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CanJet
06-15-2009, 08:39 PM
Okay . . . I've never been much for interconnects. I have some high end ones and some low end ones and I'm often hard pressed to tell the difference.

On the prompting of a fellow audio fanatic I made one of my occasional forays into "high end" tweaks and picked up a XLO Reference 2 power cord to swap out for the stock one on my Roksan Kandy CD player.

First of all, the cord is prettier than my player. Like most of you I'm sure, I usually try to hide all cables as much as possible, but this thing looks mean (in a good way).

So, I plugged it in and lit it all up. This is on my home office setup that also serves as my primary listening room because it's isolated from the rest of the house and I can hurt myself at will.

The Kandy is running through the Halo P3 pre and Halo A23 amp running at 130wpc into my B&W 685's (for reference)

Now,

picture if you will, the scene from the movie "Bladerunner", where the replicant "Leon" is being given the VK test by the Bladerunner Holden, over at the Tyrell Corp (yeah, I've seen the movie alot). Leon is asked about his mother and responds like most of us would by firing through the table and sending Holden backward in his chair, literally through the wall behind him.

Okay, can you see it? Hold that mental image . . . hold it, hooolllldddd it ...

So, I throw in "Pure Cult: The Singles" track one, "She Sells Sanctuary". At 17.5 seconds into it (feel free to time it for yourself) that first kicker drum beat goes and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Through the back wall I go, but, instead of dealing with a sucking chest wound I'm laughing hysterically. *lmao*

This continued through several tracks as I heard deeper, tighter bass, a huge soundstage and presence like never before. It felt like Ian Astbury was right in the room with me (which is really weird because I'm pretty sure the guy doesn't know where I live, but I digress).

Point being, I'm impressed with the sonic difference that the XLO made and I'm currently considering modifying one of my decks to take a grounded IEC power cord. *bigthumbsup*

Naknut
06-15-2009, 08:52 PM
You are in the desert, you see a tortoise on it's back, what do you do?

DALEK SUPREME DL
06-16-2009, 07:52 AM
XLO make very good cables and power cables. You might want to look at Audience AU series power cables and Analysis Plus Power oval all very good and worth playing with IMHO (I use a number of these in my systems).

Regards Neil

DALEK SUPREME DL
06-16-2009, 07:54 AM
You are in the desert, you see a tortoise on it's back, what do you do?

Well if I have run out of food....sorry I kill it and eat it.


Regards Neil

stuwee
06-16-2009, 09:17 AM
Very fun CanJet! Nice analogy....be careful tho, when grounding non grounded equipment, especially power amps (in case you start down that path). Do you have experience in doing this? If I'm warning you unnessisarly, someone call me out please, jbeckva? Scorp?

I've been meaning to play with cords but, the only equipment I have that has detachable power cords are the ML speakers. So I'm basing my thoughts on what I've read and asking the EE/TE roommie Dale, "sucking chest wound?" too funny and so was Naknut's responce! *lmao*

elroy
06-16-2009, 09:28 AM
So, I throw in "Pure Cult: The Singles" track one, "She Sells Sanctuary". At 17.5 seconds into it (feel free to time it for yourself) that first kicker drum beat goes and BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Through the back wall I go, but, instead of dealing with a sucking chest wound I'm laughing hysterically. *lmao*


Is that a remastered disk? I have the original disks and they sound like crap. you are another person that mentions the sonic improvement from a power cable upgrade, hmmm.

elroy

CanJet
06-16-2009, 10:06 AM
You are in the desert, you see a tortoise on it's back, what do you do?

"What's a tortoise?"

"You know what a turtle is?"

"Yeah sure"

"It's the same thing"

Very fun CanJet! Nice analogy....be careful tho, when grounding non grounded equipment, especially power amps (in case you start down that path). Do you have experience in doing this? If I'm warning you unnessisarly, someone call me out please, jbeckva? Scorp?

I've been meaning to play with cords but, the only equipment I have that has detachable power cords are the ML speakers. So I'm basing my thoughts on what I've read and asking the EE/TE roommie Dale, "sucking chest wound?" too funny and so was Naknut's responce! *lmao*

My Parasound pre and amp are grounded. I may update the cord on the pre next. I read that you may not get the noticeable results upgrading the power amp cord. If I were to do a deck I'd do something somewhat disposable first (JVC?). I saw a Carver power amp on the bay where the guy had upgraded it to an IEC connection, so I assume it's doable.

Is that a remastered disk? I have the original disks and they sound like crap. you are another person that mentions the sonic improvement from a power cable upgrade, hmmm.

elroy

Apparently. I didn't look until you asked but it says remastered by John Dent. I have other Cult on vinyl and cassette but this is my only Cult cd.

Which brings me to another point: I was playing my Cult "Love" cassette and thought I'd do a little A/B with the track "Nirvana" between the cassette and the Pure Cult cd. Pure Cult doesn't have "Nirvana" on it. *WTF*

Makes no sense whatsoever.