Review: 6SONS Audio Golden Eagle pc Power cord


Category: Cables

The 6Sons Audio cables aren't particularly well known. The Thunderbird pc has a few comments here on Audiogon and the Windigo was reviewed in Stereomojo in glowing fashion but a google search won't turn up the kind of info most would-be buyers need to drop a couple thousand bills, though the money back offer certainly helps. I purchased my first Windigo about a year and a half ago and another a few months later.

A few words are in order regarding the Windigo power cord as it sounded in my system. Cords in rotation at that time included 2 Sunny P600 pc, a Cerious Technology pc, and a Wolff Gain w/Oyaide 004 plugs. When installed on the PS Audio P600, I heard better seperation of instruments, a slight increase in subtle detail, and a smoother but more detailed top end. I began browsing the Audiogon ads obsessively looking for another Windigo. I found one a few months later and traded off a Sunny cord + cash. The second Windigo went to my Consonance Droplet. The Windigo is excellent on digital.

The addition of the second Windigo didn't go quite as planned. There was more detail, the background was darker and the top was even smoother. However, there a noticable reduction in dynamics. My system lost some "slam". I certainly didn't hear that in the single Windigo. What to do?

I contacted Gary at 6Sons Audio and inquired about their flagship cable, the Golden Eagle. We had many emails over the next several months and he was both patient and accomodating. I was probably a pain in the .... Sorry Gary. Eventually I was able to purchase a 3' Golden Eagle power cord and I had a Windigo reterminated with an IeGO 8085 gold over pure copper plug and an Oyaide 046. This is a very good combination of plugs for the Windigo and gives up only a bit of resolution in favor of more body and weight (but that's another story).

I've had the Golden Eagle and reterminated Windigo in my system for a few weeks now (Gary does an extensive burn-in at the shop). I really like the GE (Golden Eagle) on the Lexicon RT-20 but find the greatest synergy exists with the GE on the PS Audio P600 and the Windigo on the Lex. The bridged Pathi are powered by Kaplan GS clones with Oayide 046 plugs.

The lightness I heard with a pair of Windigos is gone. I don't think the Pathi are "slammin" amps but I have no compaints regarding dynamics now. Turn it up and the boogie factor is nicely evident and since I biamp, the bass is whatever I want it to be. That being the case, I do hear more detail in the bass than before. Particularly apparent is the decay of plucked bass strings and the vibration of the air around the instrument.

The bass of the GE pc never draws attention to itself. It is well defined with ample weight but a piece of the whole.
I feel the top end is similarly balanced. Here, there is an abundance of detail, more so than with the Windigo or the BOHICA. On DEAD CAN DANCE's cd "INTO THE LABYRINTH", the song "How Fortunate the Man with None" begins with chimes which ring delicately across the top of the soundstage and are spread well between both speakers. I've heard this cd hundreds of times and know it well. The GE pc, however, reveals the individual chime, each ringing to create the whole sound rather than the conglomerate or generic "chime" sound. Cymbals also ride nicely and shimmer without any brightness or highlighting. It's really quite amazing that this much detail is available without any bite whatsoever.

The midrange is also as highly resolved but seems to draw ones attention more than the upper or lower frequencies. Voices are more present with greater image density than the previously mentioned cords. I wouldn't call the balance forward but there is an illuminated quality to the mids that can eclipse the treble similar to a good SET amp using the 845 or 805 tube. It's not a lush sound really but it is so open and detailed and immediate that it reminds me of a good SET amp's midrange.

The Golden Eagle pc also excels at soundstaging throwing up a realistically tall and wide image that has as much depth as your system and the recording allows. Combined with the high resolution, you can easily discern the movement of sounds across the sound field whether it be a wandering musician or created soundscapes such as vintage Tangerine Dream or Steve Roach. I'm always hearing something new or "further into" the music with the Golden Eagle. It is in a class above all of the other power cords I've had the pleasure to experience. If you value detail, neutrality, and soundstaging, then I most highly recommend the Golden Eagle power cord to you and you won't find a better person to deal with than Gary at 6Sons Audio.
Bravo!

Associated gear
bridged pair Pathos Classic One MK III
Lexicon RT-20
PS Audio P-600 w/Porter Ports
Granite Audio interconnects
custom "Legacy Focus clones" using Eton drivers w/NHT 12" woofers
Hafler P3000 bass amp
Wolff Audio BOHICA pc w/IeGO 8095&8085
Kaplan GS clones w/Oyaide 046 plugs
6SONS Audio Windigo pc w/IeGO 8085/Oyaide 046 plugs

Similar products
I've been through numerous power cords over the last few years and have recently been experimenting with plugs as well. Here are some from the previous 3 years only:

6SONS Audio Windigo-- Wolff BOHICA-- Kaplan GS clones-- Sunny P600-- Fusion Audio Enchanters-- VD Nite Platinum-- BMI Hammerhead Gold MK I and Whale Supreme-- Argent Audio Brujo-- TG Audio Silver-- Stealth M-21......
lcherepkai
I've just purchased three Golden Eagles and am considering another. I've been playing with power cables for years now and have tried many cables in a mass variety of combinations. After years of research I've come to the conclusion that many if not most power cables out there, although may sound OK, are made of simple parts of limited value. The results vary. I've come to discover that connectors dramatically affect the sound of a cable as does little things like adding a bit of silver for sparkle.What I've discovered is that the best of the better cables do use higher grade parts. Thinking of this I logically assumed that any cable with good components could work if properly matched with each other. Since I had already tried many expensive name cables I decided to give some of the smaller cable companies a chance on their lesser expensive cables.Once again I noticed better parts for better sound. I decided to try some of the smaller cable companies larger cables with some luck. I discovered 6sonsaudio online and have been dealing with Gary since. I have been enjoying his smaller cables for years and I wrote a review on the Thunderbird power cable one of 6sonsauduio's smaller cables. Just recently I found myself with the funds to purchase a few Golden Eagles and my system has transformed yet again to a larger system. The Golden Eagle uses very fine parts and although this cable is not inexpensive it uses the highest grade parts. The contents of this cable along with it's expensive high grade connectors and gold silver copper alloy create a sonic characteristic I have been getting excited about daily since I've connected them. The Golden Eagle's are the best sounding cables my system has ever seen and the sound using all Golden Eagle's in the chain is much larger and spectacular without loosing it's natural character.I would recommend these cables for anyone with a larger sized system to try. These cables are sweet.