'Audience Au24se power chords'
(4 foot AC cord
Retail: $1,100)
MARK: 100/100
When I first connected the brand-new two power chords to my power amplifier and my integrated one tag-teaming in bi-amping I had great expectations after reading all the specifications and praiseworthy reviews but besides a lower overall sound and better control of the attack and release details in comparison with the stock power chords there wasn't much difference; consequently my disappointment for the high cost that it's required to grab them made me think bad words deriving from my rush and naivety in relation to the first approach with so-called aftermarket power chords.
It's been a hectic stretch by me and the listening hours dedicated to these twins haven't been as many as I wished, but every two-three days I found time to play some of my favourite CDs as well as some obscure products forgotten for a while. The reality is that week after week the improvements have been honestly huge and in one case like from night and day: let me tell you that the output level turned out to be abundantly louder and steadily more defined than before, we're not talking of nuances this time! The conclusion is that you need to be patient as the break-in period is a must for these cables, almost certainly due to the fact that they were criogenically treated and now the current flows better. faster, the way the engineer intended. A tip of the hat to him, he is a true genius, mark my words!
These low-DC resistance low impedance cables are better than their previous enhanced E versions as well a score of other competitors (did someone mention Shunyata, Ayre, Alpha-Core, or Kimber?) in all regards: flexible (but don't get carried away) like all the other Audience cables. Flexibility of course contributes to the ability of the cable to be used more easily in the demanding situations we often find ourselves in, as we tend to weave our audio system into one cohesive unit. I for one have sometimes found it difficult to bend a thick cable in order for it to go around other cables in an effort to prevent the distortion that can be caused by cables touching each other. On the sonic end of it, Audience states that using a thick solidcore power cable can result in damage to the conductors if the cable is bent and therefore cause some degradation of sound. These powerChord are neither solid-cord nor is it shielded, in an effort to produce a clear, accurate fast sounding cable. The Au 24SE power chords are a multi-stranded unshielded cable that comes standard with Wattgate IEC and Marinco plugs on each end; as for the connectors, they are Cardas, rhodium over copper to be precise.
Balanced, capable of delivering all of the source's particulars, they finally bring your speakers to another level just when you had decided to replace them. What appeared a high-end result is now just a pale shadow, a resemblance of what we thought was close to perfection; these Audience chords definitely play in another league, leaving no doubt in terms of quality and quantity. Time for your despicable neighbors to fill their suitcase up, you just pump up the volume, there's no sign of tiredness or compromise even at the loudest levels and that's something one would expect only from billionaires' audio systems.
If you're searching for a real pachydermatous bass presence at the lowest octaves, uncolored sonic output, perfect timing, unbelievable control, full cymbals and not too high-pitched the way lesser cables tend to portray them, and a way to revive your system and suck out all the information contained in your sources better than a vacuum cleaner, even if that means turning the at all frequencies, guts of the vinyl/CD/etc. upside down, save your money for a few months and invest in these chords; you'll be prized and your mouth will be agape, I'm serious. Once again I must corroborate that Audience manufactures elegant cables not looking like firehoses; it is not necessary to lay hold of a large cable to get thick bass, it's a commonplace whose destruction I want to favor.
These MP cords aren't ashamed at all and go all the way down, working well with any system connected. The power chords come out in three different gauges, and mine are suitable for amps up to 150 watts and the layers of depth in the performance they're able to extract fear no rivals. This means that even the tiniest fault in a performance or recording is doomed to be heard, and at the same time that the brushes in the mix regarding embellishments, instruments or vocals in the background emerge completing the picture, surprising you of how much information was lost before the insertion into the audio chain of such pearls.
Audience does not use OFHC copper on their product as traditional copper use 1500 crystal /foot, Audience use OCC pure copper from special processing, to reach 700 crystal /foot. This process gives copper better purity and less air between the grains. It also reduces the risk of oxydation. It might sound like a small speculation, but the advances are palpable. This process is called Ultra Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting Process (UP-OCC). It was invented by Professor Ohno of Chiba Institute of Technology in Japan. It is also used by other field companies such as Furutech or Ramm.
I also appreciated the way the connectors are separated inside, the isolation at both ends from acting as an antenna and as a transmitter to the cables, chords and equipment in proximity; mind my two Schuko power cables aren't long at all, so I don't have much choice about distanc and separation from the tangle behind my audio desks.
Moreover, it's been a strong point that the current coming from the external powerhouse far a few miles from your location has key importance in the sound quality; absolutely true, but don't underestimate the improvements easily achievable just by replacing your power chords. If you can't take care of the last a hundred feet because you live in a condo, that's one of the few opportunities available along with power conditioners and a dedicated electric system for your audio equipment by an electrician.
These Californian chords are the cool and they will allow your pre-amps to breathe, expanding the dimensionality of the musical experience like none before. Audience cables: cables with a backbone.
Contacts:
Audience, LLC
120 N. Pacific Street #K9
San Marcos, CA 92069
(800) 565-4390
