MooGoesTheCow
500+ MOOOderator: Needs a better MOOOOmate
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2001
- Posts
- 782
- Likes
- 16
For awhile now, I have been looking for an inexpensive power cord to replace the stock cord for my cdp. I wanted something introductory, to see for myself if aftermarket power cords were a load of bull. If anything, in the worst case scenario I would simply have another fat cord to look nice in my system.
I went for a no-nonsense cable from The Bolder Cable Co.
It consists of a Belden 14 gauge cable, a WATTGATE IEC, and a Marinco Hospital Grade Plug, treated w/ Caig ProGold. It is sheathed in a tough black (nylon?) braided jacket. Very nice build quality and high quality components for $60. Wayne, the owner, can't possibly be making much profit from this cable. And talk about service! I ordered two of them on Tuesday Sept 4, and Wayne built them that evening and shipped em off the very next day!
But the sound, you say...be patient.
First a little philosophy of mine. I believe when getting a new audio component, may it be cable, component, or accessory, it should make a noticible difference immediately...doesn't matter if the difference is for the worse or better. The only criteria being that it must sound different. Because if I hear no difference, what the hell's the point? I could buy a cable, use it for a year, hearing no difference from the previous cable, getting no extra happiness whatsoever. And yeah, I could eventually swap the new cable for the old one and realize, hey the new one sounds so much better...it makes the old cable sound like crap. But it wouldn't matter since I didn't hear anything different upon installation.
I personally have never heard a difference in cables before...always having just the correct number of ic's and power cords to get the job done. I did not know what to expect. I certainly did not expect anything amazing.
And so I turn on my Meridian w/ stock cord, put in my etys, get into a comfy chair, and listen. The cd in rotation: Rufus Wainwright's self titled album, as I am in a male vocal mood for some reason (and outside of opera, this is probably the only one I've got). It sounds great. The same as the last time. I run through the first few tracks a couple times. Alrightie, then I unplug the stock cord and replace it w/ the Bolder. Repeat process. Hmm. The sound is different. Could just be my imagination, but I don't have much of an imagination to begin with, so probably not. The bass seems more present, but the sound is, well, weird. Imbalanced slightly. Still hard to put my finger on. I swap cords a couple times and, yeah, there is a difference. Cool. I let the cable burn in over the next few days, maybe 6-7 hrs each day, both listening and letting it play by itself. The sound gradually shifts toward the bright end, like Wayne said it would in his email. I let it Grado 325 itself for awhile more and then things settled down. The sound balanced itself out, and I could tell the break-in process was past puberty.
I'm not experienced in describing the sound in audiophile lingo, so I will do it in my own descriptive way. This sounds ****ing awesome. No, for real. The bass isn't really any deeper, and the treble isn't really more extended. The midrange isn't really more detailed. Yet everything just sounds better. Clearer, like cleaning my eyeglasses with industrial strength lens cleaner. More dynamic. Rufus' drawl seems more real, with more character and feeling. The honkytonk piano is more honky, if you know what I mean. I don't know how a $60 power cable can do this, but, hey, it works. I swapped the stock with the Bolder over and over again this evening, and repeatedly heard the difference. It's not a change like moving from my panasonic pcdp to the mooridian, but it's a noticible, very beneficial change. It's clearly more natural than the stock. Contrastingly, the stock is a little harsh and edgy, less full...dare I say thin sounding, although that might be going too far.
Normally when you have such a wonderful setup that I am so fortunate to have, it takes more and more $$$ to make a minimal improvement. So for something that costs only $60 to make a difference, it puts a big smile on my face. Bargains do exist in the world.
Recomoooonded!
Associated Equipment:
Meridian 586 dvd player
McCormack Micro Integrated Drive
Etymotic ER4P w/ 4S adapter
DH Labs Interconnects
I went for a no-nonsense cable from The Bolder Cable Co.
It consists of a Belden 14 gauge cable, a WATTGATE IEC, and a Marinco Hospital Grade Plug, treated w/ Caig ProGold. It is sheathed in a tough black (nylon?) braided jacket. Very nice build quality and high quality components for $60. Wayne, the owner, can't possibly be making much profit from this cable. And talk about service! I ordered two of them on Tuesday Sept 4, and Wayne built them that evening and shipped em off the very next day!
But the sound, you say...be patient.
First a little philosophy of mine. I believe when getting a new audio component, may it be cable, component, or accessory, it should make a noticible difference immediately...doesn't matter if the difference is for the worse or better. The only criteria being that it must sound different. Because if I hear no difference, what the hell's the point? I could buy a cable, use it for a year, hearing no difference from the previous cable, getting no extra happiness whatsoever. And yeah, I could eventually swap the new cable for the old one and realize, hey the new one sounds so much better...it makes the old cable sound like crap. But it wouldn't matter since I didn't hear anything different upon installation.
I personally have never heard a difference in cables before...always having just the correct number of ic's and power cords to get the job done. I did not know what to expect. I certainly did not expect anything amazing.
And so I turn on my Meridian w/ stock cord, put in my etys, get into a comfy chair, and listen. The cd in rotation: Rufus Wainwright's self titled album, as I am in a male vocal mood for some reason (and outside of opera, this is probably the only one I've got). It sounds great. The same as the last time. I run through the first few tracks a couple times. Alrightie, then I unplug the stock cord and replace it w/ the Bolder. Repeat process. Hmm. The sound is different. Could just be my imagination, but I don't have much of an imagination to begin with, so probably not. The bass seems more present, but the sound is, well, weird. Imbalanced slightly. Still hard to put my finger on. I swap cords a couple times and, yeah, there is a difference. Cool. I let the cable burn in over the next few days, maybe 6-7 hrs each day, both listening and letting it play by itself. The sound gradually shifts toward the bright end, like Wayne said it would in his email. I let it Grado 325 itself for awhile more and then things settled down. The sound balanced itself out, and I could tell the break-in process was past puberty.
I'm not experienced in describing the sound in audiophile lingo, so I will do it in my own descriptive way. This sounds ****ing awesome. No, for real. The bass isn't really any deeper, and the treble isn't really more extended. The midrange isn't really more detailed. Yet everything just sounds better. Clearer, like cleaning my eyeglasses with industrial strength lens cleaner. More dynamic. Rufus' drawl seems more real, with more character and feeling. The honkytonk piano is more honky, if you know what I mean. I don't know how a $60 power cable can do this, but, hey, it works. I swapped the stock with the Bolder over and over again this evening, and repeatedly heard the difference. It's not a change like moving from my panasonic pcdp to the mooridian, but it's a noticible, very beneficial change. It's clearly more natural than the stock. Contrastingly, the stock is a little harsh and edgy, less full...dare I say thin sounding, although that might be going too far.
Normally when you have such a wonderful setup that I am so fortunate to have, it takes more and more $$$ to make a minimal improvement. So for something that costs only $60 to make a difference, it puts a big smile on my face. Bargains do exist in the world.
Recomoooonded!
Associated Equipment:
Meridian 586 dvd player
McCormack Micro Integrated Drive
Etymotic ER4P w/ 4S adapter
DH Labs Interconnects
