Power cord recommendations: RM150 - RM300

joydivision wrote:

car o scope wrote:

llsaw wrote:Can I recommend the Clearaudio Diamond Powerline? Clearly better than the Siltech SPX-20 on my amp. Cost 4 times more than RM300 though

Wow.. Surely one hell of a pair of expensive 'snakes'.
But then, if you have finally get what you dreamed of, then it is great.

Yeah we all should be happy for llsaw. Not everyone can afford a power cord that costs 4 times more than RM300.

Hi Joydivision, Thank you for being happy for me

Now having said this cost is not everything. Most importantly make sure you have the opportunity to audition the power cable over extended periods of time (several weeks) before making the decision. The advantages or disadvantages will only make themselves known through extended listening of many different albums and having auditioned several other different models previously I can attest to many a case of 1 step forward and 2 steps backwards. Now having said this I would also recommend the Siltech SPX-20 for the Rega Saturn. Cost is ~ the Clearline or more if you use Furutech plugs

WongKN wrote:

llsaw wrote:Can I recommend the Clearaudio Diamond Powerline? Clearly better than the Siltech SPX-20 on my amp. Cost 4 times more than RM300 though

Imagine my friends using the diamonds for every component in their system. And they have 4 amps (phono, pre, monoblock) plus turntable.

Hi WongKN,

I know of people using all Naim Powerlines at ~3K each for each and every one of their Naim equipment.

The rather staid looking Clearaudio Diamond Powerline. You can use whichever IEC and power plug (US, Schuko or UK, etc) whichever you fancy.


My review below:


As many of you will know I’ve been searching for a decent power cord for my amp for ages. Tried the Siltech Berlin MXT and also the more expensive SPX-20 and didn’t like the results. While the bass was lower and with the usual lowering of noise floor benefits the downside was a softening of leading edge dynamics. This can make music sound a bit uninvolving and lifeless or as my wife puts it as plainly dull sounding.

So it was with some hesitation when I finally plugged in the Clearaudio (Not Naim and 3 times cheaper too!) Powerline into my Primare. Will it sound as grey as it looks? First impression wasn’t good. “Where did the bass go?” was my first thought. The Clearaudio Clearline speaker cables start off great and only seemed to loose a bit of bass after 5+ hrs of play but this had no bass from the first power on. Got a bit worried and smsed Andre. Got the usual “Don’t worry and be patient response and hopefully the bass and more will be back” response. Be patient is an understatement for these cables. Never have I had to leave the system powered on and playing for > 12 hours continuously. Only after this and > 1 week of constant running-in did the Clearline finally start to show its true color. I think these are about the hardest and slowest of cables to run-in I have personally experienced. Even today I think the cables can still sound better. Below are the advantages when I did several A/B quick swap compare with stock power FOC cable.

The Clearline produced more “air” especially in the upper treble. Strings had more bite. This was especially evident in my current favourite CD Ferenc Snetberge’s excellent “Nomad” album where track 5 “Song to the East” especially demonstrating the improvements to great effect. Cimbals had more shimmer. Bass notes had slightly more shape and impact making bass guitars and liked instruments more prominent in the mix.

The Clearline also improved the PRAT with more complex music exhibiting greater precision and separation. Yellowjacket’s Like a River album with its constant interplay of instruments (keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, etc) in a jam nicely demonstrated this.

The soundstage had improved delineation between left and right channels. Kinda difficult to explain cept to say more precise.

No loss of leading edge dynamics. In fact I’d suspect the Clearlines exhibited improvements here too. Music certainly had more life and vigour in my system.

From what I can see the Clearlines does not have any sonic signature of its own. What it does well is to clearly improve on your systems strengths.

And the downsides?

• Cost – Always a downside
  
• Extremely slow run-in
  
  

Very nice upgrade for a power cable. But is it worth ~RM1.2K for a 1.5m run though? Let your ears and pocket decide and mine have..

llsaw wrote:

WongKN wrote:

llsaw wrote:Can I recommend the Clearaudio Diamond Powerline? Clearly better than the Siltech SPX-20 on my amp. Cost 4 times more than RM300 though

Imagine my friends using the diamonds for every component in their system. And they have 4 amps (phono, pre, monoblock) plus turntable.

Hi WongKN,

I know of people using all Naim Powerlines at ~3K each for each and every one of their Naim equipment.

Naims are a bit different though. My friends (with Naims) told me that their equipment -must- use Naim interconnects, speaker cables -and- power cords. So someone who is into high-end Naim-wise will -have- to get their mega expensive cables as well, no other way around it.

Like this ah??
Then, the owners will be in dilemma and have to save up to buy the mega bucks cables.
Those cables are really not cheap leh!! aiyoyo...

WongKN wrote:

llsaw wrote:

WongKN wrote:

llsaw wrote:Can I recommend the Clearaudio Diamond Powerline? Clearly better than the Siltech SPX-20 on my amp. Cost 4 times more than RM300 though

Imagine my friends using the diamonds for every component in their system. And they have 4 amps (phono, pre, monoblock) plus turntable.

Hi WongKN,

I know of people using all Naim Powerlines at ~3K each for each and every one of their Naim equipment.

Naims are a bit different though. My friends (with Naims) told me that their equipment -must- use Naim interconnects, speaker cables -and- power cords. So someone who is into high-end Naim-wise will -have- to get their mega expensive cables as well, no other way around it.

Yeah.. Main reason why I didn't go Naim even though I had CD5X once and was auditioning a Nait XS/Supernait. Too species

car o scope wrote:Like this ah??
Then, the owners will be in dilemma and have to save up to buy the mega bucks cables.
Those cables are really not cheap leh!! aiyoyo...

Actually in high end relative terms 1-3K is not really mega bucks. More like entry level to midrange. If you own a 9-10K amp and similar price range CDP it makes sense to spend bout 1K for power cables. What boggles me are cases where the cables cost as much if not more than the hi-fi gear

I see..
So, the percentage of cable price over the total spent on the whole system is the key.

Hmm.. I still stick to a certain limit in terms of buying cables.
My equipments have limitations and might not be able to fully optimise the cable's performance, say a pair of RM5k interconnects. Sigh.. hahahahaha..
This is my scenario, though.
But at the meantime, I think my cables are good enough and up for the job.

The key is always balance. It is right to say that the cables should not overwhelm the equipment cost-wise. One good though not perfect analogy to this issue of cables vs equipment would be to think of tyres vs the car. True a fantastic tyre will do wonders to a Kancil BUT the Kancil will never be able to utilize a super wide lowaspect semi-slick, certainly not the way a proper sports car will. Consequently, put low spec thin Goodyear Eagle GA tyres on an NSX is it too will handle like shit. The same logic goes for brake pads, or suspension, etc.

So with a good system, the accessories like cables or racks will play an important role to allow the system to deliver its max. But they shouldn't become the main point (and cost) of the system. It would be like putting 255 width Bridgestone RE01R on 18" magnesium alloy rims (for e.g.) on (e.g.) a normal Honda City and then expecting it to outperform an NSX.

On the other hand. I have heard some rather amusing stories about why some people in the super high-end spends thousands on cables but not equipment. One very funny story was told by a group of elderly but extremely fun to be with audiophiles. They were telling lots of stories, experiences which only those with truly long time in hifi would have amassed. One of the story involves someone in their group whose wife was complaining because the guy was willing to spend RM25k on a catridge which to the wife has a tiny winny diamond tip but when she asked for a 1-carat diamond ring that would cost about the same, the guy fainted. Due to that, the wife became critical whenever the guy wanted to upgrade the hifi system. So what does the guy do ? Since the wife is able to recognize his equipment, he decides to 'play' with cables instead. To the poor unsuspecting woman's eyes, wires are simply wires lying on the floor. She doesn't recognise that those are new thicker wires (as long as the colour don't change lar) and so the guy kept spending and spending on cables, until he spent over RM50k just on cables alone !

Yes, to me, it's very ridiculous to spend lots of $$ for just the very expensive cables ( RCA, spks cables..), and yet the degree of system improvement is normally very subtle and very much lower compared to the system improvement of good ac conditioners.
I had once brought the cheapest ( entry level )Ps Audio ac cords and Audioquest spks/RCA cables but a RG 400Pro and a PurePower 700i to a friend's house. He has a RM300+K hifi system and using expensive PS/Siltech/AQ reference ac cords/RCA & spks cables and some expensive PS ac products. I first substituted all entry level cables for all his expensive cables and he was bit amased of the subtle sound diffference, but when came to adding the ac products I brought, he was really speechless and shocked of the great degree of his system sound improvement.
He has never bought the very expensive cords and cables since then and preferred investing in more practical equipments and ac products. End

Possibility of overpriced hardware / accessories compared to the actual selling cost

cheers

WongKN wrote:The key is always balance. It is right to say that the cables should not overwhelm the equipment cost-wise. One good though not perfect analogy to this issue of cables vs equipment would be to think of tyres vs the car. True a fantastic tyre will do wonders to a Kancil BUT the Kancil will never be able to utilize a super wide lowaspect semi-slick, certainly not the way a proper sports car will. Consequently, put low spec thin Goodyear Eagle GA tyres on an NSX is it too will handle like shit. The same logic goes for brake pads, or suspension, etc.

So with a good system, the accessories like cables or racks will play an important role to allow the system to deliver its max. But they shouldn't become the main point (and cost) of the system. It would be like putting 255 width Bridgestone RE01R on 18" magnesium alloy rims (for e.g.) on (e.g.) a normal Honda City and then expecting it to outperform an NSX.

On the other hand. I have heard some rather amusing stories about why some people in the super high-end spends thousands on cables but not equipment. One very funny story was told by a group of elderly but extremely fun to be with audiophiles. They were telling lots of stories, experiences which only those with truly long time in hifi would have amassed. One of the story involves someone in their group whose wife was complaining because the guy was willing to spend RM25k on a catridge which to the wife has a tiny winny diamond tip but when she asked for a 1-carat diamond ring that would cost about the same, the guy fainted. Due to that, the wife became critical whenever the guy wanted to upgrade the hifi system. So what does the guy do ? Since the wife is able to recognize his equipment, he decides to 'play' with cables instead. To the poor unsuspecting woman's eyes, wires are simply wires lying on the floor. She doesn't recognise that those are new thicker wires (as long as the colour don't change lar) and so the guy kept spending and spending on cables, until he spent over RM50k just on cables alone !

Hi WongKN,

Your audiophile friend's story is very true. Now if only Rega made the Isis to look like Saturn

Well gentlemen, these are the predicament of men like us in pursuing our hobby. Personally for me, I have this sudden urge of upgrading all things hi-fi, since around August last year, after a couple of years hiatus or being a total ignoramus to hi-fi in general for years.

Talking about our better half, even last Saturday, I had to feign an excuse to pick up a power cord stuck at the Kastam and Kurier office near LCCT in the pretext of running an errand for my boss .

I even heard from a fellow hobbyist enjoying a very nice and extremely expensive turntable at his place for a couple of months after the actual 'owner' of the tt unable to bring it back to his own home lest the wife will find out..

Sigh... the things we suffer for our hi-fi

At the risk of sounding like a lecturing, I would relate how I myself approach my hobby. My friends have often praised my wife because she doesn't bother about how much I spend on my hobbies (yes, there is more than hifi sucking my hard-earned cash away). Adrian even jokes that I am one of the few who actually tells my wife the REAL amount I pay for my hifi equipments. Why ? It's because of a few factors.

One is because I make sure I take care of the essentials of the house. I.e. I don't scrimp on the fridge or the TV or any necessities, not even the kitchen cabinet. Yes, after spending on an expensive fridge I may not be able to afford that super expensive catridge but then we need to have a sense of priority lar. The fridge holds the food we eat and how can we scrimp and save on essentials just for the hobby. So too for the other essentials of the house.

Secondly is I make sure I take good care of my wife before I spend on my hobby. To us hifi is our 'toy' and the truth is to our wives, they too would like to have their own 'toy'. Nothing is more important to them than having their hubby buy some 'toys' for them. Often, it does not need to be super expensive. But we need to take care of them first. Then they will be more than happy for us to spend money on our own toys. If we are lucky, they might even buy us a toy or two !! If ever your wife starts making comments to your mutual friends or to your parents or brothers like 'he spends more time with his mistress (i.e. hifi) than with me'. Or 'I am only the neglected wife, he prefers to spend time with the mistress', then you know you have not taken good care of your wife. My wife is rather proud of the hifi systems and the hone-theatre system we have. She even invites our relatives or her colleagues to our house for karaoke sessions because recently I bought a new karaoke system for her from HiWay Laser.

Lastly is that often we just need to be lucky, i.e. have an understanding wife. Sometimes they just need a bit of reality sense told to them as well. I know of some women who controls their hubby's money with an iron grip. To them they think that means they control their men. But it is often futile because human are very ingenious animals. My wife does not do that because she has seen numerous such cases which backfires. Furthermore it destroys the relationship. For e.g. one of her boss'es friend (woman) thought she was very smart because she controls every single sen her husband makes. Or so she thought. But her husband very smartly issued a credit-card using their business which he then uses for personal means. She also thought she had it made because her husband often buys her expensive gifts. Then she found out that whatever expensive gifts her husband buys, he buys TWO of them. One for her and one for his mistress of many years !!! You see, the more we control, the more the other side rebels.

Amongst the many friends in my hifi circle, all of them spends on hifi without worrying about their wives. Like me, most of them have no fear of telling their wives how much the latest equipment costs. Why ?

Many years ago, one of my friends was building his new hifi room (it was amost 600square feet). At that time, it would cost him RM20k. He was actually eyeing a new Mark Levinson DAC but had to divert the money to build the room. Eventually his wife, a successful doctor, asked him how much he was spending on the room. After telling her how much, she said "I pay for it lar. You take you money and buy that Mark Levinson". WOW !!!!!

His wife's logic was simple. As a doctor, she had to be out of the house often. Isn't she worried what her husband will do in her absense. BUT, with the new room and system, she is now assured that when she is not around, the husband is still at home spending time listening and tweaking his new toys. She knows from experience he will be obsessed with moving the speakers inch by inch, or putting funny looking spikes underneath the new whatchamitcallit black looking box and then playing the same song over and over and over again.

Another friend had an even more amusing episode. We were spending lots of times in hifi sessions, visiting each other's house. So he was out of the house often, -AT NIGHT- telling his wife he's going for hifi session with the gang. Of course a woman's mind is suspicious. Then one fine day, by sheer coincidence, her sister knew the wife of someone in our group. When the sister heard that we were upstairs in the hifi room, she made an excuse to pop in (actual intention to double check on her sister's husband lar). You see, to the uninitiated wife, her idea of a hifi session is like sitting in a lounge, with the hifi system playing softly in the backround, everyone louging in sofas having drinks and indulging in small talk and then, possibly siutations like having GROs keeping us company. HORRORS !!!!

But the sister opened the door and all she saw was a bunch of grown up men sitting in a row staring at a pair of speakers and a blank wall. All she could do is laugh. And when she told her sister (the wife of my friend), she too laughed and she never ever had any complains the next time her husband says he's going out for a hifi session. All she does is sometimes she checks to make sure he's going out with us.

I find it very nice too to have a wife who likes music and she will also enjoy the hifi or the HT with me. Women are inherently lovers of good music so it would be very nice if your wife enjoys your system. And it is your responsibility to try to make that happen. That helps if you want to improve /upgrade it. Also, like my friends cases, once you pointed out that ALL your money are invested in those metal and wooden boxes sitting in the hifi room or the hall, they will understand that having you play hifi is a million times beter than having a husband who goes out drinking with friends at pubs as a hobby !!

ENJOY your hifi !!

Wong....

Very Very well said.

And I tooo have a understanding wifey, who at times offers to plonk her hard earned cash into our hobby and at times gets into the tweaking part as well.

cheers

cheers

My wife loves music but on iPod. She got an iPhone and 3 iPods

Anyway I make sure she got the best music on her iPod by using lossless format and also bought her audiophiles earphone and headphone

WongKN wrote:At the risk of sounding like a lecturing, ....... who goes out drinking with friends at pubs as a hobby !!

ENJOY your hifi !!

Wow... must have the longest post I've read here so far... must have touched a nerve or two somewhere, sorry have to cut-off part of the quotable quotes .

Anyway... my wife is quite understanding as well and appreciative of music but still reality bites and guilt on our or my part for spending the hard earned cash ... but on the GRO bit ... definitely something new there .. Too true and well put Sifu, it takes two to tango, and to Enjoy the Music.

Cheers,

zb

Wong,

Very well said.
The same goes for other hobbies - fishing, golf etc....

Uncle Wong's long post is very enjoyable to read.

A world record have just being set by our moderator Mr. Wong....

I have a good friend here that's a Doctor and also an avid Audiophile. Hope WongKN's story will help him convince his wife

Hahahahaha,.... I am glad you guys enjoyed that post.

I have found that it works almost all the time, especially if the man is earning a reasonable pay. All wives will worry about where her man spends his excess money. Their most horrible nightmares are that he's spending it on another woman while scrimping on his own family. This is why some woman thinks they are very smart by trying to controlling all their husband's money. The trouble is some of these 'too smart' woman controls too far, to the extent that they forbid their husband to indulge in any hobby at all. When a man comes back from a hard day's work, after relaxing with the family, and when the kids are busy doing homework and the wife busy watching the latest HK soap opera, his mind starts to wonder around if he has nothing to do. A bored mind, whether man or woman is the most dangerous thing to have around. So if a man has any passions - HARMLESS passion - like hifi, music, photography, etc, it's always the wisest thing to let him indulge. Correspondingly, if we value our family and want to remain a faithful and loyal husband/father, by all means indulge in our passions because it lets us focus all our energy and passion into something we love but is absolutely harmless.

Even for us men, it also holds true. If our wives has any passions like watching HK soap operas, indulge her. We all NEED a distraction from the humdrum chores of everyday life, or the silly politics in the office, etc.

One more story for the road.

One of my relatives, a woman, was telling me how she hates it when her husband spends all his money buying software and computer stuff. "He's got CD-ROMs and IT stuff all over the room lar. He should spend his time elsewhere". I asked her "spend his time WHERE ?". She was flabberghasted. Where indeed !

I ask her "do you ever worry where your husband spends all his spare cash ?". Of course she says she does. I told her, "worry no more, just let your husband buy all the IT stuff he wishes to. The more the better. Encourage him. Then next time if you ever worry where all your husband's spare cash went to, open the door to his study and be assured that ALL his money are there, on the stashes of CD-ROMs, on the latest scanner, all his extra harddisk, that new LCD monitor,etc". She took my advice and have been quite a secured person ever since.

When women get together, often the topic of conversation goes to asking each one whether they know where their husband spends all his money and his time. My wife always has the best answer. She says "I open the door to his hifi room, I take a look at those massive chunks of irons sitting around. And I know that not only all my husband's money are there, often he's IN DEBT trying to pay them off." The unspoken follow-up is of course "now where's he going to find any spare money to spend on another women ?"

Andrew, ask your friend to try this. It helps. A lot !

Wong....

Truly spoken....and most if not all will miss out the minute detail and go in with the guns blazing and regret the actions later.

That's where trust and understanding is the "CORE FOUNDATION" of a family.

Cheers to you WONG for being the first to .....

cheers

thats why my cables are much more expensive compare to my equipment (ratio wise). my wife cant recognize the changes and most importantly she doesnt know 1 audiophile cable can cost few thousands ringgit!

Lamkochai, just make sure you always get cables of the same colour !!

Lamkochai wrote:thats why my cables are much more expensive compare to my equipment (ratio wise). my wife cant recognize the changes and most importantly she doesnt know 1 audiophile cable can cost few thousands ringgit!

naughty.. naughty still have that Shunyata Phyton . Anyway, Sifu Wong, if reincarnated, maybe I'll marry the wife that says ..' I buy you the Mark Levinson lar'... :cheers,

zb

always dim the light and hide the cable behind the speakers if possible. the changes in color is not always noticeable.

oh ya. planning to upgrade from shunyata python to anaconda. that one she most probably wont notice it also. just hope that those who visit my house dont shout out the price of the cables.

WongKN wrote:Lamkochai, just make sure you always get cables of the same colour !!

And size.. Some of them cables are really drainpipe sized

Lamkochai wrote:oh ya. planning to upgrade from shunyata python to anaconda. that one she most probably wont notice it also. just hope that those who visit my house dont shout out the price of the cables.

on the other hand, no harm buying all the high end cables first. in case i hit magnum or toto jackpot, i can change all the equipment and retain the cables.

playing with tubes is also fun. i can try those vintage tubes and my wifes doesnt know they also cost alot. i have collected gec kt88, genelec gold lion kt 88, 1950 and 60's mullard and those old telefunken tubes.

Lamkochai wrote:on the other hand, no harm buying all the high end cables first. in case i hit magnum or toto jackpot, i can change all the equipment and retain the cables.

playing with tubes is also fun. i can try those vintage tubes and my wifes doesnt know they also cost alot. i have collected gec kt88, genelec gold lion kt 88, 1950 and 60's mullard and those old telefunken tubes.

Your tubes will definitely be put to good use on your new toy!