A New Superstar Power Cord

Thanks Neal. Smoother and more natural than the Elrod cords? That's saying something. Does it present as deep and 3-D soundstage as the Elrod's? I wasn't much of a fan of the Audience and Kimber cords, I found them pretty bland.

The Valhalla could be stunning to demo, but I found that I could not live with it in the long term. Too much information, which led to shorter listening sessions as listener fatigue set in earlier and earlier. I am a big fan of the Elrod cords though. I've only heard the original LessLoss cord, and though it was good bang for the buck, it was not anything really special.

John,

Just to let you know, there's a Running Springs Crown Jewel HZ ( CH Acoustic X15 ) on Audiogon right now.

http://app.audiogon.com/listings/ac-cables-running-springs-audio-hz-crown-jewel-15amp-power-cable-2014-02-07-power-48103

I've tried the LessLoss PCs. I'm not saying anything bad about the LessLoss, just that you need to give the CH Acoustic that you mentioned above a listen.

Chuck

Thanks for the heads up Chuck, but I've seen that ad. I'm looking for a 20A cord at a good price, not a 15A cord at a bad price. LOL!

To JMCgrogan2,

I actually think very highly of the Valhalla cords and find them different from the IC's which I also have in BR system. I find them more neutral and fuller bodied than IC's and eminently liveable.

I don't listen to an IC or PC for specifics, to be candid. First, I close my eyes and see if I say to myself: "That sounds really good." Then, I spend some time listening for irritating factors, e.g., too little bass, this or abrasive top end, pronounced mid's. Then I just spend some time and see if the smile continues.

So I cannot say if the soundstage or depth is better or worse then Elrod's; I can only say the LessLoss Ref is a step up IN THE GESTALT from what I have heard. I cannot imagine others not, at a minimum, being impressed. Whether y'all run out and buy one is a matter or personal taste and finances.

Cheers.

Neal

Neal,

I think very highly of the Valhalla cords too. If I were to demo my system to try to impress others, the Valhalla would be my go-to cord. I have just found that over the long haul, I can not live with them long term, as they tend to decrease my desire to listen for extended periods. I have tried them several times because they are so impressive initially, but I always seem to catch myself listening less often, I feel due to information overload on the brain, so out they go.....again. LOL! I found that in my system, the Stealth Dream provided most of the resolution of the Valhalla, but with just a hint of musicality that allowed me to use them over a longer term.

The Elrod's are a different animal altogether, more like the Purist Audio and Kubala Sosna power cords that I've owned. Full bodied and musical. Not as revealing and articulate as the Nordost or Stealth, but with more musical weight and power. I've yet to hear a cord that does it all. Those that provide more resolution tend to also be leaner, while those that add more weight tend to lack resolution. I tend to blend my cables and cords to try to get a little bit of both, but I probably lean more towards the warm side now than I did years ago, when I was chasing the higher resolution. Now I'm more about just relaxing and listening to music rather than having to hear that last minute detail in the recording. As always, YMMV.

Cheers,
John