I'll let you know what the
"MC-1 Pro
Double Helix Plus Signature" brings to my system once received and the 400 hours of burn-in passed!
High Fidelity Cables MC 1-PRO
Just plugged it into my system yesterday. So it only has about 10 hours on it. First impressions The sound became more detailed in the mid range really opens up nice. (not harsh or lean). The base is tighter but not as deep as before. I experience the same base problem when i started breaking in High Fidelity MC 6 Hemisphere. The base with the Hemisphere took a long while, but came in great (Better than orginal) after it had 500 plus hours on it. So for now i am not worried about that. Since High Fidelity recommends about 400 hours before the MC 1 Pro settles in. The sound stage as a whole is much more defined feels sound like it has more energy, but it did shrink a little again i feel this will get better than it was with reaching the 400 hour mark. I am very happy with the over all sound my systems has since adding the MC 1-Pro and thinking about adding another one.
I did plug the MC 1-PRO in at the wall with my 21 MC 0.5s all on the same line that feeds the MC 6 Hemisphere. Which feeds my front end, TV and Sat. box. i all so have 6 MC 0.5 plugged into the Hemisphere. The Pro and the MC 0,5s sound very good together and a nice match up. Will report more as i get more time on the MC 1 PRO.
enjoy Pete
I did plug the MC 1-PRO in at the wall with my 21 MC 0.5s all on the same line that feeds the MC 6 Hemisphere. Which feeds my front end, TV and Sat. box. i all so have 6 MC 0.5 plugged into the Hemisphere. The Pro and the MC 0,5s sound very good together and a nice match up. Will report more as i get more time on the MC 1 PRO.
enjoy Pete
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@68pete I've got the NPS 1260 (my first HFC product) and I'm expetionally satisfied with it! I had been missing a contact enhancer since the times of Kontak Audio (actually still in prodution and may be used before the NPS 1260) and Sumiko Tweek and the NPS is the very best and most refined! It makes sound better in its tonal balance and not just in transparency, dynamics and presence. "Refined" and "advanced" are the adjectives I'd use for the NPS 1260. Now I've ordered the MC-1 Pro Double Helix Plus Signature. Two weeks and I should receive it. Casey of HFC was very kind and cooperative ;-) Thank you!Gianluca |
Thank you so much for the suggestions Pete! I want the MC-1 Pro Double Helix Plus Signature to be to its full potential in my system. I'll start at the wall plate following your experience. Congratulations for your system, two dedicated power lines for front end and power amp is a great idea. I'll keep you posted about the HFC top wave guide as soon as I receive it. Regards,Gianluca |
Hello gkg2k I have several MC-1 Pro Double Helix Plus Signature wave guides in my system, not to mention many of the other wave guides. Divided between to power lines. One 15 amp line for all of my front end and then a 20 amp line for my power amp. I am not familiar with your power conditioner. You could contact Rick Shultz at High Fidelity Cable and ask him what he thinks with your power conditioner. He is very easy to talk too. I have used PS Audio P10, and found out at the wall plate was the biggest increase in performance. Later replaced the P10 with High Fidelity MC 6 Hemisphere conditioner for better results. Then upgrade to the High Fidelity Pro Power Conditioner for even better sound. I would try at the wall plate first, that way everything plugged into your conditioner would benefit. Just remember to give it at least 400 or more hours at the wall. Before making any kind of decisions. You can always move it later to the rear of your power conditioner. There is no right answer, what works (sounds) best for you is the correct spot. If you move it around it will need time to settle back in each time. please report back on your journey Good luck Pete |
Hello, I need a placement recommendation. I'm considering an "MC-1 Pro Double Helix Plus Signature". I already have a PLIXIR isolation transformer-based AC conditioner. Would you place the HFC filter *before* the PLIXIR (in the same wall plate where the PLIXIR is connected) or *after* the PLIXIR (in one of its 8 outlets). I wouldn't want the big 3Kw balanced isolation transformer to "reset" the magnetic work of the MC-1 Pro Double Helix Plus Signature. Thank you very much! Gianluca |
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Well, I can happily report things turned a corner at 100 hours and now at 400, my system sounds the best it has. I was definitely skeptical during those first few days. This is w 2 mc-.05 helix+ on opposite sides of Qbase8 and a mc 1 pro helix+ in the free outlet of the dedicated line feeding the system. Rick has indicated things could continue to improve out to 1000 hours. We’ll see. One caveat: I did make an incremental upgrade on my PC to my preamp during this time. I do think that assisted w the overall improvement. The PC install was over 250 hrs ago. There has been particularly notable improvement over the last 100 hours. Thanks everyone. |
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zprr I have found that the Helix does take longer to break in. Only the hours that the Pro Helix+ it is in use will count toward the break in time. Just plugged in does little for break in. I have found the bass is the slowest to come around, but when it does it is much better than before. Each time it is unplugged from the wall and then plugged back in it will take time to resettle in. |
Decided to take the plunge and purchased a pro helix+. Added it to the main dedicated 20amp line outlet feeding my system last night. Have to be honest, I did not notice a difference at all in the first few hours, but I understand there is quite a burn-in. I also have two mc-.05s on either end of my power distributor. Wondering if anyone else did not notice an initial improvement at all but gained a substantial improvement over time? |
ducatirider Yes, the helix is that much better. I have 6 Pros and 4 Helix in my system. The effect that the Helix has on sound is so much better. The Pros are amazing but if I was going to invest I would spend my money on the Helix version. And that goes for the cabling as well. The Helix versions go way beyond in performance over the lower versions of the product. |
The mc-1 is a different animal ,it has stacked magnets in a specific pattern then two small.01 600v poly capacitors the little capacitors I get just give the signal a added boost and more precision to the wave guide working to direct and focus the signal to center similar to an electron microscope as a good example. That is what sets this apart from the ,05 model. |
appreciate Pete's comments but my counterpoints: yday i demo'd the Synergistic UEF 12S vs the PS P-10 (which i own, all front end gear on it; amp hates it). while the 2 units have respective merits, what i found interesting was that in all cases the system sounded better w/ the Helix Pro on the output of the conditioners, and a Pro on the wall feeding the conditioners. ---point being, even w/ some very fine power conditioning, the HF Magnets still add to the presentation -- better harmonic resolution & low level detail (without any negative effects, which both the power conditioners had---pick your poison so to speak. P10: dynamics constrained on amp; UEF - slight rolloff of attack / leading edge) YMMV. |
Hi socall77 For me the Mc0.5s and the Pro-1, where better at the wall feeding my P10. I tried them plugged into the P10 and the results where not as good. I had my P10 feeding my MC 6 Hemisphere, with my front end plugged into the Hemisphere. The sound was good, but not great. I removed the P10 from the loop and with in a couple days of listening the sound was much better. The sound stage became much bigger-wider and detailed. By removing the P10 the sound just got better across the board. The break in for the MC 6 Hemisphere is long 800 hour mark is where it pulled away from the P10. The drawback is no spike or sure protection with the Hemisphere and it is for front end equipment only NO amps. It should not power you're P10. It handled my Pre amp ,Disc player. Tv, Dvd player and Sat. box no problem. The HFC power cords just get better as you move up the line and work well with the MC O.5s and the Pro-1. each time i moved up the line in power cord the sound just got better. Huge jump for the better comes when you move into the Pro power cord. Much bigger jump then moving up the rest of the line. My MC o5s and Pro-1 are all on power lines that have HFC power cables plugged into them. With the exception of my amp which is on a dedicated 20 amp line and i use a 20 power cord for it, but i do have 23 Mc O.5s plugged into the same power socket. I moved into the Pro Power Conditioner a couple months ago (it replaced my Hemisphere) The sound stage and sound improved like i had upgrade all my components several levels higher. I hope that helped good luck Pete |
Hello, I am hoping some of you with MC-1 Pro experience will chime in with how complete your power cable loom is with HFC power cables. The reason I ask is although I have not seen actual specs for the HFC conductors, the magnetic permeability is clearly much higher than that of copper. Therefore, it should logically follow that the magnetic influence of MC-1 Pros, MC-0.5s, and the new Helix+ versions, should be much greater with cabling with higher magnetic permeability than copper. I use a PS Audio P10 Power Plant (AC regenerator) and found that putting HFC conditioners on the input side, and using an Ultimate power cable to supply the P10 was effective, but when I moved the Ultimate to power my DAC and moved my conditioners (four MC-0.5s, one MC-0.5 Helix+, one MC-1 Pro) to the output side of the P10 the results are better. My signal cables are all HFC (Pro AES3 from Bryston BDP-1 to PS Audio DirectStream DAC, Ultimate RCA to preamp, Reveal XLR from phono stage to preamp, CT-2 RCAs to mono-block amps, CT-2 speaker cables and HFC V2 jumpers to speakers). However, aside from the Ultimate power cable currently supplying my DAC, and a Reveal supplying my Bryston player, all my other power cables are Nordost Valhalla, which are excellent, but, of course, copper. Trying to decide whether to focus on completing an HFC loom of power cables or adding more conditioners. The MC-1 Pro Helix + is intriguing, but again, I question whether my power cables are optimized to feel the effect of the magnetism. Also interested in your experience with the HFC MC-6 Hemisphere, which I am considering powering from the P10 and using it supply my DAC, preamp and phono pre. |
Hello drpie As you go up the High Fidelity line the sound gets better. So yes the higher up the line you can afford the better the sound will get. You say you have eleven outlets, is this on a power conditioner or distributor of some type? I have found the more MC .5s on one power line is the best. Placing them at the wall plug is what worked best for me. I have them stacked with the 3 to 1 splitter plugs on top of each other also have a very short power cord plugged into the stack with my Pro 1 on the power line feeding my Pro power conditioner. with a couple plugged into the Pro Power Conditioner out lets that i am not using. I have about 25 of them on my amp line stacked up. I also use several of their power cords which also made things better. I hope this helps, if you go to the High Fidelity Facebook page and scroll through all the pictures you will see the MC O .5s stacked up with the 3 to 1 splitters. Get as many as you can at your DAC or Source. Let us know what you did and how it worked for you. Pete |
I use HFC MC-0.5 (4 pieces), a very outstanding sound. Waiting for parcel with MC-1 Pro Helix . I believe in the importance of my system. I need advice: I have 11 outlets available. What should I choose (regardless of budget)? What combination will be successful? Choose from spiral MK-0.5 MS-1 Pro MS-1 Pro-1 spiral . |
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slaw The pro 1s are great, combined with the MC O5s they are even better. As you know their is a big price difference between the two, with the Pro 1s cost a lot more than a MC O5 so the price point makes that a hard question to answer. The physical make up and size different all. so play a part in it You can not go wrong with either one and they do compliment each other.The Pro 1s are very good. |
My audio system is gone!!! My speakers disappeared a while back but now there is no system. I added a 3rd and 4th MC-1 Pro to my system and let them play constantly for a week or more. the results of 4 MC PROs is uncanny, miraculous, spell binding. I can no longer detect component coloration but simply musical performances floating in my room. On the best recordings, I can hear no flaws, which is a first for me. The listening team describes the sound as immersive, entrancing, hypnotic, pure, holographic at a previously undiscovered level. It's hard to describe the sense of REAL. Dead silent background, Image as solid as a rock. Richer and fuller than ever before. Tone so natural that it redefines my understanding of that term. the bass is extended, more powerful and better defined. the highs are cleaner clearer, smoother, more detailed, real and effortless. The mids' are like being there. The MC Pros appear to make a bigger improvement than many of my more expensive HFC jewels. This could be the one!!! Joecasey and others considering adding MC Pros. Go For It!!! |
I have a MC 1 Pro plugged into one outlet along with my daisy chained MC 0.5s. I didn’t experienced any MC 0.5 2nd day darkness or hardness. It sounds little tight 1st couple days but never bad. I have ~20 hours now and opening up nicely. My SS preamp is on 24/7 ... sounds pretty good now and if continues improving to 300 hours, I can’t wait. :-) |
Hi ozzy Yes Rick told me about 400 hours is when it is at its best. The one i am using took about 300 plus before it is really good. For me it was the base that was lacking for a while, but did get much better over time. I used it at the wall with the Pro power cord feeding my MC 6 Hemisphere and have everything plugged into it include the tv and sat box. so if the stereo system was not on the tv was on so the hours went by quickly. You do not want to defeat the ground on it. I unplugged one of the MC O5s and plugged in a very short power cord with a 3 to 1 splitter on it and add the Mc O5 and the Pro 1 to it and plugged it back in the same spot the MC O5 came from. It has made a nice improvement in my system. |