Power Cords Rule


Just finished another DIY power cable using Ohno Continuous Cast copper. This is the third cable added in the past two months, the first two for my ARC mono blocks, this latest for my Wadia 861SE CDP, now over ten years old. I am trying to wring every bit of performance from this player, modified by GNSC. This new cable has lifted that old player to a new plateau of sound stage and clarity; there's just more information in the music not previously heard. All of these cables have first replaced Transparent Reference AC cables, and, after those, three other DIY cables containing OCC copper but with a PVC dielectric not well-suited for AC cables, but vastly superior to the Transparents, circa 2002. My newest versions have polypropylene dielectric over a combined 8 AWG OCC copper, mated to Furutech rhodium plugs. All together, these AC cables have improved my system as much as upgrading the front end would have, IMO, and that would also require a pre-amp in going away from Wadia. And so, my fellow audiophiles, this is where it's at--get that clean power and those great power cables--make 'em yourself--all else depends more on that source of pure power than your other cables can achieve, good as they have to be, as well. Every piece of your system will improve with a purer current--any way you can get it.
128x128jafreeman
I have a question for Melbguy1. Can you describe the sonic character of the Jorma Prime PC's? Are they on the detailed side of neutral or the full bodied/lush side? Can you compare them to a few other High end PC's for context? What are you trying to change/improve by adding the M1/F1 connectors. Thanks for you response.

Bart
In MY experience, the plugs are the most important part of the cable.  I used top of the line Furutech ends with great satisfaction.  Oyeida is also very good, but Furutech in MY system is best.
posbwp554 posts11-03-2016 6:41pmI have a question for Melbguy1. Can you describe the sonic character of the Jorma Prime PC's? Are they on the detailed side of neutral or the full bodied/lush side? Can you compare them to a few other High end PC's for context? What are you trying to change/improve by adding the M1/F1 connectors. Thanks for you response.

Bart
Hi Bart, I wouldn't describe the Jorma Prime pc as lush at all, nor the other extreme of ultra resolving, etched, analytical. I would describe the Jorma Prime pc in similar terms to a Conrad Johnson Gat preamp. "It just sounds right". One word to describe Jorma is natural. The Prime pc has a touch of warmth compared to Origo which is neutral & sounds harmonically rich, resolving, sophisticated and musical. By musical I mean instruments have body and sound tonally correct.

I have compared Jorma Prime to the Andromeda pc which comes with Vitus gear & Acoustic Revive Power Reference. Prime is more resolving, transparent, yet more resolving, sophisticated & musical. It's in a different class altogether as it's price suggests. Mihalis here on A'gon compared Prime to Nordost Valhalla and Odin in his reference system & preferred Prime in every application except transformer-phono. Not bad considering Prime is half the cost of Odin. Otoh, Fred Crowder from Dagogo uses a mix and match approach in his system & preferred a Jorma Prime pc on his phono, hence it is system dependent.

Apropos which, Fred told me the Jorma Prime pc's "generally work well on front end components, somewhat less successfully on high powered amps but that is a generalization.  As I said, they work spectacularly on the EAR electronics, EMM Labs and Ypsilon. You will need to find what works best on your electronics".

Compared to other flagship pc's, the only perceived weakness I could find in the Prime pc were the factory Oyaide P-004/C-004 connectors vs other reference pc's which use Furutech FI-50(r) connectors. So I had 3 of my Primes re-terminated with the M1/F1's. I wanted to reduce the noise floor & improve dynamics, and the cryo'd M1/F1's certainly delivered. I got a nice improvement with those connectors, though note: they don't change the basic tonal balance of the P-004/C-004's (using the same metallurgy on the pins). Others would argue the factory connectors are good enough. And for most folks, in most systems they would be. But I wanted to push mine to the max ;).
Melbguy1, Thanks so much for the excellent and detailed explanation. It is exactly what I was looking for. I am currently using CH Acoustic X-20 (2) on my Bybee Stealth PC and APL Master (modified Esoteric X-01), Valhalla (2) on my Esoteric Grandioso C1 preamp (it uses 2 PC's) and one Argento FMR on my Esoteric Grandioso S1 amp. The weak link are the Valhalla PC's. The PC's I am considering are: Mexcel 9500, Ch Acoustic X-20 and Jorma Prime or Origo. By the way, I added the F1/M1 connectors to the CH Acoustic from the Synergistic Black outlet to the Bybee PLC. It was a noticeable improvement. Thanks again.

Bart