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  3. 150350-126

Audioquest Dragon Powercord vs Hurricane

I don't want to get into a debate about if powercords and/or cables sound different or not. I just want to talk about the differences between the Audioquest Dragon and Audioquest Hurricane powercords in my system, based on my ears and preferences. My system consists of a Jeff Rowland 625 S2 amplifier, Jeff Rowland Corus preamp, Chord Dave DAC, Antipodes DS GT music server, Monitor Audio PL500 ii speakers, JL Audio F112 v2,  Clarus Crimson speaker cables, Wireworld Platinum series 8 XLRs, and all Audioquest Hurricane power cords.
I have two Dragon powercords for a home audition. I put one on my DAC and the other on my preamp. My initial thought is the Dragon added a lot of detail. I usually listen with the volume set at 60, but had to reduce it to 58 with the Dragon inserted. After letting the music play for awhile, I did some critical listening for 90 minutes or so. I'm pretty certain that I will keep all Hurricanes and not purchase any Dragon powercords. It isn't because I think the Hurricane is better. I submit they are different and I always say cables are system dependent. In my system the Hurricane is a more balanced cable, where the Dragon is forward to my ears and it's a cable that really highlights details in a way that I don't like. E.g. when I listened to a blues track by KEB MO, with the Dragons the guitar was very forward and dominate, his voice was out of balance and the bass wasn't as full. Returning to the Hurricanes provided excellent balance with detail and fuller bass. Things may change over the next couple of days, but I don't usually change from my initial thoughts. There are no absolutes in audio and careful component matching is more important than how much a component cost.  
ricred1
ron17
607 posts
 
@ricred1 

Well this has gone kinda sideways....what did you expect? 
ricred1 OP
1,976 posts
 
ron17,
I don't know why I expected it to be different. 

Viber6,

"we must strive for the goal of high fidelity, not just striving for a full or warm sound just because you like it."
You are not the authority on audio and can't tell anyone what they must do."

Starting now I'm going to ignore your post. You repeat the same thing over and over again. Most, if not all of what you say is based on "your theory" and not much listening. 
ron17
607 posts
 
@ricred1 

I had an almost identical experience while looking to upgrade one of my power cords. I have an all Nordost cable system. I have an Odin1 PC on my amp and loved what it did to the sound of my system. I thought the next step should be an Odin1 PC on my preamp/dac to replace my current Valhalla1 PC. I got my dealer to loan me one (broken in) and after a week of listening I much preferred the Valhalla1 over the Odin1. The Odin1 brought a warm fullness to my system that I didn't care for, or think it needed.... So as you always say 'there are no absolutes in audio'. Just because a cable or component is more costly doesn't mean it will be right for you, your room, your system or the kind of music you listen to.


ricred1 OP
1,976 posts
 
ron17,

I think Audiogon is great when we talk about our experiences without dictating to other what they must agree with regarding preferences. I find it fascinating that cables can has such an impact on the tonality of a system. I agree that price doesn't guarantee anything. 
viber6
2,438 posts
 
ricred1,
You simply asked me whether I thought clarity/detail is an "absolute" or whether it is subjective, like "your clarity is my sterile/bright."  That was a good question.  Forget audio systems for a moment.  I gave examples of the spoken word to explain that clarity/detail is an "absolute", just as it is correct to say that "9" is objectively, absolutely greater than "8."  In all aspects of life, clarity is a desirable attribute.  But it appears that the clarity concept of "high fidelity" is not important to you, only that you strive for sound that you like.  I too, strive for sound that I like, but it happens to correspond to the search for high fidelity.  In all honesty, and without dictating to you or anyone else, I have a reasonable facsimile of high fidelity, although it is not perfect fidelity.
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