I wholeheartedly agree with comments made on Audiogon that bestow many superlatives on the new Elrod Statement Gold PCs. I love how they transformed and elevated my system. They are phenomenal.
I have auditioned 2 Golds for the past 5 weeks and would like to share my observations based on an extensive comparison between fully burnt-in Statement Golds and the regular (old) Elrod Statement power cords.
All comparisons were done in my current primary system consisting of Maxx2, Boulder 2060 amp, APL Hi-Fi NWO-3.0SE CD player connected directly to the amp, Pure Power 2000 AC re-generator, Kubala-Sosna Elation interconnects and speaker cables, all Elrod Statement PCs, Critical Mass Systems Platinum* QXK and Grand Master platforms, dedicated AC lines, and dedicated Rives level 2 listening room which was featured (along with 2 other Rives rooms) in the October 2008 issue of Home Entertainment.
First, I must confess that I really liked the old Statement PCs. The more I added, the happier I became. There was a cumulative effect in the sonic enhancement. I ended up with 7 Statements in my previous primary system (Jadis JA80 driving Watt/Puppies, Conrad-Johnson Premier 350 driving the Wilson WHOW sub woofer, Sound Application RLS and Reference Linestage AC conditioners, Grand Master platforms, Kubala-Sosna Emotion ICs and SCs).
My current primary system requires only 3 power cords. As with my experience with the old Statements, there is a wonderful cumulative effect. Adding the second Gold to the system enhanced the sonics even more. I'll cut to the chase: I purchased the 2 Statement Gold PCs that I was auditioning and ordered a third one to complete my PC upgrade. This was a no-brainer!
The improvements over the old Statements are huge!! The Golds outperformed them in every parameter that came to mind: The bass is tighter, more controlled, more impactful and better defined. The highs are more open, cleaner, purer, and more sparkling. The decays are stronger, perceptibly longer, and are more transparent. There is greater resolution with more nuance and delicacy. Better macro and micro dynamics. Transients are faster and cleaner, with better defined peaks....more real. Images are more focused, more solid and stable. Separation between instruments is improved, the space between instruments is much cleaner/quieter, and there is more dynamic interaction between instruments. The clarity and transparency in the depth dimension of the sound stage creates a greater 3-D effect. More importantly, there is a greater organic wholeness to the sonic presentation that integrates the instruments into a coherent whole and reproduces the space of the recording venue. Overall, the presentation is smoother, more relaxed, natural, more real and involving.
Congratulations to David Elrod, the man behind this remarkable advancement in power cord design. A true gentleman and a creative and effective designer in high-end audio.
In all these tests, everything except the power cords remained the same. So, how can a power cord, which does not carry the audio signal, affect the resolution of so many sonic qualities in such a profound way? Among other things, the Gold PC lowers the noise floor level significantly....even lower than the already low noise floor in the old Statement. That allows the resolving capacity inherent in the CD player, amp, speakers, and signal carrying cables to be uncovered and perceived more easily. This is not unlike with video signals where the reduction of "snow" and other video noise can improve a whole range of visual parameters.
This outstanding low noise floor for the Statement Gold was evident throughout my audition. Initially, I compared the Gold with the Old on one component at a time. To minimize unsuspecting variables that may result from cable changes, I used the A/B/A testing pattern: I started with 3 Olds in the system, observed the sonic changes when the amp PC was changed to a Gold, then confirmed my observations by going back to 3 Olds. I repeated this process for the CD player and the AC re-generator. In each of these sessions, the more expensive Gold outperformed the old Statement. In my system, to my ears/brain/heart, it was not even close. At more than twice the cost, that should be expected. However, at its price point, the old Statement is a superb PC.
To test the cumulative effect, I also auditioned the Golds on 2 components at a time: CD/amp, CD/re-generator, amp/re-generator. I wanted to see/hear if the sonic benefit is worth the added cost. In my system, the resounding answer is Yes!
Additional details about my testing protocol: For short term tests, after each cable change the system was played for about 30 minutes (to re-stabilize it) before critical listening. When a test cable was removed from my primary system, it was installed in my second system (in another room) in order to keep it "warmed-up" for the next test. Finally, the results of my short term tests were verified by long term listening.
I used 15 CD test tracks....all well-recorded to minimize recording and mastering anomalies. I'll now convey the results with 6 of those tracks to flesh out a few of my comments about the Gold with greater sonic specificity and give a taste of its sonic bliss.
Take for example, the first 2 minutes of track #1 on the CD titled "Master of Chinese Percussion" (LIM K2HD 033). When the drum is struck, I feel the powerful impact of the waveform hitting my chest; and I hear the mallet contact the drum membrane, the response of the membrane, the resulting musical waveform, the resonance of the drum's body, and the changes in the tautness of the membrane depending on how close to its boundary the drum was struck. All are distinct events, unfolding sequentially in real time...in a split second!....Startling realism in the time domain. With lessor PCs, these elements may not be so easily or clearly distinguished; and possibly be merged into one homogeneous "boom".
Listen to the high frequency notes on the first 2 minutes of track #11 on Fim Super Sound II (FIM XR24 067). With the Golds in the system, each and every one of these strikes on the triangles and xylophones is crystal clear with fast and cleanly defined transients. The decays are so transparent that you can hear the interaction between the decays of different notes as they create a symphony with their ethereal harmonic textures....Sublime realism in the frequency domain. With lessor PCs, some of those strikes are smeared enough to make you wince or cringe; and some of those decays may be weak and smeared enough to obscure that exquisite symphony.
The 3 orchestral test tracks I rely on the most are track #1 on each of the following 3 CDs: Holt's The Planets/ Zubin Mehta (JVCXR 0228-2), "This is K2 HD Sound" (FIM K2 HD 078), Fim Super Sound (FIM XR24 066). With the Golds, orchestral presentation is reproduced with exemplary resolution, focus, clarity, separation of instruments, and coherence to die for. Instruments float.....liberated in space. You feel the action of the air they propel. You experience the sonic waveform from even the "minor" instruments at the back of the sound stage. You not only hear the air around the instruments but also the air around the entire orchestra....One organic whole....pulsating with life. Yes....There is a sonic Nirvana! |
