Review: Purist Audio Design Limited Edition 2013 Power cord


Category: Cables

My first encounter with Purist Audio was in the beginning of 2006. I was looking for a powercable for my Modified Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300 Power which I ownned in the past. I did test many powercables, but they all did not give me the sound I was looking for. I am in this business since 1998. I did test hundreds of cables in all price ranges. That time I owned the Nautilus 800S. I wanted a powercable which would give me more drive and definition in the lowest freq. Mid freq. which would be more open and clear. Wider and deeper soundstage. And a sharp individual focus with good black between voices and instruments. With this in mind I had email contact with some people here at audiogon. They tested also many powercables and they had one thing in common. Most of them just bought Purist Audio and discribed the properties were I was looking for. I even phoned with Purist Audio. The nicest people I ever phoned with in this business. They were so polite and could answere all my questions with great knowledge about cables and audio. Wenn I received the cable it did even more than I hoped for. Many of my friends and clients bought Purist Audio powercables after they lend my powercable.

In the begining of this year I was looking for new powercable for my Pass Labs X250.5. I will use this poweramp for the time being. Later I will go back to the XA100.5 which I owned before or I will update to X600.5.
After some time I decided to go for The Purist Audio Limited Edition. I live in the Netherlands and the cable had to go back to Purist Audio for 220v use. Jim Aud was very kind to adapt it for 220v use. I was amazed about the quality. So what does it make this special......

the first word I will use is complete. It is more complete than most other power cables. Complete means that is has more talents/properties.

the best articulation I ever heard from the music I played hundreds of times. All the words endings during singing. You can hear the endings of a s, t f etc so clear. You even can hear the breathing of people also more clear than ever before. I hear even flaws during singing I never heard before of recordings I listend hundreds of times.

A sharp individual focus of all instruments and voices. it is more easy to point out were instuments and voices are standing during listening. I can focus on an instrument or voice during listening. Voices and instruments are have the right proportion. I learned during listening to live music by one of my best friends how small in dimension voices and instruments are. Many powercables give too big dimensions of instruments and voices.

The soundstage becomes wider and deeper. This gives you a much better separation of instruments and voices.

More 3d, cause of the extra air en openness of this cable instruments and voices become more round.

better definition of the lowest freq. It goes deeper and I can hear more layers of the low freq. For example a bassdrum is more tight and touchable.

mid freq. are the most important part in music because here happens the most on recordings. Wenn you use a powercable of Purist Audio this part opens up more than I ever heared with other brands. Even 2nd and 3th voices on recordings are more easy to hear and point out.

soundrealism of instruments and voices improve more to a realistic sound. Since the LE Powercable I listen a lot more to classical music again.

more black between voices and instruments. This makes the soundstage more stable and touchable. Cause of this extra authority it gives you the feeling you are using a more powered amp.

speed and timing improved a lot. It sounds like recordings are played faster than before. It makes the music more rhythmic. I never stamped with my feet so often. Another example is Diana Krall. It sounds like she is playing more rhythmic.

In the high freg. this cable is very open, but sharp edges are gone. You also hear this in the lowest freq. It sound more dynamic and smooth.

in resolution there is also a big improvement. You hear more details. During live recordings you hear easily more acoustic information of space. This makes the stage deeper and wider of course.

The overwhole sound has a lot more authority. Wenn you play at very high volumes sound never becomes harsh or loosing control in the low freq. You can play louder than you normally could without any stress.

This is a really special powercable what brings my system to a much higher level. Cause of the many talents it owns the influence is bigger than most other brands can do. So is it worth the money. I can say yess. For what it does in my system it is even a bargain. Why? because now I have a better and more complete sound with the Pass Labs X250.5 then what I had with my Pass Labs XA100.5 which costs double of the X250.5. This cable adds new properties/ talents which were not there before!





Associated gear
I use this powercable for my Pass Labs X-250.5 poweramp

Similar products
Powercabels I owned en own:

Purist Audio Aqueous Aureus

Nordost Valhalla

MIT AC-1

Cardas Golden Reference
128x128bo1972
Nice review. I've also got Pass amps, but I don't use a conventional power cord. I'm surprised to read that it can make such a big difference. Congratulations. Could you please describe the rest of your system? Thanks.
I use the Onkyo PR-SC 5509 with Audessey Pro. I developed my own way of measurement with Audessey Pro. Different positions and hight. The result is superior to the way Audessey does it. My own way ( and no I will no give this information) is a lot more dynamic than Audessey achieves. Focus is better and I can adapt the wide and depth of the stage. The difference with the XP-20 ( which I own for 2 years) is stunning. Deeper en wider. Instruments are better separated then witht the XP-20. 2 nd and 3 th voices are more open en better in articulation then what I had with the XP-20. I even had better amps wenn I used it. I had the XA100.5. I use the Monitor Audio Pl-200 with the PLW-15 subwoofer. The Monitor Audio Pl-200 is by far the best speaker in 3-dimensional image in his price tag. It can play till about 118db. It has the quickest respons in this price tag. The PLW-15 is in speed superior compared to the most expensive Velodyne sub's which I tested as well. With Audessey pro I have fully stealth low freq with the Pl-200. I use it till 120 hz. It is so quick that the control is still awesome. I recently bought the Audioquest Redwood loudspeakercable for Pl-200 and PLC-150 center. This cable is even superior to my old Nordost Valhalla loudspeakercable which I owned since 2001. I sold this cable 2 monthes ago. Of all the expensive powercabels which I tested ( there are a lot) the Purist are by far the most talented. The Redwood does the same stunning things. Black is the best I ever heard from a loudspeakercable so far. The low freq are even better in timing than my old Valhalla loudspeakercables. I will write a review about this in about 3-4 weeks.

Hello how are you one palcer, I live in Argentina and I am known orionpc, he put the debate that amp is better for Wilson Sasha, I tell you as I see you got doubts the line 8 of Pass Labs, in my opinion are a great step forward against the line .5 at all, much more fluid sound, enhanced bass, treble sweeter, less noise, resulting in much better stereo image with better recreation of instrumentalities !! I have extensive experience in pass Labs , XA-30.8, and sold three units, and all customers !! fascinated, I also sold about 8 months ago an X-350.8, with speakers B & W 802Diamond, and the truth is that the result was magnificent !!! much higher old X-350 speakers use !! Tell me that, and I give my opinion !! also I really liked your review of Purist powercord Limited Edition, this marac sell it more than 12 years ago in Argentina and the LE, is the cable I use in my Esoteric K-01X, in my pre Pass Labs XP-30, also concidero that is sensational !! I recently bought the powers Pass Labs XA-160.8, and the truth is that are incredible !!! Maybe I pass my system! These replaced a Krell CX-700, which I still !! also excellent !!!
I also agree with you that are Stillpoint not believe !! They are expensive but when you put in the balance, contributing to improved sound worth it !! I use Ultra Five 8 units, for my Wilson Sasha 2 and have three units Ultra Six bases, below the Esoteric K-01, the clock Esoteric G-02, you place 3 units of Nordost Sort Kone BC, and power Pass XA-160.8, I put 3 units of Nordost TC, the pre XP-30, for a subject high you place loas base HRS NINBUS SISTEM, the XA-160.8, powers powercord place les 2 Furutech NANOFLUX, they are also at the height of the LE Purist or even are even better !! in Shunyata Triton I have a powercord ANACONDA ZT, and the Esoteric G-02, have a Shunyata Digital Sigma, cable IC, I Purist Canorus Praesto XLR pre and power, and for K-01, I have Transparent REF XL MM2 optimized for K-01 / XP-30, but alternate with Furutech Lineflux and Kimber Select 1136, and finally to speaker cable use a TRANSPARENT REFERENCE XL MM2 custom Wilson / Pass, the last thing I need is the BNC cable for the clock there I have, Purist Canorus, Transparent REF XL, and Furutech Digiflux with Rodhium Carbon connectors, also the Limited Edition of Purist replace them with the original x Furutech FI-50/51, as tokens of current to the wall Oyaide use F-1 and a Furutech GTX-D (R) Good any doubt your orders !!!

Best Regards

Adrian Molina

Since I bought the limited power cord I tried the 25th anniversary big difference and I got a hold of the 30th anniversary power cord recently very big improvement.I have been using purist audio cables since 1992.