the-line and run $115 *each* retail. Oyaide is another specialized Japanese company like Furutech specializing in high-end wire, connectors, power strips and the like.

Wolff sells two flavors of power cord, one for multi-watt amplifiers (called the Gain), and one for components that draw less than 350 watts of power called the Source. The Source cord can of course be utilized on more than just digital front-ends, and is ideal for headphone amps, pre-amps or other gear that draws far less than 350 watts. It’s a very supple, pliable cable that is flat instead of round, and is very easy to work with. In addition to looking sexy, the Oyiade ends grip nice and firmly.

The Wolff Source cord bears a strong resemblance in several key ways to his ICs, and that’s all to the good. It could not possibly be any cleaner or free of distortion. Zero grunge, zero grit, zero grain, the music just *is*. It is beyond immaculate; you get the entirety of the audio signal totally uncompromised. This is a very scintillating, refined, assured, and sublime cable. The sound has the power to delight and elate the listener at every turn.

Music through the Wolff cord is able to just *breathe*; I don’t think it’s possible to provide more air than this cable gives. Like his ICs, the most remarkable thing about Wolff’s Source cord is the pure *ease* with which they deliver the sound. I’ve been reading up on descriptions of other cables that utilize carbon in their design, and most reviewers/commentators seem to hit on the same thing—there’s a flowing effortless quality to the way music just pours out of them.

The Wolff cord is the least fatiguing cable I could ever imagine. But it doesn’t achieve that by truncating the highs by politely rolling them off. Because it’s so clean and clear, it’s able to present highs in their entirety in a way that does not prick or pierce the ear. This is the most extended top-end of any of the cables under review by a fair margin. If you are a treble aficionado, the way there are bass-heads, look no further, you’ve found the Holy Grail. Highs shimmer and glisten, tantalize and caress the ear in a beautiful way. There’s a lushness there that never bleeds over into the sickly-sweet like the Audio Metallurgy cable can. Cymbals have never sounded better, Wolff’s power cords and ICs do cymbals better than I’ve ever heard them. At last, digitally-rendered cymbal crashes sound like they are supposed to, they fully resolve without breaking up into abrasive white noise. All in all the best treble I’ve heard in a power cord so far.

Midrange is lush and present, vocals sound fantastic, Wolff’s cables let you hear words that other cables garble. The mystery of what the heck your favorite singer is singing in your favorite song may finally be resolved with the Wolff cord. I wouldn’t describe the midrange as “warm” but it isn’t cold or analytical, either. It’s just about right. I am constantly surprised at how different recordings sound *different* with Wolff’s Source cord. The individual character of the recording really comes through in a distinct and unique way. It does not homogenize the sound or leave its stamp on everything it touches.

The Source cord throws an *awesome* soundstage. It can tackle the tiniest bits of micro-detail with aplomb. The noise floor does not exist on this cable, if it’s in the recording, and your component is capable of delivering it, the Wolff cord will help it serve it up for your perusal. No stone is left unturned. Incredibly sharp focus and high resolution without the jagged “crispy” edges that mar other cords. Everything is just “there” for you to take or leave at will, it’s a subtle, nuanced cable that isn’t going to shove everything right under your nose in a rude or intrusive way.

In terms of speed, I have no complaints. It can strike like lightning when required. There are no noticeable strings attached to the sound, it feels like its totally free and unfettered, but because the Source cord is so distortion-free, it all stays firmly focused, coherent and precise.

But I am not wholly without a few minor reservations about the Source cord—on my source. My main concern is the way it handles bass which is very different than any other cord I’ve heard. Many aftermarket power cords appear to add weight to the bass to some degree when compared to a stock cable. If your system is lacking in bass weight, that can be an important advantage. My system is built around the R10, which despite all its other charms, I have to admit rolls the bass gently down below, so it needs any extra oomph you can feed it, however artificial.

After several weeks with the Wolff cord, I was resigned that it was never going to be a bass monster, although it was clearly a very fluent speaker of the bass language. Then, one day, I threw on Chemical Brothers "Surrender" CD and cued up the track “Under the Influence”, which about 30 seconds in has this *incredible* bass drop where this HUGE slab of electronic bass comes in and starts out at the high end of the bass spectrum and slowly drops down to the very lowest lows the CD format can deliver. All of a sudden, on this track, here was the “missing” bass! Well, where had it been?

Befuddled, I downloaded a big set of bass test tones from the web, and dusted off my trusty Radio Shack digital SPL meter. I then proceeded to take several sets of measurements of the bass performance of my system with the Wolff cord on my source and without. I was expecting to see a slight drop off in the Sony R10’s bass response with the Wolff cord attached, but to my surprise, it was stone cold *identical* to the control (VenHaus plus Crump) every single time, and a db or two *louder* than a control set-up with a stock cord in the signal chain (Crump + stock).

How is that possible? How is it that the VenHaus gives the illusion of more bass than the Wolff cord even though they measure the same? I puzzled over this for some time and did more listening to the Wolff cord. My ultimate conclusion was that the Venhaus cord is sort of the “cable that cried wolf” (please forgive the pun ) when it comes to bass. I hypothesize that when feeding a musical bass signal (as opposed to a flat test tone), it gets over-excited and exaggerates the response. Individual bass sounds and tones and volume levels get mixed up and it replies with the same bass force to every call for a bass signal of any size. In contrast, the Wolff cord is much more precise, and able to distinguish subtle shadings of bass tones and volumes, and only dips low when the music asks it to, as it did on the Chemical Brothers track I mentioned earlier.

Either that or what we *perceive* in bass response as greater “firmness”, “presence”, “solidity”, “authority” or whatever catch-phrase, may be one of those unmeasureable psycho-acoustic phenomena. Or behind door number three we have the limitations of my test, my tools, or my methodology. Take your pick!

Nevertheless, in a system like mine with the R10, I can’t always afford to have a neutral bass response, I need a cable that sometimes cries wolf, and the Wolff cable is not that cord (still follow me? ). At least not on my source. When I switched the Wolff cord to my headamp and put the Crump cord (TG 688) on my source-- holy cow!!!

My system has *never* sounded better. The Wolff cord makes a *perfect* match for the Ray Samuels HR-2, and I am experiencing no bass roll-off in that position. The HR-2 has been elevated to whole new level (and it was *mighty* impressive to begin with). The Wolff cord affects the stubborn HR-2 more than any other cord I’ve tried in a very positive way. It brings the airiness, the soundstage depth, and the delectable highs to HR-2, increasing the sense of "open-ness" by several degrees. Because the HR-2 also has a low noise floor (which some have dubbed its “blackground”) it is further enhanced by the Wolff Source cord. Sounds really do emerge out of nothing. It’s too bad the cord costs roughly two-thirds what the amp itself does, they make beautiful music together.

To summarize, the Wolff cord needs to be paired with the right component and the right listener. If you like to listen loud like I do, its unfatiguing nature is positive boon. It will protect your ears by preventing distortion and piercing highs from causing them harm. You can rock out enjoyably and safely at ridiculous volume levels (not that I recommend this, of course ). However, I think for people who like to listen at more sane levels or even low levels, I wonder if the Wolff cord might come across as a little glassy, a little tame, one might actually desire some artificially added zing and bite to keep your mind interested.

Still in all, the Wolff Source cord provides a very unique sound that none of the other cables can match. It isn’t colored tonally, so it’s not a matter of preferring or rejecting its special “flavoring”, I don’t think. I do think that if someone was to find the cord unsuitable in a particular application it would be on the basis that they might mistake the lack of distortion as some kind of coloration in itself. It will certainly sound “different” than other more conventional cords, but IMHO that’s down to superior performance, purity of signal, and freedom from fatigue-- not a "coloration" but rather the absence of one. Or, they might wish for some extra firmness downstairs, whether that is natural or not. I think those are all fair objections, we each need cabling that compliments our tastes and needs best, whatever its particular colorations may be.

Flexibility: 8
Build quality: 9
Tonality: 8
Soundstaging/imaging: 9
PRAT/dynamics/speed: 8
Resolution/detail/transparency: 9
Value: 7
Overall Performance: 9


14. Straight Wire Blue Thunder (Review Coming Soon)

When the new cable arrives, I will include it here and amend the final ranking appropriately..


Conclusion
Still with me? To wrap this up, it’s time for me to rank order all of the cables under review. This rank ordering reflects performance in my system, based on my own biases and needs. It reflects performance on those components on which each cable fared best. It is not a straight listing of cables in order of the “Overall performance” rating I gave within the individual reviews. Those ratings are dependent on cost/value, flexibility and other factors, the final rank order is based on pure *sound* alone, all other factors be damned.

1. Split decision between the TG 688 (for my source), and the Wolff Source cord (for my headamp)
2. Virtual Dynamics Reference (since replaced/superseded by the David)
3. KAS Audio Primus (on my headamp)
4. VH Audio Flavor 1 and Flavor 2
5. Custom Power Cord Company Model 14 Series 2
6. Tek Line Eclipse
7. Audio Metallurgy Gold Alloy 9
8. Iron Lung Jellyfish
9. Analysis Plus Oval 10
10. Absolute Power Cord
11. Zu Cable BoK
12. PS Audio XStream Plus

Thank you for reading!

 

No mention of my power cord - The Russ Andrews Classic PowerKord. I was as skeptical as you could get but there was an instant improvement on my Denon 3910. Bass more defined and an improved open soundstage. DVD picture improvements as well. This ain't going back after my 60 day trial !

 

Yeah, I have a Cardas twinlink pc, sounds great. The standard IEC plug fit a little loosely into my Jolida's IEC jack. Cardas reterminated it, upgrading it to a Wattgate for free! The fit was indeed more snug. Fabulous customer service.

 

Nice article, Mark! You are a great communicator.

 

I use the Audioquest NRG-2 on 4 of my component's and just love them! I also recently discovered I can put one on my Adcom D/A. Interesting read Mark, Thank you.

 

I think the review should have been more detailed.

Seriously, great review. My Cardas GR will kick any of the above however.

I would also include the new Kimber cords which are amazing.

 

Who IS this troublemaker?

 

Hey, I met the kubala-sosna guy at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this year. Sorry, I can't remember his name, but he had several rooms wired with his stuff.

 

Yeah. I saw him walking through the hall, and I stopped him because I knew I had heard the name on his shirt somewhere. We only spoke briefly, but we mentioned the fact that he provided the cable in your place. Nice guy.

 

I just bought a Nordost Shiva and really thought the improvement was noticeable out of the box.

 

Ah, if only you had posted this great review before I bought some of these from you. Especially when you say one thing about them in your sale but another in your review.

 

I believe that they have to and if they don't it would be more valuable to look at the house wiring first. Being a Linnie, fix the house, then the cord then take over the power company and get it right from the source.

 

Not just the wiring in the house, don't forget the wiring to the house from the transformer. Dozens to hundreds of feet of unshielded cable designed for amperage, not quality.

 

always a jokester in the crowd. Usually at least one who has done a realistic analysis...

I confess to being stuck with the $150 source mentioned in the original dissertation. I will go one further on PS design, the best of them will be as immune as is possible to the power cord performance. Price of the component not withstanding, the basic building block design is where the difference lies. Just out of curiousity, has anybody seen a CD/DVD/SACD player with a valve rectified choke input power supply built with film caps? Cap input supplies, and switchers will be more effected by the runs of wire than the more gentle ones. They'd also bring the source weight up to something like a McIntosh 30, or Quad II.

remember also that there is a fuse in the circuit. It is performing a needed function, and in the best design, is being run very close to its limit. As far is the power supply sees things, it is like trying to force the Mississippi through a coffee straw....
cheers,
Douglas

 

So these fancy cords are merely transferring junk current? Or do the cables "clean up" the power before it reaches your gear?

 

Thanks for all the nice words.


mcow1, that's both unfair and untrue. As I pointed out, these things are highly system-dependent, and the Absolutes came recommended to me by people in the biz whose ears I trust. They didn't work as well for me as some others in my test, but all cables under review certainly out-perform stock cabling. The Absolute is what it is, a nice $50 cord. You will find another thread on the Absolutes on this site with several raves from other members as well. Everyone selling gear on audiogon has found something they like better, and that gives us all the chance to try them out at a much better price than otherwise possible.

 

Maybe but here's what you said in your post selleng them:

"One of the best values in Hi-Fi. Very neutral tonality"
And here's what you said in your review:

"but lack of transparency is still a “coloration” to me, and in that sense, they varied from the promised absolute neutrality"

Not the same description.

 

mcow1, you are being selective in your quote, here is the rest of the quote, in regard to it's *tonality*:

I think you are being unreasonable, I don't know why you feel the need to do this in public I have sent you a PM. No one would be selling any audio gear anywhere second-hand if it worked best in their system. You will always be buying from someone who found something they liked better. I don't know why that reality would upset you. You can always sell the component if you don't like it, there are plenty of people who will take it off your hands.

It *is* a good value, and it *is* tonally neutral (and I can't say that about many of the cords in this review), if not the most transparent-- *when compared to cables costing up to 15 times the cost*. You got a good deal on a nice budget product.

 

Like anything else in a system that in essence is a sum total of all parts of a "chain", power cords and interconnect cable's performance is dependent upon the "synergystic" interaction with the rest of the components. What might sound great in one system might not sound as good as another choice in another system.

In my system Cardas ICs and power cables give me the performance I like. I'm quite sure there are others out there that might sound just as good if not maybe even better in my system but, I don't have the time, money or desire to try every cable on earth specially 'cause I'm happy with what I have.

 

I think you are inferring something that I did not imply.

I'm not passing any judgement on these cables. Somebody pointed out that the wiring in most people's walls is not audiophile, and I added to that the cable to the house. Simply pointing something out.

If I start bashing any treatments around here, trust me, you'll know it. I'm not subtle when I say something is snake oil.

I'm not stating my opinion either way; I've learned to stay out of these discussions.