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Need advice for power cord on PS Audio UPC 200


Hey everybody! I would appreciate some experience here as I am getting a PS Audio UPC 200.. and would like very much to gain some insights as to other's experiences with passive conds. and the power cords they have found make the best fit.

I don't think I want to get into a ton of dough here... maybe $300 or $400 tops, new or used.... and likely less. VooDoo and Flavor are on the list currently, in that order.

I do plan to use it on strickly the BAT VK500, but am not sure it will be 'dedicated' to that end. 90%, though. (Depends on performance gain... and may wind up on digital components, but the goal now is the amp).

Any notions, ideas, and certainly experience (s) with passive conditioners and of course this UPC 200 (brand new), would be more than appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
blindjim
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
just to make clear one point... all four of my dedicated 20 amp ckts. are on one phase/bus of the power panel. the top four breakers on one side of the breaker box. Also all the power hungry appliances are on the other phase/bus, limiting their effect on the gear... if there is an effect, it's negligible, and inaudible.

Having determined the additional influence that the Shunyata VX has upon those ckts immediately adjacent to it... some swapping of the dedicated breakers seems in order...
fplanner2000
616 posts
 
1marker: Thanks!
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
just to give this a kick.. and being back in the hunt for another power cord for the same application... I figured to revitalize this thread vs. posting another... Same Q... slightly different now...

"What cord works well with the BAT VK500 & a passive conditioner?" upc200 or Hydra 2... personally, there's but a tiny diff from one to the other, but they differ fur sure.

I'm thinking maybe aZ Krakatoa, Gargantua, Elrod, Syn Master AC x2, and or VooDoo Tesla ... Any thoughts aobut these or another worth having?

Thanks very much
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,265 posts
 
With my Shunyata Hydra conditioner I tried:
Shunyata Diamondback, VH Audio Flavor-4, Audience, Sunyata Taipan Alpha and now have Shunyata Taipan Helix Alpha.

Considering your budget, I would recommend Shunyata Taipan Alpha. I tried VH Flavor-4 with Furutech gold connectors on my Hydra conditioner and gave it a full break in of 400 hours. I thought it was a pretty cord and an improvement over the Shunyata Diamnondback I was using there prior to Flavor-4, but Taipan Alpha is better. Also, I didn't like how stiff the Flavor-4 cord is. It's very tough to maneuver if it isn't a straight shot from the conditioner to the wall. In my system the Taipan cords were the best.
blindjim OP
3,092 posts
 
Audphile1
thanks as always.

Yes the taipan Helix is a good one. I've had them throughout my system. at one time on each item in there. All at once. A really sweet sounding cord. though on the amp a better fit tonally was the Python helix... though it bloated the sound stage out of proportion, and likely due to the other Python helix VX on the CDP.

So I'm looking around in that general arena of the Python and up cords for the task of driving the amp. Don't want to get too pricey. I may well just go with a stop gap measure for the time being unless another BAT owner says differently. though I'm considering the Elrod Sig. II & III, and some ideas of my own... like I've never heard AZ wires at all. Like the Krakatoa, and Gargantua... or the Tesla II from Bruce at VooDoo. (I've three other Dragons already).

Then there is the Purist line of Dominus cords, but I get the impression they may be too soft a fit for me at that spot.

If I'm going to go off on a cord there right now, it needs be one that has an enveloping sound stage that encroaches into the listening position a tad, has great bottom end tunefullness and sweet highs... and all the other junk that should be there at those price points. Dynamics, weight, imagery, etc.
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