Hey Buck,
Yup, its burning on. Got it hooked up to my trans and dac and leaving it on repeat. |
Are all your unconscious purchases online pertaining to audio? Mine are. Usually, I am much more rational. Wait, I just spend $25 on a book on ebay. A rare english version of a japanese novel that probably costs $3 in japan. |
Gunbei,
You've had the VD cables longer than I have. I thought I'd have more to learn from you. Oh, I just ordered one Audition cord lastnite. It was one of those 4am, oops accidentally pressed "pay" on paypal.com, thingy. |
I just got 2 power 3 in the mail today.
Virtual Dynamics=making us very good story tellers on Audiogon. I mean it in a good way, perhaps. |
Thanks for the tip, Buck.
I might as well start story telling.
Part 1 (first impressions)
1) Received two pizza boxes. The delivery took about one week.
2)Opened box. Revealed one humongous cord that weighs about 5 times the weight of my Lat International power cord. Suppose I am to use it as a whip, it can be lethal.
3) The jacket is very stiff, and it seems to be filled with sand.
Part 2 (no burn in time)
1) My mellow Cal Alpha/Delta became home theaterish.
-Bass is very strong, more detailed mid but sounds cold.
-"Air" is reduced.
2) Listening volume level increased.
-I assume my ears can tolerate turning up the volume because VD reduces junk in the AC.
3) Speaker doing a better dissapearance act.
Part 3 (day 2)
1) Received a PS Audio Juice Bar in mail.
-Removed Rotel line conditioner.
-Plugged (1) Power 3 cord from wall to Juice Bar.
-Plugged (1) Power 3 cord from wall to amp.
2) Replaced old power cords.
-Plugged Lat pc from Juice Bar into dac and trans.
-Plugged Mapleshade pc from Juice Bar into preamp (meridian 518).
3) Sound is very neutral and unfatiguing.
-No more home theater sound.
-Bass not as overly emphasized as before yet still strong.
-Mids has more softness, not dry as before.
Part 1-3 Conclusion:
Stereo components are more dependent on powercords than before in my book. When I added the Lat and Mapleshade cords, they somewhat reduced midrange glare and added some air to my system. By adding the VD power 3, and take it as both good and bad, its like adding a bigger power supply to my amp and front end.
More to come... |
Hey Buck, I am using a laptop. I don't have anything in the house that uses an IEC input other than my rice cooker (actually my rice cooker doesn't have one either).
Part 4 Swapping Cables
Power Cords
Previously-
(1) Power 3 cable from wall to juice bar
(1) Power 3 cable from wall to amp
(2) Lat AC2 from juice bar to trans/dac
(1) Mapleshade PC from juice bar to preamp
Now-ceteris peribus cept...
(1) Power 3 cable from juice bar to transport
(1) Lat AC2 from juice bar to amp
Comment: I thought the best cable ought to be placed from wall to juice bar thus every component connected to the juice bar would benefit. But, that is not the case. Placing the Power 3 directly into the transport has much better results.
Speaker Cable
Previsouly-
(1) Audiotruth Argent on hi
(1) Audioquest Midnight on low
Now-
Removed Midnight from low
Attached gold plated jumpers
Comment: By adding (2) Power 3 cords, my system has "virtually" increased "dynamics" to the point where the sound is more virtual than natural (no equivocation here sirs). Naturalness returned by switching from bi-wire configuration to full range.
Part 4 conclusion:
It is my goal to be as objective as possible for the sake of readers who might actually read this and base their judgments on this data. However, I remember back when I was 13 years old, and I was listening to Aztec Camera's High Lands, Hard Rain from 2AM until 7AM on vinyl. That was one of my best listening experiences. I just had a similar experience listening to Ryuichi Sakamoto's BTTB. It's been a long time I can listen to music without paying attention to the equipment. I am thinking about upgrading to Audition for my transport. Yes, I am impulsive.
TBC |
Blazter, thanks for the review. I am contemplating on upgrading from Power 3 to Audition. Your review has given me lots of food for thought. Finally, someone on this website isn't telling others to "just do it." |
Sugaru, did you tip the pizza boy?
Which cable did you get? Power 1?
Personally, I think your digital will benefit the most from mechanical filtering. However, they might burn in faster by hooking it up to the amp.
I have the cable going up against the backwall and bending towards my components at a 90 angle over... about 6"... very tight fit. My P3, subjectively, almost outweigh my Cal Alpha and Delta. I think the IEC connectors are already loosened a bit.
Please share your assessments. |
Part 5 Moving P3 cord into Dac
Previously
-P3 cord from wall to juicebar
-Lat Int. AC2 from juicebar to Dac
Now
-Lat from wall to juicebar
-P3 from juicebar to dac
Comment: There is tremendously more air at the lost of lower frequency oomph. I have 3 individual theories, althought they can be construed as one:
1) Because the Lat cord is connected to the juicebar, and the Lat does have an airy sonic signature, the rest of my system's signal production has become airier, especially the amp since its getting a double dose of Lat cord's effects now.
2) Since my dac uses tubes, the P3,being directly connected to it, is revealing more of its characteristics.
3) Since the amp is no longer getting the benefits of dynamic filtering, it might have lost some of its lower current abilities.
Conclusion:
I love the added airy quality to my system; 3 dimensionality has improved along with better better ability to recognize subtle details; it almost sounds like an all tube system. I would like some of the lower frequency to come back. I might have to go back to bi-wiring. I assume I will lose some cohereny in the midrange if I do that.
An obvious solution, one might think, is to add another VD cable to either the juicebar, the amp, or both. I am sort of quagmired; would adding another vd power cord improve the current sound or merely alter it, trading in air for dynamics. Also, since money is tight, assuming I am to get more VD cords, should I get (2) more P3 or should I get (1) P3 and (1) Audition. I am under the assumption that my trans will harness more audible improvements by using Audition instead of P3. Wishful thinking?
I shall continue another night. I am pooped. |
Looks like I killed this room. Viggen, 239482; room, Zero!
Part 6--aspects of power 3
No change in cable configuration since part 5.
Since I last plugged the pair of Power 3 cords into my trans/dac, I've mentioned that the system garnered a huge sense of air and space. However, my soundstage sounded a little confused.
Keep in mind, I live in an apartment complex, so my late nigth listening levels are very low. I turned up the volume to my usual listening level this afternoon, and I am sort of dissapointed.
The tube-ish air quality is there in the highs, and the bass is taught; however, there is something missing in the middle of the soundstage that wasn't missing before I put both the P3 cords on my trans/dac.
My assumptions are many:
1) Inferior quality power cords from wall to juicebar and from juicebar to amp, which are both Lat Internationals.
2) Inferior quality power cord from juicebar to Meridian 518, used as a preamp.
3) P3 cord adds musicality but lessens resolution (need higher gauge cord for digital?)
4) My interconnects and speakercable doesn't have synergy with VD cables, which are both Audiotruth.
5) AQ Emeralds might not have enough resolution, and it is known to round off the top.
Remedies:
1) I am planning to invest in a new interconnect, thinking the AQ Python. I just love the way AQ sounds. I think this is the weak link.
2) I am contemplating on splurging on the VD Reference power cords, to increase the gauge and dynamic filtering factor so to increase my dac/trans' resolution.
Comments: I've contemplated on getting the Audition package but I don't want to part with my AQ argent speaker cables, and I don't want to part with $1000.... The search goes on... |
Hey Gunbei,
I guess Rick is taking his sweet time freezing and thawing his cables?
Man, a week is a long time to wait...
But, do keep us posted.
I will try to find your system on virtual system.. I think I saw it once. |
No wonder he hasn't replied my emails.... well maybe cuz it's the weekend. |
My final assessment of VD P3 cables.
I highly recommend VD cables on amps and transports.
I feel Virtual Dymanic cords works best when with components have mechanical movements or has high current storage. I say this because it seems these components are the most vulnerable to vibration, and I feel there is some correlation between sharing alternating current with the rest of the city and micro-vibrations within your components.
As for components with no mechanical movement or low-level current, other cords might work better. You can use other brand cables as tone controls to suit your personal taste on preamps and such.
As noted earlier, VD cables are best when directly connected to components, compared to only connected it to an outlet splitter. This probably means other aftermarket powercords are still vulnerable to factors that will impede transports and amps from performing up to its potential.
That is my current personal assessment. |
Erik,
If I am not mistaken, Power 3 is a 16 gauge conductor with 14 gauge connects. That is too small for your krell and cj that are high current capacity components. Most stock cords are 14 gauge. You are better off with stock 14 than 16 gauge aftermarket cords.
If you are not looking for a more refined sound but more kick in your system, go find some large gauge power cable. Mapleshade and PS Audio will work well in this regard. And, if you are not too turned off by the Power 3, try the Power 2 or Audition. |
Hey Bro,
I can't answer your question. But I surmise the Power 3, 2, and 1 all have the same connectors and other properties such as shielding and mechanical filtering. The difference is the size of the conductors, gauge.
I just got off the phone with Rick. One thing I really like about him is he is the first "merchant" I've dealt with that honestly admits and utters the word "I don't know."
In case anyone thinks I am being a smart ass, I am just emphasizing that I can take Rick's words with less grain of salt than other "merchants." Other merchants, when dealt with a question they have no real knowledge to, will talk out of their buns just to sell themselves/the company/the product. |
Blaz, what components did you use to compare the power cables? |
Hey Gunbei,
Rick told me before there are no differences between their digital and analog cables. So they probably are not 75ohm. But you'd probably find, after your cables are burned in, a high quality analog cable can walk all over a digital cable even when used in digital applications. Currently, I am using Alpha Core AG Micropurls for my digital applications, and they are way better than the D-60. |
