Still king of AC cords?
Review: Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord Power cord
Category: Cables
Background:
10 years of professional musical training. Raised in a family of violinists & cellists (4), I was the lone French Horn player. I have a highly refined ear for symphonic music, individual instrument placement in the sound field, technique/intonation and instrument tonal subtleties. I’ve usually lived in a home with the overtones of a piano.
Musical tastes encompass symphonic to hard-rock, classical & modern jazz. Large and small ensemble with and without vocalists.
The most important aspect of sound for me is my emotional response and the reality of the reproduction.
Turn-off to system: exhausting sound – 10 minutes seems like an hour. Most ribbon speakers due to high freq. tizz.
Recording for testing: XRCD test disk from the Balanced Power room at the RMA Fest 2007.
This disk was used extensively by myself and listening colleague, Frank Lafond. Frank has been actively involved within the audio kingdom both as a DIYer and Colorado Audio Society. Independently, we used this test disk at RAMF and chose the disk for this co-eval of this remarkable power cord.
We tested the Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord over two different listening sessions, two weeks apart. 1st Session was the NHT and Arcam innersound set-up. The 2nd Session was the Line Array, Odyssey and Tact system. (We had to switch to the innersound to reduce clipping.) Our testing included both low and high decibel near-field.
1st SESSION: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the Arcam and the PS600. No written notes were taken. Our overall gestalt was a drop in the noise floor. The sound had a sweeter, clearer feel and an obvious increased space between individual instruments as well as improved harmonic bloom.
2nd SESSION A: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the PS600 and the Target Powerstrip. (I got this idea from reading a review in positivefeedbackonline.com on this cord, but in talking with Mike Garner, he was very surprised as this is not where he would recommend its’ placement.)
1st recording: Villalobos "ANTIL", a complicated overlapping symphonic tone poem. Comments made: Increased air, more energized with a raucous instrumentation, maintained a finesse of clarity. We heard new sounds that improved the audio palpable reality and I found the tone of the horns more true to life.
2nd recording: Maple Shade recording of "Making Whoopee": strong solo baritone sax, acoustic bass and electric guitar. Impressions without the cord: I found this recording objectionable and unlistenable because of the high frequency distortion and the blare of the baritone sax, but Frank found it enjoyable.
With the Bybee Cord, there was a more refined sound, a rounder tone with less gnashing bite. Frank missed the edge, I enjoyed it more. We both agreed the electric guitar was more true to life and the soundstage filled out better.
3rd recording: Kathleen Battle vocals-Strauss – solo vocals with piano. DG recording. We both enjoyed this more with the Bybee Cord in. I could hear more clarity to the German enunciation (spit, or is it spitz?) and Frank was impressed with the clarity of the piano notes: sustain, decay, attack and tone.
4th recording: JVC pressing: Doug McCloud "Run With the Devil" - acoustic guitar, harmonica and jazz vocal. Again, we both agreed it was improved with the Bybee Cord ie: the vocal nuances and the feeling of being at a close acoustic performance; fingers on the strings, etc.
5th recording: JS Bach "The Art of Fugue" – small string chamber music. Overall, the Bybee Cord improved the natural characteristics of the string overtones.
2nd SESSION B: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the PS600 and the Powerstrip, and a second Bybee Cord between the PS600 and the innersound Amp.
To summarize, the female vocal had improved realness with definition of the micro-adjustments of tone and intonation. Frank still complained about loosing the “bite” of the baritone sax, but admitted that in the Villalobos, this is a clear winner heard in the snap and decay and natural fall-off of the overlapping orchestral notes. The chamber music showed improved sound staging with a more natural decay to the ending of notes as well.
If money was no object –
The Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord is more then just a power cord upgrade. We took Frank’s home theatre system (1st Session) and it was an obvious immediate upgrade – more then any power cord that either of us had ever heard. It improved both of the different speaker systems (different types of drivers, alignments, etc.) The 2nd Session showed us that the higher quality system received even more Super Effect.
When I talked with Jack Bybee about the Super Effect components, he said these are at least 4X more effective then anything he’s previously produced. This reduces 1/f, or electron flow turbulence and distortion that propagates adverse harmonic tones rising from the lowest frequency to the highest frequencies (if I understood him correctly). I volunteered to be a Beta Tester of these cords for Mike (tweekgeek.com) Garner after I had read about Bybee Super Effect Speaker Bullets and talked quantum mechanics with Jack Bybee (laymen’s level) as well as speaking with my brother Tom, electric cellist-electrical engineer and holder of numerous electronic industry patents. I had to find out for myself if these concepts were plausible, audible and worth it.
Absoultely, if money is no object, the Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord is an ultimate system upgrade that seems to be an upgrade irregardless of your system components.
Associated gear
Arcam Preamp/Receiver 350AVR
Tact 2.2X Preamp
innersound 300 Watt Stereo Amp
Odyssey Stratos upgraded Stereo Amp
Speakers: NHT V3T
6' Line Array 8 5" Ribbon Tweeters and 10 mid-woofers
with custom Selah audio crossover
Cables: Analysis Plus speaker & interconnects
Target Powerstrip & 14 gauge 20' extension cord (Home Depot)
Power Conditioner: PS Audio Power Plant 600
Background:
10 years of professional musical training. Raised in a family of violinists & cellists (4), I was the lone French Horn player. I have a highly refined ear for symphonic music, individual instrument placement in the sound field, technique/intonation and instrument tonal subtleties. I’ve usually lived in a home with the overtones of a piano.
Musical tastes encompass symphonic to hard-rock, classical & modern jazz. Large and small ensemble with and without vocalists.
The most important aspect of sound for me is my emotional response and the reality of the reproduction.
Turn-off to system: exhausting sound – 10 minutes seems like an hour. Most ribbon speakers due to high freq. tizz.
Recording for testing: XRCD test disk from the Balanced Power room at the RMA Fest 2007.
This disk was used extensively by myself and listening colleague, Frank Lafond. Frank has been actively involved within the audio kingdom both as a DIYer and Colorado Audio Society. Independently, we used this test disk at RAMF and chose the disk for this co-eval of this remarkable power cord.
We tested the Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord over two different listening sessions, two weeks apart. 1st Session was the NHT and Arcam innersound set-up. The 2nd Session was the Line Array, Odyssey and Tact system. (We had to switch to the innersound to reduce clipping.) Our testing included both low and high decibel near-field.
1st SESSION: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the Arcam and the PS600. No written notes were taken. Our overall gestalt was a drop in the noise floor. The sound had a sweeter, clearer feel and an obvious increased space between individual instruments as well as improved harmonic bloom.
2nd SESSION A: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the PS600 and the Target Powerstrip. (I got this idea from reading a review in positivefeedbackonline.com on this cord, but in talking with Mike Garner, he was very surprised as this is not where he would recommend its’ placement.)
1st recording: Villalobos "ANTIL", a complicated overlapping symphonic tone poem. Comments made: Increased air, more energized with a raucous instrumentation, maintained a finesse of clarity. We heard new sounds that improved the audio palpable reality and I found the tone of the horns more true to life.
2nd recording: Maple Shade recording of "Making Whoopee": strong solo baritone sax, acoustic bass and electric guitar. Impressions without the cord: I found this recording objectionable and unlistenable because of the high frequency distortion and the blare of the baritone sax, but Frank found it enjoyable.
With the Bybee Cord, there was a more refined sound, a rounder tone with less gnashing bite. Frank missed the edge, I enjoyed it more. We both agreed the electric guitar was more true to life and the soundstage filled out better.
3rd recording: Kathleen Battle vocals-Strauss – solo vocals with piano. DG recording. We both enjoyed this more with the Bybee Cord in. I could hear more clarity to the German enunciation (spit, or is it spitz?) and Frank was impressed with the clarity of the piano notes: sustain, decay, attack and tone.
4th recording: JVC pressing: Doug McCloud "Run With the Devil" - acoustic guitar, harmonica and jazz vocal. Again, we both agreed it was improved with the Bybee Cord ie: the vocal nuances and the feeling of being at a close acoustic performance; fingers on the strings, etc.
5th recording: JS Bach "The Art of Fugue" – small string chamber music. Overall, the Bybee Cord improved the natural characteristics of the string overtones.
2nd SESSION B: One Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord between the PS600 and the Powerstrip, and a second Bybee Cord between the PS600 and the innersound Amp.
To summarize, the female vocal had improved realness with definition of the micro-adjustments of tone and intonation. Frank still complained about loosing the “bite” of the baritone sax, but admitted that in the Villalobos, this is a clear winner heard in the snap and decay and natural fall-off of the overlapping orchestral notes. The chamber music showed improved sound staging with a more natural decay to the ending of notes as well.
If money was no object –
The Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord is more then just a power cord upgrade. We took Frank’s home theatre system (1st Session) and it was an obvious immediate upgrade – more then any power cord that either of us had ever heard. It improved both of the different speaker systems (different types of drivers, alignments, etc.) The 2nd Session showed us that the higher quality system received even more Super Effect.
When I talked with Jack Bybee about the Super Effect components, he said these are at least 4X more effective then anything he’s previously produced. This reduces 1/f, or electron flow turbulence and distortion that propagates adverse harmonic tones rising from the lowest frequency to the highest frequencies (if I understood him correctly). I volunteered to be a Beta Tester of these cords for Mike (tweekgeek.com) Garner after I had read about Bybee Super Effect Speaker Bullets and talked quantum mechanics with Jack Bybee (laymen’s level) as well as speaking with my brother Tom, electric cellist-electrical engineer and holder of numerous electronic industry patents. I had to find out for myself if these concepts were plausible, audible and worth it.
Absoultely, if money is no object, the Bybee Super Effect Ultra Power Cord is an ultimate system upgrade that seems to be an upgrade irregardless of your system components.
Associated gear
Arcam Preamp/Receiver 350AVR
Tact 2.2X Preamp
innersound 300 Watt Stereo Amp
Odyssey Stratos upgraded Stereo Amp
Speakers: NHT V3T
6' Line Array 8 5" Ribbon Tweeters and 10 mid-woofers
with custom Selah audio crossover
Cables: Analysis Plus speaker & interconnects
Target Powerstrip & 14 gauge 20' extension cord (Home Depot)
Power Conditioner: PS Audio Power Plant 600