I am now on day 5 of burn-in of a VH Flavor 4 as my main cable from the wall outlet (Porter-port ) to the PS ultimate outlet and from there to my 2 Wireworld powerstrips.I am already using a flavor 4 on my Cary 308 cdp and a flavor 3 on my Rotel 1072 cdp ( as per CVH's suggestion ).Initial reaction is that of way more detail and nuance in the music but still sounding a little thin.( this cord replaced Signal Cable ).I figure 2 more weeks before bass and mids get to where they should be.Next time I'll use the adapter for sure.
Review: VH Audio PC Burn adapter & Flavor 4 pc Power cord
Category: Cables
This is an initial review. I noticed a posting back at the end of October regarding the Flavor 4 and burn-in and decided to describe my current experience.
Based on my experience (somewhat limited but current), I recommend that if you are burning in a power cord, you should get an adapter like the one sold by VH Audio to not only speed up the process but to ensure a better result.
About two weeks ago, I purchased a ModWright Sony 999ES with Platinum Level Signature Truth Mod, Revelation Audio Precept II Cryo-Silver power cord, Revelation Audio Cryo Silver Paradise interconnects and two VH Audio Flavor 4 power cords (cryo with Furo) and a PC bun-in adapter. I ran the system continuously for the first 5 days and have either been running the system or running a power cord with the PC burn-in adapter since then. I am using the Revelation Audio pc with the Sony 999ES and one of the VH audio pc’s with the separate tube power supply for the Sony 999ES. I am using the other VH audio pc with the power supply of my Jeff Rowland Consummate preamp.
First observation. Without any burn-in, the Flavor 4 provided a wide sound stage an aggressive increase in the higher frequencies, and a thin overall sound with a lack of body in the mid-range and bass. There was some promise but it was not satisfactory.
Second observation. After running the system continuously for five days, there was noticeable improvement - the roughness in the higher frequencies began to smooth out a bit; there was an abundance of detail and the sound stage was not only wider, but had more depth and height.
Third observation. After the fifth day, I ran the system only in the evenings. However, on the 7th day, I started using the pc burn-in adapter on the Flavor 4 which I was using on the preamp. At the end of the day, I plugged the Flavor 4 pc (using the adapter) to a Patton floor fan and ran the fan for about 18 hours before I hooked the Flavor 4 back into the preamp. What a difference. There was a significant improvement in the sound using the FM, Sony 999ES and vinyl playback. There was a very wide, deep and high sound stage. Image placement was very steady and there was even more detail. However, what was most significant was that the slight etch in the higher frequencies when I played the Sony 999ES had subsided dramatically and there was an overall sweetness to the sound. I have Avalon Ascents and while they have always been great in the mid-range and sweet, I noticed even more focused resolution in the mid-range, an increase in the dynamics and clarity, more defined and deeper bass and very pleasing tonality (especially noteworthy on the ModWright Sony 999ES in both SACD and CD).
Fourth observation. I have been running the system as much as possible but have been hooking up one of the power cords (the Flavor 4's and Revelation Audio) each night for about a week or so. While all the pc’s have been running through the system for some period of time, I observed a significant improvement in the sound in the Flavor 4 which I am using with the preamp after running it over night with the pc burn-in adapter and the fan. While there was improvement with the Revelation Audio pc, the Flavor 4 on the preamp is the most dramatic.
Fifth observation. I am very impressed with the quality of the sound that I am getting out of the ModWright Sony 999ES. I will be posting my observations on this player after another month or so. However, I can now state that the sound stage, detail, bass, tonal quality of instruments and voice and overall sweetness of the sound is truly impressive. Furthermore, there appears to be a positive synergy using the Revelation Audio pc on the ModWright Sony 999ES and the Flavor 4 on the preamp. When I compare the Revelation Audio and Flavor 4 on the preamp, the Revelation Audio pc appears to capture the character of instruments and voice more completely than the Flavor 4 and is less aggressive in the higher frequencies but does not have as much width on the sound stage. Nonetheless, at this point it appears that the combination of the two pc’s – the Flavor 4 on the preamp and the Revelation Audio on the Sony 999ES – is a great match.
In sum, I highly recommend auditioning the Flavor 4 pc’s and trying them out on source components in addition to power amps. I also recommend auditioning the Revelation Audio pc’s but they are even more expensive. In my system, they are a better match powering the ModWright Sony 999ES than the Flavor 4. But as I stated above, the Flavor 4 is great powering the preamp with the Revelation Audio powering the ModWright Sony. The system sounds great. [However, I wonder whether running Revelation Audio on all 4 of my amps and other equipment might not be the best overall choice. That is for another day – when I would be prepared to burn-in 5 Revelation Audio power cords (one for each amp and the preamp) and 4 Flavor 4's (one for each amp since I am currently running a Flavor 4 on the preamp) over a month or so and lay out that much cash to conduct the audition.]
In any event, be sure to also purchase one or more pc burn-in adapters. Some have posted on various sites that using the pc adapter with the Flavor 4 and running them for a couple of weeks on a refrigerator has done the trick. While you can’t go wrong with this approach, I suggest running the pc’s with the adapter in sessions of a day or so in length. This session approach has been working well for me – I don’t know if it results in a better burn-in then a continuous 100 or 200 hour run but I don’t have the patience to wait that long and I have a suspicion that turning the pc on and off with the pc adapter connected to a fan or refrigerator may actually result in a better burn-in (maybe it has something to do with the dielectric of the Teflon conductor on the Flavor 4's). If anyone has done this comparison, it would be great to hear their observations.
Associated gear
Jeff Rowland Consummate preamp and amps; graham/lyra clavis/basis; Fanfare tuner; ModWright Sony 999ES with Platinum Level Signature Truth Mod, Revelation Audio Precept II Cryo-Silver power cord on Sony 999, Revelation Audio Cryo Silver Paradise interconnects on Sony 999ES and two VH Audio Flavor 4 power cords (one on Sony 999ES and one on preamp power supply) (cryo with Furo) and a PC bun-in adapter.
Similar products
Revelation Audio pc
Belden with Versa Labs Wood Blocks
This is an initial review. I noticed a posting back at the end of October regarding the Flavor 4 and burn-in and decided to describe my current experience.
Based on my experience (somewhat limited but current), I recommend that if you are burning in a power cord, you should get an adapter like the one sold by VH Audio to not only speed up the process but to ensure a better result.
About two weeks ago, I purchased a ModWright Sony 999ES with Platinum Level Signature Truth Mod, Revelation Audio Precept II Cryo-Silver power cord, Revelation Audio Cryo Silver Paradise interconnects and two VH Audio Flavor 4 power cords (cryo with Furo) and a PC bun-in adapter. I ran the system continuously for the first 5 days and have either been running the system or running a power cord with the PC burn-in adapter since then. I am using the Revelation Audio pc with the Sony 999ES and one of the VH audio pc’s with the separate tube power supply for the Sony 999ES. I am using the other VH audio pc with the power supply of my Jeff Rowland Consummate preamp.
First observation. Without any burn-in, the Flavor 4 provided a wide sound stage an aggressive increase in the higher frequencies, and a thin overall sound with a lack of body in the mid-range and bass. There was some promise but it was not satisfactory.
Second observation. After running the system continuously for five days, there was noticeable improvement - the roughness in the higher frequencies began to smooth out a bit; there was an abundance of detail and the sound stage was not only wider, but had more depth and height.
Third observation. After the fifth day, I ran the system only in the evenings. However, on the 7th day, I started using the pc burn-in adapter on the Flavor 4 which I was using on the preamp. At the end of the day, I plugged the Flavor 4 pc (using the adapter) to a Patton floor fan and ran the fan for about 18 hours before I hooked the Flavor 4 back into the preamp. What a difference. There was a significant improvement in the sound using the FM, Sony 999ES and vinyl playback. There was a very wide, deep and high sound stage. Image placement was very steady and there was even more detail. However, what was most significant was that the slight etch in the higher frequencies when I played the Sony 999ES had subsided dramatically and there was an overall sweetness to the sound. I have Avalon Ascents and while they have always been great in the mid-range and sweet, I noticed even more focused resolution in the mid-range, an increase in the dynamics and clarity, more defined and deeper bass and very pleasing tonality (especially noteworthy on the ModWright Sony 999ES in both SACD and CD).
Fourth observation. I have been running the system as much as possible but have been hooking up one of the power cords (the Flavor 4's and Revelation Audio) each night for about a week or so. While all the pc’s have been running through the system for some period of time, I observed a significant improvement in the sound in the Flavor 4 which I am using with the preamp after running it over night with the pc burn-in adapter and the fan. While there was improvement with the Revelation Audio pc, the Flavor 4 on the preamp is the most dramatic.
Fifth observation. I am very impressed with the quality of the sound that I am getting out of the ModWright Sony 999ES. I will be posting my observations on this player after another month or so. However, I can now state that the sound stage, detail, bass, tonal quality of instruments and voice and overall sweetness of the sound is truly impressive. Furthermore, there appears to be a positive synergy using the Revelation Audio pc on the ModWright Sony 999ES and the Flavor 4 on the preamp. When I compare the Revelation Audio and Flavor 4 on the preamp, the Revelation Audio pc appears to capture the character of instruments and voice more completely than the Flavor 4 and is less aggressive in the higher frequencies but does not have as much width on the sound stage. Nonetheless, at this point it appears that the combination of the two pc’s – the Flavor 4 on the preamp and the Revelation Audio on the Sony 999ES – is a great match.
In sum, I highly recommend auditioning the Flavor 4 pc’s and trying them out on source components in addition to power amps. I also recommend auditioning the Revelation Audio pc’s but they are even more expensive. In my system, they are a better match powering the ModWright Sony 999ES than the Flavor 4. But as I stated above, the Flavor 4 is great powering the preamp with the Revelation Audio powering the ModWright Sony. The system sounds great. [However, I wonder whether running Revelation Audio on all 4 of my amps and other equipment might not be the best overall choice. That is for another day – when I would be prepared to burn-in 5 Revelation Audio power cords (one for each amp and the preamp) and 4 Flavor 4's (one for each amp since I am currently running a Flavor 4 on the preamp) over a month or so and lay out that much cash to conduct the audition.]
In any event, be sure to also purchase one or more pc burn-in adapters. Some have posted on various sites that using the pc adapter with the Flavor 4 and running them for a couple of weeks on a refrigerator has done the trick. While you can’t go wrong with this approach, I suggest running the pc’s with the adapter in sessions of a day or so in length. This session approach has been working well for me – I don’t know if it results in a better burn-in then a continuous 100 or 200 hour run but I don’t have the patience to wait that long and I have a suspicion that turning the pc on and off with the pc adapter connected to a fan or refrigerator may actually result in a better burn-in (maybe it has something to do with the dielectric of the Teflon conductor on the Flavor 4's). If anyone has done this comparison, it would be great to hear their observations.
Associated gear
Jeff Rowland Consummate preamp and amps; graham/lyra clavis/basis; Fanfare tuner; ModWright Sony 999ES with Platinum Level Signature Truth Mod, Revelation Audio Precept II Cryo-Silver power cord on Sony 999, Revelation Audio Cryo Silver Paradise interconnects on Sony 999ES and two VH Audio Flavor 4 power cords (one on Sony 999ES and one on preamp power supply) (cryo with Furo) and a PC bun-in adapter.
Similar products
Revelation Audio pc
Belden with Versa Labs Wood Blocks