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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
ricred1 OP
1,974 posts
 
I've heard this said before, "sometimes you need to let your ears adjust to what you're hearing, before you begin evaluating." The Dragons sound different from any powercord I've ever had. I need to adjust how I listen to capture the true essence of this powercord.
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millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
Here’s the problem with "system matching": complimentary flaws.

Too analytical? Match it up with too warm.
Too bright? Match it up with too dark.
Too lean? Match it up with too full.

On and on. Which granted you might be able to pull off. Until you change one component. Now your flaws are all out of balance. There’s no end to it.

My hunch is the whole red herring of matching was hatched by manufacturers to sell more stuff. Because your odds of ever having this work out are somewhere between slim, and none. Why so many embrace such an obviously flawed approach is beyond me.


three_easy_payments's avatar
three_easy_payments
2,097 posts
 
@folkfreak 

I recently picked up a dealer demo of the low end of this line, the Thunder, and had not considered your quote below but it makes a ton of sense from my own experience.  The PC sounded "ok"  the first day I plugged it in but 24 hrs later it was amazingly changed...and in a really good way.  Astounding actually.  I can only imagine what your Dragon and Hurricane PCs must sound like.

if the DBS has been disconnected, it takes a good 24 hours for the cable to resettle if you need to plug the DBS in, and as AQ often ship with the DBS disconnected please do allow for this.
ricred1 OP
1,974 posts
 
millercarbon,

"Why so many embrace such an obviously flawed approach is beyond me."
I'm not going to argue with you. This won't be that kind of thread. You assemble your system whatever way you prefer and I'll do the same. Nothing becomes out of balance if you have the opportunity to compare components in your own system prior to purchase.
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