FAVORITE POWER CABLE under $100 (1M)


Ready to replace my stock power cables with a limited budget...Ideas, opinions, favorites please...

 

 

 

larseand

I honestly wouldn't waste (any more) money on sub-$100 PC cables. I have many including ones from Maze, AQ, Iceage, Pangea and many unbranded Chinese made PCs. None offer anything more than the stock PCs. Pangea actually sounds worse due to sounding closed-in and muffled. I've relegated them to my LPS units powering media converters. I didn't start hearing a difference until I stepped up to OCC Copper or much more expensive AQ lines (ie Thunder). Spend ~$200 and buy a UP-OCC PC from a reputable company (not a fly-by-night fleabay or Amazon Chinese vendor claiming OCC is used in their cheap, phony cables). Otherwise just save your money and keep using your stock PCs. Moon Audio or Audio Sensibility are two reputable, high-value OCC cable makers that I've bought from. I'm sure there are others. 

Maybe Carlsbad should have said, pre 8% inflation, or whatever the exact figure is. Under $100 is tough as far as a cable thats going to give any actual sonic improvement. For a bit more you can get into Audio Sensibility entry level. He makes very good cords. Or watch for a used Synergistic Research Master Coupler.

The Aliexpress Accuphase clone is getting a lot of buzz online currently and is available at around $30 U.S. I have one on the way for a bit of fun and will report back after I put it through its paces.

It will replace a DIY using basic Viborg connectors and JPS inwall cable (both cryoed) on my CD transport and I can also experiment with it on some other pieces of equipment where it will replace Viborg 1501 with top of the line Viborg connectors.

Loaned the DIY JPS out to a friend last year and he felt it was the equal of his genuine (as opposed to fake LOL) Nordost Brahma at around $1400 U.S.-the Viborg 1501 (which I’ve also had cryoed) is IMO much better than the DIY JPS here.

Said friend just put a pair of the 1501 Viborgs on his new Macintosh 451 monoblocks and they (the Macs and Viborgs) sounded quite good when I heard them recently.

1M 1501 with aluminum bodied rhodium plugs is available slightly above $100 on Amazon.com (my preference would be the copper plugs which are a bit more at around $140), but the less expensive Viborg 1606 with more basic Viborg male & IEC is available at around $70 for 1M and is also a very good power cord.

hdm...

Also using a Viborg 1501 connected to a DS Audio 003 phono EQ...and to very good effect....

Cheers....